Open my freezer, and youll see at least three packages.
It was hard not to eat the simple rice-and-fish dish everyday.
When I returned home, however, my poke bowl days were over.
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It was largely unknown on the East Coast where I live.
If only, I thought, I could make poke bowls at home.
But sushi-grade tuna was both hard to come by and expensive.
Until Aldi came to the rescue.
Whats not to like about a wide variety of food at reasonable prices, especially in these inflationary days.
The individual portions were vacuum-sealed, so that the smooth, unblemished tuna was easily visible.
It looked good, but I didnt believe itsushi grade?
That was a bold statement for supermarket frozen fish.
It all seemed just too good to be true.
I skeptically bought the product and took it home to try it out onyou guessed itpokebowls for my family.
First, I gave it the sniff test.
There was no discerniblesmellto the fish whatsoeverso far so good.
Its appearance was evenly deep pink with minimal fat.
If the product tasted even decent, it would be a game changer.
Two bites and the look on their faces said it all.
The ahi tuna wasnt decent, it wasphenomenal.
My love for this product has, admittedly, become an obsession.
Almost anyone who comes over is dragged to the kitchen so I can show them the bag.
Ive become such an evangelist that my friends joke that its like I work for the store.
Just in case they run outwhich did happen once, much to my horror.
Today, there are always at least three bags of these ahi tuna steaks in my freezer.
And I dont only use them for poke bowls.
They are wonderful for making tuna tartare,salade nicoiseor an incredibly fresh tuna salad sandwich.
I then sear each side in a hot frying pan coated with a small amount of toasted sesame oil.
I slice the rare tuna into 14-inch slices and serve on top of salad for a light meal.
As for poke, my family doesnt even consider eating it outI just make it at home.
So next time youre at Aldi, grab a bag to try for yourself.
Im sure therell be plenty leftunless Ive gotten there first.
