Cranky went to San Francisco yesterday via ferry from Marin County, to visit some old pals. I asked him to stop at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market for some fresh organic tofu, sold by Basic Soy (and thanks, Jen, at Life Begins at 30, for cluing me in about them).Cranky got there a little early, and had to wait for the Basic Soy folks (lovely people) to arrive and set up. So he had some coffee. Hung around.
But once they arrived and got ready to vend, Cranky went a little nuts. Good.
We now have, in the fridge, a block of fresh tofu, a sack of Chinese Five-Spice dusted tofu cubes, and half a sack of Tofu Puffs.
That latter — well, I was a little wary. I mean, they're just squares of deep-fried tofu, and we all know what happens when you deep fry tofu: It gets hollow. Not literally hollow, but spongy and vaguely interiorless.
So, the reason we have half a sack of them is — ta dah! Cranky decided to invent a use for the first half of the bunch.
We had some fresh (though aging) brown mushrooms in the fridge. And a very healthy pot of garlic chives on the patio. Naturally, our pantry holds oyster sauce, peanut oil, and sesame oil, at the ready.
We talked it over, briefly. And then he cut himself loose.
"Don't come downstairs until I call you," he said.
And he came up with these.
They were so cute, so delicious, so satisfying. They reminded me of the dancing mushrooms from Disney's "Fantasia."
I wanted to call them "Fubars" or maybe "Futons."Cranky suggested "Tofrooms," or even "Mushfu." I swore that I'd never eat in a restaurant with food named like that (and I wasn't at all carried away with my own suggested names).
By the way, these little bites were really easy to make. Cranky just heated some peanut oil with a squirt of sesame oil and a squidge of oyster sauce in a nonstick skillet. Then he warmed the cleaned mushroom caps to the point of submission, and slapped them on top of tofu puffs that he had opened on top with a pinch of his thumbnail, so the stems of the mushrooms would fit inside. Then he tied the little bales with lengths of garlic chive that he had blanched in hot water. A minute in the microwave, and we had a super snacky dinner. (Plus! They would make ever-so-easy party canapes, just awaiting a zap in the nuker.)
Really good.
Now what should we call them?
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9 comments:
Fubars!!!still laughing....Ohlord. The salad bar at my work has tofu cubes with oyster sauce,scallions and seasame seeds. Tofu the new meat. Yummy.
G.
I once dated a man who owned the Fubar Jewelry Company. This was in the sixties or early seventies, so use your imagination. (I guess you already did when you named the tofu mushroom treats, which do sound delicious. I have a confession. I've never once cooked tofu, although I've eaten it quite a bit.)
Butter is a no-no on South Beach because they are anti saturated fat. Remember, that diet was invented by a heart doctor. It did do great things for my cholesterol levels. Now I have kind of morphed it into my own diet (with butter!) but I know that some of my blog readers are pretty fanatical South Beachers so I don't want to freak them out when I publish cookies that are about 40% butter. Those cookies are so good. And I am not really a cookie eater. I'm more into savory.
Love Fran McCullough. I am having so much fun with my new camera, can you tell. Still no photos to match the quality of your tomato photo recently, but I am working on it.
I am so glad you got Basic Soy. I have never tried those puffs. I can't *believe* that he took the time to blanch the garlic chives and tie up these little packets! How cute is that?
Hey all: So what should we call them?
Kalyn, you don't really have to "cook" tofu, you just "use" it! But I know what you mean... Give it a try.
Jen: Yeah, how cute is that? And on close inspection, you'll see he tied the chives about as neatly as he wraps gifts. Not. BTW, Basic Soy tastes *good* and it's so fresh!
Well, since we here at Chez 10Signs make a confection called a Nutjob, it should come as no surprise that I favor Fubars. :-)
But futons isn't bad either!
wow, those look absolutely beautiful! speaking of those tofu guys at the ferry building, they have some amazing tofu meatball type thingies. last time i was there i almost got into fisticuffs with another customer over the last tub...
rae: How does their tofu compare with San Jose's?
We're escaping the house for most of the day all next week while the roof is being replaced, and thought of making the trek to SJ.
Once again, here I am stopping by your blog at lunchtime.
The Mushfus (as I will call them) are adorable! And how much do I *love* that dancing mushroom picture?
Rozanne:
So Cranky gets one point for "Mushfus." He just chuckled.
:)
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