ottawa foodies

I have been thinking about cooking tofu again for the first time in over 10 years. Part of my renewed interests stems from wanting to develop a healthier lifestyle. But, it also stems from some articles I have read on how great tofu can be.

One of my main concerns about buying tofu to cook again, is to find a good quality tofu. I recall buying some no-name or presidents choice varieties back in the 1990s that did not leave me wanting more.

So my question is what vendors and brands would be people recommend in terms of a good quality tofu and what suggestions do people have for some healthy and reasonably straight forward recipes for everyday meals (i.e. the meals I would make on a weeknight... not a dinner party meal).

I saw tofu tagged but it only listed restaurants so far as I could tell.

Cheers and thanks as always.

Hmmmmmm....i don't find a TON of variety between tofus - yes there may be slight varience, but really, there isn't toooooo much difference IMO, so I usually go on price. Herb and Spice has single tofu blocks for sale (outside of all the packaging) in tubs in thier dairy section, they also carry several packaged poducts - some organic. The large market on Somerset also has a lot of tofu. My tip is, if you want to start easing your way into tofu, start withdeep fried - yes it's not as healthy of course, but it will help you start to develop a taste for it, and once you're more used to it, it will be easier to use other forms. The market on Somerset (123 Market? 321 Market? What's it called???) and also some of the larger supermarkets have what are called "tofu puffs" which are pre-fried for you. These are perfect for throwing into a stirfry or a thai curry and they are how I weaned my boyfriend onto tofu ;) Now he is much more willing to try other varietes.

You don't need to eat tofu to lead a healthy lifestyle. Not sure what makes you make that connection but perhaps we can address that issue, then you won't have to eat it ;-) If you are thinking "non-meat protein" then I would urge you to read "Diet for a Small Planet" to learn more about how protein works. I lead an extremely healthy lifestyle and haven't touched tofu in over a year.

I eat tofu quite alot, about once a week,...check out one of my recipes I posted here under wiki, then click on recipes and it's called Sesame Tofu Bites. This is one of my favourite ways to eat tofu!! Sometimes I'll marinate it and bake it or throw it into stirfries or soups. But I do agree with FIH where if you're not a regular tofu eater, you should EASE yourself into it, especially if you have issues with texture. Herb and Spice also carries these tofu squares which are breaded and possibly deep fried but whenever I go there, I absolutely cannot resist them!
I've tried a few different brands of tofu and the best one, IMO, is the one in the clear vacuum packed package with red and black on it, the name completely escapes me right now and I don't have any in the fridge to reference. A vegan friend of mine uses silken tofu in place of eggs for an omelette.
Let us know what your adventures with tofu are!!

foodlover - tofu scramble with silken or medium soft tofu works really well, great for people with poultry/egg allergies, great suggestion!

Which leads me to my original point in an effort to help you on your tofu quest, which is, try cooking with firm or extra firm tofu at first since the texture is probably more favorable. Also, use TVP (texturized vegetable protein) as a substitute for ground beef. I've used it a lot before in chili & shepherds pie.

Somewhat in line w/ the advice above, some Loblaws stores (to their credit) sell a "tofu burger" manufactured by a Gatineau based company, Soyarie. Unlike other tofu burgers (Yves or whatever), this one doesn't aim to pretend its meat: it retains its own nutty flavour and is enhanced w/ sesame and other seasonings which contribute to a quite savoury but not "fake" taste. Its also dead easy to make: fry it on either side for a couple minutes. It is a bit oily, but if that's a problem, simply soak it in water for a minute or so.

Beyond the world of fried or cooked tofu, one of simplest recipes is to start w/ the freshest tofu you can find (not always an easy task in Ottawa). Cut into a small square (3 by 3 inches?) and place in a shallow bowl; add grated ginger & some green onions (or scallions) atop, and then pour a small amount of soy sauce over the tofu. Its a nice side dish, simple but elegant & tasty.

medicinejar, it just occurred to me that Soyarie also makes old fashioned, organic tofu:

soyarie.ca/english/tofu.html

if you read the best before date, you'll see its a much shorter period than some of the other packaged brands, which i think might speak to its quality and (relative) lack of preservatives. I think its available at the place FiH mentions and also at the Chinese store close to the Mandarin on Olgivie (Win Tai?) and (from a different thread) also at Arum, the Korean grocer on Bank.

