Tofu

Question: I've got some basic questions about tofu that I hope you can answer. First, just what is tofu and what are its nutritional qualities? Is there a difference between Japanese and Chinese types of tofu? What does one do with the liquid in which it is packed? Will tofu spoil? If so, what are the signs of spoilage and how can one prevent it? Answer: All of your questions seem to be answered in "The Von Welanetz Guide to Ethnic Ingredients" (Warner Books: 1987, $10.95)

How do you make a dish look appealing? It's one of the more frequent questions we hear in the Food section. Readers want to know what we do to make food look appetizing in a photo. While photographing naturally beautiful food really helps, there are a number of ways to manipulate both the dish and the viewer's eye. It really depends on the food itself and what we are trying to convey. Often, we play up the texture of a dish.  The slow drip of a creamy glaze, the rich crumble of shortbread or condensation beading on a cold drink can all help sell the shot.

  Total time: 25 minutes Servings: 4 appetizer portions Note: If you can't find fried tofu, use the firmest fresh tofu you can get. Press the tofu down, leaving something heavy (such as a cutting board stacked with your heaviest cookbooks) on top to squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and dust lightly with cornstarch before frying. 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 stalk green onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon red chile, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 5-7 ounces fried tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes Vegetable oil 1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.

"The Happy Poet," a no-budget comedy about one man's no-budget sandwich-cart venture, would have to dial up the energy several notches to qualify as deadpan. With a DIY ethos on both sides of the camera, the Austin, Texas-set feature is an ultra-low-key takeoff on the conventional find-your-bliss Hollywood arc. Funny and incisive in moments, it never fully takes off. The title character, Bill, is a nonwriting poet who has left the workaday world to hawk organic fare in the park. He's played by Paul Gordon, the film's writer-director-editor, with a flat affect and a halting monotone that speaks volumes but doesn't grow less irritating.

Fragrant garlic, fresh shiitake mushrooms, spicy chile -- tofu never looked this good, tossed with a rich and glossy black bean sauce.  For a rich and flavorful -- and completely vegetarian -- dinner idea, look no further than this dish from Andrea Nguyen. It's a great main dish, served with a side of rice.  You can find the recipe here. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food Editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Servings: Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as part of a multi-dish meal Note: Relatively firm-yet-tender tofu, such as Trader Joe's, pan-fries beautifully with minimal splatter. This is not overly saucy. There should be some visible sauce but the tofu isn't swimming in it. Serve the tofu with rice. The fermented black bean stock is from Fuchsia Dunlop's "Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook. " Fermented black bean stock 4 cups water 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, unrinsed In a small saucepan, bring the water and black beans to a boil over high heat.

  Tofu with kimchi (Dubu kimchi) Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 4 Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try this or any other recipe from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen, we would like to know about it so we can showcase it on our food blog and occasionally in print. Upload pictures of the finished dish here. For the best flavor, use aged nappa napa cabbage ("baechu") kimchi that is at least a couple of weeks old. 1 18-ounce package medium-firm tofu Salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 onion, sliced 1/4 pound pork, cut into thin strips 1 tablespoon Korean chile paste (gochujang)

Miso soup with crispy age tofu, nappa cabbage and green onions Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 Note: Do not reheat the miso soup after the miso has been added; the flavor diminishes with reheating. Miso paste is generally available in the Asian sections of well-stocked supermarkets, as well as at Asian markets; age tofu (deep-fried tofu) is available at Japanese markets. 1 quart dashi 3 to 4 tablespoons miso paste (red or white or koji miso paste)

"The Happy Poet," a no-budget comedy about one man's no-budget sandwich-cart venture, would have to dial up the energy several notches to qualify as deadpan. With a DIY ethos on both sides of the camera, the Austin, Texas-set feature is an ultra-low-key takeoff on the conventional find-your-bliss Hollywood arc. Funny and incisive in moments, it never fully takes off. The title character, Bill, is a nonwriting poet who has left the workaday world to hawk organic fare in the park. He's played by Paul Gordon, the film's writer-director-editor, with a flat affect and a halting monotone that speaks volumes but doesn't grow less irritating.

Doctors may have finally found a cure for hot flashes: a healthy dose of tofu. Researchers at the American Heart Assn.'s annual scientific meeting Sunday discussed the growing evidence that soybean protein, commonly found in tofu, may indeed relieve the miseries of menopause. Dr. Gregory L. Burke of Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., outlined a study in which women suffering hot flashes reported significantly less intense symptoms after taking soy protein.

