A few years ago, my sister or mom gave me his book, How to Cook Everything. It’s been handy and my wife and I have enjoyed numerous recipes, including one for pumpkin soup, another for grilled chicken with lime and cilantro and steps on making a fresh tomato sauce with herbs.

But I think he missed the mark, just a bit, with his Bitten blog post on Faux Ma Po Tofu. It ran in The New York Times.

His first sentence tripped me up, especially since I’ve long enjoyed mapo tofu:

Last week, everything came together for a weird, accidental, successful vegan take on ma-po tofu.

I realize he embraces innovation and that’s probably why he talked about using cauliflower and grains in his blog post.

But mapo tofu has long been a vegetarian dish.

I’m sure if you ask many Chinese chefs about vegetarian mapo tofu, the answer likely would be: Leave the pork or beef out.

My wife likes meatless mapo tofu because she says it brings out the truer flavors of the peppercorns because, clearly, there is no interference from the pork or beef.

I also know that Bittman can cook me under a table. So, I don’t mean this post to be snarky in any way.

Also, in the big scheme of things, say the number of months a state economy needs to regain all the jobs lost during this recession, it’s a minor point.

But hey, editors at news companies – and not just top-flight ones such as The New York Times – can be an exacting bunch.

I also didn’t see exactly what type of dry, pressed tofu that he bought.

But I suspect it might be what people in Mandarin call “dofu gan.”

It’s used in this delicious, easy-to-make, high-protein and healthy recipe that my wife showed me – and readers of TofuWatch – how to make.

If Bittman did buy what I think he did, keep in mind that people in China’s Sichuan province last year set a record by making the world’s biggest of dry tofu.

It weighed 4,092 pounds and I estimated its retail price to be $16,368.

As we all know: You gotta love tofu - especially when chefs in Asia have made an art out of cooking spicy bean curd and shown their skills in demonstrations and competitions.

Fu Pei-Mei, a chef from Taiwan, gained fame for her cooking, especially with her tofu sandwiches and use of yuba, or tofu skin.

And of course, in Las Vegas, we saw the rise of badass tofu.

On a day when you want to find a cool body of water in which to dunk yourself comes one thought: Mapo tofu.

As in: Eating a healthy amount when Seattle-area temperatures are hitting well into the 90s. Seriously.

I know: Many people in the Seattle region are flocking to the nearby Puget Sound, lakes or rivers. 

But apparently, some believe (and I get the sense it’s people from Sichuan province) that the dish’s Sichuan peppercorn and chili peppers might actually cool you down.

Mind you, the two ingredients help make your brow perspire and numb your tongue. Which is great on a blustery, chilly night.

I note this mapo tofu-eating idea on a hot day after remembering the menu of one of my favorite Seattle-area restaurants, Old Sichuan in Kent, Wash.

It reads:

Local people attribute the development of their cuisine to the weather in (Sichuan). They say that chili and pepper-flavored food induces sweating, which cools them down in the hot summer.

I enjoy mapo bean curd but I might skip it this week.

On all of my trips to China, one observation that I still think about is watching many people sip hot tea on a sweltering day. I know traditional tea houses have nice, bamboo chairs – which let the air circulate through the back openings.

I also know that Western coffee and soda are served in China. The place is changing.

And I recognize that some older Chinese are amazed at people in the United States. We often like drinking cold beverages – even on a blustery, chilly night.

I’m actually staying close to a fan and ice water until the sun goes down.

In the evening, though, I plan to sit outside when it’s cooler – just like I did on sweltering days in Chinese cities, such as Beijing and Wuhan.

An ice-cold Qingdao beer (Tsingtao beer) might help, too, and bring back some memories. A chilled tofu and preserved duck egg dish or a cold, dry tofu salad also would be nice.

UPDATE: My neighbor, Rob, just returned from his office – by pedaling his bicycle for an hour in the heat.

I was going to raise this eating mapo tofu idea. But I figured it was best to hand him some ice-cold water.

