Damn kids.

Well, Rachael Ray's Surf and Turf Tacos called for the steak and fish to be sauted in a pan. Well, I couldn't allow that. So with my brother and daughter's help, we dragged out a grill to properly cook this meat - over a charcoal fire!

But, before we began to cook, my brother informed me that the 1 1/2 lbs of red snapper fillets and 1 1/2 lbs of skirt steak wasn't enough protein for 6 adults. "Huh?", says I. "3 lbs of usable meat isn't enough? With the side dishes 3 lbs isn't enough?" "Nope," says he and we're off to the butcher for more.

But, wait a minute, my son who has become delusional again and joined the cult of vegetarianism. Again. "Pop - what are you making for me?" "There's black beans, rice, lettuce, cabbage, cheese, sour cream, tortillas, tomatoes and peppers," I tell him. "Can you grill some portabello mushrooms too?" "OK," I say. "I had beans yesterday. Can you make me Tofu?" asks my son.

Tofu? Tofu? TOFU? The ultimate non meat and to me, non food. The carnivores nemesis. That strange white sponge that vegetarians seem to love and insist on ingesting. I'd rather use it to clean the sink. "OK," I tell him, "but how do you make it?" "Grill it," he tells me. GRILL IT? My beloved son wants me to defile one of my grills, my babies who will be with me long after he's left home, married and with kids of his own with TOFU? Ugh.

So, after some persuading from the boy and his mother, "Do it for me, it's mother's day after all." I relent and check the internet for some grilled tofu recipes. Let me tell you there ain't many. (Anybody looking for a cookbook idea, there you have it. I'd do it, but I'd have to taste test the recipes and that ain't gonna happen.) I settle on a marinade of lemon juice, fresh oregano, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper.

So after the meat, fish, peppers, tortillas and mushrooms were all grilled, I gently settled the tofu on my grill as a single tear left my eye.

My son said it was good. What wouldn't we do for our children? Happy belated Mother's Day.

Photo of the grilled sponge, I mean tofu comes from I Am Gluten Free which is a great resource for anyone celiac disease. Check it out.