Thai Tofu Stew, deconstructed

I can feel fall settling in and my desire to make soups and stews is almost overwhelming. I stumbled on the recipe for Thai Tofu Stew as I was browsing the Vegetarian Times website. With it's combination of the familiar - tofu, scallions, carrots, garlic - and the slightly exotic - coconut milk, bok choy, ginger, butternut squash - it looked delicious! With an afternoon off and and a shopping trip planned, I thought I could pull it off. Chop, chop, shred... between the ginger, scallions, and cilantro, my kitchen was smelling great and I hadn't even cooked anything yet! I made saffron rice to accompany the stew (Little H loves him some rice) and we were a happy, full-bellied family this evening. Really, have you ever eaten anything with coconut milk in it and not loved it? Yummy!

The Quest of a Lifetime...

The best salad I have ever eaten was called a Life Salad and it was on the menu at the best restaurant that I ever had the pleasure to eat within the hallowed walls of, Grace Place. On December 31st, 1996, Grace Place closed it's doors. I was there that evening eating one last Life Salad with a beautiful slice of vegan chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Until they made me leave, with a menu in hand and a heavy heart.

A Life Salad had everything in it but the kitchen sink, as my mom used to say. It was made with crisp lettuce; juicy, red tomatoes; celery, and slices of cucumbers and carrots (remember when we used to eat real carrots, and peeled and sliced them?!). On top of all of those veggies, there were walnuts, beautiful slices of apple, and rolled hunks of Havarti cheese. Then, just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any better, some angel, straight from heaven, concocted the most unbelievably delicious lemon tahini salad dressing that has ever been conceived. The most perfect salad, nay, the most perfect meal... ever. I have tried many times to recreate this perfection and, sadly, have never even come close. How can something so simple be so unobtainable...?

Flash forward 10 years, to me eating at my new favorite restaurant, Ipanema (although there is nothing ever quite like your first love, no?). The first time I tried the Vegan Cesar Salad at Ipanema, I closed my eyes and thanked the Universe for giving me the gift of another glorious salad. Crisp Romain, juicy tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, all topped with this grilled tofu that tastes like... well... yummy! How do they get their tofu to taste like that?!

So, I have been back on a mission... a mission to replicate the Vegan Cesar. So far, I haven't had 100% success, but a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled on something that was pretty good. It's called a Cesar with Tofu Croutons and I got the recipe out of my Moosewood Simple Suppers cookbook. The salad was good, but not quite close enough to completely satisfy... as close as I have come, though...