Farewell Papas and Pollo

Once upon a time there was a Southwest meets Humboldt County restaurant in Sebastopol California.  I did love the cabbage salsa and the marinated tofu.  Unfortunately it seems the inconsistency of both the food and the hours has finally done them in.
In truth I'm not exactly sure when they closed, but as soon as I realized I would never get a Papas Tofu again I got a craving I couldn't shake.  I decided I had to make my own.  Papas Tofu is simple enough in concept.  It is a baked potato that acts as a vessel for everything you would have in a burrito.  Rather then meat there is tofu, and the tofu is the mystery.  For may years there has been speculation about what the marinade is, some say soy sauce, others swear it's yeast.  I fried ours in soy sauce.  It was good, not perfect, but it hit the spot.

For Papas Tofu at home:
Start with a baked potato, pile black beans on top, followed by cheese.

Then the tofu!
To make this tofu, you need to cube and marinate firm tofu for at least an hour, you can design your own marinade.  I just used some garlic an soy sauce.  Then fry the tofu with a little olive oil until golden.

I always ordered mine with extra lettuce, so I add a lot of greens and fresh salsa (hot house tomatoes are finally at the farmers market, and they will do for now)

Papa tofu at home is a nice substitute for the real thing, and incredibly filling dinner!