FLAVOR Spring/Summer 2018

A Taste Of Tofu

Soy Becomes Fashionable (Even For Meat Eaters) As Plant-Based Diets Gain Popularity Page 8

Spring/Summer 2018

Place Ad Design

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Say Hello To Soy Tofu is more than just a vegetarian substitute; the soy product is versatile, internationally used and on restaurant menus here in Harrisonburg.

On the cover: The Little Grill Collective A Lambert’s Platter at The Little Grill Collective showcases tofu.

Left: Boboko Indonesian Cafe Boboko’s potato and tofu curry with rice is prepared for a customer.

Cover story photographs: Stephen Swofford

5

15 STAFF

Photo: Stephen Swofford

Photo: Nikki Fox

A Dream Endures

Munching After Midnight

A family originally from El Salvador brings their cuisine to the Valley.

Check out these hot spots for late night downtown dining.

Editor Corey Tierney Staff Writer Justin McIlwee Staff Writer Shelby Mertens Contributing Writer Caleb Ayers Contributing Writer Robyn Smith Photography Austin Bachand Photography Nikki Fox Photography Daniel Lin Photography Stephen Swofford Design Jennifer Dehoff Advertising Director Rhonda McNeal Flavor is a publication of the 231 South Liberty St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801

For advertising information, call 540-574-6220.

Spring/Summer 2018 | Flavor 3

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A Dream Endures Salvadorian Family Runs Pupuseria With Authentic Cuisine By: Caleb Ayers

Photographs: Stephen Swofford

T

he Salvadoran Civil War — a bloody, 12-year conflict between the Salvadorian government and Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front — wreaked havoc on El Salvador throughout the 1980s. As a result, over 500,000 refugees fled the country, and the majority of them came to the United States.

In the years since, immigrants from El Salvador have continued to arrive, live and thrive in the U.S., bringing some of their traditional cuisine with them.

The pupusa, which has always been popular in El Salvador but wasn’t officially announced as the country’s national food until 2005, has grown in popularity here in the United States.

The first discovered examples of pupusas — found in Joya de Ceren, a Mesoamerican city preserved by volcanic ash around 600 AD — were vegetarian and shaped like a half-moon. Today, traditional pupusas are corn, circular tortillas stuffed with savory ingredients like sausage, refried beans, chicken or loroco (a vine flower native to central America). They are generally served with salsa and curtido (cabbage), which is similar to coleslaw.

For the last four years, Pupuseria El Milagro Restaurant y Tienda Latina, a family-owned business at 620 Hawkins St., provides pupusas to Harrisonburg. The restaurant and store are run by Maria Portillo, her daughter, Elsy Portillo, and Elsy’s husband, Jose Gonzales. Maria, the restaurant’s mastermind in the kitchen, begins the process of making pupusas by molding corn flour dough into a ball. After stuffing the center of the ball with one of the five filling combinations they offer — cheese, pork and cheese, chicken and cheese, beans and cheese or loroco — she closes the ball and pats it into a thin disk shape. After quickly dipping it into a bowl of oil, she tosses it onto the griddle, cooking each side brown for up to 5 minutes. At El Milagro, an order comes with four pupusas — a quantity that will leave most people more than satisfied.

While pupusas are their trademark, they also serve a variety of traditional Salvadorian food. Soft flour tortillas filled with vegetables and chicken and covered in sauce are made on occasion, but aren’t always available. On Fridays through Mondays, El Milagro offers sopa de res (beef soup) and sopa de mondongo (tripe soup) — two traditional soups that are served

Spring/Summer 2018 | Flavor 5

pupuseria he had noticed, changing the name to El Milagro (the miracle) in honor of Sabino. “El milagro is for when you ask God for something, and he gives it to you,” Elsy said.

Sabino’s legacy has not only influenced the name, but how they manage the business. Three non-family members work there, but they are all treated well — like family, even — because that is exactly how Sabino would have wanted it. Maria primarily works in the kitchen, Elsy does paperwork and cooks, and Jose does “a bit of everything.”

Fried bananas sit on display at Pupuseria El Milagro in Harrisonburg.

with two tortillas. Large quantities of other Salvadorian and Central-American options like tacos, carne asada and steak are some of their other popular, always-available items. They also offer horchata, a traditional, intensely sweet drink made from rice, milk and a mix of spices that includes cinnamon.

“He would be pleased to see us here, because he didn’t want us to work for another person. He wanted us to work for ourselves,” Elsy said of her father.

One of the ways they have increased their clientele is by selling pupusas at local food festivals like the Hispanic Festival and the Harrisonburg International Festival. “We sell pupusas from when we start until we finish, and we have a line of people all day,” Elsy said of their festival experiences.

Adjacent to the restaurant is the family store, which sells canned food, fresh produce, breads, sodas and desserts. While Maria and her family have only owned the pupuseria for four years, their dream of having a family business began long before that.

