The Book Of Tofu

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Cut the bun horizontally into halves and spread with mayonnaise, butter, mustard, and ketchup. Spread the miso on one side of the ganmo pattie, then place pattie on the lower half of the bun. Stack onion, tomato, cheese, and lettuce on top of ganmo. Top with upper half of bun.

HOMEMADE AGÉ POUCHES
-from Store-bought or Homemade Tofu
(MAKES 4 TO 6)

This is the quick and easy way to prepare homemade age?L pouches. Twelve ounces of unpressed tofu will yield 5 ounces of ago.

12 to 20 ounces tofu
Oil for deep-frying

Cut tofu horizontally into 1/2-inch-thick slices, 4 to 6 inches long and 3 to 3-1/2 inches wide. Press slices using the sliced tofu method (see MOTHER NO. 42, page 54), except place a cutting board and a 5- to 10-pound weight on the tofu and press for about 40 minutes.

Fill a wok, skillet, or deep-fryer with 2 inches of oil and heat to 240°. Slide in the pressed tofu and deep-fry over high heat until temperature of oil reaches 310°. Reduce heat to medium-high and continue to deep-fry until age?L pieces float on the surface of oil. Return heat to high, turn age?L, with chopsticks, and deep-fry until oil reaches 385°. Reduce heat to medium and deep-fry until age?L pieces are crisp and golden brown. Remove age?L from oil, drain briefly on a wire rack or absorbent paper, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Cut a thin slice from the end of each piece of age?L. Carefully insert the point of a knife between the deep-fried surfaces from the cut end and separate the sides to form a pouch. Using a small spoon, scoop out any tofu remaining inside. (To make 2 small pouches, cut each piece of age?L crosswise into halves, then proceed to open as above. See illustration.)

COOKED VEGETABLES IN AGÉ POUCHES
(SERVES 3)

2 cups small cubes of steamed kabocha, winter squash, or pumpkin
2 tablespoons minced onion
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons red, barley, or Hatcho miso
2 tablespoons ground roasted sesame seeds
6 age?L pouches, broiled if desired

Mix the first five ingredients, then spoon into the pouches. Fold over the mouth of each pouch to form a flap and fasten with a foodpick. For variety omit the onion, mayonnaise, and miso; add 1-1/2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

VARIATIONS: Use any of the following combinations as a filling for age?L pouches; serve topped with a sprinkling of shoyu:

*1/2 cup diced steamed sweet potato or yam, 3/4 cup cubes of steamed cauliflower, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a dash of pepper.
*Steamed, baked, or boiled sweet potatoes or yams and any of the following: yogurt, sunflower seeds, sautéed onion, and shoyu, butter, salt, pepper, cinnamon, orange juice, and grated orange rind; raisins, butter, and salt or miso.
*Baked or boiled potatoes, sour cream, salt, pepper, butter, crushed garlic, and grated cheese.
* Hashed brown potatoes seasoned with a little shoyu or salt.

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