Let's talk about the elephant in the room... how does everyone feel about Kevin Durant becoming a Warrior? Are you pumped for Golden State, crushed for the Thunder, or bummed that he didn't go to your team (like, ahhhhem, the Spurs)? Or are you asking yourself or your coworker who Kevin Durant is... Regardless of your answer, it's official, the Warriors just got even better and I smell redemption. Anyway, enough about that, we're talking about poke today!

You might recall a few months back when I posted my Alana-style shoyu ahi poke, well this is even easier to pull together and just as good. And while I don't have a drop of Hawaiian blood, I'm half Japanese and half German, Irish, Dutch, etc., I feel pretty good about the authenticity of this dish. After all, I was born and raised in Hawaii, have a fisherman for an uncle, and live with a Hawaiian (Moses), so I grew up eating the good stuff. 

While there are a lot of poke bowls floating around, I maintain that simple's often best, and there really isn't much to a good poke bowl. It all starts with good fish. Get the freshest ahi (tuna) you can get and make sure it's sushi grade. Next make sure you've got Hawaiian salt and if you don't have it, now might be a good time to grab some. It's a crucial ingredient in this dish. After that, there really aren't very many more ingredients. You'll need sesame oil, chopped sweet onion, chopped green onion, finely chopped toasted macadamia nuts, roasted sesame seeds, and some kind of spice. I'd recommend shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice), but chili flakes are a definite classic.

After that, the rest is up to you. Add as much or as little as you'd like; I've given some general guides below, but this is gonna be all about what tastes best to you. If you can find it, ogo/limu/edible sea moss should definitely be added, but it's harder to find outside of Hawaii, so if you can't find it, sprinkle some shredded nori (dried seaweed) or furikake on top. You know my feelings about hot, white rice (I luv it) and a poke bowl wouldn't be a poke bowl without hot rice! While it seems like a poke shop is popping up on every block in Southern California, I maintain, the best poke can be made at home! And if you're ever in LA, look me up, we can go down to the fish market and test this theory!

Ahi Poke Bowls

Makes 2 bowls

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. fresh ahi (sashimi grade) steaks, cut into cubed, bite-size pieces

• Sesame oil

• Chopped sweet Maui onion (or sweet yellow onion)

• Chopped green onions

• Hawaiian salt

• Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) or chili pepper flakes

• Finely chopped toasted macadamia nuts

• Toasted sesame seeds

• Fresh ogo/limu/edible sea moss or shredded nori (dried seaweed) or furikake

• Cooked white rice

TOOLS

• Sharp Kiritsuke or chef's knife

• Cutting board

• Fine grater

• Mixing bowl

FIX

1. Place cubed ahi in a medium bowl. 

2. Start by adding one tablespoon of sesame oil, 1/4 cup of chopped sweet onions, a 1/4 cup of chopped green onions, 1/4 teaspoon of Hawaiian salt, 1/2 teaspoon shichimi togarashi or chili flakes, 2 teaspoons toasted macadamia nuts, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, and a handful of chopped ogo/limu if you have it. Gently toss together and adjust seasoning to your liking.

3. Serve over a bowl of hot, white rice and sprinkle with shredded nori or furikake if desired. 

4. Enjoy!

Note: Use this as a starting point, but feel free to tweak to your liking. Add less shichimi togarashi or chili if you know you don't like a lot of spice. Customize and make this your own. Best poke bowl at home coming your way!