This Iron Chef video clip featuring Chen Kenichi and Chiyo Cho runs a bit long. But it’s worth hanging on to the end, near the seven-minute mark, to see the tofu creations.

I’ve always been a fan of mapo tofu. So, that dish quickly won me over.

Chen used his dad’s recipe in this battle royal of sorts. And one judge, a food critic, noted that Chen’s dad introduced the dish to Japan.

But the other dishes really demonstrate how the human mind, sense of taste and ingredients can come together for genuine creations.

There’s grilled tofu with lobster liver sauce, fried tofu with nuts and spicy sauce and an original dish, tofu and mango gyoza.

Another dish has tofu and medicinal herbs.

Of course, the three-person commentary is, as the saying goes, worth the price of admission.

One example: “Check it out. The flames are rising. Wow, some flame-ola on the Iron Chef’s side!”

It’s no wonder that people in China call chefs “shifu.” That’s a polite way to address those with a specialized skill.

If you have time, you can watch another eight-minute clip, which features the judges and their comments.

Some of the better comments from the judges:

“It’s a complex harmony.”

“The fact that you chose to make mapo tofu in this battle reveals to me the policy of this Iron Chef’s feelings about tofu.”

“I was thinking, ‘This was going to be so good or so bad.’”

Happy Fourth of July!

So, let’s get to the cooking. Watch this video first and read comments and a translation of the recipe after the jump. The video is in Chinese but the steps are straightforward.

I agree with one online commenter: This video is pretty good.

Among my quick observations:

• I’ve watched people make Chinese food and use meat cleavers. The one he uses is definitely for serious cooking.
• The soaking of the tofu seems logical.
• He cuts the garlic stems very well.
• I like how high those flames get from the gas stove and addition of wine and soup.
• His wok doesn’t have a long handle. But holding the hot wok with a towel doesn’t seem to bother him – especially with those high flames.
• I don’t think fire codes in the United States let people have flames that high inside their homes.
• I’m not a big fan of monosodium glutamate (MSG). I’d skip it.
• Some might think the closing montage is psychedelic. But it works in its own way.

Ingredients:

• Soft tofu (400 grams)
• Beef (50 grams – pork is optional)
• Garlic stems (50 grams)
• Vegetable oil (75 grams)
• Broad bean sauce (40 grams – Pixian is one brand)
• Chili powder (5 grams)
• Peppercorn Sichuan peppercorn (1 gram)
• Preserved black bean (40 grams – Yangjiang is one brand)
• Salt (2 grams)
• Soy sauce (15 grams)
• MSG (2 grams)
• Cornstarch water solution (20 grams)
• Fresh chicken soup (120 grams)
• Cooking wine

Steps:

• Cut the tofu into two-centimeter cubes. Put them into cold water for two minutes. Then dry.
• Chop the beef (or pork).
• Cut the garlic stems.
• Prepare the bean sauce and mash the preserved soybean.
• Heat oil until hot. Fry the beef. Add the bean sauce, preserved soybean and chili powder. Toss in the minced garlic.
• Add cooking wine, soup, MSG and soy sauce. Then, add tofu.
• Lightly stir the wok. Add the cornstarch solution. Let boil. Add more solution. Let boil again. Add a bit more solution.
• Add a little oil and move to a plate. Add more peppercorn powder and cut garlic stems.

That phrase “Go West, Young Man!” has ricocheted for years throughout the United States.

But if I’m anxious, or my stomach grumbles or my mind is unfocused, I do something different: I seek mapo tofu.

It’s the famous dish that hails from Sichuan province.

In the Seattle area, my family and I head to Old Sichuan at 18124 E. Valley Hwy. in Kent, Wash. It’s south of the Emerald City in a small strip mall near an Indian restaurant. The neighboring shopping and dining complex is the Great Wall Mall.

Why this restaurant?

Well, it’s close to us. But it also offers just the right amount of hot chili pepper oil to produce the kick and sweat to satisfy. I don’t know if the heavy-duty flame used in the kitchen helps. Or the peppercorn. But everything works.

