Salad of Grilled Mushrooms and Fried Tofu

This wonderful autumn salad was my favorite of all the dishes taught at a cooking class I attended in Kyoto. The class was given by an older woman named Mrs. Marayama, a much-respected teacher with a passion for traditional seasonal ingredients. The class was hands-on, so we divided into groups to prepare the dishes. My very easy job for this salad was to place the mushrooms and pieces of tofu over the gas flame, then use long cooking chopsticks to turn them and ensure even grilling. Others