Tofu was Re: [Sca-cooks] vegetarian

[Kirsten Houseknecht]

i LOVE tofu, so maybe i am not the best  person for this. but here goes.

tofu is not meat, nor a meat substitute.  i often have tofu AND meat in one
meal.

it is , however, a protein source that is vegetarian.

tofu is treated differently depending on what KIND of tofu it is. silken
tofuy is not a meat substitute, it is a CUSTARD or egg or milk substitute
silken tofu can be used to make custards, egg dishes, and creamy sauces
without using dairy.  it can be used to thicken a soup or stew and add
protein. if cooked much at all itmelts or turns into a custardy liquid
unless it was fried or otherwise solidified first.  it makes a great yogurt
substitute.

firm tofu (i buy extra firm) can be used more like a solid.... like a "meat"
or something...... it can be sliced, baked, broiled, and buried in sauces.
it will be firmer if it is first fried, or broiled without suace to firm it
up. but it will never be solid like a meat.

TVP can be used almost indistinguishably from ground meat.  i have used TVP
instead of hamburger with no noticable change in texture.. but IT DOESNT
have the same taste. so will only "taste the same" if strongly spiced.  (i
have used it to strecth a limited supply of hamburger.. no one even noticed
until i mentioned it..)
Kirsten
kirsten at fabricdragon.com
http://www.fabricdragon.com

"Did you vote?  No?   Then don't come whining to me...."
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gorgeous Muiredach" <muiredach at bmee.net>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2002 10:05 AM
Subject: Tofu was Re: [Sca-cooks] vegetarian


>
> > > Hmmm. Possibly there is tofu that tastes similar to meat. But I've yet
to
> > > see or taste any that resembled meat in texture. Unless jello is a
meat.
> > > But I haven't tried any of the meat substitutes (TVP?).
> >
> >Perhaps you should.  It's not quite the same as meat, but it's not a bad
> >approximation for ground whatever.  Some of the not-meats (not-bacon,
> >etc) are also not quite like meat, but they're a *lot* closer to it than
> >they are to jello.
>
> Again, do we want to immitate meat or create something all its own?
>
> That said, I've seen so many people complain about tofu, because it
doesn't
> resemble meat!  And that's what happens when we try to make a pale
> immitation.  Most chinese folks I know don't look at tofu as a meat
> substitute or alternative, just as another ingredient.
>
> It should be noted that there are two types of tofu:  soft, and hard.
>
> It should also be noted that in the majority of cases the tofu you can get
> at most grocery stores is stale, old, soured.
>
> Soft tofu could be confused for jello, I guess.  Hard tofu, no way!
>
> Ther'es lots to tofu, it is such a versatile ingredient, it is
> fantastic.  BUT, it is NOT a meat substitute.  Merely an alternative.
>
>
> Gorgeous Muiredach the Odd
> Clan of Odds
> Shire of Forth Castle, Meridies
> mka
> Nicolas Steenhout
> "You must deal with me as I think of myself" J. Hockenberry
>
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