As much as we see and hear about its properties as "natural refrigerant, anticancer agent, and cholesterol combatant," many Westerners are at a bit of loss when it comes to including more of it in our diets. Sure, we may add soy milk to our chai lattes or pop some edamame at a Japanese restaurant. We may experiment with grilled tofu, but in the end, there is often the complaint that tofu is just so bland. Ah, but that is the beauty of tofu - because it's so bland, it's the perfect canvas for other flavors, much like a slice of bread or filet of very mild fish. At the same time, many people simply enjoy the faint tofu flavor. Tofu is versatile, and according to an article over at the Japan Times, there's a lot more that can be done with soy, particularly because it comes in so many forms, only one of which if tofu:

• Tofu somen are delicate, thin strands of tofu that could easily be mistaken for regular wheat noodles
• Abura-age and atsu-age are deep-fried tofu, which can be added to miso soup
• Momen dofu is firm, which is good for stir-fries or prepared as tofu steak
• Zarudofu and yosedofu are very soft versions. Both are somewhat sweet so simply serve with top-quality olive oil and sea salt, or a garnish of grated ginger, mustard, or soy sauce.
• Yukiko Hayashi, author of the cookbook Tofu Zanmai, also recommends cooking/baking with soy milk.

It seems like more and more businesses that do home-delivery of prepared foods are popping up. I'm not sure if the market is demanding it because people are too busy to cook at home, or if these businesses are simply supplying it because they think it's a good idea.

One of the most recent hone-delivery services I've come across is Vegin' Out in Los Angeles, which targets a specific niche  - vegan. The service delivers three servings of each of the eight dishes on the menu that changes every week. Food is delivered cold, and if you're not home, then they will leave the food in a cooler that you leave out for them. The foods are to be reheated, and can be frozen for later use.

Has anyone tried these home delivery services? Which ones? How do you like them? Ever since the online grocery delivery debacle of years ago, I don't think I've ever been able to trust that these food delivery services work.

For a week now, I've been challenging myself to eat as close to vegan as possible. It's part of my month-long, "Going Vegan" experiment. So far, I have to say, it hasn't been hugely difficult. The hardest part has been not drinking milk with my coffee. I have given up my beloved double cappuccinos for plain drip coffee. (Hmph. Maybe that's why I've been so grouchy lately...)

So what have I been eating? Lots of salads. I eat a salad everyday anyway, but I've been making them more substantial mixing in baked tofu, roasted veggies, nuts, and/or beans. I roasted sweet potatoes and spring onions and tossed them with balsamic vinaigrette to make a warm salad (recipe follows). Another day I roasted some fingerling potatoes and tossed those with an olive oil-horseradish emulsion and served them on a bed of baby watercress.

I've made two soups. One an "every-kind of vegetable" soup. The other a simple, comforting puree of leeks and garbanzos enriched with a little soy milk and margarine. I'll have bread shmeared with mashed avocado and sprinkled with sea salt. I've made paninis with veggies and Tofurkey deli slices which, I'm surprised to admit, are pretty good.

Let's just say that you already have steamed white rice leftover from the big pot you made Sunday, on purpose, to help you throughout the hectic week. Then all you have to do is fry the tofu "cutlets" and make the curry. Since I have never ever made Asian style curry from anything but the golden S & B box, this is fast and easy.

Follow the directions on the box of curry. There, you made the curry. I always like spinach, mushrooms, and onions. You add whatever vegetables you would like. (This may sound like a vegan recipe, but be warned - many of the boxed Japanese curry mixes are made with animal fats).

Slice firm tofu into "cutlets." There is no need to dip in egg since they are already full of water. Dredge them in Japanese panko bread crumbs, then fry in about a half-inch of oil on each side until the breadcrumbs are lightly golden brown. No need to worry about "fully-cooking" the tofu. One block of tofu can serve one if you're a tofu-glutton, and four if you learned ho to share.