I sure do like tofu: A thread for fans of tofu

"Tofu, sometimes called Dofu or bean curd, is a food made by coagulating soy milk with calcium sulfate (gypsum), nigari (a sea-salt derived compound rich in magnesium chloride), or other agents, and then pressing into blocks, similar to the way cheese is made from milk."

!

Search:
marinated
fried
peanut sauced
barbecued
on a sandwich

Search:
marinated
fried
peanut sauced
barbecued
on a sandwich

destroy: standard american chinese takeout style where they cut it in triangle wedges and fry it greasy but don't season it first.

BTW, I went to this over the weekend, and it was quite fun www.tofufestival.com

alternately, snip about a half-inch off one of the ends of a ziploc bag, pack the tofu in in such a way that the moisture is forced out of the bag, twist-tie it together, put it in a bowl with some kind of weight over it, and let it drain for a while.

it was a ginger-rice vinegar-soy marinade (with dark sesame oil and green onions) and i grilled it until it was brownish on both sides. SO GOOD.

i also enjoy this prep method:
drain
cut into thin (1/4 in) slices
sprinkle with salt and pepper
dredge in walnut meal
bake on a cookie sheet at high temp (450) for 10 min
remove, sprinkle with tamari
bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until chewy.
serve as you would any kind of schnitzel (with a starch a a veggie) or as a topping for stir fry.

nutty! chewy! salty! delish.

but I'll say this..

The Field Roast sausage products that just came out (Smoked Apple Sage, Italian Sausage, and Mexican Chipotle) are all GRAND GRAND GRAND, and super delicious.

They even make the excellent Tofurkey/Turtle Island brand soy sausages (Beer Brat, Italian Sausage, Kielbasa) ones seem a bit bland in comparison.

I was there that very day! Did you try the tofu tostadas? They were excellent! I missed the tofutti booth though.

I have a slamming oven barbeque tofu recipe that I'll post when I go home. Amanda's recipe looks incredible.

TOFU is wonderfullllllllllllllll and I love it.

i get so sick of meat sometimes. my mom is from the pre-hippie "if it doesn't have meat in it, it's not a real meal" generation (she wouldn't say that, but she gets very restless when presented with vegetarian food and starts fumbling around for something more fleshy to eat).

I just HATE the way that most non-veggies seem to think that just cutting it into bits and serving it semi-raw ("stir-fried") is somehow acceptible. Yuck.

I'd totally agree with this statement if you changed a couple of words...

"i love tofu as its own thing; i hate it when it tries to be marketed as stand-in meat. sorry vegetarians, you're wrong on this one, no matter how many of those products you push on me."

And who can blame the companies for wanting to come up with a catch all name to denote their savory textured soy product as a stand-in meat? Anything else would make people scratch their heads and move on. It is somewhat lame, sure, as it's rarely that accurate, but it's a necessarily lame, unfortunately.

That said, and I'll repeat this again, I LIKE SOY "FAKE MEAT" BECAUSE IT TASTES LIKE SOMETHING OTHER THAN MEAT -- AND BETTER! The only thing that's semi accurate is tofu dogs, and -- well -- the flavor of "dogs" is mostly in the smoked flavor anyway, and not the source of the textured protein.

I'm not denying some companies try for a real meat taste, but the hidden truth is.. the result often just tastes better than any of the above, even if "inaccurate".

I'll get off the high soy pedestal now.

Tofu is the food I crave most lately. nom

Tofu cravings are weird. I don't really have cravings for other food except possibly fish.

I probably eat one and a half 16oz blocks of tofu a week, as I regularly breakfast on miso soup (w tofu, chives, & wakami). At any given time I have 2 lbs of extra firm from the local Taiwanese grocery (0.89 / lb).

Seconding comments that its fairly bad as a meat substitute. If you want that texture, use seitan (wheat gluten DUMPLINGS! simmered in seasoning broth). Most Asian markets will have canned, but its pretty easy to make, and I can vouch for the vegan sausage recipes (using gluten) floating about.

If you like stir-fry tofu on a regular basis, and are looking for a more convenient way of pressing out water so that it will take up marinades, I just bought a new kitchen gadget called a TofuXpress, and while overpriced, its well made and works well. Something for the heavy tofu consumer in your life.

deep fried w/ freshly made Thai peanut sauce for me plz.