When Maria first arrived in the U.S. 27 years ago, her first husband, Sabino Nolasco, began working for Cargill, a poultry processing plant, where he worked for the next 19 years. Maria cooked out of her home, building a clientele of friends who bought empanadas, tamales and, of course, pupusas. Their daughter, Elsy, and her husband, Jose, followed several years later, with Jose working at Buffalo Wild Wings and Elsy working various jobs.

“We came from our country with the purpose of improving ourselves,” Jose said. However, their overarching goal was to start a family business. Sabino in particular always talked about the idea. He even pointed out Pupuseria Raquel — the business where El Milagro is now — and talked about how they could operate a business like that.

Unfortunately, Sabino passed away in a tragic accident in April 2010. While Sabino was unexpectedly torn from his family that day, his dream endured. Four years later, they bought the same

“El milagro is for when you ask God for something, and he gives it to you.”

– Elsy Portillo Ironically, two of their most loyal customers, Katie and Jeffery Luehm, have never lived in Harrisonburg. They both worked with the Peace Corps in El Salvador and are currently living in Pennsylvania. Katie said that El Milagro offers “some of the best pupusas [they’ve] had in the states,” which is why they make sure to stop every time they’re traveling nearby.

The success that Maria, Elsy and Jose have experienced in the last four years has surpassed everything they hoped for.

“Before, I dreamed for one little business, like to make tortillas for somebody,” Elsy said.

Now, they are continuing to grow, continuing to gain more loyal customers and, most importantly for them, fulfilling what Sabino always hoped for: a family-owned business. 

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6 Flavor | Spring/Summer 2018

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Say Hello To Soy By: Shelby Mertens Photographs: Stephen Swofford

T

ofu — a bean curd made from cultivated soy milk and formed into blocks — traces back 2,000 years ago to ancient China. The fermented soybean product spread throughout the continent and has been a staple in Asian cuisines ever since.

Tofu eventually made its way to other parts of the world as Western cultures discovered its versatility. It became the favored meat substitute for vegetarians and vegans alike because of its high source of protein.

And its popularity has grown as plant-based diets continue to increase.

“It is a good source of protein. It also is a good source of calcium — believe it or not — so fermented tofu or other soy-based fermented products can be high in potassium,” said Michelle Hesse, a registered dietitian and assistant professor in James Madison University’s Department of Health Professions. “It’s also naturally low in sodium. It’s very low in sugar, if none. Since it’s plant-based, it does not contain any cholesterol and it’s low in fat and saturated fat.”

Tofu itself is bland and tasteless, but grill it or marinate it with curry, soy sauce or any other spice and it absorbs the flavor like a sponge. “One of the things that makes tofu a very ideal food substitute is its versatility and its ability to take on different flavor profiles, so tofu in itself has a pretty mild flavor. It doesn’t have any strong flavor profiles, so that allows it to take on any type of flavor that you provide to it,” Hesse said.

Tofu can be prepared in many ways, like meat. It can be grilled, baked, fried, deep fried, sauteed, marinated, etc. It can also be purchased in different consistencies: silken, which is smooth and creamy and mostly used for sauces, soups, smoothies and baked goods, all the way up to firm and extra firm. The more firm tofu is ideal for barbecuing or grilling.

Although tofu is now much easier to find on American restaurant menus, some consumers may still be hesitant to try making tofu at home. “It’s becoming more and more popular in our diet, but I think what probably tends to trouble people from trying it out in the grocery store is that they just don’t know how to prepare it or how to work with it, but it is very simple to work with,” Hesse said. “Especially if you’re getting the extra firm tofu, you can treat it very similarly to things like meat and chicken in terms of its preparation and cooking.”

Research studies suggest that regular consumption of tofu over a lifetime can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer due to the low cholesterol and low saturated fat. “Longevity among Asian populations is due to the fact that they consume a diet that is high in plant-based

8 Flavor | Spring/Summer 2018

“Longevity among Asian populations is due to the fact that they consume a diet that is high in plant-based foods, including soy, and in particular, soy fermented products.”

– Michelle Hesse

foods, including soy, and, in particular, soy fermented products, and I think that kind of understanding has translated here to the Western market ... because of the purported health benefits of consuming soy consistently,” she said.

While tofu is mostly consumed by vegetarians and vegans in the U.S., it’s eaten by everybody, including meat eaters, in Asian countries. In these cultures, tofu is not just a meat substitute, but rather, the star of the dish itself.

Eastern Flair Hotiman Ridwan, the owner of BoBoKo Indonesian Cafe, grew up eating tofu in his native Indonesia, as well as tofu’s sibling, tempeh. Tempeh, which originates from Indonesia, is fried fermented soybeans pressed into a patty. Tempeh is more firm and more textured than tofu. “I eat these a lot. I’m not vegetarian — I eat meat. We eat this more often than other protein,” Ridwan said. “It’s cheap in my country. … Meat is more expensive. I would say I ate more tofu and tempeh than beef or any meats.”

