Sesame Tofu (胡麻豆腐, Goma-dofu)

Goma-dofu frightens people because it wears the face of tofu and obeys none of tofu's rules. No soybeans. No nigari. No curds to press. It is only sesame paste, kuzu, water, and steady heat, which is why the dish is less difficult than it looks and more honest than it sounds.

The one detail that decides it is the stirring after the mixture thickens. Stop too soon and the kuzu tastes raw, a little dusty, and the block slumps when cut. Keep the spatula moving over low heat until the paste turns glossy and pulls from the pan in slow folds, and it will set into something cool, smooth, and cleanly nutty. Patient hands do the work. Very inconvenient for people who want a dramatic secret.

We serve goma-dofu chilled, often at the beginning of a meal, where its restraint makes sense. A small square in a small dish, a point of wasabi, perhaps a spoonful of light dashi. Leave it room. This is temple food in spirit: few ingredients, no masking, and a quiet demand that each one be good.