It is a lovely Saturday morning in Alexander Valley. The weather is a surprising 75 degrees in January, it may be global warming but at this time in my life I am loving the Northern California heat. The perfect opportunity to eat breakfast and drink some wine on my back patio.
Since I spent a whole post talking about my morning habits, this post is my official Wine Blogging Wednesday (or Saturday) post*.
I bought the Morningstar Veggie Bacon Strips and the other ingredients for my Vegan “Bacon”, Potato, and Green Onion Frittata with the full intent to create this meal and drink it with my 2005 Bella Vineyard Zinfandel.
Great tagline: “Bring home the bacon — Leave the Guilt Behind.”
Once I got home and opened my tofu bacon strips, I was even more hesitant to make this whole meal and be disappointed in the texture and the taste of the tofu bacon. Seriously, look at it… I t looks like a fruit rollup and smells like a chemical version of paprika.
Tofu bacon has always been the “Everest” of tofu by-products for me… Something I have no real desire to try, but I feel like it is something I should — just to say I tried it. After my tofurkey attempt last Thanksgiving, I am hoping that the tofu bacon could restore my faith in tofu products that attempt to taste and look like meat.
Anyways, this post isn’t just about the tofu bacon or my thoughts on bacon in general.
Yes, bacon still stalks me online. No, I still have no desire to eat it.
But it is about the wine pairing (it is called Wine Blogging Wednesday, not Shana’s thoughts on breakfast).
What I ended up pairing with my zinfandel is the tofu bacon, frozen hashbrowns and a side of wheat toast. The cherry and raspberry flavors, along with the hint of cinnamon of the zin actually did pair very well with the tofu bacon’s attempt to taste like the real thing. The bacon had a smoky paprika taste that in theory wasn’t too bad.
Of course, once again – It was the texture that got to me. The “bacon” was a limp and rubbery, a failed attempt to come anything close to the crispy greasy piece of pork that everyone is so obsessed with.
So after getting through two pieces of the tofu bacon, I decided that this product wasn’t for me and finished the glass of wine with my hashbrowns and toast.
The Bella Zin is a great “food” wine, especially savory items like hashbrowns or possibly real bacon. It compliments the food without overshadowing it. It is also great on its own. Which, after I ate my breakfast, I drank while watching the birds in my backyard play in the one small puddle left over from the last rain (sometime in December).
Another attempt at a tofu product that is supposed to taste like meat ending in an epic fail. I feel like am letting my fellow Vegetarian’s down with my blogs about disliking tofu…. But seriously, I love tofu… I just think it needs to stick to the basics and not to try be something it is not.
I am still on your side Monsieur Tofu!!
*Another thing of focus for me in 2009 is my procrastination habits. Two weeks to do write this post and I wait until the day after the deadline too post it. Ooops.
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January 20, 2009 at 1:02 am
El Jefe
hi Shana – the good news is that I just saw your submission and was able to add it to the wrapup I just posted, just in the nick of time, as they say.
As far as bacon and tofu… if you want the flavor of bacon, the Bacon Salt line is actually pretty good, and most of it is vegan.
But as far as making bacon out of tofu… I really do like tofu – when it is being tofu. There’s that cold block of tofu you can get at some Japanese places that is totally delicious and refreshing on a hot day, for example. Trying to make it into something it isn’t, however, doesn’t seem like a good idea – and can end up being as healthy as margarine if you know what I mean!
thanks again! – j
January 29, 2009 at 8:04 am
I’m Glad I Didn’t Try It | Bacon Today
[...] a look at Shana’s “Not Out On VHS Yet” blog. She bought and tried the Morning Star tofu bacon strips. Her review is classic. I especially like [...]
February 10, 2009 at 7:22 pm
The Anti-Fried: Tofu Bacon - Fried Stuff - Fried Stuff with Cheese
[...] "Once I got home and opened my tofu bacon strips, I was even more hesitant to make this whole meal and be disappointed in the texture and the taste of the tofu bacon. Seriously, look at it… it looks like a fruit rollup and smells like a chemical version of paprika." – Shana [...]
February 10, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Erica Sharp
I was RAISED a vegetarian so I cannot compare the Morningstar Bacon to the real thing, however, there used to be a product called “Stripples” that is really quite tasty (although not as cleverly marketed as the Morningstar product). Who knows, it could be the same product in all reality. However, I feed the stuff to my meat-eater fiancee(though cleverly disguised with other stuff, all chopped up and fried and secretive-like) who likes it just fine in this clandestine form. Generally though, I’m fairly convinced that the tofu “meats” will never really compare to the real thing and that people making the switch to veggie are best-advised not to compare. *Sigh*
Any suggestions for places to find the Bella Zin?
March 5, 2009 at 12:28 pm
MMORPG Info » Mmmm, Top Ten Bacon Links
[...] Tofu Bacon and Bella Zin. [...]
June 17, 2009 at 4:49 am
Meat Truck » It’s Official. Tofu Bacon is Bullshit.
[...] Tofu Bacon review cont… [...]