So I forgot the password to my laptop for all of 5 minutes. And while my frustration boiled as I typed in every combination of random jibberish I had in my notebooks (I have a feeling a few of them might actually be passwords. The rest are just random shit that came to mind as I was doing other stuff that needed my attention.
Also my eyes are numb. contacts were a wise move as I needed driving experience.
And I perfected my mapo tofu dish :) It seems the key of course is to add half->1 tablespoon of Szechuan Pepper. Grind them first in a mortar and pestle to get a nice even consistency powder. This of course is the true key to the dish. The Ma or ้บป literally translates to numb. I wanna say. This feeling is hard to/impossible to replicate in most dishes and as such, the component of the Szechuan Pepper is absolutely important. In my previous attempts with the dish I would end up using an excess amount of ground chili pepper and pre-prepared/store bought chili sauce. And while this preperation is quite passable for common fare, it is necessary to realize that while common fare is fine; adding additional touches to truly excite the pallet makes for a much more enjoyable dining experience.
To note though, adding the Szechuan Pepper added a texture issue with the finished dish. In the grinding of the peppercorns, I came to realize that the finished product was a mix of dust, small twigs and crushed peppercorns. This of course leaves a grit like mouth-feel. The flavor booster comes from the crushed nature of the pepper, and as such I can't simply omit it :( I'll need to work on this some more in order to truly get my mind around such a conundrum.
In the morning, I'll be getting my driver's license. Bout time too. But meh. That's as useless as anything else I force upon myself.
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