I'm likely to get some eye-rolling (or worse) over this, but as some of you know, my husband and I had a commercial tofu business in the 1980s and I remain a fan of this protein source that's so popular in Japan and some other countries in Asia.

With the safety of meat under scrutiny, this seems a good time give tofu a try if you haven't already. If you have tried it, but didn't like it, I suggest you try it in different kind of recipe. Tofu has the ability to take on flavors of whatever you cook it with. If you didn't like the texture, you can bury it. Make it invisible. Don't mention it to your kids.

My kids loved tofu. They were young when we had the soyfoods business (we also made tempeh, as well as tofu-based foods like eggless salad, pot pies, and desserts. I remember my 2-year-old son reaching up to the kitchen counter to grab a handful of tofu I'd just placed there.

I usually buy extra-firm tofu by Nasoya because they use nigari (magnesium chloride) as a coagulant. They usually use calcium sulfate with it, which is fine. But tofu brands that use all calcium coagulants tend to taste little bitter to me (although I had one the other day that was pretty good). Our tofu was made with Japanese nigari only.

Try tofu in stuffed shells or layered in lasagna. Instead of using ricotta, put tofu in a food processor with some parmesan and a little fresh garlic, maybe some parsley flakes if you like, and a little salt (optional).

Or cut it in cubes and cook them in a cast-iron pan to get at least one side of them crisped. Sprinkle with soy sauce. Add ingredients for a stir-fry, or remove half the cubes and add them to a tossed salad the next day.

I made Tofu Sesame Squares last night. So good, and so easy if you have sesame seeds handy. I cut this recipe in half because I used half a cake of tofu, and I still had some coating left over. So the recipe might be a little generous.

Tofu Sesame Squares

Mix together 1/2 cup sesame seeds, 2 tbsp. cornstarch, and 3 tbsp. whole wheat flour (unbleached flour can be used). Cut half-inch slices of fresh tofu into quarters. Dredge them in the sesame mixture and pan-fry in a small amount of oil until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels if necessary, and sprinkle with soy sauce.

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