Tofu class

[chef_Tab]

Tomorrow night I am attending a tofu cooking class. If you have any questions you would like brought up, let me know. I will share any good recipes and info on Tuesday!

[labradors]

My primary question would be how to use tofu without needing to take out a loan from the bank! LOL!

[foodfiend]

Theresa,
Actually, I do have a question!
I've used tofu for years and have found, through (a lot of) trial and error, that DH doesn't like the soft texture.

Silken tofu is out for mealtime uses (although it's great for in smoothies and dips), and I have to not only buy extra-firm tofu but also freeze it to get a chewier texture that he doesn't object to.

So far, his favorite is when I coat tofu slices with crumbs then pan-saute and serve stir-fried vegetables and sauce over the slices. The problem is-- I have trouble with keeping a breadcrumb coating on the tofu as I saute. I use fine crumbs, and dip in a mixture of beaten egg white before the coating, but the most of the crumbs end up in the bottom of the pan or sections of it slide off as I flip the slices.

I press the tofu as dry as possible before dipping in egg white, but is there something else that I can do (a different type of coating? dipping in some other crumb mixture?).

I would appreciate it so much if you could ask this of your instructors. Thank you for offering!

[cjs]

Vicci, I wonder if tossing with some flour first, then the egg, then crumbs would help?

I'm anxious to see any of the recipes you really like - I only seem to use tofu in Hot Sour soup. Oh, and used it once in a hot pot Asian dish.

Have fun!

[chef_Tab]

Vicci, I added your question to my list and hopefully will be able to give you an answer tomorrow. I like the extra firm myself, but I just season the strips well and fry till the outside is brown and crunchy. I have never tried breading it. Sadly, the stores around me have stopped carrying all but silken tofu so I don't know what I will do.

As an after thought, when I bread meat, I know it helps to do it ahead of time and let it "rest" in the fridge before cooking. The bread crumbs seem to adhere better. I will still ask the host chef!

[farnfam]

Theresa, I bet you're already planning to ask this anyway, I was wondering if the silken tofu could be "firmed up" by draining thru a cheesecloth? It works with yogurt.

Cis

[chef_Tab]

Cis, you are a genius! I was not clever enough to think of that. It is now on the list!

[cjs]

I sure wish your class had of been last night - we're off to a big(ger) city today and I could have picked up some firm tofu - well, maybe I will anyway in anticipation...

[labradors]

Quote:

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I was wondering if the silken tofu could be "firmed up" by draining thru a cheesecloth?

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It would probably need to have some weight on top of it, as in this recipe for homemade tofu.

[chef_Tab]

I am sorry it took so long to report back on this. First the questions.
1. How to get breadcrumbs to adhere to the tofu.
The women suggested dipping in cornstarch first.
2. Can the silken be firmed up by draining.
She did not think this would work.
I have to say, the woman conducting this class is not so much a cook as a vegan. As nice as she was, I do not consider her an expert. I think the point of her class was to show how tofu can be used to make dishes that traditionally call for dairy.
The foods she made that evening for us to sample were potato soup, strawberry smoothie, and a faux egg salad. Since I do not have an issue with dairy products, I am not sure I will use these recipes. They were not bad, but I could not help think that they all needed some adjusting. It had nothing to do with the tofu, more lack of method and or seasoning.
Besides the recipes for the dishes she made in class, she also gave us recipes for: shells with tomato sauce and "cottage cheese", avacado cooler, and faux scrambled eggs. If anyone wants these, I will type them up, but they all came from vegan cookbooks she uses.
As an aside, my friend and I were the only people that showed up for the class. When the head chef from Carrabbas comes to do a class, it is packed!