Swillie: Tofu and Beef Rice

Swillie: Tofu and Beef Rice In the 1960s, as a working-study student, we did not have the right to go to restaurants every weekend to eat and entertain ourselves. We occasionally went to old...

Swillie: Tofu and Beef Rice In the 1960s, as a working-study student, we did not have the right to go to restaurants for dinner and entertainment every weekend. Occasionally going to San Francisco's Chinatown to have a plate of food was already a luxury. I often tell my students that during that period of hard study, while others were going to school, I was also going to school, others were sleeping while I was studying, others were having fun or resting, and I was working part-time to earn tuition. Try to work a part-time job on weekends to relax a little on Sunday, or read more and do more homework. Now that I am nearly 40 years old, I can often enjoy a plate of tofu and beef rice, because it reminds me of my life as an overseas student, and it also gives me a sweet taste in my heart. Back then, there was a Cantonese restaurant on Jackson Street in Chinatown. The old chef could cook the tofu cubes until they were tender, delicate and flavourful. Coupled with his cooking skills, the beef slices were particularly smooth and tender. So a delicious plate of tofu and beef rice was an irregular treat for me. The meal cost 75 cents plus a 25 cent tip (current price), so a dollar could make me, a poor international student, feel as happy and satisfied as having a Christmas feast. Nowadays, there is a small restaurant on Main Street in this city where I can always taste the delicious taste of soft tofu and the tenderness of beef. The key to enjoying this dish is "heat". The tofu must be cooked through but not "disintegrated", and the sauce should be fresh and slightly salty. The "secret" that many restaurants do not control is too salty or too bland. What I lament is that the tofu and beef rice is still delicious, but as I get older, I can't eat a whole plate of good food. I wish you a long life and good food to accompany you throughout your life.