Andrea Nguyen is a chef, writer, cookbook author, and educator whose expertise in Asian and Vietnamese cuisines has inspired legions of cooks the world over.

Andrea Nguyen

For two thousand years, the Chinese have been making magic with tofu, and it was centuries ago that they spread the curd word to Korea and Japan. Today, tofu figures into some of the world’s most beguiling dishes—from tongue-searing <a href="http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/mapo-tofu/">mapo tofu</a> to <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sundubu-jjigae">sundubu jjigae</a>, a roiling Korean stew, to that delicate izakaya staple, agedashi tofu. If tofu still suffers a bad reputation in some Western circles, that’s likely due to two things. The first is that some supermarket ’fu is really bad! The second? We’re not using it in dishes that really showcase its finer qualities. Enter <a href="http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/">Andrea Nguyen</a>. The Northern California–based author and culinary instructor wrote the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Asian-Tofu-Discover-Best-Make-ebook/dp/B00540NWOM/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51no3gdc8GL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_OU01_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=HBFMBKHYKQV1ME3W7Z79#nav-subnav">(literally!)</a> on great techniques for whipping up tofu at home. To Nguyen, making tofu is just like making cheese or bread—an enjoyable craft that takes practice and a little discipline. Get the technique down, and you’ll wind up with a delicious, subtly flavored block of curd that you can use to master some of the best dishes on the planet.About those dishes: notice that tofu really shines when its texture contrasts with that of other elements. Its squishy softness makes tofu a great pâté sub in a <a href="http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2015/03/lemongrass-tofu-banh-mi-recipe.html">banh mi</a>, for instance, where it complements crunchy pickles and rich sauce. It counters the bite of kimchi and soaks up spice in <a href="http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2012/05/tofu-kimchi-and-bacon-taco-recipe.html">Korean-style tacos</a>, and it develops a satisfying crispy skin in <a href="http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2008/11/pressed-tofu-stir-fried-with-chinese-celery.html">stir-frys.</a> Whatever you do with it, we want to hear all about it, and we are guessing our guest expert does too. If you’re Instagramming that business, please tag <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chefsteps/">us</a>—and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/andreanguyen88/">Nguyen</a>—when you do.*OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS: A New Series from ChefSteps

At ChefSteps, we love to cook. And we love to share our top tips and techniques with you. But we’re not the boss of everything, and we learn from our friends and colleagues every day. That’s why we created Other People’s Ideas, a new series starring our favorite subject experts. These talented folks are here to help you tackle everything from soup dumplings to pizza pie—and have a ton of fun along the way. You down with OPI? Yeah you are. Let’s do this.*

Killer Tofu, With Andrea Nguyen