In my view we do have duties to behave more responsibly at the dinner table but the simple admonition "eat less meat" will do. Maybe you don't like tofu but sardines are delicious, or use Goya small red beans with shredded Mexican cheese (even the Kraft package is decent) and ground chile on a corn tortilla. Don't forget the lime on top.
The problem is, almost no one likes tofu initially. It's an acquired taste, like caviar or asparagus, though for the opposite reason--it has barely any flavor, so you focus on the consistency. And most people don't care for the consistency.
There are good reasons to learn to love it, however. For one thing, it's cheap. For another, it's low fat and high protein. For a third, it keeps approximately forever. And most importantly, cooked right, it's delicious. Tofu is an incredibly versatile foodstuff. You never have to worry about whether it goes with another food--it does. It's the ultimate flavor vehicle.
The easiest way to learn to like tofu is to start with extra firm, which has the consistency of a moderately dry mozzarella. And it does excellent work anywhere you'd normally use cold mozarella--sliced thin with tomatoes, roasted red peppers and pesto on a sandwich, or tossed into your pasta primavera.
Tofu also makes an excellent substitute for scrambled eggs. No, I swear--even wholeheartedly carnivore friends have grudgingly admitted that, okay, my tofu scramble is pretty good. You just take your firm tofu, chop it moderately fine, and throw it on top of sauteed vegetables (I use olive oil, but you could use butter): I like spinach, mushroom, and frozen artichoke hearts, generously laced with crushed red pepper, sea salt, and crushed garlic. But you could use almost anything. Those flirting with veganism should throw in some nutritional yeast for its parmesan-cheesy flavor, and its B-12.
Tofu's also pretty good grilled, though you want to freeze it first, to make it shed its extra moisture. Pop a loaf of extra firm in the freezer for a few hours, slice about 1/2 inch thick (or an inch, if you're starting to like the stuff), and treat it the way you would chicken--spice rubs, barbecue sauce, whatever. A carnivore with whom I was recently out to dinner confessed that my grilled tofu was better than his entree. And his entree must have been pretty good, since he almost licked the plate.
Then there's the old stir-fry standby. Nasoya sells pre-cubed super firm tofu, which makes it super-easy to throw it into your stir fried vegetables for a few minutes at the end--just enough to absorb the sauce.
I know, I know--you won't try it. You don't LIKE tofu, and you won't be MADE to like it by some vegan nuthatch. But a girl's gotta try. If I can just convince one person to grill a few slabs of tofu along with their steaks, I'll feel its all been worthwhile.
For a third, it keeps approximately forever.
Tetra-packed tofu will. The fresh stuff, not so much.
My problem with Tofu is although it might be cheap in general, it isn't widely used enough to be cheap anywhere I shop (in the South Jersey Philly metro area). So, although I'm ok with tofu every time I've eaten it, and I eat less and less meat these days, I still don't eat much tofu at all.
I'm thinking that economics will solve this eventually. I believe it takes about 1,000 vegitable calories to make one meat calorie (please correct me if I'm wrong). This is not reflected in the prices, you would think that meat would be between 100 and 1,000 times the cost of veggies. Eventually, this will sort itself out and meat will become less and less affordable, and veggies more and more so. Then I expect to eat tofu to my heat's content.
You never have to worry about whether it goes with another food--it does. It's the ultimate flavor vehicle.
Why bother? Why not eat some vegetarian food that actually has some flavour of its own?
I've never had a carnivorous friend turn down nachos with a tomato sauce and freshly-cut up vegetables and fresh cheese on top.
Tofu is bad for your soul.
I myself never particularly like tofu until I started eating it at Asian restaurants that knew how to prepare it properly. The one piece of advice I'd give to anyone either trying tofu for the first time, or trying to convince someone else to try tofu is this: TOFU IS NOT A MEAT SUBSTITUTE AND SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS SUCH! Tofu is its own food and should be prepared with that in mind. Many people inexperience in preparing tofu will try such abominations as tofurkey or tofu chili (why? there is no shame in making an all bean chili) instead of using recipes specifically designed for tofu. A great introduction to tofu might be some traditional Chinese dishes like mapo tofu which contain both tofu and meat.
