CONSIDER THE SINGLE DISH: MAPO TOFU

For the past several years I have cooked as a bachelor. What that means is that it has been effortless, and perfectly suited to only ONE person's taste. More importantly, it has been convenient and nutritious, and took far less time than you would imagine. Usually a simple meat and vegetable dish with ginger, garlic, sherry or rice wine, bean paste, hot sauce, vinegar or lime juice, sugar, black pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, shrimp sauce, cayenne powder, red curry paste, chili paste, chili sauce, chili oil, pickled chilies, chili vinegar, and freshly chopped chilies.
Plus, sometimes, crystal or Tabasco.
But no chili flakes.

Not all of the above, naturally, and in constantly shifting proportion. Fish requires the merest hint, bittermelon just a touch, preserved pork and long beans not too much, and tofu everything in buckets.

Tofu is bland, and needs all the help it can get.

Which means mapo tofu. More or less.



麻婆豆腐

Mapo tofu need not be vegetarian, but it often is. The quick and easy process is to seethe smashed ginger and garlic in hot oil till fragrant, add a generous pinch of Szichuan pepper (花椒 'faa chiu'), followed by a generous spoonful or two of hot bean paste (辣豆瓣酱 'laat dau baan jeung'), a scant teaspoon of sugar, splash of sherry or ricewine, and some reduced stock with a little cornstarch mixed in. Also add a tablespoon of mashed re-moistened fermented black beans (豆豉 'dau si'), and various chili-type substances. Cook till velvety, add a jigger of soy sauce, then the chunks of fresh tofu, and gently turn to coat and heat through. Add a drizzle of sesame oil and chopped chives.

Serve on top of rice. Or in a bowl, next to the rice.

Takes no time at all, as you can see.

You can add bacon!


Rice actually takes longer to prepare, so most of the time no matter what is for dinner I will have noodles instead. Rice stick noodles need barely any cooking at all, regular wheat noodles or wheat noodles with shrimp roe scarcely longer, and nice white Kwan Miao noodle only a little bit longer yet.

[Rice stick noodles: 沙河粉 'saa ho fan'. Regular wheat noodles: 麵 'min'. Shrimp roe noodles: 蝦子麵 'haa ji min'. Taiwan Kwan Miao noodles: 臺灣關廟麵 'toi waan gwaan miu min'.]


I have a sufficiency of chili-type substances, in case you were wondering, to prepare darn well anything.
The possibilities are endless.

Dinner can always be followed by coffee or strong milk tea, and either a pipe or a cigar.

Bachelors are not tied to weekly television shows after eating.

The world awaits, there are people to disturb.

I may growl grumpily at them.

And puff smoke.

Aack!




I'm actually a pretty good cook, but I haven't been a social cook in a very long time. Rice is social, noodles not so much.




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