Tofu is traditionally simple, made of soybeans, water, and a salt coagulant. But at Branner Dining, it’s the product of a culinary quest.
To make the staple without soy, a common allergen, Chef Jay-Ar Pugao uses lentils. His first attempts were jiggly and gelatinous. It took five or six iterations—adjusting the water, resting time, and pressing process—to arrive at the dish served at Branner today: a lentil tofu firm enough to sear.
This is the meal magic of Branner. Though Ricker Dining and Stern Dining offer nut-sensitive food options, last year Branner became the university’s first dining hall to be free of the nine most common food allergens. The proportion of students with allergic reactions to one or more foods is on the rise, reflecting a national trend: Food allergies among children rose by 50 percent between 2007 and 2021; today, 11 percent of adults have food allergies. The incidence of adult peanut allergy alone more than tripled between 1999 and 2016.
Cooking without common components—the most prevalent allergies are to milk and eggs—“is not just a matter of replacing one ingredient with another,” says Pugao. The Branner culinary team is constantly training to better understand the function of each ingredient, whether that be structure, acidity, smokiness, viscosity, or savory depth. They build flavor with an arsenal of spices and navigate the tricky waters of creams and sauces using innovations such as Pugao’s “peanut sauce” base, made of sunflower butter, nutritional yeast, and vegetable broth. From West African chicken stew to Filipino beef kare-kare, Pugao strives for a menu as diverse as those in the other seven campus dining halls. But at Branner, the not-so-secret ingredient is always safety.
Creamy Cajun Chicken
★ Coconut yogurt is used to provide a tangy punch. It’s combined with oat milk to achieve the traditional cream-based sauce’s texture and viscosity.
Pulled “Pork” Sandwich
★ King oyster mushrooms (for umami) and jackfruit (for acidity) are shredded to replicate the texture of pork, then served on an allergen-free bun toasted with vegan butter.
★ The base of Branner’s spicy coleslaw is aquafaba—the liquid that chickpeas are canned with. It can be whipped like egg whites or used as a creamy binder, much like mayonnaise (which contains eggs) is used in traditional coleslaw.
Mac and “Cheese”
★ Coconut cheese—made with coconut oil or cream—is melted and mixed with oat milk to form the base of the sauce.
★ Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor, while jalapeño juice and Louisiana hot sauce provide depth.
★ The elbow macaroni is gluten free.
Collard Greens
★ Beyond Sausage is a product from Beyond Meat made from pea protein, avocado oil, and rice protein. In this dish, it gets diced and braised with the greens to add the smoky, savory flavor traditionally achieved with ham.
★ This and other vegetarian dishes allow students with layered dietary needs to enjoy Branner’s food.
Kali Shiloh is a staff writer at Stanford. Email her at kshiloh@stanford.edu.
