tofuwatch.com

Worth trying (from Chef Fu Pei-Mei): Sprouts rolled in bean curd skin

Chef Fu Pei-Mei certainly figured something out in this yummy, crunchy and slightly chewy tofu dish that she named “ma la dou yu.”

It’s served with a sesame-chili-green onion sauce.

Instead of the bean curd remaining soft, it becomes crispy. And instead of other ingredients, such as peanuts (see tofu salad below) or broccoli remaining crunchy (to balance the soft soybean cake), the bean sprouts keep their chewy texture.

Alone, the sprouts and fried tofu skin wouldn’t be completely satisfying – possibly a bit dry and you might sense the lingering oil used for frying.

So, I’m glad she concocted a sauce of sesame paste, chili oil and green onions.

In the end, this rolled sprout dish lets you work with tofu skin – which you might have eaten at dim sum restaurants.

The sauce complements the fried tofu and soft sprouts.

continue reading…

Instead of Seafair Pirates, bean curd skin (with a caveat) and little pieces of heart

My family and I set out Saturday morning to watch a group of burly pirates arrive on boats and land in West Seattle in the much ballyhooed launch of the Seafair summer festival.

We ended up at a restaurant on the edge of Seattle’s International District, dining on dim sum.

Last year, I covered the annual landing at Alki Beach in West Seattle. But my wife and son stayed at home. So, this year, I wanted to show them the raucous event that kids love.

continue reading…