I've never been a big tofu fan. Actually, the only tofu I've ever liked I had at a restaurant called PF Changs where I used to live. It was REALLY firm... didn't have that "wiggly" texture that turns me off of tofu. I asked the waiter about it, and he said it was pressed so the water was mostly removed.

So, I'd really like to try the Macafoni & Cheese recipe from the boards, but need to know what type and brand of tofu I should buy. I'd love to use the stuff I was describing above, but the waiter didn't know exactly what kind it was.

Thanks for any help!

Mada
210/204/140
Re-started LC 9/1/03

"Self delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scales." - Paul Sweeney

Hi Mada. I've made the macafoni & cheese recipe and it's not too bad. A vegetarian friend here at work took me to a natural foods market once and showed me the right tofu to buy. FIRM. She says anything other than firm is not too good (in her opinion).

I bought the tofu from this market that was in a big bucket of water, in blocks. I've bought the firm kind from the grocery store in those sealed packages and it was not good. The fresher the better I guess.

Give it a try and see if you like it!

Karen

Please direct me to the Macafoni & Cheese recipe. I LOVE tofu. Thankx

All this talk about Tofu makes me want to go down to the market and get some from the deli! They make the best Tamari Tofu! My co-workers gag when they see me eating it, but they don't know what they're missing.

Anyway......I copied the path to get to the recipe,

Go to Recipes > Veggies_and_Sides > starch_substitutes

You'll find it there.

Let us know what you think of it, if you try it.

Karen

Thanks for the info LC4Me. I'll try looking around, but doubt I'll find it like you did... (town too small). May have to settle for the packaged kind.

I did email PF Changs and got a response back already! In case you'd like to know, here's what they said:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>We use a pressed tofu that is marinated in soy sauce and five spices. You can usually find it in the refrigerated section of most Asian Markets. Labels vary across the country but look for Golden Coin, Mt. Fuji and ask the staff what the best label they carry is.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And for the Macafoni & Cheese recipe, look here

Mada
210/204/140
Re-started LC 9/1/03

"Self delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scales." - Paul Sweeney

You can also press the tofu to drain the liquid and get a firmer product. Here's one way:

Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and put on a plate. Put a cutting board on top of the wrapped tofu, and a couple of heavy cans on the cutting board. Let it sit several hours. You'll get lots of liquid out of even "firm" tofu.

You can also buy a "tofu press" for the purpose.



BC
172/108/108--5'2"
Zone since 4/98

BC...thanks for the tip! How long can it sit out before you have to worry about spoilage?

Mada
210/204/160-140 (size 8-10)
Re-re-started LC 1/5/04

"Self delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scales." - Paul Sweeney

I remember one of my old hippie/dippie cookbooks recommended leaving it overnight, but I don't think I ever left it more than a few hours. The firmer the tofu in the first place, the less you'll have to press, natch. So you may have to play it by ear. If you're concerned about spoilage, you can put the whole press set up in the fridge, too.

Another thing you can do is to freeze the block of tofu, then press. Press as it thaws, so to speak. The texture of the tofu actually becomes quite different after freezing--firmer, and can even be crumbled, which is really much nicer for some recipes.

It's kind of fun to play with!



BC
172/108/108--5'2"
Zone since 4/98