Paradox Blog

When I grew up in Taipei. Across the street from our apartment was a tofu factory. It did not take much space to produce tofu, the factory occupied only the ground floor of a two story building half the size of our five-room apartment. Every morning before dawn, you could smell the soy beans being ground and boiled. When we got up, sometimes we would get a big pot and go across street to buy soy drink, by-product of the tofu making process. It's the richest you can taste, nothing that came in cartons or bottles can compare. When we were ready to go to school, boards and boards of tofu were stacked outside the factory to cool. Vendors came to buy several boards to bring to the market. Tofu was always bought fresh back then. When we came to the United States years ago, we were happy enough to have found tofu in packages and had long forgotten what tofu tasted like when made fresh, until we came to San Jose. First we found a tofu factory in Japan town, then the idea of fresh tofu seemed to have caught on. In west San Jose, bordering Saratoga, on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road (a.k.a. De Anza Blvd) and Prospect Road, Saratoga Natural Food Store also makes tofu fresh in-house. It became a biweekly ritual for me to travel down Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road to get fresh tofu. You really have to love tofu to love fresh tofu. Many people think tofu in packages are good enough. Tofu made fresh has this fresh taste and tender texture and even a delicate fragrance that probably only tofu-lover can detect. I love tofu. I cook them in many ways. They are simple to cook and quickly done. Share a few recipes with you.

Leek and Tofu

1 block of tofu, about 12 oz.
1 large stem of leek
1 tblsp soy sauce
2 tblsp cooking oil
pinch of salt

Cut tofu into about 2" by 2" squares each about 1/2" thick. Clean Leek thoroughly and cut  into bite size strips. Heat oil, brown tofu about 1 minute on each side, add soy sauce and leek and pinch of salt, cover and simmer for another minute. Gently stir and mix tofu and leek before serving. Makes about four 1/2 cup servings. Serve warm.

Tofu and Vegetables

8 oz. tofu, cut into cubes
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into cubes
2 medium tomatoes, cut into cubes
2 medium Chinese or Japanese eggplants, cut into cubes
1 table spoon of cooking oil
1 table spoon of vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil, sauté garlic first, add eggplant, stir for a minute. Add cucumber, stir for a minute. Add tofu, stir gently to mix ingredients but not to break tofu too much. Add tomatoes and vinegar, cover and simmer with medium heat for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat and serve warm. Make 4 one cup servings.

Miso Soup

8 oz. tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
3 cups of water
3 table spoons of miso paste
minced scallions, about 1 table spoon
Dried bonito flakes, about 1 table spoon (optional)
Dried seaweed shreds, about 1/2 table spoon (optional)

Heat water, while heating, dissolve miso into water by stirring constantly. Add tofu and seaweed, bring soup to boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add dried bonito flakes and scallion, turn off heat and serve hot. Makes about 4 cups of soup.
 

Tofu and Marbled Duck Eggs

8 oz. tofu
4 preserved duck eggs, egg shells removed
pinch of salt
minced scallion, about 1 table spoon
2 tea spoons of sesame oil

In a mixing bowl, mix duck eggs, tofu and sesame oil till well blended. Sprinkle with scallion and chill until ready to serve. Makes about 4 1/2 cup servings.