MARKETS : Aloha’s Wonderful World of Tofu: Straight From the Soybean to You

Aloha Grocery , 4515 Centinela Ave., Los Angeles; (213) 822-2288 . Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you get to Aloha Grocery in the early morning, you can watch a barrel of ugly soaked soy beans turned into the most exquisitely fresh tofu in town. Behind the market’s produce section, there’s a small, glassed-in mini-factory where three men work with the synchronized movements of a Swiss watch, turning out the sort of hand-crafted tofu one finds only in small (and disappearing) shops in Japan. The factory operates on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday--which, needless to say, are the best days for tofu connoisseurs to shop.

While Aloha is the only Los Angeles market I know that can boast a tofu atelier, tofu is just a sideline at this 30-year-old Hawaiian-Japanese market. Hawaiian-born owner Hiroshi Uyehara and his wife Alice carry a wide selection of Japanese groceries. And for their Hawaiian customers, they fly in poi and sweet Hawaiian breads from the Islands every week.

The market’s assortment of specialty items reflects the Hawaiian melting pot: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino and European. In the butcher’s case, for example, sweet-spicy Portuguese-Hawaiian sausage sits next to char siu , the Chinese barbecued pork used in stir-fry dishes or mixed into Hawaiian-style scrambled eggs and served over rice. For sushi, there’s a huge slab of tuna, skipjack and mackerel beside a colorful array of different kinds of fish roe. Next to these are two kinds of fresh Chinese noodles. And a beautiful display of zuke , the Japanese pickles served with every meal, is set out in a series of stainless steel tubs, not packaged as in many larger stores.

The market is the sort of friendly, mid-sized neighborhood place that went out of style with milk delivery and dime stores. Customers call the butcher for their special meat or sashimi orders. Chickens are brought in fresh and whole and are neatly trimmed by hand. You can actually get those hard-to-find chicken backs and necks when you need to whip up a batch of chicken soup for a sick friend.

Aloha looks after its customers: When the FDA stopped the market’s weekly shipment of lau lau from Hawaii--that’s the famous dish of butter fish and salted pork wrapped in taro and ti leaves and steamed--Aloha’s butcher, Ken Kaiso, began preparing it for his customers. (Aloha is FDA-approved.) Less-dedicated cooks may use spinach, but Kaiso still gets taro and ti leaves flown in from Hawaii for his lau lau , which is always available in the freezer case.

SHOPPING LIST:

* Old fashioned tofu , known in Japan as nigari tofu: Most aficionados eat it almost straight--chilled and sprinkled with a little soy dipping sauce, minced green onion and other simple condiments. (See the recipe for dipping sauce below.) Its subtle qualities also come through in clear soups.

* Kinu-goshi means silken tofu. It is so smooth that a chopstick glides effortlessly through it without leaving a trace on the cut surface. Silken tofu is made from thicker soy milk than regular tofu and is simply coagulated like a custard. (For regular tofu, soy milk curds are separated from the whey, then pressed.) In summertime, the Japanese serve squares of kinu-goshi covered with ice cubes and accompanied by a dipping sauce. When the weather is cool, they gather around a table-top hot pot to savor yudofu-- silken tofu cooked in boiling broth and served with a soy sauce-enriched broth for dipping. The more robust hoisin sauce with ginger and pork below is less subtle but still a perfect complement.

* Yuzu tofu: This is silken tofu flavored with the essence of Japanese lime. Serve it as you would the silken tofu above.

* Sesame tofu: Ground sesame seeds are mixed into silken tofu before it has coagulated. I like to serve this by sauteing fresh shiitake and shiimeji (oyster) mushrooms--you’ll find these in the cold case--in butter, with ginger. Season them with soy sauce and stir in cubes of sesame tofu until they are warm.

* Momen tofu: Also known as cotton tofu, this variety will be familiar to anyone who’s a fan of ma po beancurd or other Chinese tofu dishes. Its coarser texture and density make it more suitable for cooked dishes, especially stir-frys. For an even firmer tofu it is pressed to extract some of its liquid. (See the directions for pressing tofu below.)

COOKED TOFU:

Stacked in bins near the produce section look for:

* Nama-age: Large, regular tofu cakes are quickly deep-fried giving them a softer interior and thin crispy exterior. Eat nama-age served with a soy dipping sauce or use a cube of it in stir-frys and sauced dishes. As with any fried tofu, it is customary to blanch and drain nama-age before incorporating it into a dish.

* Sushi-age: Thin, 2-inch squares of tofu are deep-fried three times in different oil temperatures until they puff up. The pockets are often stuffed with sushi-style rice and are then termed inari-sushi . Sushi-age are equally delicious filled with vegetable and rice mixtures. Try a blend of rice, mushrooms and sesame seeds.

