S'oy Ve!

I eat tofu. I know that makes me slightly weird around these parts. I'm okay with that. I'm not a purist. Not a vegetarian. I don't care if you eat 14 cows every week. I'm just not a big fan of meat. Don't like the way it looks or feels or smells and sometimes tastes. That being said I still want to try the pork loin I previously posted. But I digress - as usual.

I typically use tofu to thicken soups or dips and it really can't be detected. But I keep running across recipes for scrambled tofu. The foodie in me screams no way can that be good. But the novelty seeker in me has to try it. The recipes I found were basically the same. Appently turmeric is a key ingredient. I suppose you need to trick your eyes into thinking it's actually an egg product.

So here's the recipe from Andrew Weil's The Healthy Kitchen cookbook.

Ingredients


1 16-ounce block firm tofu
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin (11/2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup sliced green onions, scallions, chives, or 1/2 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Fresh salsa
Corn tortillas

Directions

1. Drain the tofu and crumble it, using clean hands.

2. Saute the garlic and diced pepper with the olive oil in a medium saute pan on medium heat, for about 2 minutes. Stir in the crumbled tofu first, then add turmeric, salt, pepper, green onions (scallions, chives, or onions), and soy sauce.

3. Cook the tofu for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with salsa and warm corn tortillas.

So here's the challenge. Take these ingredients and make them into something edible. Good luck.

The verdict?

Well, it wasn't horrible as I was expecting it to be. It wasn't dance around the room terrific either. I was surprised at how much it looked the part. It really did look like scrambled eggs. It tasted okay. I suppose it might have been much better with the suggested salsa and tortillas. The soy sauce made me think I should be eating it with fried rice. Make sure you season it properly or it will taste awful. I ate a few bites then went to taco bell.

Hyman's Seafood Company

Why did the dish run away with the spoon? Because they experienced Shrimp and Grits and Hyman's Seafood Company and fell madly in love, that's why.

I stumbled into this restaraunt completely by accident and it was love at first bite. I met the humble grit a few years ago in South Carolina and wasn't all that impressed really. It was a bit, well, gritty and therefore aptly named and bit bland, but after some experimentation I came to appreciate the gritty grain.

Hyman's is located in Charleston, SC. I've heard that shrimp and grits is a classic lowcountry dish so I thought I would give this local favorite a shot. To be honest I had low expectations, expecting creamy bird seed topped with shrimp - lowcountry surf and turf?

But I was wrong. Dead wrong. I think this may have been the best thing that has ever graced my taste buds. I expected some sort of culinary purgatory (not bad, but not really good), but what I experienced was, okay I'll just say it - food porn. They suggested topping it with bacon and cheese. I agree. I had a difficult time not bursting into song while I ate. I also had to resist the urge to lick the plate. Yep, Shrimp and Grits from Hyman's Seafood Company. Food porn.



Click the title to go to their menu. If you're ever in Charleston check them out.