In 2009, Food did a story on fresh tofu in Southern California . We included a recipe for fresh homemade tofu. Very light in flavor, this delicate tofu is almost like a custard with its creamy texture. The method is simple: Combine some cold soy milk with nigari water (a brine used to set the soy milk) and steam the milk until it sets up like a custard. The whole process takes about 15 minutes. If you've never tried homemade tofu, give it a try! It makes a great weekend project.

A family getaway to Santa Cruz proved this eccentric beach town along California's Central Coast is fun enough for a 5-year-old yet cool enough for a teenager. The excitement of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk entertained our young daughter, while the Australian exchange student we're hosting zigzagged her way in and out of trendy stores on Pacific Avenue. We were in town to cheer on my wife, who was playing roller derby against the Santa Cruz Harbor Hellcats. Here's what we did with the rest of our time.

Fragrant garlic, fresh shiitake mushrooms, spicy chile -- tofu never looked this good, tossed with a rich and glossy black bean sauce.  For a rich and flavorful -- and completely vegetarian -- dinner idea, look no further than this dish from Andrea Nguyen. It's a great main dish, served with a side of rice.  You can find the recipe here. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food Editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

Thi Tran is chef of  Starry Kitchen , which she runs with her husband, Nguyen Tran. She's famous for her fried tofu balls, he's famous for more than occasionally wearing a banana suit. The duo who started as an underground supperclub from their apartment have closed the Starry Kitchen restaurant but will be launching a collaborative this month at Tiara Cafe downtown, called Starry (Kitchen) Nights. What's coming up next on your menu?  The Vietnamese minced Beef-tacular (FYI, my husband comes up with these crazy names, not me)

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Servings: Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as part of a multi-dish meal Note: Relatively firm-yet-tender tofu, such as Trader Joe's, pan-fries beautifully with minimal splatter. This is not overly saucy. There should be some visible sauce but the tofu isn't swimming in it. Serve the tofu with rice. The fermented black bean stock is from Fuchsia Dunlop's "Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook. " Fermented black bean stock 4 cups water 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, unrinsed In a small saucepan, bring the water and black beans to a boil over high heat.

You've cruised Valley Boulevard through Alhambra and Monterey Park, hitting all the culinary hot spots: 101 Noodle Express for the Shandong-style beef roll, Savoy Kitchen for Hainanese chicken rice or Taste of Chong Qing for Sichuan baked fish in pickled peppers. A few miles east might lie less-explored territory, Rowland Heights. The neighborhood's a trove of Taiwanese and other delights, including its bakeries, noodle shops and theme restaurants (cave women and elementary school among them)

The Shinto minister stood before the shrine, where several oversized sake bottles perched high on a stand. As a harpist softly played, he offered mulberry branches and white rice paper as symbols of purity, gratefulness and sanctity. He bowed and clapped rhythmically, and prayed for good fortune to "the principal parent of this grand and glorious universe." And so the nation's largest tofu factory was officially opened in Garden Grove on Wednesday.

Let's hear it one more time: "Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the park, buy me some tofu and trail mix." Tofu and trail mix? The San Francisco Giants have rewritten the annual summer anthem by offering their fans a variety of nutritious foods in a unique concession stand called the Health Hut. The non-traditional fare offered at the stand includes meatless (tofu) hot dogs, Chinese chicken salad, pasta salad, trail mix, bottled mineral water and two kinds of yogurt.

Miso soup with crispy age tofu, nappa cabbage and green onions Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 Note: Do not reheat the miso soup after the miso has been added; the flavor diminishes with reheating. Miso paste is generally available in the Asian sections of well-stocked supermarkets, as well as at Asian markets; age tofu (deep-fried tofu) is available at Japanese markets. 1 quart dashi 3 to 4 tablespoons miso paste (red or white or koji miso paste)

The wild gastronomic mix along Ventura Boulevard is a magnet for culinary dreamers. They envision thriving among the crush of sushi bars, the newest gastro pubs, the endless parade of strip mall franchisees and countless mom-and-pops convinced that their traditional specialties are sure to win fans. The savviest of these hopefuls realize they'll need more than an address to survive. Restaurateurs like Christopher Wong of Curry Up Cafe know they'll have to pique customers' fickle appetites -- the boulevard has little want of yet another mediocre pizza purveyor or shawarma slinger.