A Taste of Tofu: Mastering the Art of Tofu Cooking (Quick & Easy)

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Summary: Changed my tofu life!
Review: Although I have always considered myself a tofu fan, my use of it had been limited to fairly typical stir fries or eating it uncooked on its own. I'd never really considered crumbling it up to use in crab cakes, or marinating it and cooking teriyaki style for tofu steaks.

"A Taste of Tofu: Mastering the Art of Tofu Cooking" has opened up a new world of uses for this delicious and nutritious soybean product. The book has recipes for Appetizers, Soups, Just Tofu, Seafood, Poultry, Meats, Vegetables, Salads, Eggs and Cheese, Rice and Noodles and even Desserts. (You know you want to make a tofu cheese cake!) The selection is varied enough that both vegetarians and meat eaters will find value. There is also a good mix of "ethnic" (mainly Japanese) and American-style recipes, some traditional and some original creations.

I was surprised at how authentic the ethnic recipes were, and not "Americanized" The Japanese recipes freely use notorious ingredients like natto and konnyaku and other interesting items. I do wish the author had used the Japanese names for the dishes, as some of the new names she gives them, such as calling Oden "Tofu Casserole" are a bit of a stretch.

There are easy-to-follow instructions on handling and cooking the tofu, which does take some practice. I have had a difficult time draining the tofu properly, but am getting the hang of it more and more with each attempt. There are also some basic instructions on Japanese cooking, such as how to make your own dashi stock and other tips. There is also a glossary of ingredients in the back for some of the more unfamiliar Asian foodstuffs.

So far, I have really enjoyed the "Crabmeat and Tofu Patties," "Spicy Grilled Tofu," "Natto-jiro," "Tofu with Oyster Sauce," "Homemade Tofu Burgers," (Yum!) "Sauteed Shrimp with Hoisen Sauce" and oh...everything I have tried. I haven't hit a bad recipe yet!

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Summary: A straightforward guide to preparing tofu
Review: Quick & Easy: A Taste Of Tofu is a straightforward guide to preparing tofu according to classic Japanese and Chinese recipes, as well as some more contemporary preparations like "Braised Beef and Tofu." Quick & Easy: A Taste Of Tofu is most assuredly not a vegetarian cookbook, since it includes recipes with meat, poutry, and seafood, but vegetarians will delight in the wealth of useful ways to prepare a delicious staple such as Seasoned Frozen Tofu and Fermented Soybean Soup. Full- color photographs on every page combined with step-by-step illustrations explicitly reveal not only how to prepare tofu, but also exactly what the dishes will look like at each step of their cooking. Above all, Quick & Easy: A Taste Of Tofu emphasizes the efficient utilization of time, and is perfect for the tofu lover on the go.