My favourite tofu recipe: vegweb.com

Ok ok, it isn't the healthiest tofu recipe out there, but its still pretty good for you.

We eat more tofu at my house than I prefer, afterall it is a processed food--but we have food sensitivities and vegetarians. The type of tofu you buy depends on what you want to use it for. Silken tofu is good for an "eggless" scramble or even blended into a smoothie or a dessert. Firm and extra firm are great in a stir-fry, especially if you have time to marinate. For an easy asian-style stir-fry marinate the tofu in a little oil, soy sauce, a few drops of toasted sesame oil+grated ginger for a few minutes or up to an hour. Stir fry with the veggies of your choice, serve with rice or noodles and you have a very quick dinner. As for brands, make sure they are fresh (some supermarkets keep them right up until the due date) and if you don't use the whole package make sure you store it in fresh water and use within 2 or 3 days.

I would like to second F-i-H's vote for the tofu at Herb and Spice. They sell La Soyarie brand firm tofu and I usually toss it in stir fries or salads. I prefer to marinate it first with a little sesame oil and tamari sauce to add a little flavour. Tofu on it's own is bland but it will absorb the flavour of whatever you are cooking. BTW if you are looking for ways of increasing soy in your diet edamame is good. You can add them to stirfries and salads as well and they taste good! (F-i-H that market on Somerset you are thinking of is New 168 Market - also one of my favourite stores!)

I'm still curious as to why the interest in tofu. Is it for a perceived need for non-meat protein? Note I was vegetarian for 3 years and barely touched tofu.

There is tonnes of protein in all sorts of every day foods. The trick is to understanding "incomplete" vs "complete" proteins. The first 100 pages of "Diet for a Small Planet" will make you an expert. I've had died-in-the-wool, meat-eating gym-heads who thought they knew everything about healthy eating thank me for getting them to read those 100 pages. Previous to this their idea of "understanding protein" was "eat a can of tuna a day". But honestly, it's really easy.

One good example : beans and rice. Or lentils and rice. Eat the 2 of them within 24 hours of each other and you've got a high-quality source of protein every bit as good as what's in meat (or tofu)

There's really no need to subject yourself to tofu :-) As noted above, it's flavourless. And the texture is pretty unappealing, too. Why someone would want to increase their intake of the stuff is beyond me!

Zym: Ha! I won't comment on whether or not tofu is God's gift to healthy eating, but I will say that I think that part of the interest in tofu is exactly because it's flavourless. It's just a delivery vehicle for flavour. Much like how turkey exists solely to be a delivery vehicle for gravy, and how escargots exist solely to be a delivery vehicle for garlic butter.

Oooh, I have escargots at home right now. I'd better fix that.

Zym: Not sure why this particular person wants to include it in thier diet, however I include it in my diet for a variety of reasons. I don't feel that I am "subjecting" myself to it, I enjoy it a lot, and I'm not even vegitarian!:

1) It is actually tasty - yes it has a very MILD flavour that can be a vehicle for sauces and marinades, but by itself I personally find it to be very fresh tasting and pleasant - not "flavorless".

2) Most people think of tofu's texture as "slimy", however there are several different textures that tofu can have, for instance if you freeze and thaw it before using, the texture is totally different. Silken, soft, medium, firm, fried, blended, pressed - these all have different textures - so it is kind of impossible to make a blanket statement about tofu's texture since there are so many varieties. I like all the textures, however my boyfriend (who now prefers my tofu curry to meat curry lol), still has an adversion to the "slimy" kind) If you don't find one type appealing due to texture, try another type.

3) It is a low-fat, cheaper alternative to meat. Yes, rice and beans also offer this, however rice does not offer a large "chunky" something to throw into stir-frys or stews, and beans will sometimes offer a flavour or texture that I don't want to add to a dish. Because tofu is such a "blank canvas", it can easily be added to some dishes to boost protien with out comprimising the intention of the dish, and allow me to maintain the flavour/texture I want. For example, if I am making a light thai curry and would like to add something to it so it is not just vegetables, it would be better to add some tofu, rather than some beans, as beans would be too heavy and comprimise the integrity of the dish IMO.

