My Tofu Milanese is inspired by Classic Hollywood’s aqua musical star, Esther Williams. Like Esther’s veal Milanese, my take on this classic is loaded with fresh garlic and rosemary.

September 8, 2020 Updated February 26, 2022 Jump to Recipe
My Tofu Milanese is inspired by Classic Hollywood’s aqua musical star, Esther Williams. Like Esther’s veal Milanese, my take on this classic is loaded with fresh garlic and rosemary.
Esther Williams caught Hollywood’s attention with her great beauty and Olympic-level swimming. In 1944, young Esther found herself a star at the grandest of movie studios, MGM, with whole films—known as aqua musicals—based around her unique ability to “swim pretty.”
Listen to my podcast, Vanguard of Hollywood. Episodes 21-24 are all about Esther Williams.
But Esther Williams was so much more than a beautiful movie star who created a new film genre and an Olympic sport—she is the godmother of artistic (synchronized) swimming, after all.
Two of my absolute favorite things about Esther are:
Truly a winning combination.
So I’m paying tribute to Esther with my tofu Milanese recipe, and sharing a sassy Esther anecdote that involves her veal Milanese recipe.
And bribing a cop.
During her third marriage to Fernando Lamas (m. 1969-1982), Esther found herself preparing dinner for two households: her current home with Fernando, and the home of her second husband, Ben Gage. As a result, Esther was routinely carting meals across Los Angeles. In her autobiography, Esther joked that hers was the only station wagon in town that smelled like gravy.
One evening, Esther, excellent cook that she was, prepared veal Milanese. When it came time to taxi the meal across town, Esther’s self-described ‘erratic driving’ as she adjusted the foil on a roasting pan, caught the attention of a policeman, and Esther was pulled over.
The officer asked to see Esther’s license, but was quickly distracted by the delicious smells of garlic and rosemary emanating from the car.
He asked Esther what it was:
“‘It’s veal Milanese. The foil was slipping and I didn’t want the gravy to spill.’”
Esther replied. The officer complimented Esther, and then asked if he could taste the veal Milanese.
Esther’s response?
“‘Sure, you can taste; you can even have one. But then you can’t give me a ticket. You can only give me a warning.’ I wondered whether this could be considered bribing a policeman.”
You’ve got to love Esther’s confidence, sass, and daring.
Thanks to Esther’s quick thinking, everyone, including this lucky policeman, enjoyed veal Milanese that night.
My vegan tofu Milanese recipe combines Esther’s garlic and rosemary flavors with a traditional Milanese breadcrumb coating. But rather than make a gravy as Esther’s recipe entailed, I’ve created an olive oil sauce infused with rosemary and garlic that also doubles as a pasta sauce. My tofu Milanese is even more delicious when served over a bed of spaghetti that’s been tossed in this elegant sauce.
Veal Milanese is often traditionally served with arugula, so I’ve untraditionally incorporated arugula by adding it to the warm pasta and rosemary garlic sauce. The arugula wilts into the pasta, and its sharp flavor compliments the rosemary and garlic beautifully.
Every time I make my vegan tofu Milanese, and smell that delicious rosemary and garlic combination, I think of Esther and what one of her fabulous meals must have tasted like. I don’t know that anyone but Esther could get out of a traffic ticket with a Milanese cutlet, but I like to think that my tofu Milanese is an elegant vegan meal worthy of Esther herself.
I prefer to slice each pound of tofu into 9 thin slabs/cutlets for this recipe. The photos below show my favorite cutting method:
Tofu, like meat, needs to be well-seasoned to have awesome flavor. A great way to add flavor to tofu is with Bragg Liquid Aminos. The smoky-saltiness of Bragg Liquid Aminos will take the flavor way up in just about any tofu marinade, and it’s a necessary component of my tofu Milanese recipe. Simply mix a few Tbsps of Bragg Liquid Aminos into the milk you dredge each tofu cutlet in, and you’ve increased the flavor of each cutlet ten fold.
If you can’t find Bragg Aminos at the grocery store, you can find it here on Amazon [aff. link].
If you decide to deep fry the tofu, definitely use a fryer skimmer. A good fryer skimmer will help you to lower the tofu into the hot oil, and get the tofu out of the hot oil, safely and without any mess. Here is my favorite on Amazon [aff. link].
And for the absolute cutest and most stylish retro swimwear, head on over to Esther’s website. With designs based on Esther’s years as the most stylish swimmer around, Esther’s swimsuits, sunglasses, and bags are an absolute must for any Classic Hollywood fan.
This Post Has 4 Comments
Shannon, wow, I didn’t know you have a podcast. I just found it on Spotify and I’m now following you. Indeed, I’m listening to your Dorothy Dandridge episode as I type.
You know, I will now always think of Ester Williams every time I see, cook, or eat a Milanese dish. We have veggie night once a week, so as soon as I find extra firm tofu I’ll rotate this one in. We love arugula (or rucola as we call it) with and in pasta. Thanks for a very informative post and I bet that policeman didn’t think he was bribed.
Awww thank you so so much for listening Ron! Seriously you just made my day! Haha and I bet you’re right about the policeman too. Isn’t that an awesome story?? Gotta love Esther! Hope you enjoy the recipe, it’s definitely a favorite in our house. And I definite think of Esther every time we enjoy this dish!
This is such a fun recipe, Shannon! For starters, the story is hilarious. I’d definitely say that goes down as one of the more unique ways to bribe a cop – hah. And what a good job channeling the flavors into a vegan version. I do love arugula, so the idea of pasta stirred with wilted arugula is really calling to me!
Thanks David! Isn’t it a fun story?? Makes me smile every time. 😄 Oh, for sure, you’ll love the arugula and pasta combo, it’s addicting!