A: Everyone at the beginning of the project was like: “Oh god, we’re gonna have to do tempeh recipes?! We hate tempeh.”
People loved the tempeh by the time we were done. Weeks later people are still making tempeh Reubens. So that was a bit of a revelation.
[Tempeh is] made with soy, like tofu, but also made with grains. It has a firmer texture and funky flavor, unlike tofu, which I think of as, basically, being a pretty much blank canvas.
Tempeh brings a lot of flavor to the party, so it tends to do better with really strong flavors. It’s got a really nice crumbly, chewy texture, and you can pan-sear it kind of like a cutlet.
–Jack Bishop, editorial director for America’s Test Kitchen, who led a team of eight for a year to develop “The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook.” –Stefanie Gans
Book Bonus
3 early summer vegetables to be excited about:
-Early greens (spinach, arugula)
-Radishes
-Asparagus
3 ways to add umami flavor to meatless cooking:
-Soy sauce
-Tomato paste
-Dried mushrooms
3 upcoming book subjects by America’s Test Kitchen
-Paleo recipes
-Canning and pickling instructions
-Cast-iron cooking
(June 2015)
