"soybeans" news and stories

Bento box. Photo: luckysundae, Flickr

• Bento boxes continue to gain popularity in the U.S. as more moms discover the virtues of disguising healthy food in fun shapes.
• Gary Vaynerchuk whips up a vino fervor with his Wine Library TV and unconventional tasting notes.
• Cooking with Dexter talks about tykes and the joys of fresh-catching sea fare, and whips up a Red Shrimp Chowder with Corn.
• A prominent Italian-American restaurant scene is just the tip of the Staten Island iceberg of international culinary delights.
• The Minimalist makes pasta with mussels.
• Dogfish always tries to bend the boundaries of beer -- and now they're taking it a step further with saliva-strengthened chicha. Yes, spit.
• Motorino gets a second pizza-filled location after a prime find on Craigslist.
• California winemaker Kathryn Kennedy has passed away at the age of 82.
• A Good Appetite reminisces about Aunt Sandy's famous shindigs and her Sweet and Sour Salmon.
• The Temporary Vegetarian makes Soybeans with Garlic and Dill.
• Food Stuff finds a mixture of cheese and antiques, handy ice cream containers and South African vinegars.
• New York's openings and closings, and dining calendar.

When you're snacking on edamame, part of the experience is freeing the beans from their green pods. If they're for a dish, however, there's a quicker way to shell a soybean.

Here's a great, easy way to use tempeh, whether you're a tentative tempeh virgin or a seasoned tempeh veteran. (A reminder for the newbies: tempeh is made from fermented soybeans, and I swear, it's really quite good).

I whip this up a lot when I'm in a hurry and am in desperate need of protein. Just heat a little olive oil in a skillet and toss in cubed tempeh, mushrooms, red bell peppers, spinach, or whatever else you happen to have on hand. Sprinkle it with seasonings (I use some random herb and spice blend), and fry for about eight minutes, or until the tempeh gets brown.

Hint: tempeh tends to be an oil hog, and it soaks it up really quickly. To alleviate this, I usually add in some veggie stock and water, which works just as well as the oil and doesn't add any unwanted fat.

If you don't like the taste of straight tempeh, you can simply marinate it in balsamic vinegar, barbecue sauce, or soy sauce beforehand, or grill it instead of frying, which gives it an edge. Then, toss some shredded soy cheese and chunky salsa on top, wrap it in a tortilla (I use chile-flavored), and devour.

Want some additional ideas about how to feature tempeh in your meals? Check out the gallery.

I eat a lot of tofu, not because I'm vegan/vegetarian and have to eat some sort of protein, but because tofu tastes good to me. (My being Asian and eating tofu all my life might have something to do with this, too.)

Now, it is just way too easy to pick up several blocks of tofu from the market for ninety-nine cents each, sometimes less when it's on sale, but if you have some time on your hands, you can make tofu at home, per the above video above from Cool Hunting. All you need is 150 g of dried soybeans, calcium sulfate, and the foresight to start soaking the dried soybeans the night before.

Nicole has already mentioned soy milk and whether it's good for children or not. If you decide that the Newsweek article speaks the truth, then read no further. 

However, if you're an adult and drink soy milk, or if you and your children will continue to drink soy and rice milks, then perhaps making it at home from soybeans yourself is a good way to go, and also to ensure the quality of the product. This is the SoyaJoy soy milk maker, which can also make rice milk, almond milk and milks with other nuts/seeds. Because tofu is made from soy milk, you can also make tofu at home if you have the SoyaJoy. (Not that you couldn't make either soy milk or tofu without the machine).

The SoyaJoy sells for $137 retail, but until tomorrow, can be ordered directly from the manufacturer for $89.95 (though I suspect that the incentive "sale" price might be in effect for whatever holiday is next, as well).