Project Pan-Asia continues in our household, as my wife and I try to break out of our Mediterraneanist ways in the kitchen, hoping to expose our kids to more global flavors. Last time I tried to incorporate a japonesque pan-fried tofu into regular rotation with the kids it was roundly rejected. Not above a little sugar to make the meds go down, I riffed a little homemade quasi-teriyaki (I simmered 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup sake, a 1 inch knob of ginger, 2 sliced garlic cloves, and 6 or so tablespoons sugar in a pan until it reduced and got all syrupy. These measurements are highly approximate as I’m writing this from memory, having been in a hurry and having taken no notes at the time). I fried up some tofu. I cooked up some brown rice (more precisely: microwaved that brilliant frozen Trader Joe’s stuff). I cut some dried seaweed into 3 inch squares (here’s a post on our favorite type). I put the rice in a bowl, put some cut up fried tofu in there, drizzled that terikyaki over everything. Success! It was all promptly devoured by my daughter, who loved wrapping the newly-enhanced tofu (all toasty, salty, sweet) up in the crunchy, seaweed and eating it by hand. Admittedly, it was a partial success. My son ate the teriyaki-ed rice, but dodged the tofu. I ate his leftovers and was a happy man.
—Hugh
