Joan Can Cook

[mamajoan]

I cooked tofu today for the first time ever! Yay me!

It went pretty well, although what these people call "extra firm" I would call "somewhat soft." I understand you can make your tofu firmer by pressing some of the liquid out of it -- may give that a try.

I'm still getting the hang of wok cooking in general, let alone the wide new world of tofu, so it was ... an experiment. It wasn't bad, mind you. I ate the entire thing and haven't keeled over from food poisoning yet. ;) But once again I failed to get the timing exactly right, so the carrots were too soft, the summer squash a little too soft, and the broccoli too hard. It's an ongoing learning process. I'm optimistic though. Soon I'll be ready to start experimenting with spices! Gasp!

And if you think there haven't been a veritable slew of wok puns in this household the last two weeks, well, you probably haven't been paying attention. ;)

Life's a bitch ... and then you stir-fry!

Comments

[thamiris.livejournal.com]

You are tofu-master! I'm much too lazy, and by it already magically transformed into tofu-dogs or tofu-turkey, so I admire your creativity.

...but poetry is verse.

[lasayla.livejournal.com]

No! Not the dreaded wok jokes! We went through a slew of them last year, usually in the form of songs.

"I got a new way to wok. Wok! Wok!"

"One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock: wok!"

"Wok on by."

and of course

"Wok on through the wind. Wok on through the rain. Though your dreams be tossed and blown. Wok on, wok on, with hope in your heart and you'll never wok alone. You'll never wok alone!"

Re: ...but poetry is verse.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

LOL!!! My favorite was the subject line I used when I posted on a list asking for wok advice. I titled the post, "Wok This Way."

This kind of advanced cooking is new territory for me, so it's fair to say that I'm taking a wok on the wild side.

Re: ...but poetry is verse.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

oh, and I forgot to add, re: "but poetry is verse" -- I have a pin with that saying on it, hanging on the wall in my cubicle! :)

[tiggrrl.livejournal.com]

For an interesting texture change, try freezing your tofu before you want to wok. Thaw it out and press out all the water, it makes it chewier and a bit spongy. Great for absorbing flavorful sauces, but usually not good without sauce.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

thanks! I heard that freezing could change the texture. That'll be interesting to experiment with. Also, gotta try a few different brands.

Right now the only spice I own is a bottle of garlic powder (well, unless salt and pepper count), and the only sauces I own are soy sauce and Joyce Chen's Stir-Fry Sauce, so I gotta get me an assortment and see what they're all like.

[tiggrrl.livejournal.com]

Dude, hit your local Asian market and get tons of yummy sauces for way cheap (same as the ones in the normal grocery for half the price).

[big-al81.livejournal.com]

Wow... you are my new hero. Will you adopt me?