Jus' Poke

Welcome to the world of Poke. I just recently discovered Jus' Poke thanks to my son. This is an ohana-owned (family) Hawaiian poke restaurant in Redondo Beach. We had just come from a nearby CVS after my son went for a COVID 19 test. I asked him where we could pick up food to take home. He came up with Jus' Poke. At first, I was not too excited. I have had Poke before, but I never got excited over it. We looked at the menu online and decided on the Spicy Poke.

We got there shortly and discovered a line. Luckily we were just picking up, so it didn't take long for us to get our food. The order included 2 sides. I picked edamame. I was not sure about the seaweed salad, so I just doubled my edamame. When we got home and opened our styrofoam box, we were both pleasantly surprised by the amount of food. I tried the seaweed salad and was upset that I didn't order that because it was terrific. The Poke was outstanding, The sauce was spicy, but just the right amount of spice. The rice was nice and sticky, which went well with the Poke. 

I could not contain my excitement that I called my 2 friends that do not like anything raw. I told them about it, and I swore that when they get a taste of this, they will be "poke" friendly. I am prepared to buy one and have them try it. If they do not like it, it will be my dinner for that day.

Choceur Coffee & Cream Chocolate

I just recently discovered the German market, Aldi. They have about 5,000 stores worldwide, and there is one in Gardena, California. Their prices are very reasonable, unlike the market at the Alpine Village in Torrance. My friend Berenice brought me different chocolates from the Aldi store in San Diego, and they were all delicious. 

Sandi and I made the trip to see what other chocolates were available. The real winner was the Choceur Coffee & Cream Chocolate bar. I got so excited when I saw the picture which looked so good. I love anything coffee flavor from ice cream to any desserts. Unfortunately, Sandi could not share my enthusiasm since she's the opposite of a coffee lover. She hates anything coffee; that goes for taste or aroma. 

As soon as I got home, I unwrapped the chocolate bar, and it looked better than the picture. I immediately could smell the coffee flavor and had to admire the beautiful delicate chocolate squares. I started with 2 squares and went on to several more. The combination of the coffee milk topped with the white chocolate was pure delight. I cannot wait to go back and buy a lot more! 

Aldi Market is located at 1550 W. Redondo Beach Blvd. in Gardena, California.

Lasagna Dinner

 It was 2012 when I last blogged about my Lasagna. I have made it a couple times since then and decided to make it again. I just picked the wrong time to bake it; during a heatwave! I went light on the hors d' oeuvres so people would be able to enjoy the main attraction. I had planned for everyone to sit outside, but it was much too hot, so we ended up in the living room for a change.

We practiced social distancing except when we had to eat and pose for a picture and then held our breath! I  made a Spinach salad with walnuts and cottage cheese and a  with a homemade dressing that had sour cream, vinegar, sugar, horseradish, and dry mustard.

The Lasagna was perfect. Everyone loved it, and this time it was not too salty as I went light on the parmesan. 

Dessert was ordered from Etta's Strudel. They make the best strudel with various flavors: apple, apple walnut, cherry, cherry cheese, apricot, apricot cheese, blueberry, vanilla, vanilla cheese, to name a few. I ordered the apricot cheese. It really is the best strudel you can buy; it is very light and flaky, and it is not too sweet. My favorite is cherry chocolate, but they don't make it anymore. The strudel can be ordered frozen or already baked, and the best part is they deliver free in the South Bay. 

It was the perfect dessert which went well with good food and great company!

German Apple Pancakes

What a delightful guest to have. She cooks dinner and breakfast for you; that's my friend Berenice. When she said she was going to make pancakes, I thought they would be just regular pancakes. She brought the batter she made from home and a bunch of apples.

The only problem was flipping the pancakes. Berenice was not used to it since she only watched the cook in the restaurant she and her husband Gerhard used to own; Cafe Cego's. She first cooked the sliced apples in butter, then poured the batter, and sprinkled a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. When it looked cooked, it was time to flip to the other side. By flipping, it meant tossing the whole thing up in the air. That was nerve-wracking even for me, the observer. It didn't do what it was supposed to, hence, forget the presentation. She kept apologizing, and of course, I told her I didn't mind because it would not diminish the flavor or taste.

With freshly whipped cream, the apple pancakes were a hit. It was absolutely delicious. So, Berenice, you are welcome anytime, and next time maybe I will try flipping my own pancakes!

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

My friend Berenice came and gave us cooking lessons on how to make Vietnamese Spring Rolls. She brought most of her ingredients. I only had to buy fresh shrimp. She thought the spring rolls would not be enough for a meal, so she planned to make some Pancit (Filipino noodles). I got some pork and extra shrimp to include in the pancit.

The preparation was time-consuming. Chopping all the vegetables, marinating the chicken breast in her homemade teriyaki sauce, deveining the shrimp, then cooking the chicken and then shredding them. The two of us were very busy. She was like Chef Gordon Ramsey, bossing me around! I finally said we need one more sous chef, so I called Sandi so she could help assemble the spring rolls. Everyone had to work for this meal. It was not an easy task. Rolling the wrapper took practice. It was either too fat, and the wrapper would tear or too thin. After wrapping, we had to wrap it again in saran wrap so as not to dry out. 

The pancit was easier since everything went into the pan, and that was it.

The fruits of our labor were gratifying. The spring rolls were absolutely delicious, especially after it was dipped in her homemade peanut sauce. We all had two to start, but after a few hours, we had two more along with the pancit. Will I ever make this dish again.....not in a million years. The next time I have a craving for Vietnamese Spring Rolls, I will most likely go to a restaurant. It will never be as good, but life is too short to spend so much time in the kitchen!Thank you ever so much, Berenice, for a job well done. 

Spinach Pasta

It was Cindy's birthday, and she had mentioned that she hasn't had or made the Spinach Pasta I used to make in the '70s. It was the recipe of my grandma's Italian friend. It was made with bacon and whipping cream. 

This was an effortless dinner. I made a green salad and served the pasta with some French bread. Everyone seemed to love it.

Before dessert, we took a break and released the baby bunny we rescued the day before. Dessert was store-bought Smores Pie from Bristol Farms. It was a "happy birthday" indeed for Cindy.

Forma

This restaurant really does not disappoint. Sandi and I had reservations a couple of weeks ago when Governor Nuisance decided all restaurants should close again, even if most of them were following the guidelines of social distancing, masks, etc. He did, however, allow outdoor sitting.

Sandi and I have been craving for the Fried Artichoke Salad and Cacio e Pepe. We made a reservation for today at 2 p.m. A few hours before, Sandi called and had to cancel since she was not feeling good due to sciatica, not COVID. She was almost in tears because she had looked forward to this, and so did I. Luckily, I was able to drag my son along instead of canceling the reservation.

It was a bit chilly, but they had heaters, so it was quite pleasant. I wanted my son to try the beautiful fried artichoke salad, so we split one. In honor of Sandi's absence, I thought I would skip the Cacio e Pepe and order something else. Erik ordered the Ceviche, and I opted for the Salmon Pizza.

The salad was delicious as ever. The Ceviche was nice and fresh; wild snapper, avocado, mango, cucumbers, onions chili, and a citrus dressing served with taro chips. The Salmon Pizza was outstanding. I've never had a crust that thin and crusty. The topping had a layer of crème fraîche, mozzarella, mascarpone, salmon, and capers. It might be the best pizza yet that I have had, and I've had a few of them!

Erik was impressed with the food. Who wouldn't? Grazie mille to our server Gianfranco who took good care of us. I was sorry to have missed Mario, who had just left fifteen minutes before we got there. Hope to see him next time!

Forma is located at 1610 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica, California.