And if you wait a moment or two after the flavors enter your mouth, a slight numbing aftertaste will arrive. Yeah, I know. Nice.

Good old-fashioned white rice works with the food. My wife likes the dish with no meat because it offers a purer chili taste that complements the soybean cake.

While some places mix in beef, this cook dishes it up with pork ($7.50). If you prefer the vegetarian option, you’ll pay $6.95. Weekday lunch diners can take advantage of the $5.50 mapo tofu special (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

The restaruant also offers a clean-and-tidy dining area. Traditional wooden frames used in China line the wall. Black-and-white photos give you a sense of the country’s architecture. Replicas of chili peppers, corn and garlic also decorate the place.

In English, the owner calls it Szechuan First – but the Chinese characters translate differently.

Some Chinese restaurants in the Seattle area fall short with mapo tofu because they provide little chili oil. Or the cook might not be from Sichuan. Or the dish lacks key ingredients or something. But this place comes through.

There are three Old Sichuan restaurants that I’ve seen in the Seattle area. One is in Seattle’s International District at 1048 S. Jackson St. It’s more down-home. It’s obviously closer for Seattle residents and office workers. And the prices look competitive.

The other is in Redmond, Wash., closer to Microsoft, at 15005 NE 24th Ave. It’s near a Sears.

These two restaurants share a Web site, which talks of how chef Kao Hsiao-Sung missed homestyle Sichuan cooking and opened his Seattle place in 1994. Both offer delicious food.

Word of advice: If you’re trying to impress friends who aren’t adventurous, go elsewhere. Or order something else. 

Ditto goes for eating the dish if you need to win over clients or close a business contract.

There is a chance you’ll hear the polite comment: “Yes, this meal is a bit odoriferous.”

But if your friends or guests are adventurous or have visited Asia, then tell the cook: “Load up those chili peppers. We’re on a taste test.”

Mapo tofu, though, needs to be prepared just right to awaken your senses. Over at the blog, Hunger Hunger (A Daily Obsession), writer Terri talks about her experience with the dish. She includes a recipe and photos of ingredients.

The Boston Globe also published a recipe recently.

If you enjoy reading restaurant menus, I’ve included an image from Old Sichuan in Kent.

For too long, bean curd has flown under the radar for too many people in the West.

Derided as a bland, squishy mass, it has earned the reputation in some circles as something to be avoided. It’s not meat. It can show up in a tub of water. And few wine sellers, if any at all, have assistants stand next to Italian or California vintages to recommend a nice bottle to go with, well, a soybean concoction.

Welcome to TofuWatch.com. I’d like to change this perception – at least to a degree. This blog marks a new beginning of sorts because I recently was a newspaper reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which stopped printing in March. I hope my former colleagues are well.

This blog will be an amalgamation of various takes on this vegetarian food, as well as current events and other pressing subjects. I’m launching from the Seattle area. But I welcome notes, especially about tofu dishes, from people worldwide.

So, why tofu? Why pay attention to it?

When prepared just right – say cubed in a piping hot fish broth on a frigid day, or chilled with preserved duck egg and green onions resting on top, or marinated in soy sauce and barbecued – you’ll likely have two reactions: Wow. Nice.

If you don’t, that’s fine. But please invite me to your meal.

Or say you’re hiking in China’s Sichuan province. You’ve ascended some of the most sweeping mountains in your life. You’re on the roof top of the world. Your body is aching. The wind is whipping. Gray clouds are hovering. And you only have a boiled egg and crackers in your backpack.

At a mountainside restaurant, the owner places a huge bowl of mapo tofu in front of you. At first, the amount of red chili oil, which helps give the spicy dish its kick, is daunting. So, too, is the side dish: Uncooked garlic cloves.

But as you eat up, and heat up, you think: “Hmm. Maybe I don’t need my $300 waterproof and windproof jacket for the moment.” You quickly realize the restaurant serves beer because the person next to you has a bottle or two.

The spirit of tofu has commenced. Later, your belly is full. And you sleep well. So, you betcha: Soybean cake, in many ways, can be your friend.