{"id":3946,"date":"2011-10-28T08:58:17","date_gmt":"2011-10-27T22:58:17","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=3946"},"modified":"2015-03-23T13:41:59","modified_gmt":"2015-03-23T03:41:59","slug":"vegetarian-cooking-japanese-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/vegetarian-cooking-japanese-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegetarian Cooking \u2013 Japanese style"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

VIC blogger Chantal learns from the experts and gets to grips with shitake, miso and tofu \u2018steaks\u2019.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

Tell your average meat and two veg lover that tofu is tasty and they\u2019ll probably look at you as though you have two heads.<\/p>\n

\"Corona<\/a>

Corona So shows us how it’s done<\/p><\/div>\n

So, it was my pleasure to finally de-mystify one of Asia\u2019s most popular ingredients by taking The Tofu Lover cooking class at Living Cuisine in the outskirts of Melbourne.<\/p>\n

Sitting us all down, tofu expert Corona So unravelled the mystery of ingredients such as konbu, miso and mirin. Aside from being healthy, many of these ingredients are readily available in supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.<\/p>\n

\"We<\/a>

We all get to work<\/p><\/div>\n

Aprons on and it was time to cook. Corona quickly got us all to work. My husband found himself salting and rinsing the konnyaku (a Japanese vegetable) while I carefully chopped up the carrot, tofu and coriander.<\/p>\n

Excitement filled the room as the soy milk jelly started setting; the shitake mushrooms, carrots and green beans simmered away on the stove; and the tofu \u2018steaks\u2019 caramelised with the miso and soy reduction.<\/p>\n

\"Frying<\/a>

Frying the tofu<\/p><\/div>\n

Smells and sounds tantalised the senses, and by the time lunch was ready we were all salivating with anticipation.<\/p>\n

The four-course finale<\/strong><\/p>\n

Course one: Chilled tofu with pinenuts<\/strong> \u2013 Made with silken tofu and dressed with a medley of coriander, spring onions, soy sauce and pinenuts, this is a great start to any Japanese meal. A delicate balance of flavours with every bite.<\/p>\n

Course two: Shiitake, konnyaku, carrot and green bean salad with sesame tofu dressing<\/strong> \u2013 My favourite dish of the day. The addition of sake (Japanese rice wine), mirin and ground sesame seeds really made the flavours pop in your mouth.<\/p>\n

\"Pan<\/a>

Pan fried tofu steak<\/p><\/div>\n

Course three: Pan-fried tofu \u2018steak\u2019 with miso and soy reduction<\/strong> \u2013 For those who like their tofu with a bit more bite, this is a great main dish to serve any guest at your fancy dinner parties.<\/p>\n

Course four: Soy milk jelly with strawberry sauce<\/strong> \u2013 Love at first bite! Set with agar-agar and sweetened with strawberries and maple syrup, this dessert was not only beautiful to look at, but it had that clean, refreshing taste that comes with true Japanese cooking.<\/p>\n

Corona\u2019s top tips for tasty tofu<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. The best tofu comes from Asian grocery stores. Look out for momen tofu, also known as cotton tofu. It\u2019s not as soft as silken tofu, and doesn\u2019t turn out as rubbery as the firmer varieties found in supermarkets.<\/p>\n

2. Dry-press momen tofu and drain silken tofu thoroughly before use. Removing excess moisture allows the tofu to cook more evenly and absorb the flavours of the overall dish.<\/p>\n

3. When storing tofu, remember to place it in an airtight container filled with water. Change the water daily to ensure freshness is retained.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The feast<\/p><\/div>\n

With Corona\u2019s excellent tips and willingness to get us all having a go, I\u2019ve been amazed at how easy it\u2019s been to test out my new culinary skills at home.<\/p>\n

And best of all, the mystery of tofu has been revealed. Now all I have to do is convince my meat-loving friends that I don\u2019t have two heads after all!<\/p>\n

Oishii! Delicious!<\/p>\n

\nKeen to experience a cooking class yourself? You can with a lastminute.com.au experience! Click here for details<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\t\t