Awesome tofu here:
http://www.hibino-brooklyn.com/

http://pix.sustainlane.com/l/A/o/p/z/b.jpeg

Mmm Toby's dairy-free jalapeno tofu pate.

i have never eaten tofu

A beautiful world awaits.

A study published in April 2008 concluded that soy food intake has an inverse association with sperm concentration in fertility-deficient men. The same study found that soy intake does not affect sperm motility, morphology, or ejaculate volume.

Beautiful!

I don't eat seitan or gluten or any of the other stuff. Tofu is all-purpose for me.

this thread has made me go to the chinese supermarket

Any good recs for tofu marinade recipes? I got some tofu in the freezer begging to be dethawed & flavornated.

I also finally found a place in town that sells FISH SAUCE after 3 fucking years of living here. Way too expensive, but god I missed that stuff. Fish sauce, I love you.

where do you live?

i really like the marinades and the technique in here abbott http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_Cook_Tofu_Like_the_Pros

oh yeah you really need to have an asian grocery store for that stuff ime

though, xp to myself, i'm 100% sure that's not how "the pros" do it

yeah no asian grocery here, where I am used to being able to get a 1 L bottle for $2, whereas this is a pretty small bottle for $4.50 from the fancypants grocery. I live in New Mexico. Bonus, tho, the carnicerias/Mexican groceries have 1 L bottles of lime juice for $2, which is quite convenient for gimlets. I shopped at the Asian grocery at least once a week in Boise, tho. ;_; missing u Asian grocery

o tofu I love u

I'm not a veg but I just got this book and it is freaking genius:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51onUKzqhCL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg

I just don't eat that much meat anymore.

i am definitely going to try that method. i didn't realize you were supposed to cook, then marinate!

i don't know if you're "supposed to" but it works out well because it approximates the texture of deep-fried tofu and soaks up the marinade really well. i really hate pan-frying raw tofu.

yeah it is a pain in the ass!

Yeah that looks awesome & clever. I've been freezing/thawing.marinating but it does crumble up when you pan fry. dry fry thing looks like a good solution!

oh, i've also done this one a bunch of times. it involves pan-frying but it works. http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/caramelized-tofu-recipe.html

i mean i don't follow that exactly (chopped pecans wtf) but you can get the gist of how to carmelize tofu from that

oh shit that looks delicious

surprisingly I have the ingredients for a lot of these at home! <3 a well-stocked kitchen. I shld pick up some peanut oil tho, sometime.

salt & pepper tofu is proof enough of the existence of god

ha harbl that is the website i was looking at before i went to the chinese supermarket. i am now marinading (like, as i write) in a variation of their thai one with tamarind pulp instead of minced lemongrass

does anyone here have any suggestions for a vegetarian mah po tofu? i guess TVP mince might have to be involved but you know ehh

there's a recipe for it in one of the moosewood cookbooks. i could transcribe it for you if you can't find it. it doesn't call for tvp at all, though obv you could just add it. iirc it's good but you have to double the amount of sauce it calls for. i haven't made it in about 6 years because i don't really like ma po tofu, i guess.

this appears to be it http://books.google.com/books?id=RIZUbs0nrsIC&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=moosewood+ma+po+tofu&source=bl&ots=u4LS2gM1XC&sig=Vzz-SvCw4FtfPu7DUdptvPKG5jU&hl=en&ei=d8iiSuf8C9LqlAfPirX1CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

lol justification

I am making all tht ma po tofu

harbl i like ur style

... how much is "2 cakes of tofu" i wonder

What's cooking? part 4

i was wondering why there wasn't a running cooking thread on ilx but then i realised there probably was one on the cooking board but i think i might start one on ile because i think a lot of people don't look at this board which is a shame

― thomp, Saturday, September 5, 2009 9:47 PM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

gahhh no just tell them to come post here!

― tehresa, Saturday, September 5, 2009 9:55 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i would assume 2 cakes is 2 1-pound blocks. that seems about right for 4-6 people.

