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Until quite recently, my world was ignorant of tofu, I was vaguely aware of something that seemed to be neither animal, vegetable, nor mineral, neatly shelved to the left of the rutabagas. But this enigma held little interest for me. So it never saw the inside of my shopping cart, let alone my home. My world changed when one of my children embarked on a spiritual practice which promoted vegetarianism. On those occasions when she would join myself and friends for dinner, serving meat seemed offensive. This show of insensitivity perturbed me. Soon after, I found myself hovering around those mysterious packages next to the rutabagas, eyeing the contents with new-found curiosity. I knew tofu was a good choice of protein. The real question was: could this unassuming, colorless product ever know heights of gourmet glory? I had no choice but to find out! I realized that the answer could be found only in the kitchen cum laboratory, a place which had always stimulated an unrestrained enthusiasm to experiment. Soon I was up to my elbows in tofu. There were frequent (and sometimes frightening) fiascos, but I persevered. This book is the result of those efforts. In keeping with the oft-cited benefits of a vegetarian diet, I was encouraged to explore other aspects of healthy eating. Consequently, I have endeavored to create dishes which are low fat, low-cholesterol and (taken in reasonable amounts) low caloried. But never at the cost of richness in flavor. For those with concerns about salt & sugar content, suggested alternatives are included. In essence, TOFUlery is a handbook for the enterprising cook who welcomes innovation in the kitchen... and doesn't judge food by its colour! |