4) Soy is gaining a lot of momentum as a "super food" (along with blueberries, olives, salmon etc.), so many people are looking to incorporate this product into thier diet. Tofu is an easy way to do this. I'm not much for "fad diets" such as this "super food" craze, but the reported health benefits of soy are convincing. Also, soy is one of the foods that helps to aleviate the symptoms associated with monopause in many women (my stepmother, for instance, found that the only thing that relieved hot-flashes was a glass of soy-milk everyday).

Unfortunately, I don't have much to add to this topic, I like a few others am not a big tofu fan. Other than in Hot & Sour Soup, the only other place I've probably had it was in a Veggie Burger (and even then I'm not 100% sure if there was tofu in it). For some reason tofu just seems ummmm "artificial" to me... When in fact it is such an all natural product, and yes one of the recently listed "Superfoods". I think my hang-up is because it is so adaptive to its flavour surroundings, sort of the food in "disguise" (LOL, which is probably a good thing, because it looks so unappealing in the grocery store).

Zym - I agree that most people don't understand food chemistry. We just eat, we've never learned to eat. It is amazing what each food has to offer in the way of nutrients, vitamins, etc.

Some good points all-round (though still not much you can't get without tofu). As far as chunky stuff in stir fries goes - I find that's what veggies are for!

As for 'superfoods', I don't buy into any of those fads, either. There's always something new, and whatever was yesterday's news quickly gets either forgotten or disproven. In my experience, the best 'superfood' is to eat a variety of whole foods. Things that someone's great-great grandmother would recognise as food (and I've been saying that since before whazzisname and his book). Things that look pretty much like they did in the garden. That much has never changed over time, and probably never will. Follow it, and you won't have to jump from fad-to-fad. As someone pointed out above - tofu is processed.

Be sure to serve your whole foods with a side order of regular exercise and you'll be as healthy as you possibly can. This creates a "healthier lifestyle" like the original poster wrote about, far more than a specific food choice ever will.

BTW, one fad I could actually recommend if someone were interested would be Macrobiotics. That's how I originally got onto my whole-foods kick back about 20 years ago now. I did a tonne of reading on it but never did actually follow a macrobiotic diet to any degree. But what I did take away from all the reading was the importance of whole foods, and that much has not failed me yet. I'd imagine these days there must be quite a bit available online about macrobiotics.

Since we're talking all over the place now, I should jump in and say that I'm surprised nobody has spoken out *against* tofu. After all, soy (along with corn) already plays too large a role in the standard North American diet as it is ubiquitous in processed food. Look for the word "soy" on labels and you might suspect that willingly adding tofu to your diet might not be in the best interests of dietary diversity.

And of course there's the big controversy about the plant estrogens found in soy. The very characteristics that make it a good menopause fighter could make it deadly for adults, and especially men. Our family doctor actually tells us to cut soy out of our diets completely, and the studies I've read about make me think that is the safest advice. Here are some articles: www.google.ca

See, I'm of European descent, and my ancestors did not eat soy. This means that my bloodline hasn't yet had a chance to die out from eating soy. Do I want to be the first? On the other hand, if you are of Asian descent chances are your ancestors have eaten soy for a long time and your bloodline has evolved to embrace it so go nuts! :-)

It's kind of like the Inuit and fish oil. Just because they can survive off fatty seal and fish meat without getting heart disease doesn't mean that the rest of us should shun veggies and eat nothing but marine fat. Over the years, any Inuit who didn't have the right genes to handle that diet have died off.

So that's my bit. I do ignore my doctor and enjoy tofu once in a while (e.g. dim sum: fried bean curd stuffed with shrimp). But in general I hedge my bets and don't seek it out.

i love tofu, though silken is my least favourite.

in this month's cooks illustrated there was a good tofu cooking suggestion for firm, or extra firm tofu. they toss their cubed tofu in cornstarch before cooking it, this gives it a crispy exterior and soft interior.

another way to change the texture of tofu is to freeze it. when you thaw it, it changes the texture to be chewier and almost chicken like, which can be good in a recipe.

Excellent points FF! I sort of knew about those things but my wife is the one with all the facts so I figured it best to say nothing rather than say something that's incorrect.