I want to start eating more tofu.

i've never been a big tofu-eater just because i feel like i'm not good at cooking with it. easier to just cook a pound of beans. but looking at my own performance on this thread i've made a lot of good stuff out of tofu and just forgot about it. so i just bought a pound of it at the store!

it's kind of embarrassing the despair i fall into when i try to drain a block of tofu and end up running through a roll of fancy paper towels. the ziploc bag trick sounds life-changing!!

i got some tofu in my fridge maybe i'll try that dry frying method tonight

I used to default to extra firm tofu because it is the most toothsome and meat-like. But now I don't really like extra firm tofu because I've learned that regular firm tofu, properly drained and properly cooked, is superior in texture every time (but yes, a little trickier to cook).

how do you guys press your tofu? i remember my mom always doing it between cutting boards w/ weight on it, etc. but i suck at it and it always still seems to a lot of fluid left when i'm done.

I will eat tofu raw by itself, or dip it in something (mustard, balsamic, Valentina, etc.). I am a freak.

I really don't press tofu much because the texture is not really an issue for me as long as it isn't silken (I hate silken tofu).

i never press it. i squeeze it out with my hands before i use it but that's about all the patience i have. i was just gonna suggest this too though, for people who don't hate silken tofu http://theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=223

i had an amazing tofu chocolate cheesecake once. nom.

do you guys ever make dips/spreads? i have been thinking about this. like pesto-y or maybe something nutty or cheesy.

i used to get this amazing salmon chive tofu spread from fairway (not for veggies, obv). i wonder how hard they are to make on your own.

shouldn't be hard at all! i made a fake mayonnaise once that was pretty good

i don't even like real mayonnaise so i don't think i will attempt that.

but i do have some salmon in my freezer...

I like tofu. I eat tofu. Also tempeh. Not exactly a fanboy crush on either one, though. I just consider it as part of my varied diet.

how do you guys press your tofu? i remember my mom always doing it between cutting boards w/ weight on it, etc.

that's pretty much what i do. wrap it in paper towels to absorb the moisture. then put some heavy cookbooks on it.

i do that but then i feel guilty about wasting paper towels

search search search: the Golden Bowl at the Grit in Athens, GA. Just a huge mountain of fried tofu cubes on rice with cheeeeeese and veggies. The tofu is crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and radiates the goodness of soy sauce and nutritional yeast. Ultimate comfort food for me. Beware their cookbook, however: while full of yummy recipes for virtually everything else on the menu, the tofu recipe is, I believe, a clever act of subterfuge to enable you to make something NOT QUITE like what they serve and thus maintain demand....

There's a healthy Chinese place in my hometown that makes the best Sesame Tempeh I've ever had. I want it right now.

How long do you ppl usually marinate tofu?

half hour is adequate for 1" slices, in general

I do as long as I can stand, like 1 to 3 hours. Also, if you want the best tofu ON THE PLANET, purchase Twin Oaks tofu; it is made by this co-op in VA and it is the firmest most amazing tofu of all time.

I do as long as I can stand, like 1 to 3 hours.

co-sign

Any thoughts on the current demonization of soy?

yeah, the people demonizing it are the same people who wear vibram five fingers and selectively suffer from gluten allergies

This stuff is beginning to appear in the mainstream as of late:

Mercola
http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm

Kaayla Daniel's The Whole Soy Story
http://www.wholesoystory.com/

Weston Price Foundation
http://www.whale.to/a/soy2.html

Ha
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/debunking-diet-myths-weston-a-price-foundation-stupid-traditions.html

i am eating tofu right now

it's very good

You're welcome.

Went out to dinner Thursday at night at local restaurant, had a great fried tofu appetizer that came in four decent sized wedges with amazing chipotle bbq dipping sauce. Was better than the meal, frankly.

I'm eating tofu

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

tofuuuuuuu

i had forgotten posting on this thread. tofu is great.

I am trying to figure out if making chili with tofu would be awesome, or a waste of food.

