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A scramble that stirs in other ways

The more you cook with it, the more you realize: Tofu really is the great kitchen chameleon. It can stand on its own - and taste like itself - in a simple, sublime dish of chilled tofu with a spicy topping. Dusted with cornstarch, fried and coated in a peppery-sweet sauce, it can approximate mushrooms or even beef in a hot pot. Crumbled and mixed with chilies, vinegar, garlic and more, it becomes a ringer for fresh pork chorizo.

I had long been skeptical, though, of its ability to play the part of eggs - you know, in a "scramble." I couldn't imagine that its texture could truly compete with that of soft curds, particularly when eggs are cooked slowly. So I avoided those recipes.

I shouldn't have. A recipe in Andrew Weil's latest book, "Fast Food, Good Food," seemed worth trying, perhaps because he calls for the scramble to be combined with a fresh and chunky salsa, avocados and tortillas - one of my favorite ways to eat eggs. But there is more wisdom buried in this recipe: Turmeric adds that appealing golden color, offset by a little diced red bell pepper, and a combination of cumin and a little cayenne gives the scramble an earthy flavor.

I was right on one count: The texture didn't remind me of eggs (at least not properly cooked ones). But once I stopped thinking about it that way and let the tofu be tofu, I found it just plain delicious.

Tofu Scramble With Salsa Cruda

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