* Abura-age: These 2-inch squares of golden tofu look like a thicker version of sushi-age but are made from ground and re-formed tofu. Like sushi-age they are fried three times. Cut into strips, their meaty texture is appealing in stir-fry or sauced dishes; the whole squares may also be stuffed.

* Sushi-age-crisps: At Aloha, 19 cents will get you a bag of the edges that have been trimmed from sushi-age and deep-fried. These add wonderful texture and protein to vegetable dishes.

* Ganmodoki: The name means mock goose. These tofu patties are made from ground tofu and mixed with vegetables, roasted nori and sesame seeds, then deep-fried. Use them the same way you would use abura-age.

* Okara: Aloha offers bags of this tofu byproduct to its customers for free. Soy bean pulp may not sound too appetizing but the Japanese mix this high-fiber, bland bean mash into cooked vegetables and stews to add extra fiber and nourishment. Try it in the high-fiber okara banana bread below.

OTHER SPECIALTIES:

* Salted salmon: Hawaiians always serve lomi lomi , a salsa-like concoction of diced tomatoes, green onion and minced cured salmon, with their lau lau. Butcher Ken Kaiso stocks the salted salmon and occasionally makes up a batch of lomi lomi to sell.

* Tuna poki and tako poki: One could call these Hawaiian ceviches. Lightly cured slices of tuna are dressed with sesame oil, green onions and a touch of dried chili. Octopus gets the same treatment to become tako poki.

* Tara kasuzuke and salmon kasuzuke: Butterfish or salmon are marinated in sake lees, a by-product of sake-making often used in Japanese pickling mixtures. Alice Uyehara advises wrapping kasuzuke tightly in foil and cooking it over medium heat in a skillet. Serve the kasuzuke with rice and vegetables.

* Unagi kabayaki: Tradition has it that unagi should be eaten as a tonic on the Day of the Ox (a lunar-calendar day around July 20). You may have eaten this buttery teriyaki-style eel in Japanese restaurants. Twice grilled to remove it of fat, then sauced, it is sold frozen here. Simply heat it and serve it over rice in a square lacquered box.

* Plum wine ice cream: A variety of Japanese ice cream I haven’t seen before. Of course, Aloha also carries green-tea and red-bean ice cream.

* Imported saba: In the freezer, look for fresh-frozen saba , a type of mackerel imported from Japan. It’s preferred for sushi over the Western variety.

* Bulk zuke: No Japanese meal is complete without Japanese pickles. In the butcher’s case you’ll find:

* Fuku jin zuke : A slightly sweet pickled vegetable mixture--primarily daikon radish--that always accompanies kare raisu , the Japanese-style curry dishes. You could call it Japanese chutney.

* Amasa shoga: This is the thinly sliced pickled ginger you serve with sushi and sashimi.

* Chuka salad: Chuka means “Chinese,” and this bright-green mixture of seaweed and thin jelly fish strands has a slightly sweet Chinese-style sesame oil dressing spiked with dry chili. It makes a good side dish for any rice or noodle meal.

* Kuru mame takarame: Sweet cooked black beans.

* Konbu make: Squares of konbu , the thick crunchy seaweed, tied into bite-sized packages with thin strips of kanpyo , Japanese gourd that has been cooked in a sweet soy sauce mixture.

* Chinese ingredients: Hoisin sauce, bean paste, chile-garlic sauce, shrimp paste, mushroom soy and more--most of the basics for Chinese dishes are here.

* Family-style sushi: Need a snack or quick meal? Try California roll, futomaki , a roll filled with tofu, vegetables and kanpyo , or the non-seafood chirashi-sushi from the open cooler case.

* Japanese-style cha siu bao: Not as greasy as the Chinese variety, these steamed dumplings filled with barbecued pork are made by a Japanese company in Los Angeles.

* Seaweed products: Aloha’s Japanese groceries include the usual ocean of Japanese seaweed items paper-thin, roasted black nori for sushi, wakame for rehydrating to make salads, or thick konbu used to flavor soups and stocks. Also look for various tsukudani : bottles of minced roasted seaweed mixed with other ingredients such as sesame seeds or minced shiitake mushrooms used as a flavoring for rice and other foods--just shake it on like salt.

* Furikake: Like tsukudani , these condiment mixtures based on dried seaweed are simply sprinkled on like salt to add delicious crunchiness. Try them as a quick flavoring for tofu.

* Miso and koju: You’ll find over a dozen varieties of miso . There’s even koju , the miso starter, for anyone wanting to make miso from scratch.

* Nam pla , or Thai fish sauce: It’s always nice to know where you can get this if you don’t live near a Thai market.

DIRECTIONS FOR PRESSING AND FIRMING TOFU:

Cut tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on double layer of terrycloth toweling and cover with another layer of toweling. Weight tofu with board or tray covered with heavy objects (I use books) and leave about 40 minutes. Cut compressed tofu into 1-inch by 1/2-inch strips if it is to be used in stir-fry or sauced dishes.

