Tofu

Why isn't this tofu white? It's been marinated!

* two tablespoons thick tamari, standing in for less flavorful soy sauce. But without tamari, soy sauce would have to do.
* two tablespoons saki
* two tablespoons rice vinegar
* 1 tablespoon cane sugar
* 2 tablespoons sweet mirin
* tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
* two teaspoons Hoisin sauce
* water sufficient to cover a whole package  tofu cut into cubes. As it turned out, my tofu fooled me by floating so I added slightly more water than was needed. I realized it was floating rather quickly. So the marinade wasn't badly diluted.

So there's that. I wrote amounts, but frankly, I didn't measure anything. I just kept adding my favorite things and taste-tested for acceptability. It turned out to be delicious. I would consider peanut butter or tahini, pineapple juice, scallion, onion, chives, or garlic. Ginger would also be fantastic.

Mixed with the tofu is a little of the leftover cow meat, also cubed and marinated. The tofu is better than the steak.

The vegetables were seared separately.

I reserved the marinade and heated it to boiling in the microwave. I used that as a dipping sauce, but then I got tired of dipping so I dumped it all into the sauce as if it were sukiyaki. Once I saw Florence Tyler screaming like a bitch at a contestant who either intended to do or actually did this very thing -- reheat and serve the marinade.

 "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, KILL EVERYBODY?"


Then he marked down the contestant severely, maybe even disqualified her, and repeated his overwrought objection to reheating marinade, because the viewing audience really did need to have all his lordly objection drilled in repeatedly, we're all short of attention that way.

Tyler, get over yourself.  The contestant didn't say she intended to serve the used marinade raw, just that she intended to make further use of its flavor magic. I assumed she intended to cook it, which would effectively kill anything that found lodgment and had grown in the meantime.

I don't like him anymore. Sad too, he used to be my fave.

Aaaaanyway, this tofu hits the spot.

I'm thinking about flavoring tofu, coating it with batter, then frying it so it has a crispy exterior and a soft interior. Does that sound like a good idea?

Before I go, check out the bokeh in the photo up there ↑. Now, that there is mighty fine bokeh.