There are very few people in this world who can make tofu as exciting a topic as Samin Nosrat. I felt that keenly this week when I got to chat about vegetarian cooking with Samin and Tejal Rao, our California restaurant critic and the author of The Veggie newsletter, at a New York Times Cooking virtual event, in which tofu was a very hot topic. (You can watch it here.)
Samin described one of her favorite tofu-cooking methods, in which medium-firm tofu is doused in liquid aminos (a seasoning that is soy sauce-adjacent) and pan-fried in coconut oil, in such evocative, mouthwatering terms that I wanted to run downstairs and make it for lunch.
The next day, I made Kay Chun’s latest tofu recipe, which is my new favorite, a stir-fry tossed in a rich, gingery black pepper sauce and jumbled with spring vegetables. That and four other recipes for the week are below. As always, tell me what you think at dearemily@nytimes.com. I love to hear from you.
1. Black Pepper Stir-Fried Tofu and Asparagus
This stir-fry from Kay Chun pairs pleasingly squishy tofu with the grassy snap of asparagus and snow peas. The best part, though, is the peppery sauce with garlic and ginger, which could make a piece of cardboard taste good.
4. Penne With Brussels Sprouts, Chile and Pancetta
You can buy presliced brussels for this five-star Melissa Clark pasta recipe, which immediately endeared it to me. But really the best part is the way Melissa combines unabashedly bold flavors as pancetta, garlic, chiles and rosemary all elbow their way into the pan. Leave out the pancetta and it becomes a great vegetarian dinner.
