All good things.

Chief got adopted yesterday. Finally, mush-face has a new home. Let's hope it sticks. He's so handsome and wise.

In other news, Spring has sprung in southern California. I am a lucky girl. A slice of life: scent of jasmine flowers, sound of coaster train horn hooting in the distance, ocean breezes all around me, a shiny new pair of mint green havaianas on their way to me via online shopping (yay!), and a pug, snoring her tiny, clueless head off on my couch.

Sleeping Kate

Been cooking some pretty amazing things lately. One of which is Ma Po Tofu. I've been working on this recipe for more than a year, never quite getting it right. The perfect Ma Po Tofu, of course, can be had at China Chili in Phoenix. Don't let the sad exterior or awful website fool you. Within this establishment toils a master of hothothot (and vegan!) cuisine. Damn, this dish is the bomb. I caution you though, if you go there, you are not permitted to dilly-dally, dither, say "um" or indicate that you are anything other than damn sure of what you want and how to get it.  The servers do not take kindly to to indecision. You learn to respect them for that or go hungry.

Ma Po Tofu mise-en-place

I can be a distracted cook and so the mise-en-place method really works for me. Set everything up ahead of time and you won't forget to add anything vital. 

Ma Po Tofu

2 tsp of vegetable oil
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 tbsp of ginger, grated
1 tbsp (heaping) of Black Bean Garlic sauce (I buy it in a jar)

1 tbsp (heaping) Chili Garlic sauce (I buy it in a jar)

1/3 cup shallots, sliced

1 tsp of soy sauce

1 container of silken or medium firm tofu, drained and diced. Be gentle with it as it will fall apart easily. I didn't press it as I normally do with firm tofu as I feel this dish is better if the tofu is tender and not chewy.)
2-4 medium scallions, sliced (I really like these so I put a lot in.)

1/2 cup dried mushrooms of your choosing (I used a mixture of shitakes, morels and some other funny looking things my sister-in-law painstakingly harvests and sends to me.)

1/2 cup frozen peas or greens of your choosing

Place mushrooms in a small bowl and pour hot water over to cover them. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet on high and add the oil just until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger and shallots. Cook until the mixture begins to brown. Add the soy, Black Bean Garlic and Chili Garlic sauces and stir briefly. 

Pull the soaking mushrooms out of the bowl, reserving the mushroom water or "dashi" as it is called, and slice the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to sauce and stir. I like a real saucy sauce, so if you like, now add as much of the dashi as you see fit. I added all of it.

Ma Po sauce

Toss in the frozen peas and scallions and then gently add the diced tofu, careful not to stir too vigorously so as not to crumble it. Cook until the flavors seep through the yummy tofu for just a few minutes.

Ma Po Tofu

I was going to make short grain brown rice with this and plate it up all pretty, but by the time I took this picture, I was eating it right out of the pan. Good luck to you.