Ingredients
2 tbsp oil, for sauteing
1 tbsp black bean garlic sauce (see notes, )
1 tsp red chili paste with garlic
1/4 lb ground pork
1 package fresh tofu (any firmness) cut into, cubes
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 salt, to taste
Directions
Cooks notes: Black Bean Garlic Sauce and Red Chili Paste with
Garlic are available at Asian markets and some supermarkets with
large Asian specialty sections.
Procedure: In a wok or deep skillet, place oil, Black Bean Sauce,
Red Chili Sauce with Garlic and ground pork. Turn heat on high;
gradually combine the sauces and meat as the heat increases. When
meat is browned and cooked through, turn heat to medium and add cubed
tofu. Mix gently and continue to simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until well blended and tofu is heated through. Add
green onion and toss. Add salt to taste.
Presentation: Serve hot accompanied with cooked white rice.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
This recipe was sent in to the paper by Janet Eng of Buena Park, CA.
(Orange Country Register)
Shared by Ed Pallan
Servings: 4 servings
Chinese Mapo Tofu Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Asian; Chinese; Tofu; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to prove the history of transcribed cooking instructions far back into history, in fact as far back into recorded history as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and quite possibly further than that. In practice though, mostly, these ancient recipes were just very simple pictorial recipes for preparing food.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to academics is a series of stone tablets in ancient Sumerian which describe the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made drinkers feel blissful and exhilarated. As we move into The time of the romans 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote a number of documents showing how to cook the recipes prepared by his fellow Romans. He describes how the meals were divided into hors d`oeuvres, main course and afters, a style of dining still practiced today. Additionally, he informs us how the cooks of Roman times used a good variety of spices, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example basil, mint and parsley. Moving on, we find a couple of books published in the fourteenth century - a cookery book called `Forme of Cury`, and another entitled `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are a little misleading though, these books are unconnected to the spicy food that is popular today, but rather descriptions of the types of meals prepared by the cooks of the rich and powerful. Later, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought back many new foods and spices from Arab countries, including coriander, parsley, and rosemary. The introduction of these new tastes caused a torrent in cookery books, many of which are now in private collections. During the next few hundred years, the powerful and rich houses strove to serve the most extravagent banquests, and as a consequence, the best cooks and their recipes were at a premium. Notwithstanding that, it wasn`t until the nineteenth century the formal cooking and recipe collections became really popular. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated their lives to collecting, testing, and recording the recipes of their peers. By the time we get to the twentieth century, cook books were starting to become popular as a result of more people being able to read, people having increased free time and having more disposable income. Like it or not, the introduction of TV gave us celebrity TV chefs and the demand for the spin-off recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing everybody to search through thousands of recipes such as those found on this web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Chinese Mapo Tofu recipe.