Excellent as FF's points may be, i would say his best point concerns ignoring the doctor. :)

Otherwise, i would argue (and i'm no nutritionist) there's sufficient lack of definitive causal, as opposed to co-relational and conjectural, studies to get too worked up about the downsides to tofu. And in fact, a cursory look through the National Library of Medicine citation database (aka pubmed), and even a quick review of some of the google search results FF provides, reveals a mixed (and sometimes spurious) bag. Some of the most cited studies (inc. the one that demonstrated a high correlation between dementia in soy consuming people in Hawaii) have themselves been subject to closer scrutiny (for methodology), the results not replicated, etc.

Secondly, issues like inherited or genetic predisposition (toward certain food compounds) seem complicated, i.e., complicated by the global village we (and our foods) have been inhabiting for the past ... uhm since forever. Also complicated (or confounded) by the fact that the word "soy" is an umbrella to a whole range of products / derivatives. Also complicated by weird adaptability (or not) of our human bodies at extracting / using nutrition from a myriad of sources.

Again, i'm not in a position to have more than a lay person's debate on this topic ... and i'm happy to be corrected by someone w/ more knowledge in the field (and authoritative research findings).

Even as long-ish term vegetarian, it wasn't until recently that i began to like (ie., appreciate) tofu, and even now i prefer vegetables. Moreoever, i don't get too worried about protein deficiencies for the reasons Zym's DFASP (and other sources) have long pointed out. As well, Ottawa doesn't have a lot of sources of good quality, fresh tofu to begin with.

So, i'm not a staunch, unwavering defender of tofu. But, none of this is to say that Tofu can't be a part of a healthy diet, and i don't think any of the proponents here advocate MedicineJar eat it to the exclusion of other foods or even in the quantities that he's going grow breasts and come down w/ dementia. Do report back, though, if that turns out the case, MedicineJar. :)

What i feel more compelled to emphasize is the Foodies perspective in this: i.e., Tofu is a food of some veneration and a long history in parts of Asia. Its not a fad food (perhaps a little faddy from a western perspective), and as FiH points out, its *not* devoid of taste. Similar to fine cheese, if you're interested, and you're not absolutely repelled by the taste or allergies, it may be worth the effort of learning more about it on its own terms and its relation to its parent food cultures.

So, back to the original point: if you're curious, find the freshest, organic tofu you can and ignore FF's doctor ... for the time being. :)

Yeah, back to the original point is right. I think this topic has been hijacked to the point of uselessness as far as the original poster's request, that of everyday tofu recipes, etc.

It's actually not very difficult to make at home, it's a lot like simple cheesemaking. It's the byproduct of soymilk. Google it if you want to make your own from scratch. It's really not as processed as most people here seem to think.

I recommend using firm tofu and marinating it in soy sauce, then stir frying it in some veg oil until a little crispy. Then add ginger, garlic, more soy, some sesame oil and some scallions and a little hoisin sauce along with your fav veg et voila... tofu stir fry! It's also a nice addition to pad thai if you make that at home.

"I think this topic has been hijacked to the point of uselessness"

I for one am simply ASTONISHED to see this happen on the Internet!

:-)

Yes I wouldn't say hijacked I would say we just got a little off topic. I eat tofu and soybeans mostly for health reasons but also because I found a couple of soy products I like. When my colleagues at work see me in the lunch room with my garden salad with tofu tossed in they turn their noses up and they say "You eat that stuff? Why?" So I am used to the reaction by now and just take it for granted that when you eat tofu comments like that come with the turf. We do stray on some of these threads but I for one like this site because of the debates that ensue when a new thread is started. But that's just my $0.02...

I'm still curious / dubious as to the 'health benefits' (vs just about any other legume) ... which I don't think is necessarily off topic considering the original poster mentioned 'healthy lifestyle'.

Zymurgist I did not answer your original question about the health benefits of tofu because I don't have all the facts but I can however speak from my own experience. Tofu (and soy products in general) are an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and it is also high in omega 3's for vegetarians/vegans that don't eat fish. I have always understood that it is a good meat/fish replacement, like legumes, for people that have chosen to cut meat from their diet. I am a carnivore so technically I don't "need" soy products but I am just trying to balance out my diet abit. I do make sure to get some red meat in my diet at least once a week likewise I like to include fish on a weekly basis and I also like to try vegetarian foods which usually involve soy or legumes. My reason for favouring soy products though is that as I am reaching my midlife sometimes meat doesn't agree with me. Without going into the details I find the same relief in tofu as F-i-H's stepmother does in a glass of soymilk.... So that's why I eat it.

