History Must Be Remembered

Years ago when I was teaching elementary school in North Hollywood, I met a young teacher who I would not forget.  She was Japanese American, and an outstanding young teacher.  One day she told me she was going to visit Manzanar, a Japanese internment camp from WW11.  Honestly, I had never heard of it.  I don't ever remember being taught about internment camps in high school or college, and was shocked to hear her story.

Her parents had come to the U.S. from Japan, and had settled in the San Francisco area.  Eventually they saved enough money to open a small retail store of some sort, and were making a nice life for themselves.  That was, until WW11.  Upon executive order from FDR, they were quietly removed from their homes one day and sent to Manzanar,  near Bishop, California.  I know where it is, as we used to pass it on the way to Mammoth, and for years I didn't know what it was.  This was just one of tens of thousands of stories of the inexcusable treatment of Japanese Americans during WW11.  Boy, what fear can do!

Between 110,000 and 120,000 Japanese Americans, many of them second generation, were removed from their homes and sent to internment camps during WW11.  FDR, by executive order, enacted this on February 19, 1942.  All people of Japanese ancestry were removed from the entire West Coast.  The U.S. Census Bureau assisted the internment efforts by providing confidential neighborhood information on Japanese Americans.  This was denied for many years, until the truth came out during the Carter administration, when a thorough investigation of internment camps was undertaken.  The result was that $1.6 billion in reparations was paid to 82,219 Japanese Americans, who were unfairly interned.

This was racially motivated, as these citizens offered no real threat.  It reminds me of what is happening today with minorities, specifically immigrants.  Some politicians are trying to scare us.  They want us to think immigrants are terrorists, rapists, and murderers.  Statistics say they are less likely to commit heinous crimes than American born citizens.

Although internment camps are not being suggested by any politician, deporting immigrants has been suggested.   Immigrants are a vital part of our community, and contribute significantly to the fabric of America.  Yes, we need to control immigration, but this should be done by reforming immigration law, not rounding up immigrants and deporting them.  What was done to the Japanese Americans during WW11 was disgraceful.  We are better than that.

A Long History For Candy Company Mars

Forrest Mars Jr, billionaire co-owner of Mars Inc., died recently at the age of 84.  He owned the company with his two siblings, and helped oversee the candy company's global drive into new markets.  Among their many products were Milky Way, Skittles, M and M, Twix, Starburst, Dove, Snickers, Pedigree dog food, Banfield Pet Hospitals, Whiskas cat food, and Uncle Bens rice.

Forrest was the grandson of Forrest E. Mars, who made the first Mars products in 1911, over 100 years ago.  He and his siblings ran the closely held company for the past 30 years.  They expanded their products into Russian, Poland and the Czech Republic in 1991 and opened their first manufacturing plant in China two years later.

Mars believed that the first company in after the fall of the Soviet Union would have a big advantage over Soviet bloc consumers.  His penchant for aggressive internationl expansion would play an important role in the company's success in China.  Along the way, Forrest Mars Jr. became the world's 21st wealthiest person, amassing a net wort of over $31.5 billion.  His two siblings have equivalent fortunes.

Like his father before him, Forrest Mars Jr. was a very private man.  He shunned the spotlight and kept his business activities so veiled that Washingtonian magazine described privacy as "their religion."  Under its founder, Mars became a household name with products like Milky Way, M and M's, and Snickers.  Ownership passed to the children in 1973, and expansion continued.  In 1981 they acquired Flavia coffee, and in 1986, they acquired Dove International.  During the last two decades, under non family leadership, Mars has purchased WmWrigley Jr. Co, Iams Eukanuba and Natura petfood from Procter and Gamble.  The company has net sales of more than $33 billion and 80,000 employees.  Quite an American story for people who had an ordinary childhood.  Forrest and his siblings had to work to earn money for what they wanted as children.  No fancy clothes or expensive clothes for them.  They did not receive allowances, and they didn't even get free candy!

The King Of Debt

Donald Trump calls himself the king of debt.  He says he has made much of his money by taking on big debt.  In most instances, it seems to have worked for him.  But is this right for everyone?  When I grew up I was taught to save something out of every paycheck and not to buy anything unless you could pay for it.  As a result, Ron and I were six months into our marriage before we bought a $500 tv for our living room.  We never had a credit card balance.  We just didn't buy something if we couldn't pay for it.  We were not exactly the type of consumer America, or credit card companies, liked.

