Yesterday was the annual Memorial Day Potluck Brunch at our church. This time, I decided to take a little break (since I bake the after-worship goodies every week) and made something that doesn't require baking. Also something that my family will enjoy eating, in case there are any leftovers to bring back home. Basically, something that even Dad can eat.
The mangoes and blueberries were on sale that week. There were also several kiwis and jars of Chardonnay-poached pears in the fridge, so I opted for a refreshing fruit salad/cocktail. But I didn't want it to be just an ordinary fruit salad--how about adding some jello for an added nutritional boost?
My eyes wandered over to the pantry shelves....where I spotted a can of lychee. Suddenly, the voice in my head starts talking...
"Hmmm you have mangoes, blueberries, kiwis, pears, and lychee. How about almond tofu and lychee jelly for a Chinese-style dessert?"
Brilliant! ...Except I wasn't sure how well almond tofu and lychee will be received by the predominantly Caucasian congregation--I didn't think anyone would know what those were. At the same time, I don't know of anyone who doesn't like lychee or almond tofu, so I decided to go for it. I'm all for introducing new flavors and gastronomical adventures to my friends!
Traditionally, almond tofu is made from almond milk, sugar, and agar. The modern version is made with milk, sugar, gelatin and almond extract, which is a lot easier to prepare.
I bloomed the gelatin and melted it in the microwave. I heated up half the milk, stirred in the sugar, almond extract, and the melted gelatin, mixing well. I poured in the rest of the milk, poured it into a container to chill and set. In the meantime, I also prepared the lychee jelly, using the lychee juice from the can. The canned juice have more intense lychee flavor than a lychee beverage.
The day before, I cut up all the fruits, the jelly, and the tofu, which had a good almond-y flavor. In the morning, I gently tossed everything together, being careful not to smush the delicate almond tofu. For added flavor, I lightly drizzled the syrup from Chardonnay poached pears over the whole thing.
So what did the people think?
THEY LOVED IT. Someone came up to me and asked what this "light pink fruit" is; she's never seen or had it before. I told her it's lychee, and she said it's heavenly! Another lady came up to me and asked what those "white things" in my fruit salad were. I wasn't sure which "white things" she was referring to (could've been the lychee, the pear, or the tofu), but it turned out she was referring to the almond tofu. She and her daughter absolutely loved them! ...then asked where she can buy them.
When I told her that I made them, her shoulders (literally) fell. Kinda funny, considering the amount of labor (of lack thereof) involved in making this.
But I'm so happy everyone got to try lychee and almond tofu for the first time! And loved them! ...Unfortunately, as a result, there was only half a cup of the salad leftover for me to take home to my parents. But Dad wolfed down the leftovers quickly, saying how good they are.
His surgery is next week. At this rate, he should be in a lot better shape by then!
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