Speaking as an enthusiastic carnivore, I've never understood people's beef (ahem) with tofu. Extra firm tofu is a perfectly tasty ingredient with a perfectly well-defined flavour and texture. I've always thought it a mistake to try to cloak it in other more 'acceptable' flavours, like it's some kind of stealth food. In the worst case you get food atrocities like tofurkey or tofurken (eek), which only draw attention to all the ways they *do not* taste like turkey or chicken.
It's like playing a 'cello suite on a banjo: it sounds awful, and what's wrong with bluegrass, anyway?
I love to eat meat, but I like how tofu soaks up marinades and sauces the way you wish chicken did. I put it in a lot of my curries and it tastes delicious.
You'd have a far better chance of attracting somebody to try tofu-eating if it weren't, by your own choice, part of a very general syllogism that seems prevalent nowadays:
1. CO^2 levels are rising, and the Earth is warmer than it was in 1908.
2. OMIGOD! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE! QUICK! DO "SOMETHING"!
3. By an amazing coincidence, here is some left-wing thing that I wanted everybody to do anyway before Global Warming became the miraculous replacement to Soviet Communism. So, hurry, everybody, do this "SOMETHING" that I just happen to want! Do it right this minute!
4. Therefore, all men are Socrates.
I don't think that your post is one-hundredth as objectionable as the people using this sort of reasoning to argue for totally tanking the U.S. economy, squashing essentially all free human activity and innovation, etc. etc. etc.
However, I do think the rise of this do-what-I-want-or-Gaia-dies meme is provoking its own inevitable backlash. For instance, I hadn't been planning to eat a cheeseburger today, but now I think I must. It's for the children.
I myself never particularly like tofu until I started eating it at Asian restaurants that knew how to prepare it properly. The one piece of advice I'd give to anyone either trying tofu for the first time, or trying to convince someone else to try tofu is this: TOFU IS NOT A MEAT SUBSTITUTE AND SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS SUCH! Tofu is its own food and should be prepared with that in mind. Many people inexperience in preparing tofu will try such abominations as tofurkey or tofu chili (why? there is no shame in making an all bean chili) instead of using recipes specifically designed for tofu. A great introduction to tofu might be some traditional Chinese dishes like mapo tofu which contain both tofu and meat.
Eating meat affords many of us a lot of pleasure. The benefits of eating meat are therefore very plain. So why should a happy carnivore (or rather omnivore) give up eating meat when that would mean forgoing a significant amount of pleasure while having no significant impact on global warming?
The rational individual (who likes meat) has no incentive to give it up.
The same thing goes for Sunday drives, or large beautiful houses, or any other pleasant aspect of human life that leads to extra carbon emissions. We could of course choose to make ourselves miserable, living in hovels, giving up our cars, giving up on air conditioning and so on beacause of some of Al Gore's apocalyptic ravings. But why should we? To do so would be irrational.
About 90% of my meals are vegetarian. I enjoy seitan and tempeh and quorn and quinoa and veggie burgers and other weird stuff most people don't consider as options for so-called omnivores. Vegetarian bean chili has been one of my favorite foods since I was about 13.
But tofu is basically terrible unless cooked by someone who can skillfully hide the fact that it is tofu. Probably the biggest setback to vegetarianism is that people associate it with tofu-eating, and tofu sucks.
(I've never been big on acquired tastes, either. "Wow, this tastes awful. I think I'll keep eating it until I like it!" Unless it's for some reason necessary to try to like it, why bother when there are substitutes that taste good?)
So what's your opinion on Textured Soy Protein?
I've had some Chinese meals prepared with it that were excellent, and TSP really DOES work as a meat substitute (good sauce required, of course).
From Kat:
There needs to be a single term to refer to all these disparate unusual and exotic ingredients. I propose: Scrabble Foods!
Tofu soaks up the taste of whatever you cook it in. Therefore if you cook extra-firm tofu quickly on high heat with some oil and a whole bunch of ginger and garlic, you are going to end up with something wonderful, because ginger and garlic are delights to the senses.
(Finish up with some soy sauce at the end, right before taking off from heat. Maybe throw in some diced red pepper and broccolini right when you add the tofu, so as to get your veggies in. I know no one cares but me -- but still, it's delicious and fun to eat.)
You had a typo. It's corrected below.
I wouldn't have believed it a couple of years ago, but you're absolutely right. Some friends who have lived in India and Pakistan grilled some tofu, and I was hooked. I live close to a Firebowl Cafe, and I love the soft tofu dishes. I've also had a chocolate tofu "cheese"cake that was fantastic. Cooking with it is something I'm still learning to do-- thanks for the tips.
