Preheat the oven to 350ºF. As the oven is preheating, prepare the Pumfu by cutting it in half by the block's width and again by its height, creating four rectangular pieces.

Prepare a wet and dry batter in two separate bowls. In the wet batter bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch or arrowroot flour, water, and half of the seasonings (Italian, grilling chicken seasoning, black pepper, salt, garlic, and onion). In the dry bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the other half of the seasonings.

Now, it’s time to bread the pumfu. For this step, I like to set up an assembly line starting with the pumfu, wet batter, dry batter, and a clean plate or pan (I like to cook everything at once). When you’re ready, dip the pumfu into the wet batter (ensure all sides are coated evenly and allow excess batter to drip off), then into the dry batter, shaking off excess breadcrumbs, before placing it on the clean plate or pan.

Add oil to the base of a frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is ready, fry the breaded pumfu for roughly 3-5 minutes per side, ensuring a beautiful golden-brown color.

When that’s done frying, place the pumfu in a baking dish or pan. Add about two tablespoons of marinara sauce and one ounce of cheese per piece of pumfu before baking for 15 minutes.

Serve as a sandwich or on top of your favorite pasta with a beautiful garnish of fresh Italian parsley.