Writing and publishing the Asian Tofu cookbook with Ten Speed Press (Random House) was a wonderful team effort of old and new friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. On this page, you’ll find details on the book's availability, reviews, contents, and mighty team tofu!
Asian Tofu: Discover the Best, Make Your Own, and Cook It at Home
Publisher: Ten Speed Press (2012)
Availability: Asian tofu will be released on February 28, 2012 as a hardcover book, regular ebook (a digital version of the printed book), and an enhanced ebook that's just like the printed book but with extra video tutorials and slideshows. Choose the book format that best meets your needs, lifestyle, and device!
Check with your independent neighborhood bookstores and retailers such as Jessica’s Biscuit, and Powell’s. Or, pre-order via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.
Sneak a peek: Watch a how-to video from the enhanced edition and download a recipe sampler on this post. For additional posts on Asian Tofu, see here.
Advance Reviews
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FEB 2012 FEATURE
 TOP 10 COOKBOOKS OF FEB 2012
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“With the same enthusiasm and thoroughness of her first two cookbooks, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen and Asian Dumplings, Vietnam-born Santa Cruz resident Andrea Nguyen explores tofu in its cultural context as a prized and delicious Asian food. She answers questions you didn’t know you had, . . . ”
— Emily Kaiser Thelin, Feb. 2012, San Francisco magazine, read entire review
“The focus of this volume is specific but very deep. Nguyen (Into the Vietnamese Kitchen) knows her tofu, and she shares its history, a comprehensive guide to its variations, and a homemade tofu tutorial. . . . Fans of Asian flavors who want to dig into a versatile ingredient will appreciate Nguyen’s thorough effort.”
— Publishers Weekly, 1/02/2012, read entire review
“Serious tofu lovers (and that includes me) will be amazed by the recipes and lore in Andrea Nguyen’s masterful new book. Those more skeptical will become immediate converts to one of the world’s most elemental, versatile, and delicious foods.”
— James Oseland, editor-in- chief of Saveur and author of Cradle of Flavor
“Andrea Nguyen’s exquisite book restores tofu to its proper place—one based on deep craft, elegance, and imagination. Here is tofu in its Asian context where it is deeply appreciated for its goodness, not the promises for health we Westerners have endowed it with. An altogether gorgeous work, Asian Tofu not only answers whatever questions you might have about tofu, but is graced with the author’s adventures on the tofu trail.”
— Deborah Madison, author of This Can’t Be Tofu! and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
“Andrea Nguyen has done it again, taking another subject that crosses many cultural lines—and can be a touch intimidating—and demystifying it, making one immediately want to try these techniques and recipes. The Homemade Tofu Tutorial at the beginning is inspiring and worth the price of admission alone.”
— David Kinch, chef-owner of Manresa restaurant
“This book is worth buying just for the glorious Tofu Chicken Meatballs in Lemongrass Broth. But it is full of other tofu wonders from up and down the East Asian coast such as Soft Tofu and Seafood Hotpot and Savory Tofu Pudding. It will find much use on my shelf.”
— Madhur Jaffrey, actress, cookbook author, and TV journalist
Book Description
From sleek, silken tofu with delicate toppings to piping-hot fried satchels in a robust sauce, tofu provides a versatile canvas for the intricate flavors and textures that Asian and vegetarian cooks have long enjoyed. America has embraced tofu as a healthy, affordable ingredient. And while it has been welcomed into sophisticated mainstream dining, tofu is often hidden in Western guises and in limited applications. In her third intrepid cookbook, celebrated food writer and teacher Andrea Nguyen aims to elevate this time-honored staple to a new place of prominence on every table.
Asian Tofu’s nearly 100 recipes explore authentic, ancient fare and modern twists that capture the culinary spirit of East, Southeast, and South Asia. There are spectacular favorites from Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and India, as well as delicious dishes from Taipei, San Francisco, Santa Monica, and New York. Andrea demystifies tofu and interprets traditional Asian cuisine for cooks, sharing compelling personal stories and dispatches from some of the world’s best tofu artisans along the way.