You don't LIKE tofu, and you won't be MADE to like it by some vegan nuthatch. But a girl's gotta try. If I can just convince one person to grill a few slabs of tofu along with their steaks, I'll feel its all been worthwhile.
You almost had me - to the point of seriously considering getting some to cook with, next time I was at the store - until this bit of smug self-applause.
I have to disagree with the comment calling Tofurkey an "abomination." It's actually quite good. Admittedly, this may be in part because real turkey is not particularly flavorful, so the competition's weak.
I'm pretty carnivorous, and I think tofu's fine.
Firm, dusted with starch, and pan-fried with hot oil. Mmmm.
I just don't cook it myself, because, hey, meat.
(Though, me, if I wanted a tofu scramble, I'd make it with eggs. And sausage.)
How about a contest in exchange for Megan's pledged vote in November?
1. One person per candidate agrees to keep records on behalf of participants.
2. Participants pick a candidate on behalf of whom they're eating tofu. Participants track the amount of tofu eaten and report it to their record keeper.
3. Megan agrees to vote for whichever candidate's participants have eaten the most tofu between now and election eve.
Soy protein is estrogenic. Fine if you're female, not so great for your body if you're not.
Ever wake up and say "I feel too strong and fit"? If so, soy protein is for you.
Soy protein is high in anti-nutrients and isn't very bioavailable for humans.
Ever think "I get too many damn vitamins in my diet"? If so, soy protein is for you.
From "Brain Aging and Midlife Tofu Consumption", at http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/19/2/242
"Results: Poor cognitive test performance, enlargement of ventricles and low brain weight were each significantly and independently associated with higher midlife tofu consumption. A similar association of midlife tofu intake with poor late life cognitive test scores was also observed among wives of cohort members, using the husband’s answers to food frequency questions as proxy for the wife’s consumption. Statistically significant associations were consistently demonstrated in linear and logistic multivariate regression models. Odds ratios comparing endpoints among "high-high" with "low-low" consumers were mostly in the range of 1.6 to 2.0.
Conclusions: In this population, higher midlife tofu consumption was independently associated with indicators of cognitive impairment and brain atrophy in late life."
Paul--I don't think eating tofu is something to congratulate oneself on. I do think it's tasty and economical. I hope that you won't deprive yourself of a new food because of something I said.
Tofu's fine, where it belongs - in miso soup, yudofu and sukiyaki (right next to the beef and vegetables.)
Since these are relative rarities in my household, although my better half is Japanese, I'm more worried about being struck by a meteor than getting and overdose of estrogen.
I presume that's the same Tyler Cowen who published the article "Policing Nature", in which he argued that we should seriously consider killing, or at least not protecting, wild carnivores because of the harm and suffering they inflict. Why, I wonder, does he recommend that people merely "eat less meat", rather than eat no meat at all?
If you want people to like tofu, don't start by convincing them its a meat substitute, start by introducing them to it in its original form in Japanese and Chinese cooking. All the flavors go with it nicely, and you're not judging it by how well it replaces meat in dishes you know.
Therefore if you cook extra-firm tofu quickly on high heat with some oil and a whole bunch of ginger and garlic, you are going to end up with something wonderful, because ginger and garlic are delights to the senses.
Or you could cook the whole bunch of ginger and garlic along with a potato. Or some lentils. Or some beans. Or brown rice.
I don't understand the enthusiasm for tofu. Why not pick a base food that actually contributes some flavour and texture of its own to the meal?
It's actually a myth that tofu is high in protein. By vegetarian standards, I suppose it is, but it's only five (soft) to ten (extra-firm) percent protein by weight—to get 20g of protein you'd have to eat almost half a pound of extra-firm tofu or nearly a pound of soft tofu.
Meat, in comparison, is 20-25% protein by weight, and lean meat actually has a higher protein-to-fat ratio than tofu (though I disagree with the premise that dietary fat is a bad thing).
I actually like tofu (though I certainly wouldn't grill it like a steak), but I don't eat much of it due to the health concerns raised by other commenters above. I'm not sure whether these are legitimate, but I know meat is healthful, so I don't see any point on taking chances with a food I don't like as much.
