Spicy Toasted Cheese and Tofu Sandwiches

I was never a fan of tofu back home. In fact, every time I think of tofu, I still think of this song.

However, that was back in America, where the tofu was gritty and glumpy and oh-so-foreign. We never ate tofu as a part of our daily diet. The only time I ever ate tofu was at Chinese restaurants. I'll never forget the slimy texture and the flavorlessness of the probably-from-a-can-hot-and-sour-soup I had once when I was ten years old.

However, the texture and variability of tofu has grown on me. I have had good tofu that is silky soft and mixes well with savory or spicy flavors - perhaps sour was not the best way to enjoy it in my youth. My favorite way to eat it, of course, is cubed and rolled in a little bit of flour, salt and pepper and fried to golden crispy goodness - the outside is crunchy, but the inside is soft and delectable.

Additionally, tofu in Korea is cheap. I pay less than 800 won for a block of tofu. At the current exchange rate, that's less than $0.72 for a block of soybean goodness that would cost me probably $3 or more back home. So when I find a protein source that I kind of like that comes as cheaply as tofu, I take advantage of it! The fact that TheFry doesn't mind tofu at all helps a lot, too.

Last night I made spicy toasted cheese and tofu sandwiches. I prepared the pan as I usually would for making a toasted cheese sandwich - I melted a tablespoon of margarine over low heat and then added a slice of bread. I had already prepped a few thin slices of tofu for the sandwich. I layered the tofu between two thin layers of cheese and toasted the sandwich as usual (although I recommend adding a pinch of salt on top of the tofu before the next layer of cheese). After the sandwich was done, I added some hot & sour sauce given to us by our local pizza restaurant (but tabasco sauce would do wonderfully, as well).

I must say it was a success. Even PapaFish didn't mind it so much. I'll definitely be keeping this experience in mind for the future when I run out of cheese but need a melty toasted sandwich treat. ^_^ Sorry there's no pictures to share!