In her post, Sandy mentions The Food Canon’s recipe for Auntie Ruby’s Hakka Yong Tau Foo. In a recent post, she discovers the complexities of Hakka stuffed tofu (釀 豆 腐 nyiong tiu fu, yong dau foo) in Singapore. In my last post, I wrote about one of the Hakka classics stuffed tofu (nyiong tiu fu in Hakka). The recipe looks mouth-watering, as well as authentic and achievable. However, it is easy to make this Stir-fried Tofu and Pork Hash without a recipe. Fish is a must-have on Chinese New Year table. Stuffed tofu topped with fried egg with pork as served at Kong Hing in Hong Kong. Professor Sidney Cheung, whose interview appeared in The Hakka Cookbook, invited me to dinner at a Hakka restaurant, Kong Hing in Tai Wai. Her deconstructed version goes together in minutes. Gong Hay Fat Choy! Vary the seasonings and proportion of pork and shrimp to suit your tastes. There are as many variations to this filling as cooks. For my grandchildren, I try to include one cooking activity. I asked my host, Professor Cheung, if there were many Hakka restaurants in Hong Kong. The filling goes into many options besides tofu–chilies, eggplant, bean curd skin, bitter melon. I like the dark, umami-rich flavor of Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce (page 104). For recipes in The Hakka Cookbook, see pages 31 to 34, 76, 215, 106. Khiung Hee Fat Choy! Remove and discard mushroom stems and finely chop the caps. In Fah’s Stuffed Tofu Triangles (page 215), she mixes pork with chopped shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, and fish sauce. Amy Wong from Malaysia showed me a quicker alternative with the same flavors. Stir-fry the pork filling in a little oil with garlic until the mixture is crumbly and lightly browned. Add the tofu and soy sauce to taste. The Hakka version of stuffed tofu appeared on the table. Plan your menu for the symbol-laden Chinese New Year feast now. Pan brown and braise, steam, poach, or deep-fry as recipe suggests. Stuffed tofu, chiles, and bitter melon in broth as served in Singapore. Steaming keeps the delicate flesh moist and is so easy. He said there aren’t many because of the high rents. Since the Hakka originally lived inland with no access to seafood, they used pork for the filling. The original filling was pork because that was what was available to these inland-bound people. It has the flavors of stuffed tofu but takes a different form in a loose random presentation. Doreen Ho explained that the Hakka version always contains some pork. He came to Hong Kong as a teenager and worked in some Hakka restaurants. Kong Hing Restaurant G/F,  79-81 Tsuen Nam Rd, Tai Wai, Tai Wai, 大圍村南道79-81號地下   Tel. It is even used to fill wonton. I use about one pound tofu to eight ounces filling. The celebration marks a time of renewal, marked by food, traditions, and festivities. Instead of putting the meat filling in a wheat flour wrapper, they stuffed the filling into chunks of tofu. and white pepper. For me, Chinese New Year is about food and family. It is about home-cooking in Singapore and Malaysia. Ready to serve. What’s on your menu? So they improvised and placed the filling into what was available—chunks of tofu (aka bean curd). The Hakka invented stuffed tofu when they could not find wheat flour in their new home in the south to make the dumplings they ate in their former home in northern China. A few days later, we ate lunch with a Hakka family. One of my favorite dishes that night was the stuffed tofu. I love the simplicity of the stir-fried Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Rice Wine (page 230). To prepare the sauce, blend all ingredients (C) until fine. Makes about 1 cup, enough to fill about 1 pound tofu, 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, each about 1 1/2 inches wide, 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion, including green tops. Too bad, since the food is so delicious. Some fillings contain all pork, some add fish, fresh or salted, and some add shrimp, fresh or dried. As they migrated to coastal areas, some adapted to local ingredients and often added seafood to the filling. Stuff the fish paste into the red chilies, okras, and fried tofu puffs using a butter knife. This year we may make Stuffed Tofu (pages 31, 33). At lunch, the rice plates are popular with local workers. To recreate, make the Fried Eggs and Chives (page 80) except replace the chives with bits of fried ground pork. The chef’s version came capped with fried eggs laced with bits of fried ground pork. You could also mound the filling onto tofu squares or fill vegetable cavities. Cooks fill chiles, bitter melon rings, mushrooms, and eggplant with pork mixture. A family reunion feast highlights the New Year celebration. 2. Use to fill tofu and vegetables. When they migrated to the coast, seafood was sometimes mixed with the pork. Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous New Year! In 1988 he started his own restaurant. What’s your favorite filling? Stir-fry until tofu crumbles slightly and begins to brown. She stuffs the filling into slit-like pockets cut into triangles of tofu and steams or poaches the triangles in broth. Each animal has special characteristics. The lunar new year is fast approaching. 恭禧發財! Rinse the dried mushrooms and place in a small bowl. This vendor used the Cantonese filling, a rather bland, smooth fish paste. Cut the tofu into chunks and drain for about five minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid. At his restaurant he serves homey Hakka dishes. When the Hakka came to Southern China, they wanted to make the dumplings they had eaten in the north.