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The Universe in a Block of Tofu:
Tofu Gratitude
by Rachel Clark Caudill, from the November 2006 newsletter
Top 10 Reasons I am Thankful for Tofu
10. It is so bland! It can become whatever I like.
9. Texture Adventure….how will it roll off my tongue if I cook it this way?
8. Creative Muse. Blank Canvas.
7. Writer’s block of tofu. What the heck am I going to do with it tonight?
6. Health Haven. Protein, antioxidants, soy estrogens. Abundance!
5. Tofu & Fruit smoothies!
4. Easy. Easy. Easy.
3. Old shoe comfort and reliability.
2. A universe of tempting tofu pies.
1. Using Thanksgiving Day as an excuse to be thankful for the ease and inviting nature of tofu… but definitely chucking the tofu turkey!
Okay, okay. I speak only for myself here, but something has never sat quite right with me when I ponder turning tofu into turkey just because it is Thanksgiving Day. I mean, honestly, just because some whacky cultural story is telling me to serve a 20+ pound turkey on this particular day of the year, ruffles my feathers to begin with! And then to think I’m supposed to go for a tofu turkey! Ughh!
So we use turkeys to celebrate the gratitude European settlers experienced in finding this grand, expansive, new world. I can see that. Wild turkeys would have certainly been a major staple in those days. Still, I personally have a hard time celebrating Thanksgiving Day in the way my culture expects. As a person with Native American decent, the whole thing has always smacked of dishonesty. And more.
Then there’s the reality of the present day turkey. Most domestic turkeys today cannot create offspring together. Why, you might ask? It’s because they have been so heavily bred for huge breasts that males literally cannot achieve the act of procreation. Instead, people must use turkey basters to do the deed (yes, the pun is very unfortunate, indeed).
And as for tofu turkeys…? Well. Perhaps I need say no more, but really, I personally would rather use tofu on Thanksgiving to make my day easier and more scrumptious, than to create all that extra work for myself (or even to buy a ready made tofu turkey) to create something that to me, seems crass and at odds with my truth.
But I digress. Today, I live in a world where I want to experience Thanksgiving Day every day. It’s a world where I can listen to news of violence, war, casualties, and a world of human suffering. Yet Thanksgiving Day, and yes, even tofu, offer me a way to remember the kind of gratitude I yearn for all the time. And with that choice, I can still take action to alleviate suffering—human, turkey, (tofu?) or otherwise.
Instead of choosing to succumb to the despair of the aforementioned news items, I can focus instead on the abundance in my life. The raucous caws of my two-year-old becoming a crow. The fierce, scrunched up face of my five-year-old in his powerful role as T-Rex. The aged, fine wine of my marriage. My freedom to choose which cultural stories I tell myself. And yes, the divine and delightful block of tofu in the fridge, awaiting my choice of how to use it in a celebration of gratitude.
Tofu reminds me that I can choose to experience gratitude…or not.
So, with gratitude for whatever way you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving, I offer you two easy, delicious dishes—one savory and one sweet—to nestle down in fete and feast, alongside a turkey (or not!).
Tofu Stuffing
Adapted from a recipe at Astray.com
1 block tofu sliced
3 tablespoon minced onion flakes
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (or a veggie equivalent)
½ teaspoon ground sage
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place tofu in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Place mixture in a greased casserole dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes.
Pumpkin/Squash Tofu Pie
Adapted from the Harmony Hill Cookbook, Third Ed. 2000
1 prepared pie shell (whole wheat or graham cracker)
2 cups cooked and pureed pumpkin or squash (or a combo of both…abundance!)
1 cup firm tofu
3 tablespoons orange juice
½ cup melted margarine
¾ cup of your favorite natural sweetener
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
First bake the crust for about 10 minutes at 425 degrees F to brown it (there’s no need to bother with this if you are using a graham cracker crust). Meanwhile, blend everything else in a processor or blender until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust and bake at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes, or it passes the toothpick test.
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