Korean-Style Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce

"Mom, the truth is I don't really like tofu," said our nine year old politely, as I served her some for dinner. "It just doesn't taste like much." Honey, I am so with you on that. However, Ruth Reichl (editor of the late Gourmet) waxed so poetic about this recipe.... how her Dad would have said the same thing, but that this was so good, once he'd had a bite he would have lost all self-control... So, I saved the recipe; but there was just one obstacle - where was I going to get Korean hot red pepper flakes?

With all of the Japanese-American groceries in town, I thought I might score some there, but no dice. With all of the Mexican groceries within walking distance, I knew I had good access to lots of different chiles, but what kind were they, exactly? I googled the stuff on-line; I couldn't find anything about what kind of chiles they were, just that they were a darker red color, had fewer seeds, and weren't as spicy as the classic stuff you shake on pizza. Okay. With the nearest Korean grocer in in downtown Oakland or the outer Richmond district of San Francisco, I decided to pick a few seeds out of my generic red pepper flakes, (leaving very little else!) and mix in some Ancho chile powder - Voila! 20 minutes later, we all ate it for dinner. It was indeed delicious, and even the nine year-old liked it. In fact, it was so delicious that I decided it was worth the trip to go buy some Korean hot red pepper flakes.

The Koreana Plaza in the 2300 block of Telegraph in Oakland was quite an adventure; a bakery, deli, green-grocer, meat counter, and fish counter (three kinds of mackerel!) jars of kimchee so big you could use them to bathe your pets in afterward - there must be some serious kimchee enthusiasts out there.... At last I found the pepper; not near the black pepper as you might expect - no, the red pepper was in the special kimchee ingredients aisle, and therefore came in big, bigger, and biggest bags. It took a little while to sort out which ones were hot and which not, which fine and which flakes, but eventually I found a special little tag in English on the back, and now I am the proud owner of the smallest quantity I could purchase; one pound of "Kimchee Hot Pepper." This is good news for my Berkeley friends; when you decide to make this recipe, (which you really should) I will happily share some with you!


UPDATED FIELD NOTES: I had been wondering why the recipe is so specific that you not use silken tofu. Meanwhile, my friend Kim was wondering why soft, not firm tofu. The first time I made the dish, I used firm tofu, which I had on hand, to excellent results. Last night I conducted an experiment; side by side, I cooked "soft, silken texture" tofu and "firm, silken" tofu. The "silken" textured tofu does not open up and absorb the sauce. Therefore, you have a piece of neutral tofu sitting in/under a pool of salty sauce; I can not consider this desirable. CONCLUSION: Use firm if you can't find soft organic tofu, but don't use silken.


Warm Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce
(Yes, it's from Gourmet Magazine again.)

Serves 2-3 as a main course, with rice

1 14 -18 oz package soft - not silken - tofu
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped scallion (green onion)
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted, then crushed with the side of a heavy knife
3 TB soy sauce
1 TB Asian sesame oil
1 tsp coarse Korean hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sugar

Carefully rinse the tofu, then cover it with cold water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then keep warm, covered, over very low heat. (I am unclear why it needs rinsing - I just drained it and then covered it in water.)

Meanwhile, mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Stir together with the rest of the sauce ingredients.

Just before serving, carefully lift tofu out of the water with a large spatula (a fish spatula works great) and drain on a clean tea cloth (or paper towels). Gently pat dry, then transfer to a serving dish. Spoon some sauce over the tofu and serve immediately, with remaining sauce on the side.

Tofu can be kept warm in the water bath for up to 4 hours. The sauce cam be made up to one day in advance; warm it up to room temperature before serving. (Why bother making it in advance? It takes 3 minutes to make!)