I know a lot of you have missed my OG newsletter Eat Me, so I figured why not add a little food content to All in Her Head! (The next few installments will be for everyone, then I’ll make them subscriber-only.)
WHAT I’M COOKING
This isn’t so much what I’m cooking as it is what I’m trying to cook. I’m sort of ashamed to say that I hadn’t cooked with tofu until a couple of weeks ago. I was always intimidated by it! But we’re trying to eat less meat and our new oven has an air fryer built into it, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try some new shit out.
This recipe was an easy first one—and the flavor was great—but it definitely didn’t come out as crispy as I’d like. So if you have any tofu tips, please leave them in the comments. :)
WHAT I’M EATING
We were on the West Coast last week visiting my in-laws for the first time since the pandemic. I love Northern California so much—the weather! the food! the people!—and it was so amazing to be back. Naturally, we ate our faces off. Burritos in San Francisco, In-N-Out in Monterey, fried scallops in Bodega Bay. (You can check out my Insta stories for more.) But my favorite meal was definitely at Um.ma, a Korean BBQ place near the SF Botanical Gardens. Everything was incredible, from fried chicken to Kimchi fried rice. But the bulgogi was the clear winner. Sweet, a little spicy, and totally addictive. I’m going to try to replicate it tonight; I’ll let you know how it goes!
STEAL MY FOOD
This is probably the best family recipe I have—not only because it is so good, but because it is incredibly easy to make. It’s one of those things that you can throw together with minimal effort but people lose their minds when they taste it and can’t stop complimenting you. (My favorite kinds of dishes!) The recipe comes from my mom, who continues to be the best fucking cook alive.
Ingredients:
1lb of whole milk ricotta
2 8oz containers of cream cheese
1 16oz container of sour cream
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 stick of butter
(Make sure all of the above ingredients are softened and not just-out-of-the-fridge)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Put everything together in one big bowl and mix with a hand mixer, or use a standing mixer, and blend until as smooth as possible. (I told you it was easy!)
Once all the lumps are out, pour it into a buttered and floured pan. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until it’s getting golden on the top. Shut off the oven, but leave the cheesecake in there while it settles. At least two hours would be ideal. You can dust some powdered sugar on top if you’d like that extra oomph. Thank me later.
HIGH HEAT is the key if you don't mind frying it. A little olive or sesame oil and soy sauce and you've got a crispy kid favorite every time in a matter of minutes. Cornstarch works too but unnecessary, more work and my kids don't like the texture). And yes, always press out all the water.
This is my go-to recipe for crispy tofu: https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-make-crispy-baked-tofu/, except I typically use sesame oil instead of olive oil. Then just toss in whatever glaze or sauce you want. Bonus points, the clean up from baking it is far simpler than frying!
I saw the delicious cake and then the word tofu and thought it was vegan (I’m married to one). It looks amazing. I’ll continue to hate baking but live vicariously through you.
You want crunch on tofu — after pressing, (and marinating if so doing) give it a toss in a bit of corn starch. A little goes a long way so try to shake off excess before frying.
Yes, that is faster and less messy than making a batter and you can just fry it in a pan.
The fun of the corn starch method is that you can add some powdered spices to it. I like to add a bit of cayenne pepper but paprika powder or a cajun powdered mix can also be great.
Tofu can be really tricky, even for vegetarians/vegans! Here are some tips we use: for crispy tofu, buy extra firm tofu. We also always press ours before using it: slice the block however thick you want the pieces (sometimes we stick with slices, other times we will go back later and cut them smaller), lay them out on a clean kitchen towel and cover with another clean towel, then place something heavy on top (we use a cookie sheet with a cast iron pan on top) and let sit for 20 minutes.
I love tofu and make my own these days, because I can't buy it here.
One important thing to know about it is: ignore recipes that ask you to marinade tofu. It's a waste of time, because it doesn't absorb the marinades*. So it's much better to crisp up the tofu in the pan and add it to a sauce.
You can also make a light batter and deep-fry the tofu. (The best way to do this is the way you make twice-fried chicken: first deep-fry it and then stir-fry it with veggies and add a sauce at the last moment).
Two of the absolute very best things you can do with tofu:
*There is a way around this: if you freeze firm tofu and defrost is before using it, it will be more porous and better at absorbing marinades (but still, crisping it up first is the way to go, if you want it crisp.)
I have only done it with good quality firm tofu and didn't bother with it then.
If you buy loose fresh firm tofu it would probably not hurt to press it first but this is one of the few times I prefer a good quality store-bought tofu, because they are firmer than other kinds.
So I'd say just look at some reviews of extra firm tofu and try it.
Ahh thank you! I think the trouble I'm having is that I can't quite tell when tofu is "done" - and I really want to get it crispy so that my kid likes it
Tofu doesn’t have to be cooked, so “done” is relative. Crispy and hot is enough. Also, agree w poster who pointed out marinades don’t soak in—just makes it wet and flabby. Sauce after frying. Also consider baking it if fat is an issue. Finally, check out Yeung Man Cooking, on Instagram and YouTube. Delicious simple vegan recipes beautifully shot by a pro photographer.
