Just the opposite, this is about the only way I do like tofu. A question for the experts: I've made miso soup at home, but don't know which kind of tofu to buy to add to it. Silken? Or the firmer tofu?

You need firm or extra firm.

Adobo!

For Japanese miso shiru, the silken tofu is very popular, but all kinds of firmness are used. If you like the tofu to break against your teeth and slither down your throat, go for the silken kind. If you want your tofu with a bit of bite, go for the firmer kind. It's entirely up to you.

I'm not a big tofu eater, but I have certainly found that all tofu is not created equal. Really fresh tofu is far different than what you generally find in a supermarket. Here in the Bay Area we have an excellent tofu company that you'll find selling at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The company has it's factory in Oakland and many who have tried other tofu probably won't recognize some of their products as being the same thing.

As for textures and all ...it's amazing how important that is depending on what you're making. I have a recipe I seldom make (takes a while) for tofu tacos that's quite good, but it requires firm tofu to be frozen and then thawed before it's cooked in the taco seasonings. I tried skipping the freezing/thawing process once and it didn't work because the texture wasn't right. I'm no expert on tofu, but I do find it fascinating how dramatically the taste and texture can be changed through things like freezing/thawing and stuff.

Tell me about it! After pressing and draining a block of tofu today I then ground it, squashed it to combine it with a tablespoon of nagaimo (a very slimy yam) and then threw it repeatedly onto the side of a bowl.
Completely changed the texture so that they became deliciously firm yet light fried tofu dumplings.
I just finished off the leftovers by slicing them and including them in okonomiyaki... yum!

Tofu - How do you cook it?
 

A better title would have been "Tofu - How do you prepare it?" as many (perhaps most) preparations of Tfu do not involve any cooking. In fact I think cooking ruins tofu. Just my opinion.

Do you eat the tofu raw?

Making soy milk is a laborious process that requires cooking soy beans.

Once you have this, then yes, anyone can easily make or cook tofu with a suitable coagulant. It's kind of similar to how you make ricotta using milk, some yogurt and a drop of lemon juice. You need to cook it at around 70/80degrees Celcius for 20 minutes or so. I've had tofu at a restaurant that was cooked from soy milk at my table.

Is this tofu raw? I've never thought so, but it depends on your point of view.

If you can make your own tofu, or can get it where it's perfectly fresh and made well (such as the sort of place l'etoile described) then it would be a real shame to actually cook with it. This is the sort of tofu I'd use for the Hiyayakko dish I mentioned earlier.

Tofu from a tetrabrik packet, like the mori-nu brand, I think it's only palatable if you actually cook it further. That's probably why I don't rate it much when it has been diced into cubes and dropped into soups. I don't hate it, it's just a bit... meh.

And I really don't like the idea of really firm tofu eaten without further cooking, just the thought of that makes me gag. However, combine it with prawns, vegetables and egg white and fry or steam it and I'll be first in line for a taste.
(Ricotta is another good comparison, if you drain it too much it gets too firm and becomes a rather unpleasant solid cheese, which can only be redeemed with some creative cooking)

Simple, Don't eat it so don't cook it

Um....I would guess that the chances of finding it in a Chinese restaurant outside of the big cities (and accompanying suburbs) are very slim.

Even in the SF Bay Area, there are only a handful of restaurants who offer a version of it (it can be prepared and served different ways). Only one or two get it adequately "stinky" and savory :p

+1 ^

http://www.foodnut.com/i/Silver-Hous...Fried-Tofu.jpg

I like my tofu as meat replacement.
http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/z...ables_tofu.jpg

Fried with salt and pepper usually. The best we ever made was simmered in maple syrup. Mmmm, tofu candy...

Soft or firm in soups like the aforementioned Korean soup, perhaps with some kimchee flating around, or in more Chinese-y hot and sour soup.

Broken up in a spicy ma po tofu style dish, with or without ground meat, but always with a nice kick of chili.

Agedashi, pressed dry, dusted with cornstarch and fried (as previously mentioned) then dipped in a nice dashi broth with some fish flakes, ginger and scallion.

Fried as above and served in any sauce of your choice (in my home it's often oyster sauce).

Ready fried then stuffed (with maybe ground shrimp or a pork filling) then steamed or fried.

Various goodies rolled into soften tofu skins, then steamed.

As the slightly sweet skins of inari sushi.

In pad thai, chow mein or other noodles.

Raw silken, with a splash of soy sauce, a drop of sesame oil and a grating of fresh ginger.

I see tofu in my near future... I'm headed to the store.