Therefore if you cook extra-firm tofu quickly on high heat with some oil and a whole bunch of ginger and garlic, you are going to end up with something wonderful, because ginger and garlic are delights to the senses.
Or you could cook the whole bunch of ginger and garlic along with a potato. Or some lentils. Or some beans. Or brown rice.
I don't understand the enthusiasm for tofu. Why not pick a base food that actually contributes some flavour and texture of its own to the meal?
For a third, it keeps approximately forever.
I guess they must've improved the packaging since my tofu-eating days a couple decades ago. Our most common recipe for tofu was to let it sit at the back of the fridge for a few weeks and then throw it away.
Tofu gets converted to estrogen in your body. Drops your sperm count.
Makes you a wuss.
Try going to Asian supermarkets if you want the cheapest tofu around. It may not be non-GMO and organic, but it's super cheap. The Asian supermarket near me actually has a large tub filled with homemade tofu, and you just cut up the amount you want and wrap it up just like your other veggies. It's even in the produce section. They also have pre-packaged tofu just like everyone else, and even those are much cheaper than what you'd find elsewhere.
This is not reflected in the prices, you would think that meat would be between 100 and 1,000 times the cost of veggies
Veggies don't tend to thrive when you turn them out on the range.
And field corn turns out not to taste very good.
Any tofu that lasts forever isn't tofu. Tetra-packed is the tofu equivalent of Velveeta. The texture is just all wrong. The real stuff will perish in a few days (though they do make some pasteurized stuff now that is good and will last 2 weeks unopened.)
That said, I agree with the comment above that tofu is great so long as you don't treat it as a meat substitute. However, it is surprisingly not low-fat.
I encourage everyone to take Megan's advice and steer away from meat.
For what ever reason. Great tofu recipees, global warming, white supremacy...
Cheaper steaks for me.
"The problem is, almost no one likes tofu initially. "
My kid loved it the first time he ever tasted it. My wife shovelled it into him a bite at a time, and he ate half a block eventually. It was plain and cold and tasted slightly sweet - excellent baby food. Maybe he didn't really like it "initially", maybe he acquired the taste in a past life or something.
"TOFU IS NOT A MEAT SUBSTITUTE AND SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS SUCH!"
Word. There are some really tasty versions of tofu - deep-fried Viet style is good to keep on hand to drop into soup noodles in a hurry. Tofu skin is hard to find fresh, but the taste and texture are great in stir-fry dishes. The dried tofu skin is good in a pantry for times when you can't get to the store.
Advantages:
1) Cheap
2) Easy to cook and make taste good
3) Low cholesterol
4) CHEAP
Disadvantages:
1) The soy beans aren't local, for those that bother with that.
2) Estrogenic. - Yeah, well so are hops, and it will snow in hell before I give up beer.
3) Easterners don't like it. - Not a problem because they fatten up well enough on corn.
It's also a myth that tofu is flavorless and goes with everything.
I love tofu, but you'll be hard pressed to get me to eat it outside of tried-and-true Asian dishes because tofu flavor completely clashes with a lot of food from other cuisines and it just doesn't taste good.
I'll chime in as another avid carnivore who quite likes tofu.
Again, the trick is that it should *supplement* meat, not *substitute* for meat. Mixed in with something that has a thick sauce and heavy flavor, like chili or stroganoff, I find it's quite pleasant. It just sort of soaks up surrounding flavor and has a texture in the neighborhood of cheese or soft pasta.
I also get it from asian markets, and we get it fresh, so it sadly does not have a terribly long shelf-life. But we can usually find some use for it within a week or two.
The biggest cultural disadvantage for those wishing to spread lacto/ovo-lacto vegetarianism is the image of vegge cuisine as tasteless--with tofu taking center stage in whatever cuisine kangaroo court currently being held.
If everyone grew up with south asian veggie cuisine, tofu wouldn't be the amazingly versatile food with a bad rep but just another option. Also, if you buy fresh you can get greater amounts for a lower price by weight but have to, as jeet pointed out, contend with the 'few days' window of safety (unless you're trying to make stinky tofu.
but what would I know? I just lived the lifestyle for 24 years (thankfully over) and don't have the perspective of the newly converted.
You don't have to give up meat to achieve what Megan wants. It is possible to raise animals in ways that improve the environment, not just damage it less.
It'd be far better to convince people to switch to grass fed beef, or to buy range fed chickens from a local producer, or to raise chickens for eggs themselves, than you would be to suggest tofu.
