Tofu is also perishable; it should be refrigerated after opening and used as quickly as possible. One extremely easy way to try tofu is to use a pre-packaged meal like Create-a-Meal and add chopped firm tofu instead of chicken. Another idea is to make fajitas as you normally would, substituting tofu for steak or chicken. Don't forget to add the seasoning...that will give the tofu some flavor!
Making tofu is a painstaking and intricate process. First, the soybeans are crushed and soaked in water overnight. The next day, the beans are boiled according to a formula. They can be soaked at any degree centigrade, for any number of hours, as long as the total equals 20. For example, they can be soaked for 8 hours at 12 degrees or 10 hours at 10 degrees.
Next, the boiled bean mixture is filtered through a cloth. The resulting liquid is what is known as soy milk and is ready to eat. Often in small, Japanese tofu shops, the soy milk is sold in cups along with tofu. The solid part of the mixture is called okara and is transferred to the next stage of tofu-making.
The remaining product is then mixed with a coagulant and mixed. In a short time, silken tofu is ready to be separated from the mix. It is custard-like in consistency and is often eaten plain or with scallions and soy sauce. As with the soy milk, the silken tofu is poured into cups and sold at the shop. The remaining tofu and coagulant are put into a weighted press to extract the water from the tofu. The blocks of tofu are cut and sold.
There is an excellent recipe for Crisp-Fried Tofu and Greens at OrientalFood.com. This is a great way to sample tofu in its native element before you decide to incorporate it into your weekly meal plan. And for the more experienced tofu eater, Kikkoman has a great Tofu Steak recipe and a Tofu Tortellini recipe. Kikkoman are the makers of a popular soy sauce brand, so they know their soy!
If you're feeling really adventurous, you can even try to make your own tofu veggie burgers.
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