Last week my monthly discussion group of six very bright women had a lively discussion about economics.  We were discussing the pros and cons of having a paid off house at our age and of buying or leasing a car.  The bottom line was that we determined that much of what we were taught about finances does not apply today.  Of course, low, or should I say no interest rates might change your thinking.  It makes sense to carry a mortgage if you can put your money to work making more than your mortgage.  That's not always the case these days.

Senior citizens are not usually big consumers, and with our aging population, spending among older citizens is stagnant.  This is especially true now that interest rates are so low.  Millenials, on the other hand, seem to spend everything they earn and then some.  Many young men and women have significant credit debt that just keeps increasing.  Between student debt and the "I need to buy that now" attitude, they are stuck with years of interest payments.

I know financial planners are advising clients to have debt on their house, even if they can pay it off, but I'm kind of old fashioned.  I like to pay for what I buy.  Except for large expenses like houses or cars, I want to own things.  If I can't afford a fancy trip, I'll wait until next year, or take a cheaper trip.  Whether it's smarter to have a lot of debt or none at all, I don't know.  For me, I love getting card bills with a $0 balance.

Character Counts

To me, the most important measure of a man or woman is their character.  How much money they have, what charities they give to, what business success they have achieved are secondary to their character.  Everyone has a different measure of character.  Some people value loyalty and friendship, others find ambition and hard work most important.  I think a lot about character these days as we examine our presidential candidates.

I have tried to keep politics out of my blog, but with the choices we have, I have to speak up.  We have two choices.  Yes, there are several other candidates running but let's face it, either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be our next president.  They're both smart, one has years of business experience, the other years of government and political experience.  We've all decided that the status quo is not working, and many people see Trump as a chance to try something new.  But is he prepared to be president?  Does someone who thinks he knows more about foreign policy than our generals really who you want with the nuclear codes?

The negative ratings are high on both candidates, in fact higher than any other presidential candidates in history.  Hillary has shown to have a steady hand, to make thoughtful decisions, to ask for advice, and to be able to work with politicians on both sides of the aisles.  It's funny now that she's running for president Republicans have a different opinion of her.  When she was senator of New York and Secretary of State she was praised by members of both parties.  Now that she's running for president they see things differently.   She has spent 30+ years working on behalf of children, trying to see that all children have a chance for educational success and healthcare.  Trump has spent the last 30+ years building some beautiful buildings, but also stiffing the little guy.  He wants to make America great again, but he ships all his jobs overseas!

There is no perfect candidate, and both presidential candidates have flaws, but to me, character counts.  Do I want a president who belittles disabled people, calls immigrants rapists and murderers, thinks he knows more than the generals, and demeans GoldStar families?  Do I want someone who bullies journalists, calls everything that doesn't go his way "fixed?"  Or, do I want someone who is intelligent, hard working and has a record of trying to bring people together, not divide them?  Which person do you want your grandchildren to emulate?  It's not hard for me to decide.  Character does count.

How You Live Your Life

I had my old dog park friends over for lunch the other day.  Not that they're old, but they are from an old dog park, not the current park that I go to at Ocean Hills.  A few of us became good friends over the years we spent at Ranch Coastal, and when the park closed, we kept our friendships.  We have lunch together every now and again.  Kim is moving to Connecticut in a few weeks, so this was a farewell lunch for her.  Charlene got us talking about serious subjects, like how long we all have to live.  She got to thinking about that when she realized the life expectancy of her beloved Vishla (a dog) Bella, was about 8 more years.  She figures that to be her life expectancy too.

So Charlene wonders if she will live her life differently knowing how long she has to live.  I told her that none of really knows how long we have, but when a doctor has given you a finite amount of time, you do things differently.  First and most importantly, you don't spend time with people you don't like or want to be with.  How many times have you gone to dinner with a couple, and you really don't like the husband or wife?  I've done that more times than I can count, but when your time on earth is limited, you don't want to waste any precious hours doing something you don't want to do.

The second important thing is to live each day and each moment to its fullest.  I have seen this first hand with Ron.  He no longer feels he has to get up at 8am.  If he wants to sleep until 9am, he does.  We started getting the UT, and Ron spends the first hour of the day having a cup of Starbucks coffee from his Keurig and reading the paper.  If it's a nice day, he'll sit outside with Pepper.  There is almost nothing he'd rather do on a Tuesday morning.  Third, knowing that your life is limited allows you to be a little eccentric.  Who cares what others think?

