Twist on Tofu

Overview

I’ve never seen tofu used with such versatility, sometimes as shining star and others as a side note. Twist on Tofu presents tofu as a cheap protein addition to any diet, and the way Trang uses tofu with clear expertise, even love, makes it dead simple to want to eat more of it.

As a family of vegetables + meat-eating members, we rotate tofu into the menu pretty regularly. My kids have always eaten it. Our fam’s favorite Banh Mi recipes incorporates Sara Forte’s Hippie Bowl tofu from The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon alongside a changing, whipped-together variety of pickles. It felt like time to try a new recipe, especially one with a more consistent pickle.

I would say my partner falls among the “toughest critics.” Midwestern to his core, he thrives on beef and chicken. But he was all in for the Vietnamese Tofu Banh Mi (page 63), ate Spicy Tofu Buffalo “Wings” (page 18) without complaint (it’s all about flavor!) and enjoyed a family dinner rolling his own Crispy Tofu Salad Rolls (page 49). My son helped me make the Whipped Tofu Guacamole with Scallion Flatbreads (page 33), and those disappeared quickly as well.

I don’t buy a ton of single ingredient cookbooks (after my unsustainable Shortstack obsession), but this one spanned cuisines + offered more substance, bulking out nearly every meal.

My Reading Notes:

• Make Tofu, Pea + Mushroom Dumplings (page 23) for next week’s book club?
• Draining tofu isn’t required? Saves me a ton of time AND explains why sometimes my tofu, that I spent hours draining, ends up dry!
• Cutting/slicing guide to perfect shapes, every time, made simple with visual references on pages 8-11.
• Recipes dive across cuisine types; wide variety of options to use the same ingredient.
• Surprised at the number of dessert recipes tho most are smoothie/custard (5 out of 7 total) + all require a spin in the food processor
• On my dinner list is the Tofu Mushroom Bolognese on page 82.
• Try something sweet next? The Bumbleberry Tofu Custard on page 116!

Who is this book written for?

“Filled with tips, the recipes are designed to please all palates, including those of tofu’s toughest critics,” proclaims the page 5 intro letter. And it doesn’t lie! I’d buy this book for a vegetarian or vegan who enjoys cooking, but I’d also consider buying it for the adventurous home cook. All recipes are vegetarian, and many are also vegan.