HIGH HEAT is the key if you don't mind frying it. A little olive or sesame oil and soy sauce and you've got a crispy kid favorite every time in a matter of minutes. Cornstarch works too but unnecessary, more work and my kids don't like the texture). And yes, always press out all the water.
This is my go-to recipe for crispy tofu: https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-make-crispy-baked-tofu/, except I typically use sesame oil instead of olive oil. Then just toss in whatever glaze or sauce you want. Bonus points, the clean up from baking it is far simpler than frying!
I saw the delicious cake and then the word tofu and thought it was vegan (I’m married to one). It looks amazing. I’ll continue to hate baking but live vicariously through you.
I thought it was a tofu cheesecake too (-:
I am not a big baking fan either but I promise this one is easy and worth it!
I live with a vegan and a lovely child who hates cheesecake. The heart wants what it wants, I guess. The tofu recipe looks great.
I have been making this cheesecake since it first appeared in your Eat Me column on The Toast. It is always a hit, and I love it so much.
Ahh I was wondering if anyone would remember it from there! I'm so glad you like it!
You want crunch on tofu — after pressing, (and marinating if so doing) give it a toss in a bit of corn starch. A little goes a long way so try to shake off excess before frying.
Yes, that is faster and less messy than making a batter and you can just fry it in a pan.
The fun of the corn starch method is that you can add some powdered spices to it. I like to add a bit of cayenne pepper but paprika powder or a cajun powdered mix can also be great.
Thank you, Spencer!!
Oh almost forgot: nonstick pans whenever possible. Why put yourself through frustration
Tofu can be really tricky, even for vegetarians/vegans! Here are some tips we use: for crispy tofu, buy extra firm tofu. We also always press ours before using it: slice the block however thick you want the pieces (sometimes we stick with slices, other times we will go back later and cut them smaller), lay them out on a clean kitchen towel and cover with another clean towel, then place something heavy on top (we use a cookie sheet with a cast iron pan on top) and let sit for 20 minutes.
For extra crisp, the secret is to coat with cornstarch! Here’s a recipe we started with, but you can adapt as needed. https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-make-crispy-baked-tofu/#tasty-recipes-24123-jump-target
Thank you this is great!
This has become my go-to tofu recipe! https://cooklybookly.com/recipes/fbf9dd1e-c4c0-11eb-a883-8fce42c212c3
🙏
I love tofu and make my own these days, because I can't buy it here.
One important thing to know about it is: ignore recipes that ask you to marinade tofu. It's a waste of time, because it doesn't absorb the marinades*. So it's much better to crisp up the tofu in the pan and add it to a sauce.
You can also make a light batter and deep-fry the tofu. (The best way to do this is the way you make twice-fried chicken: first deep-fry it and then stir-fry it with veggies and add a sauce at the last moment).
Two of the absolute very best things you can do with tofu:
- Fuchsia Dunlop's vegetarian version of mapo doufu: https://www.google.nl/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/14/pock-marked-old-woman-s-tofu-recipe
- Andrea Nguyen's 'creamed' tofu: https://www.seriouseats.com/andrea-nguyens-white-tofu-sesame-and-vegetable-salad-recipe
*There is a way around this: if you freeze firm tofu and defrost is before using it, it will be more porous and better at absorbing marinades (but still, crisping it up first is the way to go, if you want it crisp.)
oh interesting - but do you drain/press before freezing??
I have only done it with good quality firm tofu and didn't bother with it then.
If you buy loose fresh firm tofu it would probably not hurt to press it first but this is one of the few times I prefer a good quality store-bought tofu, because they are firmer than other kinds.
So I'd say just look at some reviews of extra firm tofu and try it.
Came here to give the freeze/defrost tip - it also makes it chewier, which I enjoy!
Cannot wait to try that cheesecake recipe! Here's an easy and super delicious way to cook tofu - takes very little prep too (my fav kind of recipe) https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/soy-and-scallion-tofu-bowl
This is the second time this week I’ve seen a recipe that involved grating tofu, so I’m going to take that as a sign and make some!
Ahh thank you! I think the trouble I'm having is that I can't quite tell when tofu is "done" - and I really want to get it crispy so that my kid likes it
Tofu doesn’t have to be cooked, so “done” is relative. Crispy and hot is enough. Also, agree w poster who pointed out marinades don’t soak in—just makes it wet and flabby. Sauce after frying. Also consider baking it if fat is an issue. Finally, check out Yeung Man Cooking, on Instagram and YouTube. Delicious simple vegan recipes beautifully shot by a pro photographer.
My kid gobbled up 3 helpings of that soy scallion tofu biz, grating it and frying it helps get crispy edges everywhere!