I have a dilemma so middle-class it almost beats the discussion I had last year about the relative merits of Waitrose smoked salmon paté and smoked mackerel paté.
I'm looking for a new brand of tofu.
Cauldron was always my tofu brand of choice, mainly because it's the only one most supermarkets stock. And that was fine, because it was perfectly acceptable tofu. And they did those gorgeous marinated tofu pieces. But they recently had a revamp, and now their tofu products are 'new and improved' and in different packaging. Except I don't think they're improved at all, I think they're horrible! The marinated pieces aren't the same at all, and the tofu is now a big (they made the pack size slightly bigger, and guess what, it now costs more) soggy mess. The old tofu was firm and easy to work with, but the new stuff is slimy and spongy and it's impossible to get enough water out of it to cook it properly. I tried my usual trick of pressing it between two plates, and I just ended up with a disintegrated mass under a nasty, rubbery skin. Yuck. It's annoying because tofu is one of my staple ingredients - I eat it at least twice a week.
I was in Waitrose last night and I picked up a pack of
smoked tofu with almonds and sesame seeds - and it was absolutely gorgeous. Quite possibly the best tofu I've ever tasted! But the pack is tiny (only enough for one serving) and it was over £2, whereas Cauldron's two-serving pack is generally around £1.99.
So, does anyone have any suggestions for good, cheapish, readily available tofu? I have an organic supermarket nearby, but my local Tesco only stocks Cauldron. Or maybe my best bet would be to try the oriental shop near work?