BASIC DIPPING SAUCE FOR CHILLED TOFU

1/3 cup prepared dashi or salted chicken broth

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)

2 teaspoons grated ginger root

Assorted condiments

Combine dashi by following package directions, soy sauce, mirin and ginger in small bowl. Mix well. Offer one or more condiments on the side: minced green onions, grated ginger, katsuobushi (flaked dried bonito), grated daikon, tsukudani, shichimi togarashi (Japanese spicy pepper mixture). Makes about 2/3 cup.

YAKISOBA WITH FRIED TOFU OR GANMODOKI

1 1/4 pounds fresh Chinese wheat or egg noodles or fresh ramen

1 pound lean pork, cut into thin strips, 1/8-inch wide by 2 inches long

About 6 tablespoons oil

2 cups finely slivered onions

1 large carrot, cut into strips 1/8-inch by 2 inches long

3 cups coarsely shredded white or napa cabbage

4 cakes abura-age or ganmodoki, blanched and each cut into 5 strips

6 to 7 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger root

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons sake, or dry Sherry

4 green onions, thinly sliced

5 sheets toasted and flaked nori

Hot red pickled ginger (beni shoga), optional

Cook noodles in boiling water until al dente (they should be slightly undercooked as they will cook slightly more when fried). Drain and rinse in colander and spread on terry towels to dry slightly.

In large skillet or wok, saute pork in 2 tablespoons oil over high heat, stirring until pork is no longer pink. Add onions and carrot, and stir-fry until onions begin to turn translucent and carrot begins to become tender. Add cabbage and stir-fry 1 minute longer. Stir in abura-age.

In separate bowl, combine 6 tablespoons soy sauce, sugar, ginger, salt and sake. Mix well and pour over cabbage mixture. Toss well and remove from pan.

Heat remaining oil, then add noodles. Toss noodles with 2 wooden or plastic spoons, until they begin to brown. Add meat and vegetable mixture and toss until well combined. Taste and add more soy sauce, if necessary.

Mound noodles onto serving platter or individual plates. Garnish with green onions, nori and optional pickled ginger.

Makes 4 or 5 main-course servings, or 8 first-course servings, or accompaniment.

OLD-FASHIONED OR SESAME TOFU IN HOISIN SAUCE

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Chicken broth

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced ginger root

1 pound pork butt or boneless loin, ground or minced

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, or dry Sherry

1 1/2 pounds old-fashioned or sesame tofu cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Chinese hot chile oil, to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons Oriental sesame oil

1 1/2 cups bean sprouts, blanched

2 Oriental or pickling cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into strips, 1/8-inch wide and 2 inches long

Steamed rice

In a small bowl, blend hoisin sauce, soy sauce and 3 cups chicken broth.

Heat peanut oil in wok or large skillet. Stir-fry garlic and ginger about 45 seconds, until garlic is tender. Add pork and stir-fry until browned, about 2 minutes. Add rice wine and stir-fry 30 seconds more. Add hoisin mixture and blend well.

Add the tofu cubes to the sauce and simmer 10 minutes. Combine cornstarch and 6 tablespoons chicken broth. Add mixture to sauce and stir until sauce thickens. Season to taste with chile oil.

Stir in the sesame oil just before serving. Serve in bowls and garnish with bean sprouts and cucumbers. Serve with steamed rice. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

JAPANESE TOFU AND MUSHROOM SALAD

6 dry shiitake mushrooms

1 cup hot, prepared dashi (follow package directions) or salted chicken broth

1 pound regular tofu cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons mild honey, at room temperature

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 green onions, minced or 2 tablespoons minced watercress

Place mushrooms in small bowl. Following package directions, pour hot dashi over them and weigh down to keep submerged. Soak 15 to 30 minutes until tender. Drain, reserving liquid and squeezing moisture from mushrooms into reserved liquid. Cut tough stems from mushrooms and discard; slice caps into 1/4-inch wide strips. Divide mushrooms and tofu among 4 serving bowls.

Blend vinegar and honey together. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons mushroom soaking liquid, lemon juice and soy sauce. Mix well. Pour over tofu and mushrooms and let marinate 1 or 2 hours, turning once. Garnish with green onions or watercress. Serve chilled. Makes 4 servings.

BANANA-OKARA BREAD

1/2 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey, at room temperature

1/4 cup soy milk or dairy milk

3 bananas, mashed

1 egg

1/2 cup okara

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

1/2 cup raisins, optional

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in honey. Beat in soy milk, bananas, egg and okara. Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in wheat germ, nuts and raisins. Blend flour mixture into banana mixture, stirring only enough to mix.

Pour batter into greased (9x5-inch) loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour or until wood pick inserted 1/2 inch from center comes out dry. Makes 1 loaf.