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When the Moon Was Made of Tofu
by Jen Hirt, from the August 2002 newsletter
Out walking at night last month, I realized that the moon looked a lot more
like tofu than cheese, and I wondered how the whole moon-cheese theory came
to be.
I tried to create a story about a feral tribe of vegetarian children who started the lore that the moon was made of tofu, only they lost their heritage when they were civilized by precursors to the fast food world, who told them that no, the moon was clearly made of cheese, and everyone should eat cheap meat from now on. And so the myth of the Bean Curd in the Moon never came to be. Maybe the cheese thing is the grandest hoax ever.
In honor of the summer moon that looked like a little crescent of tofu, here's my version of a great recipe for that obstinate vegetarian staple.
Marinated Baked Tofu
Prep time - at least 2 1/2 hours
Cooking time - at least 40 minutes
Serves 3-4
A block (1-2 pounds) of extra firm tofu
2 tbsp. Tamari soy sauce
1 tbsp. lemon juice
a splash of wine
½ cup water
1 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. dill
1 tsp. garlic powder
First, slice the tofu into 12-15 rectangular pieces. A thinner slice will become crispy; a thicker slice will end up chewy. There are merits to either texture - chewy is good on sandwiches, while crispy is nice in salads or on rice.
After the tofu is sliced, lay it between paper towels and put something heavy on it to press out the water. I put a baking sheet over the tofu, and set a skillet on the sheet - it works well. Let the tofu sit for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, mix the marinade. Soy sauce is the base, and soy sauce is very salty, so adjust as needed by adding more wine or lemon juice. If you're out of soy sauce, teriyaki can substitute. Tarragon is absolutely terrific with tofu, for some reason, so don't skimp on that one. You can use fresh or dried herbs.
Transfer the tofu to a container suitable for the marinade. I use a large glass casserole dish. Arrange the slices in one layer, and add the marinade.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. If I think of it, I flip the slices at some point. Although an hour of soaking in the marinade is suitable, baked tofu is absolutely savory if it marinates over night.
This next step I only recently learned, and it is a pretty neat option. You can freeze tofu to give it a completely different texture, which could described as "meaty." Freezing tofu and then baking it makes it dry and chewy in a way that is good for dipping into anything, ranging from mustard to fancy sauces.
To freeze tofu, put the slices on a baking sheet. Put the sheet in the freezer. It takes no more than an hour.
Finally, when you're ready to bake, heat the over to 425, put the slices (frozen or unfrozen) on a baking sheet, and bake on the bottom rack for at least 40 minutes, turning once. Depending on thickness and the texture you're craving, you can bake them for as long as an hour. You can eat baked tofu hot or cold. It's great on sandwiches, or sliced on salads.
Jen Hirt is an MFA student in creative writing at the University of Idaho.
She's working on a collection of essays about greenhouses.
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