This may sound kind of odd, but even though I was a vegetarian for twelve years, I still have a mental block when it comes to tofu.
There's just something about how stark it looks, sitting in its little cold water bath. Unapologetically white, cold and watery--sort of the food version of a flourescent light. If tofu were lighting, it's wouldn't make you look good--it would be the kind of lighting where you look at yourself in the mirror and think you should put on sunscreen, go to bed earlier and get a botox injection or three.
Anyway, you can see how I might look at this recipe: Creamy Tofu Salad--and think YEAH RIGHT.
But, you know, that's my instinct talking. Fortunately, my mindchatter is very persuasive (at least to me in my own brain), and when I got to thinking about how egg whites are actually similarly tasteless and sort of rubbery and that really this was all a vehicle for mayonnaise, salt and pepper--well, I decided to give it a shot.
Hey, guess what. This tastes just like egg salad. The tumeric and dry mustard trick the eyes (the same way egg yolks do, I guess), and really it's a mayo, salt/pepper and celery experience. The only thing I would change about this recipe next time is to use a fine-mesh sieve to really let the water fully drain.
My vegetarian friends might already be hip to this switcheroo--but if you're looking for a vegan alternative for lunch, this is worth a try.
(photo by the talented Romulo Yanes, snagged from Epicurious)
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