snapshot: tofu with spicy scallion and sesame sauce

i spend a lot of time cooking

intricate, million-step dishes that

make me very proud,

and usually, very tired.

the other times? i want quick

and simple options, that allow

me to sit for a few minutes when

i get home from work, and not

have to run into the kitchen,

crossing my fingers that we

eat before 10 pm.

this korean tofu is exactly

that - the longest part comes

from draining and blotting

the block of firm tofu,

which involves patience,

not skill or good form.

that's when i usually rest

(i.e. change my clothes

and watch ellen on dvr).

next, the tofu can be pan-seared

or boiled gently in water.

it's up to you and your mood.

while that's happening,

i sprinkle 2 large cloves garlic with

a large pinch of salt and let it sit 5 minutes,

before mashing them together until a paste forms.

then, in a small bowl, i whisk the paste

with 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds

that have been crushed with a heavy knife,

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions,

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce,

1 tablespoon asian sesame oil,

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.*

when the tofu is ready, i spoon the spicy,

garlicky and nutty sauce over the tofu

and serve it next to some greens or

brown rice. if i'm feeling ambitious,

both sides make it to the plate,

but really, that's not what nights

like these are about.

*this sauce is yet another reason - on a very, very long list - why i am so sad to lose gourmet. the original, unadapted version of this recipe can be found here.

moving on with it

oh goodness,

i'm still so far behind

that i didn't even know

where to start.

with the deviled eggs

that i made for last week's

first game of the season?

with the kugel that i made

in honor of rosh hashanah

for the bring-a-dish-to-work

that-represents-your-heritage day?

or my odd attempt at

peach hot sauce?

no.

even though i've already decided

to skip my favorite corn soup

until next summer and i may come back to

the eggs, kugel and peach, um, puree,

i'm jumping right to the

lettuce wraps.

i've been making them for years

and, well, they are an excellent and

fast excuse for dinner when it's

too hot to turn on the oven,

too late to break out the pots and pans

or too easy and delicious to ignore.

i think this dish was first created on

a night when all three applied,

but since then, it's been on repeat

year round.

there are very few reasons not to make it,

and the most compelling argument

doesn't stand a chance. you see,

i know it's a simple recipe

when my biggest complaint

is the amount of drying that

goes into it.

because first, you have to blot

the tofu. (yes, it's tofu again.

it is. but, it's also very, very good

and slathered in a flavor-packed

sauce and it's...well, that's it.

it's just worth it. tofu or not.)

so, anyway. you blot the tofu

using one or two or three

paper towels.

then you cut the block into

tiny cubes, lay those

on paper towels, cover with

more paper towels and when

they're soaked through, repeat.

but that's the most time consuming part.

later, you have to wash the lettuce leaves

well, and then again, dry them completely

so that they don't give the tofu extra

moisture or become drippy in your hands.

but really, what's a little drying

in the scheme of things? especially

considering you don't have to turn

on your oven? (can you tell it's still

a little hot over here in our kitchen?)

so basically,

all you do is take these pieces

of tofu, toss them with the contents

of your fridge - mine is decidedly asian

and mexican. we go asian here - let

them mingle and meld and then

fold the cubes into large leaves of

boston or butter lettuce.

there's one other catch -

if you want to call it that.

i don't measure for this recipe.

ever.

it's not worth it to dirty

spoons

and

cups,

when you can just squeeze

in a little of this

and a little of that.

instead, i always start

with a few key ingredients

scallions

garlic

soy sauce

hoisin sauce

and then go from there.

some things in my mind are optional:

jalapenos

ginger

avocados

water chestnuts.

some things are not:

sesame oil

siracha

fish sauce.

(which reminds me:

don't. be. afraid. of. fish. sauce.

it sounds weird and smells worse.

but it adds something delicious

to so many dishes

that would be impossible to

otherwise replicate or achieve.)

anyway, once i'm happy with the way

the sauce tastes, i toss in the tofu,

gently mix it all together

and then let it sit until

i think it's ready.

i think a recipe would

only slow us down (and at

this point, that's a luxury

we cannot afford).

sesame tofu lettuce wraps

i'm not giving a real recipe here, just a guideline. i've made this many times and i've never - not even the first time that i made it - not had enough sauce. once the scallions and garlic are in the bowl, add your base of soy sauce and hoisin. whisk them together and go from there. just keep tasting until you're happy - i'm pretty sure that if i gave an actual recipe, that's what would happen, anyway.

1 block firm tofu, drained

2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

soy sauce

hoisin sauce

siracha, or other hot sauce

fish sauce (really, really a must)

sesame oil

lime, halved

sesame seeds

1 head boston lettuce leaves, separated, washed and dried

optional:

chopped jalapeno (add with scallions and garlic)

chopped water chestnuts (add with scallions and garlic)

chopped ginger (add with scallions and garlic)

dicded avocado (add with tofu)

blot tofu several times with several paper towels. cube tofu; place cubes on paper towels. top with paper towels. let sit 1 minute, or until wet. repeat with dry paper towels; discard. place tofu on dry pieces of paper towels. let sit until ready to use (for me, this is sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes an hour and a half, depending on how much time i have).

in bowl, whisk together scallions and garlic. add good amounts of soy sauce and hoisin. squeeze in some siracha (depending on how spicy you like it), add a few healthy shakes of fish sauce, a couple drops of sesame oil and a big squeeze of lime. taste mixture; adjust. when you're happy with it, add the tofu and sesame seeds; gently toss. let sit 20 minutes to 1 hour (or more). let everyone make their own by serving tofu with lettuce leaves, hoisin sauce and siracha.