The squash and celery root puree was brilliant. But the simmered cream ended up with a lot of skin and (nasty looking) solids. I just ran it through a fine mesh strainer, and while it tasted fine it seemed like a very lossy approach. I also quite enjoyed the Brussels sprouts hash, which is both the first time I've ever made sprouts myself and the first non-baconated preparation I've ever enjoyed. Thanks.

How do you get your tofu to color so beautifully, without becoming one with the pan? I've tried in the past, and have just accepted that tofu-centric dishes will be served in the form of shreds.

If you go with gloves, go for the purple nitrile gloves. They're powder free (my least favorite feature of standard latex gloves), you don't have to worry about dinner guests with crazy latex sensitivity issues, and you don't have to bleach or oil your hands.