Tofu Piccata larded by A Grave with No Name

My friend BH has made some wonderful recommendations lately via my facebook page. First she told me about pasta ponza which I adored. Her next suggestion was an Herbed Polenta made by Giada De Laurentiis. While looking at the recipe I read some of the comments and one lady said that she teamed the Polenta with Chicken Piccata. Traditionally Piccata refers to meat or fish that is sliced, sauteed and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter and spices. I decided to follow the "tradition" except replace chicken with tofu. Not to toot my horn too much but...boy am I a genius.

Tofu Piccata with Herbed Polenta (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis recipe)
(printable version)

-1 block of tofu
-sea salt and pepper
-flour
-6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
-olive oil
-1/3 cup of lemon juice
-1/2 cup of veggie stock
-1/4 cup capers

1. Drain the tofu. Place inside a paper towel on top of a plate. Put another plate on top and allow excess moisture to squeeze out (I left it there for about an hour).

2. Slice the tofu into rectangles. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Shake off excess.

3. In a large skillet melt butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When butter and oil sizzle, add tofu and cook for three minutes. When tofu is browned, turn over and cook for three additional minutes. Remove tofu from heat and place on a plate.

4. In the same pan add lemon juice, stock, and capers. Bring to a boil. Return all the tofu to the pan and simmer for six minutes. Remove tofu and serve with Herbed Polenta.

As I was discussing (and critiquing) last years major indie media machines choices for song of the year J-Fur and a friend both said "We love albums, you love singles." I knew they were right. I had spent most of last year enjoying singles, not albums. This year I've tried to balance things a little better by checking out some albums (I already bought five, way more than last year). One album that I got my hands on recently, via Lefse Records, is the new one from A Grave with No Name, Mountain Debris. I enjoyed the whole album, haunting and whispering one moment, shoe gazing at the next. I chose to share "Silver" and "Underpass" with you because I think those tracks best illustrate the bands varied song styles. For a full review check out Pitchfork's entry on the album.

A Grave with No Name-Underpass

A Grave with No Name-Silver