Hi! Welcome back to the old blog! I know it’s been awhile since I last shared some recipes and life on here but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been a lot of cooking and life happening. You might know that over the last few months, we moved out of our house and into a kooky old house in the woods while we renovated. During those months away, I finished writing my second book! I wish I could say living in the woods was sort of like a writer’s retreat but it was a lot more stressful than I thought it would be… or maybe I’m not built to live amongst the coyotes and bugs. At the beginning of August, we moved back into our house while it was still very much an active construction site. The kitchen wasn’t usable for a few weeks which was also very stressful because I needed to shoot all the recipes for the book within the month. Thankfully I have some very kind friends who let me invade their kitchens and beautiful homes so I could cook and photograph my recipes until our kitchen was useable. By the end of August I finished my book and our house is starting to feel like home again. As I’m typing this our painters are covering all our windows because they are getting ready to paint the outside of our house which is very exciting and feels like the last big thing to do!

Now that I have some what more free time again I’m trying to relearn how to cook like a normal person again. While I was working on the book it felt like every meal was an opportunity to retest a recipe so it was just right. Hopefully recipes on Eat Cho Food become a regular thing again! I’m revisiting some recipes ideas I’ve had stored on my Notes app for weeks, months, and even years because I finally have the mental capacity to figure them out.

At the top of the priority list were Fried Tofu Stuffed Squash Blossoms! I’ve been dreaming of this recipe for years, but squash blossoms can be so hard to find and the season for them is so fleeting. So the stars just never aligned… until now! Oh boy, these are sooooooo tasty! I love squash blossoms because they are just so dang pretty. Their flavor is pretty mild, maybe slightly zucchini-like. Their texture when fried is so delightful! The tofu filling is dairy-free friendly for my lactose intolerant friends out there. When you mix the tofu it breaks down in a texture that is remarkably similar to ricotta. Since tofu is very mellow in flavor, I wanted to amp it up with freshly grated garlic for a more pungent flavor and with some white miso. The miso actually gives the tofu a savory and slightly cheesy flavor. Honestly, if someone served this to me and didn’t mention the tofu I would have though it was filled with ricotta! These were so fun to make and I’m so glad I can finally check them off of my recipe ideas list! If you can get your hands on some squash blossoms, definitely give this recipe a try!

Fried Tofu Stuffed Squash Blossoms

serves 4

12 to 16 large squash blossoms
2 tablespoons white miso
2 large garlic cloves, grated
8 ounces silken tofu
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

neutral flavored oil, like grapeseed or avocado, for frying

for the batter:

1 egg yolk
200g (about 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) ice water
100g (about 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
15g (2 tablespoons) cornstarch

Kewpie mayo, for serving
Togarashi, for serving

1. Optional: fill a large bowl with cold water and about 2 cups of ice. Add the squash blossoms and soak in ice water for a few minutes to perk them up. Before stuffing, pat the squash blossoms dry with a paper towel.

2. In a medium bowl, mix to combine miso and garlic with a spoon or flexible spatula until smooth. Add the tofu, green onions, salt, and white pepper and mix until crumbly (like the texture of ricotta). Transfer the filling to a piping bag or ziplock back and press the filling into one corner and then snip the corner with scissors.

3. Working with one at a time, open the blossom and pipe the filling in until the reaches the point where the petals start to separate. Bring the petals together and gently twist to close. Place on a plate and repeat with remaining blossoms.

4. Fill a saucepan or at least 1” of oil and heat over medium heat until 370-degrees.

5. While the oil is heating up, make the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the yolk and ice water. Add the flour and cornstarch and whisk until just a few lumps remain. Dip the blossom in the batter, trying to keep the petals closed, and then carefully lower into the oil (by holding onto the petals and lowering the stem end in first). Fry 3 to 4 at a time and rotate them in the oil so they fry evenly. Once they are golden brown, 45 to 60 seconds, transfer to a wire rack set over a pan to cool briefly. While the blossom are still hot, sprinkle on a little extra salt. Continue frying remaining blossoms.

6. Serve immediately with some kewpie mayo and togarashi.