My sons first taste of tofu was at a restaurant. He didnt know what tofu was, or that it was coming. Having never caught wind of tofus bad reputation among non-Asians, he took a bite of its sauce-drenched, crispy fried goodness with an open mind. He chewed through its golden barrier and into its moist, pillowy interior. Grunting his approval, he kept eating. That, ideally, is how you meet and greet tofu.

Most tofu virgins know its out there. Theyve heard the stories of what this personality-free substance doesnt taste like. Unless their first bite is at a restaurant, their fears are likely confirmed. Statistically speaking, non-Asians do a poor job cooking tofu, my dad included.He called tofu bean curd, like you did back in the 1970s. He explained it was something I would be eating in place of meat, which I had recently sworn off at age 7 for ethical reasons.

Dad was a good cook, and while bean curd was not his strong suit, he made a well-researched attempt. I vividly remember its chalky, flaccid, absent presence.

His intentions were pure, but dad could not have devised a more effective way to change my mind about vegetarianism.

If dad had known then what I know now about freezing tofu, I might still be a vegetarian. But at least in my lifetime I have been able to finish what he started. Im not referring to the fact that I have become one of those weirdos who likes raw, unseasoned tofu, but the fact that I now know how to cook it like the pros.

This time of year, with so many new veggies in season, stir-fries are in play, and some proper tofu can make any stir-fry seem royal. But tofus default state is lame and flavorless, characteristics that will carry through to the finished product unless you take measures. Namely, put your brick of firm tofu in the freezer for a few days.

Thats mostly it, actually. That, and some cornstarch and sauce, and youre set.

It isnt law that you put golden cubes of crispy, meaty, succulent tofu into every stir-fry. It is, however, something of a tradition for a reason. And adding tofu doesnt mean skipping meat, depending on your inclinations. Tofu is great with every type of animal protein, from chicken to eggs to bacon to seafood.

There is a lot going on in a stir-fry, and its easy to overlook the tofu, which would be a mistake. Just ask generations of disappointed tofu tasters. Or ask my son, who lights up for restaurant tofu.

Restaurant tofu has a resilient, fleshy quality, a tasty brown skin that holds onto sauce, and a springy, moist interior. Tofu is mostly water, and when you freeze it that water expands, rupturing channels through the tofu as it tries to push its way out. Those channels will soon act as portals to allow in what we call restaurant sauce. You can guess the kinds of restaurants we frequent from its recipe below.

I dust the saucy cubes with cornstarch and deep-fry them into golden blocks of joy that explode with flavor when you crunch through, like restaurant tofu should.

For a fun side dish, save the onions from the marinade, roll them in extra cornstarch, and deep fry into a tasty side, snack or garnish.

Marinated Restaurant TofuServes 2 1 (12 oz.) brick firm or extra-firm tofu, frozen for at least three days, thawed overnight, squeezed of excess water and cut into -inch cubes 1 tablespoon each soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar 1 teaspoon each fish sauce, hoisin sauce, hot sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar teaspoon black pepper onion, sliced and teased apart 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cubic inch ginger, peeled and sliced 2 cups vegetable oil 4 tablespoons cornstarch (more for onion ginger garlic fritter rings)

Mix all of the sauces, along with the onion, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and black pepper, and toss the tofu in the sauce. It will absorb every last drop.

Heat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a small, deep pan suitable for frying. While the oil is heating, toss the tofu cubes and cornstarch in a bowl until the tofu is coated. Save the onions for later.

Deep-fry the cubes 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how dark and crispy you want them. Remove and allow to drain and cool in a colander or on paper towels.Toss the onion sections in the cornstarch, adding more if necessary, and then fry these onions in the hot oil. They take a bit longer to cook because of all of the water. Dont stir them. Let it fry into a 3D matrix.

If serving your tofu with a stir-fry, prepare the tofu first. Dont add to the stir-fry until serving time, or serve it on the side, ready to mix in.

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No foolin: Tofu can be tasty, crunchy, cooked with meat and more - Aurora Advertiser