Be careful with the assumption that soy products in general are an excellent source of protein for vegetarians. Yes, like any legume soy beans have tonnes of protein. But it's useless protein to the human body unless you know what foods to combine it with in order to make it into useful protein. I refer yet again back to "Diet for a Small Planet". I'm not sure what the status is of tofu - whether or not the protein in it is 'complete'. Now I have some homework to do because I want to find out :-) I'll have to dig out my copy of DfaSP, and if I can't find it in the many charts in there, I'll email Frances Moore Lappe. Hmmm, I think my copy of the book is at work so I'll have to wait til tomorrow to check.

As Pasta L points out, there's other benefits beyond protein. Wikipedia's entry on Tofu will get you started, and if you want the good, bad and confusing, pubmed.org can point you to more authoritative sources:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

There's several search / display options at PubMed. Include the abstracts for more context. A warning, though: most (of the abstracts) are in a syntax that only barely resembles that feeble language we call English. :)

To rephrase a point i made above, tofu is rarely eaten in isolation. I mean it can be, but its usually part of a larger, varied meal. Japanese and Korean meals (as one example) will almost always include rice, and often use sesame seeds (and other) garnishes, not to mention fish or meat (for non-vegetarians). Indonesian salads, like gado-gado (which i pointed you to in a different thread) often combine tofu (or tempeh) with peanuts.

And not to ignore or trivialize your question, but how big of an issue is protein-deficiency, really? That noted, i'm interested in what DSP has to say on this matter.

I'll do the reading you suggest. For the moment I'll just say that I don't think protein deficiency is necessarily an issue which is part of my point - people who go out of their way to eat tofu for the protein, probably don't understand protein as well as they should. If they think it's enough of an issue to plan their diet around, they really should be reading up a bit on protein so as to understand it better.

This paragraph from Wikipedia probably sums it up well - note the last sentence which echos FF concerns : "Tofu is low in calories, contains beneficial amounts of iron (especially important for women of child bearing age) and has no cholesterol. Depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, the tofu may also be high in calcium (important for bone development and maintenance), and magnesium (especially important for athletes). However, tofu contains soy isoflavones, and the safety of consuming isoflavones is questioned."

BTW, your point is well taken about tofu rarely being eaten in isolation, which is sort of my point as well - there is no such thing as "miracle foods". Planning one's meals around such foods is probably not a great idea. Instead, eat a variety of whole foods - whatever variety tastes best to you! And limit meat intake. You'll be a happier, healthier person.

Hmmm, my copy of Diet for a Small Planet does not seem to be here at work, so I'll have to look harder for it at home ...

Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful posts. They have given me something to think about. My initial thoughts on tofu being healthy was not that there was something special in it but that it would help me to be a vegetarian 2-4 days a week. I love meat and fish but I am convinced that reducing meat intake and eating more vegetables is a good idea. I was not aware of some of the downsides of tofu. So I think I may skip tofu since I am not the biggest fan to start off with.

The thing I find is that while I like vegetables, I don't like eating steamed vegables with rice etc. as the main dish on a regular basis. So, perhaps the better question should be what recipes or cookbooks would people recommend for relatively simple (i.e. I want to make it for dinner on weeknights) vegetarian main dishes that are low in fat.

Cheers

Update : wifey found DfaSP at home, so I'll check tonight.

BTW, the point above about tofu rarely being eaten in isolation but rather as part of a larger, varied meal is pretty close to my point as well : there is no such thing as a "miracle food". Variety is your miracle. You can spend all your time worrying about getting enough of whatever the latest "miracle food" is, or you can just learn to eat a variety of (whole) foods, and not worry about chasing the fads. In the end I'm sure you'll find that the variety will get you much further every time.

Zymurgist and itchy feet raise some interesting points. Tofu is definitely being promoted as another "miracle food" but Asians use it incorporated with other foods. You never see them drink an entire glass of soy milk (why does it even exist anyway?) but tofu is included in other dishes like stirfries, miso soup, etc. sort of like the beans and rice idea I guess. I'm sure you would have to eat it combined with something else to benefit from all the nutrients I just haven't researched it yet...

