Mesquite Fried Tofu

1. In a skillet or wok, turn the heat up to medium-high or high with a few tablespoons vegetable oil. Immediately lay the fingers down, with as little overlap as possible (if making a double recipe, fry one block at a time).
2. Add the desired amount of soy sauce to the top of the tofu pieces in "splashes"; do the same with the liquid smoke, just enough so that it covers most of the "white space" of the tofu. Be careful not to overdo it.
3. Add desired amount of garlic, onion powder, pepper, and the optional hot sauce. Let fry for around a total of 10 minutes or more, flipping the fingers over every five minutes or so. You'll want the fingers to become pretty crispy and brown, but not to the point of being blackened or too tough to chew.
4. When they seem as if they're cooked most of the way through, layer them on a plate between paper towels. Let cool and enjoy hot or cold. Chopped up into smaller pieces, they could be added to just about any other dish or taste good in sandwiches.
Liquid smoke sounds exotic, but it's actually just mesquite smoke=flavoted vinegar water, and it's amazing. I found it for around a dollar at my local grocery. It claims to be vegan on the label description, so who can argue?
Source of recipe: This is a method of frying tofu that my mother and I ending up collaborating on one night when we were trying to get rid of an excess supply.