Tofu with Love
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Chef Tim Luym at the Pop-Up Cafe in San Francisco (Photo by Raymond Virata)
Known for adding a contemporary twist on Asian street food, Chef Luym, whose roots trace back to Cebu, takes us to a different world, one that is free from dairy and gluten yet as flavorful and exciting as our own dishes. Luym worked with Pulmuone’s Wildwood tofu brand before at his first restaurant, Poleng Lounge, which was rated by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the Top 10 New Restaurants of 2006, by Michelin Bib Gourmand and the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area 2007 & 2008.
For this demonstration, Luym concocted tofu variants of popular restaurant comfort food, which include Onederful “Cream” of Mushroom Soup, Katsu Slider Sandwich with Miso Yuzu Tofu Mayo, and Gluten and Dairy Free Bechamel and Vegetarian Lasagna. Our journey did not stop there as he took us on a virtual culinary trip to East Asia with dishes such as Eggless “Chawan Ushi,” Shrimp Wonton Soup, Pork Free Vietnamese Egg Rolls, and Char Siu BBQ Pork “Chow Faux Fun.” The meal took a stop in the Philippines, with Ube Tapioca with Bread Pudding.
Onederful “Cream” of Mushroom Soup (Photo by Raymond Virata)
Katsu Slider Sandwich with Miso Yuzu Tofu Mayo (Photo by Raymond Virata)
Gluten and Dairy Free Bechamel and Vegetarian Lasagna (Photo by Raymond Virata)
Eggless “Chawan Ushi” (Photo by Raymond VIrata)
Shrimp Wonton Soup (Photo by Raymond Virata)
Char Siu BBQ Pork “Chow Faux Fun” (Photo by Raymond Virata)
“Tofu has been around for years. It can be the foundation for some dishes and you can build on it. In my travels, there is tofu everywhere,” says Luym.
Pulmuone Foods USA President Patrick Lemoine and his team say the secret is in the process of keeping the consistency and elasticity of its tofu products. The result is a range of goods that have the same texture as meat crumbles and are as creamy as milk products.
Pulmuone's Wildwood products (Photo by Raymond Virata)
Chef Luym left valuable information on two dishes you could try. If you want to check out more of Chef Luym’s culinary mastery, you can visit him at the Attic in San Mateo. California. (http://atticrestaurant.com/)
Pork Free Vietnamese Egg Rolls
Pork Free Vietnamese Egg Roll (Photo by Raymond Virata)
Makes 24-30 rolls
Ingredients
12 oz. Wildwood Veggie Burger (shiitake)
6 oz. Wildwood Flavored Tofu (Indian curry), small dice
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 oz. bean thread noodles, soaked in hot water, cut into 2 inches
1/2 cup wood ear mushrooms, chopped
1 cup taro root, grated (can substitute with carrots, grated)
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 each eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons fish sauce (use white soy sauce for vegetarian)
2 tablespoons rice bran oil
30 each 6 inch rice paper
3 tablespoons sugar
Method
1. In a mixing bowl, crumble the Wildwood Veggie Burgers with your hand.
2. Add the Wildwood Flavored Tofu (Indian Curry), garlic, black pepper, bean thread noodles, wood ear mushrooms, taro root, scallions and fish sauce.
3. Add the eggs and fish sauce. Mix well.
4. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet under medium heat. Cook the mixture until noodles are soft and egg is cooked through. Cool mixture.
5. In a large bowl, fill with warm water and add 3 tablespoons sugar.
6. Dip each sheet of rice paper into water. Lay the rice paper on a damp cloth. Working quickly, spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of mixture into the bottom third of the rice paper.
7. Fold the edges and roll into an eggroll shape.
8. Repeat until mixture is all used up.
9. Fry the eggrolls in 350-degree oil until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Ube "Purple Yam" Tapioca
Ube Tapioca on Bread Pudding (Photo by Raymond Virata)
Makes 2 1/2 quarts
Ingredients
1/2 quart Wildwood Soymilk
1 1/2 quarts coconut milk
1 pack Wildwood Onederful Tofu
1 oz. ube powder
2 oz. tapioca pearls, small
4 oz. sugar
Method
1. Bring soymilk, coconut milk, sugar, and ube powder to a boil in a saucepan. Let steep for 30 minutes.
2. Blend with Wildwood Onederful Tofu.
3. In a separate pot, boil tapioca pearls in 2 quarts boiling water until tender and cooked through.
4. Drain from water and add to the ube coconut milk mixture. Stir with whisk to prevent tapioca from balling up.
5. Chill. Serve as a dessert or sauce. Ube Tapioca can be served as a topping to bread pudding.
For more information about Pulmuone Foods USA, visit http://www.wildwoodfoods.com/.
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