Book of Tofu [Mass Market Paperback]

William Shurtleff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 12, 1987

An Incredible Food From The East To Revolutionize Cooking In The West

Amazingly versatile, ideal for weight control, low in saturated fats and cholesterol free, tofu is widely available in America today. This beautifully illustrated book is a complete guide to tofu, its forms, its traditions, including:

250 Gourmet Recipes from East and West -- Soups, Salads, Dressings, Sauces, Main Dishes, Casseroles, Barbecued and Deep-Fried Specialties, and Desserts.

Easy-to-Follow Instructions for Making 7 Varieties of Tofu at Home.

A Clear, Scientific Guide to Nutritional Benefits.

A Definitive Guide to Soyfoods, Japanese Foods, and Sources in the United States.

The protein backbone of East Asian diets, tofu offers an ideal answer to the protein problem for millions of nutrition-conscious Americans. Natural and inexpensive, quick and easy to prepare, an inspiration to creative cookery, tofu is a miraculous addition to the American menu, a food of the future.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

WILLIAM SHURTLEFF and AKIKO AOYAGI spent their formative years on opposite sides of the Pacific, in California and Tokyo respectively. Bill and Akiko began collaborating in 1972, doing research and writing books about soyfoods. They worked together for six years in East Asia, mainly in Japan, studying with top soyfoods researchers, manufacturers, nutritionists, historians, and cooks. William is currently the director of the Soyfoods Center, which he and Akiko founded in 1976, and lives in Lafayette, California. A freelance illustrator and graphic designer, Akiko lives and owns her own art business in Walnut Creek, California. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; Revised edition (July 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345351819
• ISBN-13: 978-0345351814
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Natural Foods
  • #12 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Special Diet > Healthy
  • #55 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soy: The perfect food :-), January 7, 2000

By 

Kristina & Joshua - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Tofu (Paperback)

Last year I purchased The Book of Tofu, by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi. Half recipe source-book, half cultural anthropological look at the history of tofu-making in Asia (Did you know that tofu has been eaten in China for thousands of years? Tell that to Newsweek, who listed tofu as a fad that would die out in the new millenium!), it soon convinced me of the importance of soy in the human diet. This book is fabulously researched, has excellent recipes and TONS of interesting information. We learned about more uncommon types of tofu, like Yuba (bean curd skin). (We soon hunted some down at our local asian market, YUM!) We haven't yet attempted to make our own soy milk or tofu, but this book covers these topics in easy to follow, detailed directions. Read this book! Eat Tofu! Be Happy (and healthy)!

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everything you'd ever want to know about cooking tofu, March 10, 2001

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Tofu (Paperback)

Want to know more than just how to stir-fry tofu? This book has just about everything you'd want to know about that bland little block, including the history and manufacture of tofu. It even tells you how to make it yourself. Well, I tried it and got perfectly fine tofu (and a heck of a lot of okara, the bean residue left from straining the soymilk.) I nearly destroyed the kitchen, but it was fun and I learned to appreciate going to the store and buying a refrigerated pack.

If you don't care to try tofu in its Japanese guise (they even eat it cold with a dash of soy sauce) then you can try scrambled tofu. This is a real God-send for people who mustn't eat eggs and who miss a good mushroom omelet.

And did you know there were so many kinds of tofu, from kinugoshi, which is custard-like and can be used to make a good pumpkin pie, to extra-firm, which can be barbecued with sauce (just the thing if you have a summer grill party and can't serve meat. Grill some eggplant, zucchini, corn and tofu instead.)

Not every recipe in this book is useful for everyone (yuba, or the dried skin of soymilk) sounds yummy but is not found outside of good Chinese groceries in urban centers. However, this book will give you new ideas to use tofu.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for thoes interested in Tofu, December 7, 1997

By 

baileye (MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Book of Tofu (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in making their own Tofu at home. Not only does Shurtleff describe in detail the history and making of tofu he also gives recipes for using the tofu you have made. The book also describes how to use other components of soybeans such as fresh soybean puree, okara, soymilk whey, etc... The illustrations included in the book are also entertaining and informative.

BTW, homemade tofu is by far superior to store-bought.