Put versatile tofu to work for you

Central to tofu's versatility is an often neutral, albeit subtle and fresh, umami taste.

Most scientists think that humans can detect four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Umami is a Japanese concept and word that describes a fifth taste. Difficult to translate, umami is used to describe pungency, essence or a perfect quality in taste. It's a word often associated with tofu.

Until the 1990s, when technology made longer shelf life possible, tofu was best bought fresh, on the day it was made. East Asians value that freshness as Europeans value fresh bread. Great players in high Chinese cuisine use tofu just as prominent chefs in the West continually produce dishes using bread, eggs or dairy.

Tofu is stir-fried, deep-fried, braised, poached and cooked in soups with as many ingredients and flavors as there exist in the Asian culinary constellation, often combined with some animal product for flavor.

The method of making tofu hasn't changed much since it was first created, although scale of production has. Tofu is made through a process of coagulating the proteins in soy milk, just like dairy milk. That creates curds, which are separated from the watery whey. In cheese-making, rennet is the curdling agent. In the tofu process, calcium sulfate or magnesium chloride is used.

After the soybean is soaked, ground and squeezed for its white liquid, soymilk is morphed creatively into products that can be likened to fresh and aged cheeses. Soy milk and tofu look, act, respond and support nutrition as milk and cheese do.

As in the dairy process, the curds are skimmed off and left to drain and compact while the curds are pressed to form the tofu, which is why the Chinese and Japanese producers marketed tofu early on as "bean curd."

Not surprisingly, it didn't catch on, for despite whatever Miss Muffet ate while she sat on the tuffet, neither the "bean" word or the "curds and whey" words connoted anything attractive to Americans.

However, much of the negative sentiment has disappeared in recent years as the soybean earned status as a wonder food. It's hard to deny this nutrient-rich food: A 7-ounce serving of tofu contains 150 calories, 16 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat and no cholesterol.

Coconut Curry Tofu

• 2 bunches green onions
• 1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons chili paste
• 1 pound firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 4 cups chopped bok choy
• Salt to taste

Remove white parts of green onions, and finely chop. Chop greens into 2-inch pieces.

In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, mix coconut milk, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, ginger and chili paste. Bring to a boil.

Stir tofu, tomatoes, yellow pepper, mushrooms and finely chopped green onions into the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in basil and bok choy. Season with salt and remaining soy sauce. Continue cooking 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender but crisp. Garnish with remaining green onion.

Makes six servings.

-- Source: www.allrecipes.com.

Easy Chocolate Tofu Pie

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powde
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 9-inch prepared graham-cracker crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend tofu with an electric mixer or in a food processor until smooth. Blend in cocoa, sugar, vanilla and vinegar. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Serves eight.

Source: www.allrecipes.com.

Tofu and Red Pepper Spread

• 1 10-ounce package silken tofu, drained
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Using a blender or food processor, thoroughly mix silken tofu, red bell pepper, cashews, onion, prepared Dijon-style mustard and soy sauce. Blend until smooth and creamy. Chill in the refrigerator one hour or until thickened. Use more cashews to make the mixture thicker, if desired.

Source: www.allrecipes.com.

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