I come from a family of spicy weaklings. Mom usually avoids it. Both Dad and I become blithering, sweaty, runny-nosed wrecks but always come back for more. Taisho12 appears to be the only one relatively unaffected, though his vice is wasabi (occasionally we would have to explain to him that sushi is also intended to be eaten with shoyu) which is very different in its effect. But I am A-D-D-I-C-T-E-D to mapo doufu, a spicy tofu and pork casserole that brings me to tears...of pleasure or pain, I cannot say which.

The odd thing is that I can't make it spicy enough. We discovered it at Spices II in the Richmond, and I order it every time (seriously - the waitress pretends like she's taking my order for the first time, but I know she's written it on her notepad before she even reaches our table). When I first set out to make this dish, my missing ingredient was the fermented black beans (and, as I discovered, the kind with ginger - use the Yang Jiang brand in the yellow box) which sounds weird but is vital to the flavor. So despite the title of this recipe, I am really on v3.2 or so.

Tonight I made this with a side of Szechuan long beans, and it was - eh - ok. Needs more spicy, for sure. I think I will up the ante next time and add more Szechuan chilis (and perhaps even chop them). Get the Costo-sized kleenex ready!

Here's one I simply had to learn after eating this at Spices in the Richmond. It's not quite there - theirs is far spicier and richer -  but with a few tweaks...

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

• 1 tbsp. fermented black bean with ginger, soaked and drained (I used Yang Jiang brand)
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. sake/rice wine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1" piece of ginger

For the dish:

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp. chili soybean sauce
• 6 whole dried Szechuan chilis
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 1 pkg. soft (not silken) tofu
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. water

Directions:

Place pork in a medium sized bowl and add marinade ingredients.  Mix until just combined, and let sit 10-20 minutes.

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook white part of green onions and garlic about 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add pork mixture and cook until no longer pink, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Add chili soybean sauce and chilis and stir until combined. Pour in stock and tofu, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and water in a separate small bowl. Just before serving, pour in cornstarch mixture and stir until glossy. Toss with remaining green onion.