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For the same reasons people love antiques or old Victorian houses, I love foods of legend that have a story behind them. I had a fairly intense day presenting to the entire partnership of a venture capital firm (with 3 continents video conferenced in).

While some might consider cooking a stressful activity reserved for days with lots of time, I actually see it as quite the opposite. When I got home I wanted to make a food from my childhood that’s both familiar and comforting.

Depending on who you ask, you’ll probably get a different story about the origins of Mapo Tofu, but the commonly accepted myth is that this dish was created by an old woman with meager means who cooked it for weary travelers that happened upon her shack along a remote country road. Some versions go on to say she once cooked the dish for the emperor of China.

Whatever the history, the dish was appropriated by my people in more recent history and is as common as mac & cheese on a Japanese dinner table. Asian groceries stock packets of sauce you just heat up with tofu, but that would be cheating, and it’s not much harder to make from scratch. I usually make this with varying spices, sauces and veggies, but I figured I should document something to give y’all a starting point.

1 Tbs dark miso
2 Tbs Mirin or other sweet cooking wine
1 Tbs oyster sauce
2 tsp asian chili sauce (Tobanjan, Gochujang, Sriracha, etc)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 cup water

2 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tbs ginger minced
1/2 lbs. ground meat (I use pork but you can use turkey, beef, or veggies like eggplant)
14oz package silken tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 scallions sliced thin

Mix the first group of ingredients in a bowl to make the sauce. Adjust seasonings as you see fit.

Put a splash of oil in a hot saute pan and fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant.

Add the ground meat and break it up with a wooden spoon. When the meat is cooked, drain off any excess oil and add the sauce mixture.

Stir to combine, then add the tofu. If the sauce seems thick (or non-existent), add some water and cook until the tofu is heated through. If you’re using silken tofu, be careful not to mash up the tofu too much.

Stir in the scallions just before taking it off the heat and serve with white rice.

I make different versions of this sauce depending on what’s in the fridge and as always I encourage you to experiment with what you have. Some things I’ve tried include Szechwan pepper, chinese 5 spice powder, hoisin sauce, dengjang with varying amounts of chili sauce (I like it spicy). For vegetarians, you can leave out the meat, or include veggies like red bell peppers, onions, or eggplant.

• Noodles with black bean sauce
• Tofu with crab sauce (Kani ankake doufu)
• Nasu dengaku (grilled eggplant with sweet miso sauce)