Tofu Quick and Easy

Despite its blandness, tofu is an extremely useful ingredient for cooks since it readily adopts whatever flavor is added to it. Many Japanese recipes feature tofu, but Hagler uses it as merely another ingredient. In salads such as cucumber dill or avocado, cubed tofu replaces feta and queso blanco. In spinach soup and chunky gazpacho, crumbled tofu is used as a garnish. And in dessert recipes, beaten tofu replaces cheese in cheesecakes. Tofu purists may deplore the absence of specially aged, pressed and cured tofuHagler uses only the soft, fresh tofu readily available in supermarkets and health food storesbut these recipes provide an easy introduction to a versatile and nutritious ingredient. (December)