Bay 12 Games Forum

Well, eggs are typically sold in the Dairy department (at least at most supermarkets here in the northeastern united states) so I can see why someone would lump them in that category.

Anyway, today we're going to talk about tofu. It gets a bad reputation but actually it can be quite delicious.

Most people who are grossed out by tofu it's one of two reasons:

1. The texture. Silk/soft tofu is a little weird, I recommend firm/extra firm.
2. The neat, symmetrical cubes. Try tearing it into rough chunks with your hands, this will give it a more natural shape and more surface area to absorb sauce.

Tofu holds a lot of water so the first step is to get rid of some of this water so it can absorb flavor. I find a toaster oven is the perfect tool for this. I have a little baking dish that fits my toaster oven perfectly. 20 minutes at 425 degrees (flip once) and it's dry and ready to prepare.

I cut up (or tear) the tofu and toss it with a little vegetable oil and soy sauce (or any other seasoning--curry powder, five-spice powder, sesame oil, miso, etc.) then return it to the toaster oven and bake until it's browning and crispy. Yum!

The baked tofu can be eaten as-is or added to a vegetable stir fry. Stir-fried tofu by itself can be tricky to make well, but baked-then-stir-fried is easy and delicious!

A masterwork quarry leaf roast is worth a lot of $$$ but it also represents the work of several dwarfs.

To make a really exceptional roast ($30,000+) you need: grower, wood burner, potash maker, thresher, weaver, clothier (or tanner+leatherworker if you prefer leather bags), cook.

If you want more diversity of ingredients then maybe you have miller, milker, cheese maker, brewer, butcher, fisher, fish cleaner, beekeeper etc.

The kitchen is the place where the work of a dozen dwarfs all comes together into a single product that synthesizes the output of multiple industries. I love it!

Quote from: Mushroo on July 12, 2011, 11:10:42 am

Cultures with long-lived people tend to eat a lot of pickled/fermented/cultured foods, there is definitely a connection.

Correlation =/= Causation

Cultures with lots of pickled/fermented/cultured foods are likely ones that have invested into preservation and hygiene, as both are required to be able to create such foods. A society that is hygienic lives longer than one that isn't. Humans are very vulnerable to disease compared to other species, and as such it's what tends to off us instead of natural predators, of which we have none.

I agree "Correlation =/= Causation" however "probiotic" foods (like miso, kraut, yogurt, etc.) are proven to give tangible health benefits including improved digestion and a stronger immune system.

In fact societies that are too hygenic/sterile have lowered immune systems compared with those who "colonize" their systems with friendly probiotics.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=yogurt+health+benefits

There is no "con" to kitchens, they are pretty much the most insanely awesome feature of the game.

Ha, sauerkraut and mushrooms are two of my favorite foods!!

Apologies that these aren't really "recipes" per se, but I never measure anything in the kitchen. Think of this as more of a general "how to."

I have an electric rice maker and a slow cooker (aka "crock pot"). With these two items I am able to buy dried rice and beans (pinto and black are my favorite) in 20 pound bags, this is a huge cost savings vs. canned/tinned beans.

The beans get soaked overnight, then discard this water (it contains the "farts") and cook them for several hours in the slow cooker until tender.

Rice gets cooked according to the instructions that come with the cooker.

Now we have rice and beans in abundance (you can make enough for a few days at once), this will provide adequate carbs and protein as the staple of our diet, plus a bit of iron and vitamins. However it will be extremely bland (notice we didn't even add salt), so we're not done yet!

The key to adding flavor to a vegetarian diet (or really any diet for that matter) is to choose a short list of basic flavorings you really enjoy! Most seasonings are just some combination of sweet, salty, sour, savory, spicy, and aromatic.

For example: olive oil, garlic, salt, balsamic vinegar
chilis, lime, salt, cilantro
sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar
curry powder, cider vinegar, peanut oil, salt

Then you need to know how to cook vegetables (obviously). There are cookbooks to help you but it really isn't hard. The three secrets are:
1. Cut/chop in consistent-sized pieces so they cook evenly
2. Cook in simple, compatible combinations (a lot of rookie veggie chefs make stir fries with 12 different vegetables, some are overcooked, some are underooked--better to make more dishes each with fewer ingredients)
3. Start with high heat for flavor/color/texture, then add liquid and reduce heat to cook all the way through

So now you have 1 or more really flavorful veggie dishes, you can add that to the plate along with rice and beans and have a complete and flavorful meal! Season to taste at the table with pepper, salt, salsa, ketchup, sour cream, grated cheese, fresh herbs, whatever... that's how I've been doing it for decades!

Also don't forget to eat healthy whole-food snacks like fruit, nuts, raisins, etc. and take a daily multi-vitamin!

Worst I've personally tried is the stinky tofu, ewww!

Not a big fan of natto either...

does anyone here use rocknut paste, or are those only for growing more quarry bushes? Usually, once I've topped out at 200ish seeds, I start milling them if there's enough free workers.

Rocknut paste can be pressed at a screw press workshop, yielding rock nut oil (for cooking or soap-making) and a rock nut press cake (for cooking).

The rock nut byproducts are not particularly valuable as foodstuff (especially compared to quarry bush leaves) but the soap is good if you don't have animal tallow and the biscuits are a cheap food source for military/hauler rations.