Recipe - Basic Cold Bean Curd

4 Bean curd cakes
6 cup Water
2 tablespoon Soy sauce
2 tablespoon Peanut oil
1 ds Pepper

1. Cut each cake of bean curd in 4 to 6 slices. Meanwhile bring water to
a boil.

2. Carefully place bean curd slices, a few at a time, in a sieve. Plunge
into boiling water for 30 seconds; then drain. Arrange on a serving platter
and let cool.

3. Mix soy sauce and peanut oil and pour over bean curd. Serve,
sprinkled with pepper.

NOTE: Bean curd is already cooked and can be eaten as is. The blanching
improves its flavor and texture.

VARIATIONS: For the soy sauce, substitute oyster sauce.

For the peanut oil, substitute One half teaspoon sesame oil. After step 2,
top bean curd with One fourth cup dried shrimp (soaked) or 2 tablespoons cooked
shrimp, chopped coarsely; and 2 tablespoons scallion, minced. Season as in
step 3, but omit pepper. Then refrigerate, covered, only to chill (about 20
minutes).

In step 3, use mixture as a dip instead of pouring it directly over bean
curd.

In step 3, sprinkle the bean curd with the soy sauce and pepper. Garnish
with One half cup Chinese parsley, chopped, and 2 scallion stalks, shredded.
Then heat the oil until smoking and pour over.

From The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, ISBN 0517658704. Downloaded
from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.