There’s a celery heart that’s been in my fridge for two months. It’s not looking too good, but it’s not beyond redemption either. This morning I cut away all the slimy bits and popped it into a jar with ice water. It’s been sitting in the fridge for a couple hours and is nearly good as new!
I’ve dumped the very last of my doubanjiang vinaigrette into a mixing bowl that has a lid and soon I’ll add the celery, chopped, to quick pickle for the rest of the day. Later, into that same bowl will go kale from the yard, lots of toasted sesame seeds and peanuts, and a little flaky salt— a sort of slaw to pile high on white rice with tofu.
Oh, yes! The tofu! I’ve been expiramenting with different ways to make dense and flavorful tofu since our air fryer died and my favorite method is so incredibly simple, you’ll probably laugh when you hear it: leave it unconvered in the fridge. As you know, I like to press, slice and brine it in something salty and delicious. A cold brine is okay, but I prefer to simmer the tofu directly in brine for 15 minutes to expidite the process. After that, you can air dry it overnight in the fridge on a wire rack and then pan fry, or you can pan fry in the morning and air dry in the fridge until dinner time. The air flow in the fridge wicks away any excess moisture the heat didn’t evict and the result is, for lack of a better term, meaty.