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Hello Tempeh:
The first time you view a package of Tempeh your reaction might be 'Oooh YECK'. Poor Tempeh is not the prettiest food
on the block but properly cooked? It will make up for that. Tempeh has a nutty mushroom flavor with a tender chewy texture
which lends itself to many food. It is very high in protein and very low in fat. Four ounces of tempeh provides 41.3% of
your daily protein requirements and has 3.7 grams of saturated fat with no cholesterol. Plus it just plain tastes good.
I know at least one page on the net that insists it absorbs the flavors of what it is cooked with. No. It doesn't absorb
the flavors it is just big on lending it's flavor to the other taste to make a harmonious whole. If you want absorb, you
are better off using tofu which is so bland the other strong flavors overpower it. Tempeh will never be exactly that meek
and mild. It is much more assertive.
Like tofu unless you are a seasoned Tempeh user, simply slicing and eating may not be advisable to start. Do I eat it
while I am slicing? Well ok. I have been known to nibble. Remember that the commercial tofu I use is steamed before packaging.
I have been using it a few years. There in is the difference. So if you buy some, slice it, take a big bite, I don't wanna
hear "I HATE tempeh." You should have prepared it.
That doesn't mean everyone will like it but lets give the poor thing a fighting chance in your palate ok?
And remember not every recipe is a five star recipe to everyone. Why?
How we taste:
To bore the heck out of you and it won't be included on the quiz later: "Scientists have measured the taste bud density
of volunteers. They found that a person who is an "average taster" has about 184 taste buds per square centimeter
of tongue - now that's a lot of tasting - but some people are "super tasters" with 425 buds per sq.cm. whereas those
called "non-tasters" average just 96 buds per sq.cm."
Which means a 3 star to the average tongue might be a 2 star to the 'super taster' and a 5 star to the 'non-taster'.
Now you know why I don't trust rating sites to give me good recipes. I judge on the recipe alone and why Old Bay tastes like
tempeh looks to me.
Now back to class after the digression.
Basic Tempeh facts:
Tempeh is the controlled fermentation of cooked soybeans with a tempeh starter or Rhizopus mold binding the whole soy
bean into a cake form. . It isn't something new. It isn't a fad. It is a very real cooking ingredient that has been around
since at least the 16th century in Javanese literature references.
Specialty tempehs may be made from other types of beans, mixtures of beans, whole grains or wheat. So we do not live by
Soybean alone. Personally I don't care for the plain soy based tempeh. I do enjoy other mixtures such as 3 grain, 7 grain,
wild rice to name a few.
Fresh tempeh, if you use your own starter, should be bound together into a tight cakes with no mold growing other than
the white tempeh culture. It may develop black spots. These do not indicate spoiling. It will keep for 10 days in the refrigerator
or 4 to 6 months in the freezer. I haven't found the texture of Tempeh to change when frozen unlike tofu. As it ages it
may develop a little mold on the surface. This is harmless. Much like a mold on other aged or fermented products.
You want find a firm cake with few black or grayish spots and a mushroomy type smell with no evidence of pink, yellow
or blue coloration as this indicates that it has become overly fermented. It should slice easily without crumbling. If you
are one who decides to make your own, remember that tempeh must be cooked, unless it is commercial pre-cooked and ready-to-use
when purchased or you have done so at home. If you are buying make sure you check the sell by date.
In the diabetic exchanges ½ cup of tempeh is 2 medium-fat meat/meat substitutes
Do I really need to add this? IF you are allergic to soy? You will be allergic to tempeh. Some say the fermentation
process changes this but I wouldn't take the risk. If it has soy beans it has soy.
Cooking:
How to cook includes a long list. You can poach, simmer, boil, steam, baked, broil, grill, saute, pan fry or deep fry.
You can marinate it or not. It can be prepared various ways. You can nuke it by adding 3 Tbsp of water to 8 ounces and nuke
in a covered glass casserole for five minutes on high.
In the clam recipe, it is crumbled to resemble clams. In another recipes it is sliced as if it were fish sticks. It
can be cubed for stir fries. If you don't care for it one way? Try another. No special voodoo required.
Books:
The Tempeh Cookbook: Dorothy R. Bates
The Book of Tempeh: William Shurtleff, Akiko Aoyagi
Tempeh Production: William Shurtleff, Akiko Aoyagi
The New Soy Cookbook: Tempting Recipes for Tofu, Tempeh, Soybeans & Soymilk: Lorna Sass
Websites:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj99mar/99martofu.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A556265
http://www.geocities.com/pvachuska/tempeh/index.html
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1977-09-01/How-We-Make-and-Eat-Tempeh-Down-on-the-Farm.aspx
http://www.toomanychefs.com/archives/001785.php
http://www.vegancoach.com/tempeh.html
Sources for cultures for the adventuresome:
http://www.healthy-eating.com/
http://www.gemcultures.com/
http://www.tempeh.info/
Where/Brands to buy :
http://www.tempeh.ca/ Canada
http://www.tofurky.com/products/tempeh.htm
http://www.tofutown.net/index.php?id=38
http://www.soyboy.com/tempeh.htm
http://www.lightlife.com/product_category.jsp?c=tempeh
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