In Indonesia, tofu and tempeh can be found almost anywhere. Some street food vendors even make chips or crackers out of it. “Everybody eats it,” he said. “It’s easy to find anywhere. In the farmers market, they always have tofu.”

Ridwan’s preferred method of cooking tofu is frying with curry or soy sauce, ginger and other herbs and spices like coriander, shallot and sate, to put in with stir fry noodles. When stir frying with curry, Ridwan will simmer with coconut milk. “It needs to be seasoned very well, otherwise there’s not much taste,” he said. “Frying is probably the best way. You can fry it in a small amount of oil, or deep fry it. I think that’s the best way.”

Although baking or grilling are the healthier options, frying gives tofu a satisfying crispy, crunchy exterior and a soft, creamy interior. Frying is also a way to mask the natural texture of tofu, which some may find unpleasant. “Even breading tofu like a chicken cutlet in the oven with some panko bread crumbs ... could help give you some of those textural differences,” Hesse said. “It helps to try to make the tofu a little bit more palatable.”

At the restaurant, Ridwan uses lightly fried firm tofu from Food Maxx International Market in Harrisonburg.

At The Little Grill Collective, the Lambert’s Platter comes with the tofu scrambler, fried potatoes covered in gravy and a vegan soysage (soy sausage) patty.

BoBoKo, located at 217 S. Liberty St. in Harrisonburg, inside the Ice House building, offers tofu and tempeh in a variety of dishes. The tofu teriyaki summer rolls appetizer contains marinated tofu wrapped inside rice paper, along with julienned cucumber, carrots, lettuce and herbs, served with a sweet soy peanut sauce for dipping. Another dish mixes tofu with fried potatoes and green beans in a coconut curry sauce.

Customers can choose tofu or tempeh as the main protein in the Indonesian fried noodles, which has stir fry noodles with egg and vegetables in a ginger sweet soy sauce, topped with fried shallot and Indonesian crackers. The vegan fried rice can also be served with tempeh satay. Spiced marinated tempeh is on the menu, too. “We use a lot of tempeh,” Ridwan said.

Spring/Summer 2018 | Flavor 9

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Boboko serves a potato and tofu curry with rice.

Back To The West More non-Asian restaurants have incorporated tofu into their menus to accommodate plant-based diets. The result is more fusions of different cuisines. For example, barbecue (a classic American dish) is now getting the tofu treatment. Tofu is also being fused with Mexican and Tex Mex dishes. Reinventing tofu has allowed cultures to blend.

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The Little Grill Collective’s tofu scrambler is made of cubes of firm tofu sauteed with yellow onion, garlic and pepper, plus tamari, a gluten-free soy sauce. “Then, we add nutritional yeast and a tofu spice that we make,” said Molly Delaney, one of the nine worker-owners of the collective. “We always like to say it’s like curry meets Southwest flavor, because it’s like paprika and chili powder but also tumeric and curry.”

The Little Grill’s menu also features a tofu burrito with beans, rice and optional cheese. The tofu scrambler is The Little Grill’s main tofu dish, although other items on the menu can be substituted with tofu instead of eggs, such as the breakfast grinder, which has gouda, cream cheese, mushrooms and onions on a roll. “My favorite thing to do is to get the breakfast grinder with tofu and then I put it in a wrap instead of getting it in the sub roll,” Delaney said. “It’s very drippy because the tofu is moist, so you’ll get these bright yellow streaks down your hand. It’s very delicious.”

On the breakfast side, tofu can substitute eggs in the Huevos Rancheros, which has veggie chili, cilantro-lime rice and chipotle black beans with flour tortillas. The Lambert’s Platter comes with the tofu scrambler, fried potatoes covered in gravy and a vegan soysage (soy sausage) patty.

Tofu is sometimes added to the Hungry Mother Bowl on the lunch menu, which has chipotle black beans, grilled seasonal greens, cilantro-lime rice, avocado creme and spiced apple chutney.

The lunch menu features more tempeh. The tempeh reuben has all the classic ingredients of a reuben, but with tempeh instead of corned beef.

“It absorbs all the flavors that we put in there and it still has that really nice bean-y texture that you get, so it has that chewiness that meat has,” she said. “It doesn’t have the gristle, obviously, or the cholesterol.”

The tofu and tempeh is typically grilled on the flat top, Delaney said, and the tempeh is cooked with a little bit of tamari. Then, it gets chopped up for the Hungry Mother Bowl or sliced for the reuben.

Spring/Summer 2018 | Flavor 11

Tofu spring rolls sit on display at Boboko.