Katsuji Ishijima, tofumaker and owner of Takeya Tofu in Tokyo
For those who want to take their skills to the next level, the tofu tutorial clearly outlines tofumaking technique, encouraging readers to experiment with the unparalleled flavors of homemade varieties. But time-pressed cooks needn’t fear: while a few recipes, such as Silken Tofu and Seasoned Soy Milk Hot Pot, are truly best with homemade tofu, most are terrific with store-bought products.
Some traditional dishes combine tofu with meat in brilliant partnerships, such as Spicy Tofu with Beef and Sichuan Peppercorn and Tofu with Kimchi and Pork Belly, but this collection is predominantly vegetarian and vegan, including the pristinely flavored Spiced Tofu and Coconut in Banana Leaf and vibrant Spicy Lemongrass Tofu Salad. And innovations such as Okara Doughnuts reveal tofu’s more playful side.
For health- and eco-conscious eaters and home chefs who are inspired to make the journey from bean to curd, Asian Tofu is the perfect guide.
Mighty Team Tofu
Researching and writing this book was a most excellent tofu adventure. You’ll read about these people in the “Acknowledgments” at the end of Asian Tofu but I also wanted to give an online shout out to their contributions:
Publishing and Production: Ten Speed Press publisher Aaron Wehner, editor Melissa Moore, creative director Nancy Austin, art director Betsy Stromberg, copy editor Clancy Drake, proofreader Karen Levy, indexer Ken Della Penta, publicist Kristin Casemore, and many others who contributed their time and energy
Photographer Maren Caruso and assistants Harrison Budd and Austin Goldin, food stylist Karen Shinto and assistant Fanny Pan, prop stylist Dani Fisher
A sample of the recipes photographed for Asian Tofu
Instructional video by Faith Wheeler and Marc Gamboa of Jaded Palate Productions, styling by Karen Shinto, travelogue videos by Betsy Stromberg, Katy Brown and Melissa Moore, ebook production by Random House Digital
Recipe Testers: Diane Carlson, Alex Ciepley, Georgia Freedman-Wand, Candace and Douglas Grover, Sue Holt, Laura McCarthy, Alec Mitchell, Johanna Nevitt, Fanny Pan, Susan Pi, Karen Shinto, Ju Sohn, Makiko Tsuzuki, Dave Weinstein, Lea Yancey
Tofumakers and Other Experts: Jonathan Chambers, Jeremiah Ridenour, William Shurtleff, Minh Tsai, Simon Wang, Huang Xiao Chen, Xu Xin Nian, Katsuji and Masako Ishijima, Toshio and Kyoko Kanemoto, David Lebovitz, Harold McGee
China: Lillian Chou, Yu Bo, Carl Chu, Jay Dautcher, Fuchsia Dunlop, Linda Lau Anusasananan, Max Levy, Dai Xuang, Grace Young, Xie Qian, Zhong Yi
India: Monica Bhide, Niloufer King, Julie Sahni
Japan: Elizabeth Andoh, Michael Baxter, Masa Fujiwara, Eric Gower, Junko Nakahama, Mark Robinson, Yukari Sakamoto, Harumi Shimizu, Mayu Yoshikawa
Korea: Linda Lim, Yun Ho Rhee
Taiwan: Katy Biggs, Anita Chang, Holly Harrington, Sara Lin, Christine Tsai, Curis Wang, Lin Mei Hua, Wei Shum, Eddie Huang
Southeast Asia: Christopher Tan, Amy Besa, Robyn Eckhardt, Irene Khin Wong, Tony Lam, Loan Luong, Nancie McDermott, Pichet Ong, James Oseland, Tracey Paska, Daniel Sudar, Pim Techamuanvivit, David Thompson, William Wongso
Australia: Luke Nguyen, Tim White
Note: If you are listed here and a link is missing or wrong, my apologies. Just shoot me an email with the correction!