Medicinejar: if you don't like tofu much to start with I'm sure you would not be missing anything by not eating it! I eat tofu because I like the flavour and texture but it is not for everyone. I can dig through my recipes over the weekend and I can see what I come up with. Actually I will be trying a chickpea curry this evening - I can let you know how I make out!

Medicinejar I just added four recipes - three legume ones and one soybean one. If you want to get more soy in your diet but don't like tofu maybe you can try soybeans maybe you would like them better. The recipes I added are black bean and corn soup, minestrone soup with soybeans, North African vegetable stew, and a Mexican rice and bean casserole. Bon apetit!

Medicinejar: Try some of the Dietiticians of Canada cookbooks. They follow the food guide and the recipes are balanced, easy-to-make, and they have the nutrition info. While they may not be 100% vegetarian, I think they are what you're looking for in terms of trying to lead a healthier lifstyle and eating better.

I have this one and use it consistently: www.chapters.indigo.ca

A quick veggie lasagna is tasty - either with spinach and ricotta or with a whole mix of veggies instead of the meat.

Vegetarian Pho - very easy to make! www.vrg.org

MedicineJar - as others point out, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes open up as many foodscapes as tofu, but if you are still (somewhat) interested, the Manx serves up a tofu (plus rice) "burger" that is quite delicious (imo). Just to give you a sense of what you can achieve w/ tofu -- i mention this in case you're out one night hoping to supplement your food w/ a beer. :)

As PastaL. also hints, another option (related to tofu) is miso. Its pretty high in salt, but if that's not a big concern, you can make some really good soup, i.e., beyond the usual stuff you find in most Japanese restaurants. Eg., you could prepare with sweet potato and other root veggies, as well as seaweed and other ingredients. Make up a big batch if you anticipate having too many beer ... its on par w/ zesty cheese doritos as a next morning food.

Zym -- i pointed to the Wikipedia article as a start here on nutritional benefits of Tofu in answer to your questions on that, not for what it has to say (or doesn't say) about isoflavone consumption. I wouldn't use it to "sum up" any argument, positive or negative, about that latter issue given that it barely scratches the surface on these issues: in the end, i guess it could be said its only a wikipedia article, after all. You're far better served on the good, bad and uncertain of isoflavone consumption end by reviewing some of the pubMed references. One overview article available through PubMed's open access library is here: www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov

You did not original link to any specific articles in pub med and when i did my own search there was just a bunch of stuff that came up - who knows if it was relevant or not? So I didn't bother going any further.

hmmm, its a citation database (indexing a crap-load of medical, scientific journals, etc.): the relevance or precision (of your results) is related to how you search (the terms you use, etc.). But, this is getting off topic (even for me).

I got my fresh tofu mostly from BestPrice ( BestPrice Oriental Market ) in Kanata - those in a white plastic container. They carry about 3 brands (one brand from Toronto, one brand from Montreal with a panda logo, and one brand from Ottawa). Depending on what I cook, the brand I pick will be different. If I want to make square solid tofu, I use the one made in Ottawa (I think Kowloon Market's owner also owns that tofu manufacturer). If I want to cook soft tofu in a pot, I like the one from Montreal. It tastes so smooth and soft! It is best to cook with scallops and shredded pork.

Note: In the summer, tofu goes bad very quickly even you put them in the fridge. So, it is best to cook it the same day you got the tofu.

zymurgist just to follow up on the nutritional benefits of tofu - someone from Yves Veggie Cuisine was on the A-Channel morning show today. They were discussing the nutritional benefits of tofu just before I dashed off to work. Apparently it is the only plant source that is a complete protein. (As opposed to legumes which are an incomplete protein and need to be eaten with rice to make a complete protein.) So it looks like you don't really "need" to eat it in combination with anything to benefit from all the nutrients it contains.

Interesting ... I was looking for exactly that in Diet for a Small Planet but they did not list it separately from soy. Though people should not get the impression from this that it's protein is better than the protein you get from mixing other proteins - in exactly the same way that meat protein is no better than that you get from mixing vegetable protein. I'd be interested in seeing it listed on the aforementioned scale in DfaSP in terms of "quality" and "quantity" of protein.

I think I'll write to Frances Moore Lappe ...