UnRecipe: Thank God It's Tofuday

Sometimes you can't beat a really simple meal after a rough week, especially on the tail-end of a record heat wave. After all, why ruin the stove's week-long break of not being turned on? Let it sleep in for just another day or two. Instead of a complicated Friday dinner, it was more effort to put together the setup for these photos than it was to prepare the grand meal of cold tofu with chili sauce, lime juice, and shoyu (you know, soy sauce).

Oh boy, it's soy! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

As a wee one, my mother would regularly prepare meals with tofu -- heck, she still does, and it's remains a rare treat to watch her cook. She would drain and press the watery slab of soy to remove the excess water, and then cut it down into pristine little white cubes. I would sneak a few pieces before they were introduced into the dish and I always loved the cold, plain, slightly milky flavor of plain tofu. I didn't think much of it then, but when I cook with tofu now, I can't resist doing the same thing and it still resonates that memory of the senses that evoke a less complicated time. Or at least, that's what I like to remember it as. I'm sure at the time, I was probably overwrought with a math test or something.

Now, many years later, the comforting snack has become a full but simple meal. Mixing a bit of fresh lime juice and a squeeze of hot chili sauce into the shoyu, a savory dipping liquid becomes the perfect contrasting flavor. I can't control the weather, or how busy my week will be, but it's a comfort in and of itself to know I can return to something that tastes like home.

Aw, Mom.. it's so cute... can we keep it? - Photos by Wasabi Prime

* Post Script -A joy-for-soy THANK YOU to Tastespotting for posting the Kokeshi doll with tofu photo on their site!! Domo arigato!

** Post-Post Script -Another hearty THANK YOU to the folks at Foodbuzz for putting the same photo on their Top 9 today! Domo arigato, the sequel!

***Post-Post-Post Script - Three times a charm THANKS to Food Photo Blog for putting the spicy tofu pic on their site!

**** Post to the Fourth Power-Script - THANK YOU to Serious Eats' Photograzing for also putting the spicy tofu on their site!

***** Penta-Post-Script - Thanks to Foodie View for posting several pics of the spicy tofu post!