Tofu is mainly cheap because it's rotated with corn. Take away food subsidies and we'll see if it remains cheap.
There are good reasons to learn to love it, however. For one thing, it's cheap. For another, it's low fat and high protein. For a third, it keeps approximately forever. And most importantly, cooked right, it's delicious. Tofu is an incredibly versatile foodstuff. You never have to worry about whether it goes with another food--it does. It's the ultimate flavor vehicle.
Absolutely. Living in Japan, the variety of delicious tofu dishes I've discovered has truly been a revelation. Westerners largely do not know what they're doing when it comes to preparing this foodstuff.
It's also quite absurd that it's viewed a niche ingredient for vegetarian cuisine by so many Americans. Some of the most best tofu dishes I've had in Asia make use of meat or fish as well.
I've taken to using it in this fashion - when I make hamburgers, Bolognese sauce, or meat-based curries, I generally "cut" the portion of meat called for by the recipe with between 25% and 33% tofu. The result is generally a final product that tastes the same, but is cheaper, healthier, and better for the environment.
Thank you Megan, and thank you again.
The first thank you is on behalf of my vegan self, for introducing me to a variety of uses for tofu I hadn't imagined possible. I've been at it 5 years, but I'm not very adventurous in the kitchen.
The second thank you is on behalf of my literature-loving self, for introducing me to the term 'nuthatch'.
Excellent, excellent.
For a third, it keeps approximately forever.
You're badly mistaken.
In Japan, tofu goes off faster than milk. An icon from an earlier age there was the tofu deliveryman, who rode his bicycle around the neighborhood delivering fresh tofu much in the way that milkmen used to do in this country.
One of the reasons tofu is so unpopular in this country is that much of it has been sitting on store shelves for a month before anyone eats it, which wouldn't happen in Japan. It isn't spoiled so much as unpalatable.
One of the most delicious meals I've ever eaten was in Kyoto: plain tofu in a pot of hot water. Unforgettable.
For a third, it keeps approximately forever.
You're badly mistaken.
In Japan, tofu goes off faster than milk. An icon from an earlier age there was the tofu deliveryman, who rode his bicycle around the neighborhood delivering fresh tofu much in the way that milkmen used to do in this country.
One of the reasons tofu is so unpopular in this country is that much of it has been sitting on store shelves for a month before anyone eats it, which wouldn't happen in Japan. It isn't spoiled so much as unpalatable.
One of the most delicious meals I've ever eaten was in Kyoto: plain tofu in a pot of hot water. Unforgettable.
What I have against tofu is I'm mildly allergic to soybeans. I switched to soy milk and started to get small (but noticable) hives on my forehead.
I'm a vegetarian by the way, but I have gone back to cow's milk.
I agree with Brandon Berg above that tofu is serviceable but not ideal for protein content. A better thing to eat would be pinto, kidney, or great northern beans. The pinto bean has a strong flavor that can compete with cheap meat, but it doesn't leave you full and sagging in the middle of the day.
I highly recommend breakfast and lunchtime vegetarianism. You feel like you have more energy during the day, and you can enjoy that meat in the evening when you can feel free to feel stuffed.
"Eating meat affords many of us a lot of pleasure. The benefits of eating meat are therefore very plain. So why should a happy carnivore (or rather omnivore) give up eating meat when that would mean forgoing a significant amount of pleasure while having no significant impact on global warming?
The rational individual (who likes meat) has no incentive to give it up.
The same thing goes for Sunday drives, or large beautiful houses, or any other pleasant aspect of human life that leads to extra carbon emissions. We could of course choose to make ourselves miserable, living in hovels, giving up our cars, giving up on air conditioning and so on beacause of some of Al Gore's apocalyptic ravings. But why should we? To do so would be irrational.
Posted by rwe | August 28, 2008 12:35 PM "
You have got to be kidding me... with your logic, it may also be assumed that one also should not vote because 1 person cannot make a difference. Of course this is crazy because 1 person does make a difference and the point is for everyone to work together to make this amazing planet that we live in a better place. It is terrible that we continue to destroy the earth's resources and ozone with no feeling of guilt or remorse, only assuming that because we are one person, our negative contributions do not make an impact on our growing problems. How do you think we got to where we are now? This is exactly how we got into the environmenal mess that we are in now.