| If you read my Dinner in Minutes column, you may know I've been cooking and eating my way toward a better appreciation of tofu. Goodness knows I can find example after example of ways to prepare it well in our recipe archives.
Most recently, I fell in love with a dish that cookbook author Hetty Lui McKinnon featured in our Plant Powered II newsletter: Ginger-Scallion Tofu With Mushrooms. (Think sizzling Cantonese whole fish but with silken tofu instead.)
But the person who has taught me the most about tofu has to be Food editor Joe Yonan. Among my favorites featured in his Weeknight Vegetarian column: The Tofu 65 from "The Modern Tiffin" by Priyanka Naik and Sweet, Spicy and Crunchy Korean Tofu from "Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking" by Maangchi with Martha Rose Shulman. Both authors give tofu a crisp finish and soft interior, which I still find elusive when I experiment with tofu recipe development on my own. This week, Joe shared a recipe for Stovetop Smoked Tofu that floored me with its simplicity and flavor. He fashioned a stovetop smoker out of wood chips, a Dutch oven and a steamer basket, rubbed the tofu with a little spice mix, gave it a quick smoke and then crisped it in the pot with some oil. He served the pieces with a barbecue sauce, so the dish called to mind something you'd dig into at a summer grilling party, sans the grill. If you are pulling out the grill on this long weekend, check out Ellie Krieger's Grilled Broccolini With Tahini with its Middle Eastern flavors. The charred vegetable is laid on top of a generous smear of labneh and then drizzled with a lemony tahini sauce. Yum. Around here, breezes are starting to feel microscopically cooler. That and seeing Labor Day on the calendar mean that summer will soon be over. Maybe that's why both Daniela Galarza and I are feeling nostalgic about the season of tomatoes and corn. Daniela created a Cowboy Caviar, a dish originally credited to the prolific chef Helen Corbitt. In Daniela's Eat Voraciously newsletter, she recalled the family road trip when she first tasted a cold bean salad like it. For her version, she encouraged us to use freshly shucked corn, so get it while you can. I made a Tuna Pasta Salad this week — a retro recipe I cobbled together out of suggestions from my colleagues who shared tales of eating it on hot nights with family and friends. I found it to be just right as I relish the last of these long days. It's still warm enough to reach for a cool sipper, so check out Carrie Allan's ode to the daiquiri with three versions and tips on how to make them well, including an oh-so-simple Daiquiri Clasico. Special note: In the mood for a good debate? Take a stand on the best pizza in the United States and then see if your favorite style and parlor got some love in The Post's Best Pizza In America story. The piece makes me want to do two things: Hop a train to New York City and make a pizza tonight right here at home. Alas, New York is out of reach this weekend, but thankfully I can dig into Becky Krystal's guide to making a pizza at home and fashion a pie that will scratch that itch — for now.
Becky and Aaron Hutcherson are ready to talk about pizza or tackle any other cooking conundrums during their weekly Voraciously chat on Wednesdays at noon Eastern. You can post all your cooking questions in advance here.
Happy cooking!  (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post/food styling by Carolyn Robb for The Washington Post) Here's an easy way to infuse smoky flavor into your tofu without an outdoor grill or smoker. By Joe Yonan ● Read more » | | | Char-cooked broccolini sits atop a luxurious smear of labneh or yogurt and gets a drizzle of tahini or herb sauce. By Ellie Krieger ● Read more » | | | Also known as Texas caviar, this hearty mixture of beans, corn and tomatoes makes a great potluck side. By G. Daniela Galarza ● Read more » | | | This mild salad of tuna, macaroni and vegetables — a comfort food to many — provides a mixture of soft and crunchy textures in every bite. By Ann Maloney ● Read more » | | | Julio Cabrera, of the award-winning Cafe La Trova in Miami, is devoted to preserving the traditions of Cuban cocktails. By M. Carrie Allan ● Read more » | | | Created by bartender Nick Mautone in 2006, this three-ingredient cocktail contains vodka, lemonade and Chambord liqueur and is the official drink of the U.S. Open. By Emily Heil ● Read more » | | | | 
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