Tofu, soy and nori. Nom

I am trying to figure out if making chili with tofu would be awesome, or a waste of food.

the way to make chili with tofu is as follows:

1) buy firm or extra firm tof
2) drain the water off & cut it into shapes which you would like to eat (cubes, triangles, whatever you like)
3) place in freezer 4 hours or overnight (if you are making it for dinner, just drain & put in freezer in the morning before work/school and take out of freezer in the afternoon)
4) you may then fry it if you want it fried and then add it to the chili (nom, but there are anti-frying forces out their with health concerns, and they're not without a point) or just heat it through along with the chili. if it has not thawed this'll take some extra time but man that frozen-then-thawed tofu is SO DAMN GOOD

I have some extra firm in the freezer right now! I'd just have to defrost it. I was just worried the tofus would suck up too much flavor in the chili, but if you say it's good, I'm totally making it.

i think i might like it if i fried it and added it to the chili before eating, but i would not want to cook it too long in the chili, or leave it in to be part of the leftovers

mmm what happens to tofu when it is in something i have to microwave at work the next day is always dispiriting

What about tofu hexagons for chili? I think that'd be a v nice shape.

tesselated tofu

melon scoop time imo

soybean shaped tofu

That would be like the time my mom made a meatloaf from ground pork & formed it into the shape of a pig.

tonight, for dinner... reconstituted pig

The best tofu of all time is Twin Oaks tofu, which is some co-op (I think?) out of VA. It is unbelievably firm and toothy, and vacuum-packed with only a smidge of water instead of soaking in plastic tub. I swear by it but unfortunatly my now-local grocer only carries Nasoya and some other shittier brands.

Also, if you want the best tofu ON THE PLANET, purchase Twin Oaks tofu; it is made by this co-op in VA and it is the firmest most amazing tofu of all time.

― limp bizkotti (Stevie D), Sunday, May 30, 2010 2:24 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark

Tofu street teamer

Damnit I forgot I said that! I just get really, really excited about this tofu.

OK whatever just hold this packet of tofu and look happy

It's just a curd to me.

can kill for some ma po tofu right now

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1171/1055893452_bc557901b3_o.jpg

<3 ma po tofu so much

oh my god that picture

MUST EAT

Please post some really nummy tofu recipes. I have some I want to cook with

<3 ma po tofu so much

― just sayin, Friday, 16 July 2010 16:43 (1 month ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

made this last night, it was the bomb imo

i diced up and dry-fried some tofu on tues night, put it in a sealed container with a bottle of ponzu. how long will it last in the fridge?

Battle of the Stinky Tofu

https://archive.ph/1ys2V

I have a lot of sympathy for the restaurant (and its stinky tofu-loving patrons) here, especially since it seems like it's mostly one person calling and complaining. I've never had stinky tofu but it sounds delicious.

Reheating fried tofu - is oven my best bet?

air fryer, if you have one, if not then frying pan is next best.

stinky tofu is fantastic, I did think it was an open sewer the first time I smelled it though. in Beijing they serve it with loads of minced raw garlic, just in case your breath isn't bad enough already.

stinky tofu really stinks, but i don't think i've ever smelled it emanating from indoor consumption. if there's a stinky tofu cart in the neighborhood though you'll smell it from a block away.

Headline of the Day:

Stench of 20 Tons of Spilled Tofu Hits Missouri Town ‘Like a Brick Wall’

Reheating fried tofu - is oven my best bet?

― a ZX spectrum is haunting Europe (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, March 24, 2026 9:13 AM (three days ago) bookmarkflaglink

air fryer, if you have one, if not then frying pan is next best.

― Francis Fuck Coprolalia (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, March 24, 2026 9:38 AM (three days ago) bookmarkflaglink

since this our family's #1 dinner protein source, and i frankly don't care for tofu, my #1 cooking method as of late is to air-fry/crisp thin pieces the day before, marinate them overnight and reheat it the following day. if the marinade is right you get this mock-bacon umami bomb that you can throw on just about anything.

how thin and what kinda marinade?

1/4 inch, 5 mm around there. marinade usually depends on time but is generally something like a neutral oil, soy sauce, maple syrup/honey, ginger/garlic. i'm making this generally for my kids so i can't get too crazy with experimentation or they flip out. if i feel sassy i might throw/swap in some sesame oil, shirodashi, miso, fish sauce, bragg liquid aminos, rice vinegar, lime, etc. when we lived in austria the local grocery chains had a fantastic pre-marinated/extra firm tofu that was an everyday staple so i lean towards that profile.