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Tracing this recipe through space and time
The first time I was taught this tofu-shiitake mushroom stir fry, I was heading to the West Coast to attend boarding school. My mother called me to the kitchen to watch her cook as she walked me through the recipe.
“This way, if you don’t want to eat the school food, you can make something.” Survival food, my parents called it.
I made the recipe a handful of times, but ultimately forgot about it—the dining hall’s food was better than we had feared.
The second time I reminded myself of this recipe, I was in college and had started regularly cooking for myself—the dining hall’s food was worse than we had feared.
This recipe became one of a handful that I rotated through regularly. Over time, I experimented with my own versions. I swapped out fresh tofu for firm, cubed and slowly fried until golden-crispy—just on two sides because no college student has the time (*cough*, patience) to do all six. I swapped out soy sauce for coconut aminos, a comparable substance whose flavor lacks that special triple S—“Soy Sauce-Something” (aka umami)—but is enjoyable in its own right.
Today, we go back to the source. Not to that moment in my family kitchen when I was fifteen, this recipe goes back further than that. Today, we start in the men’s dormitory bathroom at Nanjing University where my dad was a student in the late 1980s…
See you on the episode,
Nicole
The Recipe: Dad’s “Base Case” Tofu-Shiitake Mushroom Stir Fry
The core ingredients are tofu (soft or firm), mushrooms and garlic. Supporting and optional ingredients include peppers, scallions, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil.
Time: I don’t know, sorry. 10 minutes tops, though.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
12 oz tofu of choice (soft, fresh, hard—dad prefers fresh tofu)
2 handfuls of shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
Neutral oil
Salt, to taste
Optional ingredients: sliced green bell peppers, scallions, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil (all, or individually)
Cooking
Prep your ingredients: Smash, peel and chop some garlic. Slice your shiitake mushrooms. Cut the tofu into cubes.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat, then toss in sliced shiitake mushrooms, without oil. Sauté for a few minutes until they are lightly toasted/golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
If you are using peppers, I’d suggest sautéing them alongside the shiitake mushrooms at this step!
Add oil to the pan, then toss in chopped garlic. Toss until fragrant, then add in your tofu.
Toss lightly to mix, add cooked shiitake mushrooms, then mix to combine.
Salt to taste or with soy sauce. Add some toasted sesame oil, should you wish. You can also garnish with scallions. The world—this dish—is your oyster, really.
Serve hot with rice.
Nicole’s College Version
Prep your ingredients: Smash, peel and chop some garlic. Slice your shiitake mushrooms. Press the tofu for 10-30 minutes to get some of the water out, then cut it into cubes.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add oil, then lay the tofu cubes down. Cook on one side until golden brown, then flip and repeat on the second side.
Set cooked tofu aside on a plate. Add some extra oil to the pan, then toss in the chopped garlic. Sauté until fragrant
Add in the shiitake mushrooms, then continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in cooked tofu.
Douse tofu and mushrooms in coconut aminos (a couple shakes of the bottle I used to get from Trader Joe’s did the job, I suppose this was 1-2 tablespoons?). Allow the coconut aminos to thicken and form a glaze, then add a little toasted sesame oil.
Optional: throw in some spinach so you hit that recommended vegetable quota.
Serve with hot rice.
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