Donna Kelly and her daughter Anne Tegtmeier stir a pot of. . Rich Egan


Anne Tegtmeier knew she probably inherited many physical traits from her birth mother, from the shape of her eyes to the way she laughed.
But Tegtmeier never anticipated that when she finally met with Donna Kelly several years ago, they would share the same passion for cooking and celebrate their reunion with the most unlikely of ingredients - tofu.
The culinary bond that has grown between birth mother and daughter has resulted in a new cookbook, 101 Things to Do With Tofu (Gibbs Smith, $9.95).
"My adoptive mom was not a food lover," said Tegtmeier. "She looked at it as a chore, like cleaning."
After their initial reunion, Kelly, a child-abuse prosecutor in Provo, and Tegtmeier, a modern dancer and massage therapist living in Connecticut, found themselves spending hours in the kitchen. They would talk late into the night, sharing stories from their years apart and swapping their favorite recipes.
Kelly, born and raised in southern Arizona, showed Tegtmeier her Southwestern cooking skills, and shared family recipes for enchiladas, tortillas, tamales and a baked cheesecake that won a blue ribbon at the county fair.
I In turn, Tegtmeier, who gave up red meat in high school and became a vegetarian in college, taught Kelly healthy cooking techniques. Kelly was an eager student. Her husband recently had a heart attack and needed to change his eating habits.

Time for tofu: Kelly was in the middle of writing two other cookbooks for Utah-based publisher Gibbs Smith, 101 Things to Do with a Tortillas and 101 Things to Do with Chicken. She mentioned to Tegtmeier that she was looking for another idea.
Tegtmeier immediately suggested tofu because of its versatility. It can be cubed and added to casseroles; sliced and then grilled; and blended to make creamy salad dressings, soups and desserts, similar to sour cream but with more nutrients and less fat.
"It is so much more than a substitute for meat in a stir-fry," explained Kelly.
But many people are intimidated by this soy protein, made by mixing the milk of the soy bean with a coagulant and then heating it until it turns into cheeselike curds. The process is similar to the way cow's milk is turned into cottage cheese.
"People need to think of it as an ingredient, like flour," said Tegtmeier. "You would never think of eating a spoonful of flour by itself. But put it with other ingredients and it becomes all these great things."
Tofu is rather bland when eaten alone, but it takes on the the flavor of the other ingredients in which it is cooked.
Once the publisher gave the OK, the two began testing recipes, e-mailing them back and forth. Like other titles in the 101 cookbook series, the tofu recipes are simple and use ingredients that can be found in the pantry or a grocery store.
Many of their recipes are a tofu twist on comfort-food classics, including macaroni and cheese, mushroom strudel and shepherd's pie. Their favorite recipes are the desserts: lemon raspberry tiramisu and a rich cheesecake dubbed "rebirth by chocolate."
"We could have done 101 tofu desserts," said Kelly.

More culinary adventures: These recipes and experiences are something Kelly never imagined in 1972 when, at age 16, she placed her daughter for adoption.
Adopted by an Air Force doctor and his wife, Tegtmeier lived all over the country, from San Francisco to Boston. On her 18th birthday, her parents gave her the name of her birth mother, just in case she ever wanted to seek contact. Tegtmeier wasted no time making a call. At that time Kelly was working as an attorney in Seattle. She was married and raising four children.
They talked on the phone but didn't meet face to face for several years. Once they did, their love of cooking immediately surfaced.
After completing the 101 cookbook, mother and daughter were looking for another culinary adventure. In March, they attended a weeklong "Boot Camp" at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.
Besides learning to perfect everything from sauces to soufflés, Kelly and Tegtmeier endured endless ribbing about their love for tofu from their culinary instructors.
The two got even during the final exam when they smuggled in tofu and served it in their tomato onion chowder, which their culinary leaders declared "divine."
"It's neat to think this was all hereditary," said Tegtmeier, who looks forward to many other culinary adventures with her birth mother.
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* KATHY STEPHENSON can be contacted at kathys@sltrib.com or 801-257-8612. Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com.

WHAT IS IT? A mild-tasting protein made by mixing the milk of the soy bean with a coagulant and then heating it until it turns into cheeselike curds, similar to the process used to turn cow's milk into cottage cheese.
TASTE: Tofu is bland when eaten alone, but it takes on the the flavor of the other ingredients in which it is cooked.
VARIETIES: Tofu comes in various textures, depending on how much water is extracted. The most common forms are:
* Extra-firm or firm: Dense blocks usually cut into cubes or sliced for use in stir-fries, casseroles or grilling.
* Soft: Good in recipes that require blending, such as salad dressing or desserts.
* Silken: Custard-like tofu that works best in smoothies or cream soups.
* Flavored: Tofu that is available already marinated, smoked or preseasoned.
WHERE TO BUY: Tofu is available in natural food stores, Asian markets and most grocery stores. It usually comes packed in water and sealed in plastic.
TO USE: Drain and press water out before using. Wrap in a towel or place between two plates. Squeeze to release water or place something heavy on top for at least 30 minutes.
* Another trick: To give firm or extra-firm tofu a meatier texture, freeze for 24 to 48 hours and then defrost before
using.

Sources: The Vegetarian Resource Group, The Soy Glossary and 101 Things to Do with Tofu

Tomato onion chowder
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes in purée
2 cups vegetable broth
16 ounces silken tofu
Salt to taste
In a large pot, sauté onion in butter until translucent. Add garlic and sauté another 2 to 3 minutes. Add basil and tomatoes. In a blender, blend broth and tofu. Add to soup mixture. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes stirring frequently. Add salt to taste and serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
For a smooth and creamy version, add onion, garlic and tomato to blender with the tofu and broth. Return to the pot and stir in basil as directed.

Source: 101 Things To Do with Tofu

Rebirth by chocolate
Crust:
2 cups crushed chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling:
14 ounces firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips, melted
Whipped topping
Shaved dark chocolate
Mix cookie crumbs and butter together. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a springform pan. Set aside.
In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend tofu, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir in melted chocolate chips. Process until smooth. If using a blender, this may take several cycles of stirring and blending. Pour tofu mixture into prepared crust, spreading evenly.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until well-chilled.
To serve, cut into wedges. Garnish each piece with whipped topping and shaved chocolate.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: 101 Things To Do with Tofu

Layered goat cheese torte
16 ounces goat cheese, divided
14 ounces firm tofu, drained and divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (8-ounce) jar pesto
1 (12-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Bagel crisps, accompaniment
Toasted French bread slices, accompaniment
Generously coat an 8-inch round cake pan or springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a food processor, blend 10 ounces of the goat cheese, 10 ounces of tofu, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread into pan. Press excess oil from pesto and spread on top of goat cheese mixture.
In a food processor, blend remaining goat cheese, tofu salt and sun-dried tomatoes and oil. Carefully spread on top of pesto. Place in the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour or until firm.
To serve, invert torte onto a serving plate.
Serve as an appetizer with bagel crisps or thin slices of toasted French bread.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Source: 101 Things To Do with Tofu

Ultimate veggie chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, frozen and thawed
2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup whole roasted cashews, plus additional for garnish
Salt, to taste
Black pepper to taste
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until onion starts to soften. Stir in cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Crumble the thawed tofu. Add to pot and cook for 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, corn and cashews; mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with additional cashews.
Makes 8 servings.

Source: 101 Things To Do with Tofu