The Little Grill, located at 621 N. Main St. in Harrisonburg, has had a vegetarian and vegan-friendly menu for decades, according to Delaney.

The staff recently found old menus, and she believes the tofu scrambler was introduced sometime in the 1980s. “It’s not too bad for what was basically a truck diner for a really long time,” she said.

Delaney made the point that while tofu is generally known as the food vegetarians eat to replace meat, The Little Grill uses tofu to replace eggs, which is something vegetarians often lean upon. Although Delaney is not vegetarian or vegan, she likes to slice extra firm tofu into strips and shallow fry it with seasonings. “I’m still very much a meat eater, [but] every once in a while, I’m like, ‘God, I really want tofu today,” she said.

Tofu At Home Hesse recommends that anyone interested in incorporating tofu or soy into their diet should start simple with soups and smoothies. She likes to ground tofu with white beans as a stuffing for lasagna, which she said is also a good place to start. “I think some of those ingredients that are found in smoothies and sauces can help mask that textural issue, as well as the off-flavor that people may detect,” Hesse said.

“I’m still very much a meat eater, [but] every

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once in a while... I really want tofu.”

– Molly Delaney When trying tofu for the first time, she said to go in knowing it’s not going to taste just like chicken. “It’s a very versatile product; people are just afraid to use it because they don’t know how, or they dive in too quickly, like they’re going to fry it up like a steak, and the expectation is that it’s going to taste like a steak. I think people have to go into it with the expectation that it’s not going to taste exactly like a steak. It’s going to take on some flavor qualities that you may have on your steak, like salt, pepper and garlic, but it does have its own texture, it does have its own flavor profile. So, if you somehow remove a little bit of that expectation, then I think people have a little bit better time adapting it into their dietary intake.”

Soy also happens to be one of the top eight allergens in the country, so make sure you’re not allergic to soy before diving in. 

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The Golden Pony at 181 N. Main St. is open until 2 a.m. every night.

Munching After Midnight:

A

h, the late night bite. There are so many reasons to eat past 7 p.m., despite our best wishes to maintain that weird yet steadfast diet rule to never eat at night.

Sometimes, you just need a second dinner. Or, you had to work late, you haven’t eaten since lunch and the idea of cooking is absolutely exhausting. You might have a dinner date, either romantic or platonic. Maybe you’ve had a few drinks and you’re feeling a bit munch-y. Regardless of the reason, there must be places to go. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

If You’re Eating After 9 p.m., go to Jimmy Madison’s on downtown South Main Street. It’s open until 11 p.m. every night except Thursday, Friday and Saturday, when it closes at midnight. Order a burger or a sandwich; burgers are the most popular around that time, according to Scott Stephens, the general manager. It’s geared toward people looking for a nice meal, rather than a bar that also happens to serve great food.

A Guide For Where To Eat Late Downtown By: Robyn Smith

If You’re Eating After 11 p.m., go to Billy Jack’s, which sits on South Main Street. It’s open until midnight, save for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, when it closes at 2 a.m. (though keep in mind the last call will be before that).

Order some boxes, and make sure to get sticky nuggs, which are chicken nuggets covered in a house-made sauce. While there are seven to choose from, the most popular is sticky sweet chili.

Billy Jack’s also reigns king as “Best Late Night Bites,” according to the Daily News-Record’s 2017 Best of the Valley reader survey.

If You’re Eating After Midnight, go to The Golden Pony on the corner of North Main and Elizabeth streets. It’s open until 2 a.m. every night, and there’s an exclusive late night menu that runs from 10 p.m. until closing. Owner Paul Somers said the vegan “caulifornia” wings, which are essentially deep battered cauliflower, are popular among all clientele.

Ethiopian-style Nile nachos, an homage to the space’s previous restaurant, The Blue Nile, are another highly recommended dish.

Spring/Summer 2018 | Flavor 15

If You’re Eating After 2 a.m., go to Benny Sorrentino’s on South Mason Street. It’s open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, though it does close at 11 p.m. during the week and 10 p.m. on Sunday. Benny’s serves pizza by the slice or the pie, and they’re as big as your face. After midnight, it only serves cheese and pepperoni, but manager Matthew Cohen said depending on how busy it is, you can bring in your own toppings and they’ll make you a custom slice. 

Photo: Nikki Fox John Miller chows down on a slice of pepperoni pizza at Benny Sorrentino’s in downtown Harrisonburg.

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Visit Our 2nd Lunch Truck - Vegetarians Welcome MEXICAN FOOD LIKE NO OTHER IN TOWN! We cater events and cook on site. For details, contact Veronica Avila, 540-383-3213.

Order our PARTY PLATTERS for your holiday gatherings!

Sopes

Super Fries

California Burrito Super Nachos

1751 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, Va. 22801

540-217-5852

Open 7 Days a Week! 11 AM–9 PM (Closed Wednesdays during the winter)

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