Tofu mishap of 2011

In the kitchen, as with anywhere else in life, things are inevitably at times to not go as planned. This is exactly what happened to me today. I had prepared, to a "t", a brine for tofu. As this was my first brining attempt ever, I studied the recipe and carefully put all my careful attention to its execution. I allowed to tofu to brine overnight and proceeded with the original dish of a peppercorn crusted broiled tofu. Upon tasting, whoa! Too salty. Guess what, the tofu only needed to brine for 2 hours. So apparently brining is not the same as marinating. So the over-salty, over-brined tofu was a no-go. When I come across "failure", I tend to beat myself up, and get emotional. Today, was an anomaly. After discovering the mishap, I immediately went back to my original intention and knowing I did the best I could and with all my heart, I proceeded to move on and create (with the help of my fellow co-workers), a revised dish. Sometimes, mistakes are a blessing in disguise.

Peppered tofu, fall squash, and mushrooms

Pumpernickel farro

Simple mixed greens with whole-grain mustard vinaigrette

Let's talk about the tofu. Plain old tofu - no marinade and no brine - was gently simmered in a concoction of grapeseed oil, garlic, red chili flakes, fresh thyme, marsala wine, and crimini mushrooms. The squash was roasted separately with a touch of oil and coriander powder, after which, was gently stirred into the tofu and mushroom. And with a little bit of salt and pepper, the dish came to completion. Gentle was the key here. The farro was steamed with cacao powder, espresso, and caraway seeds, all classic tastes to that of pumpernickel. Additional seeds were fried in a bit of oil, then folded into the farro along with maple syrup. Organic mixed greens were tossed in a oil-free whole-grain mustard vinaigrette made of whole-grain mustard, red wine vinegar, filtered water, and honey. What is brushed below the bed of greens is a fresh beet juice reduction.

All in all, it wasn't the "perfect" dish, but then again, labeling is so passe...