I'm a spicy gal. The more heat the better. And yet, I couldn't decide for a long time whether I liked the tingly sensation of Szechuan peppers on my tongue. It was so distracting at first. I focused on the prickly heat, and couldn't taste the food. <br /> <br />Fortunately, living in Chinatown, I've had plenty of opportunities to get used to Szechuan peppers and grow to love it....in moderation. When it gets to be too much, I gulp down some carbonated water. The bubbles tackle the tingles on my tongue. <br /> <br />Recently, I bought a package of whole Szechuan peppers from the Asian market beneath the Manhattan Bridge (Shh! It's a secret, magical place) and decided to try my hand at ma po tofu. I used Fuchsia Dunlop's wisdom in "Land of Plenty" to make this one. It's a spicy dish, and the tingles are definitely there, but aren't overwhelming.

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