Charlene has no idea how long she is going to live.  She's not sick, and she'll probably be around forever.  When the doctor has given you a range of life expectancy, things change.  Even a doctor's prediction may be way off.  People expected to live 18 months will often be around years later.  Enjoy each day.  Don't put off anything that you really want to do.  No one really knows what tomorrow will bring.

My New Favorite Lunch

Several months ago I discovered a new product at Trader Joe's, beet hummus.  It is delicious.  Frazier Farms also makes beet hummus, but the Trader Joe's product has more garlic, and for me, more flavor.  I'd been using it just as a dip for veggies and pita chips, until I started using it in sandwiches.  Here's what I've been eating several times a week for lunch for the past few months.

For the bread, I use either pita pockets or any of the whole wheat wraps.  This is the base for the sandwich.  I spread about 3 T. beet hummus on the pita or wrap, then add the following:  sliced Persian cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, chopped lettuce or kale, chopped Greek olives and any other vegetable I'm trying to get rid of.  I top it with a sprinkle of Feta cheese.  (I made the mistake of buying a big box of Feta at Costco, and this is a great way to use it up).  For a final touch, I drizzle a flavored balsamic vinegar on top.  Right now I am using grapefruit balsamic vinegar, which I purchased at Baker and Olive.  I prefer the lemon flavored vinegar, but this is nice for a change.  It's a messy process to eat this wrap, but it's sooo good.  Another great healthy, satisfying summer lunch.  Enjoy

Boogie Boarding At Any Age

When I first joined Newcomers of San Dieguito, I was delighted by the variety of activities.  Book clubs, cultural excursions, hiking, crafts, and boogie boarding.  I hadn't boogie boarded in almost 50 years, but I always loved the sun, sand and surf, so I decided to try.  At the time, Christa was our leader.  She had a little blue flag that she stuck in the ground to mark the meeting place for our group.  In the beginning there were only three or four of us.  Boy, how our group has grown!

Boogie boarding is fun for kids of all ages.  Our group now has women in their 80's, who ride the waves with the best of them, including many young kids, teens, and their parents.  It's such a free, actually blissful feeling.  I go every Wednesday, and some Mondays, and each time it's exhilarating.   Our group, which started small, now has a dozen or more women who can't wait to get into the water.  Boogie boarding with kids is such a kick.  They have no fear.  Getting wiped out by a wave doesn't bother them.  They're back on their board for the next wave.  We used to be the only seniors in the water, but things have changed.  At Moonlight beach there are several groups of seniors boogie boarding and body surfing.  The life guards get a kick out of us.  We're like they're grandmas, and they think we're pretty cute and  gutsy.  We think they're pretty cute too.

Don't be afraid of the water, assuming you can swim.  We'll help you, and you will discover an activity that will make you feel young again.  You'll also get some exercise, and use some muscles you haven't used in while.  I hope to see you in the water before this summer is gone.

Born To Love

The events in Dallas have prompted me to write something about race.  This is a story I have been telling for over 30 years, since my son Phil went off to kindergarten at our local public school, which was located in Bel Air,  a privileged area of Los Angeles.  The school, Bellagio Road School, had a busing program, so I knew he would be in a class with a nice mix of black, Hispanic and white students.  At that time, which was 1983, I was teaching in North Hollywood at a public school that was also involved in busing.  The mix of students was about 50% white, 25% Hispanic, and 25%black.  I assumed Bellagio would be the same.

Phil went off to school, loved his teacher and his classmates.  He was thriving.  He took the bus to school, so I never had occasion to visit the school or classroom at all.  In early December Phil brought his class picture home.  We were shocked.  Out of a class of 28 students, there were 5 white students, and the rest were Hispanic and black.  What surprised me was that Phil never said a word about the ethnic makeup of his class.

Why would he?  He had been around people of color since he was born, and they were always treated with respect.  He felt as comfortable with people of color as he did with whites.  That's because no one had told him otherwise.  Hate is something that we are taught.  You are not born hating.  Phil was not taught to look at or treat his Hispanic or black classmates any differently than the white students.  I hate to say it, but it's parents and grandparents that are teaching children to hate.  They may not actually tell a child he should hate someone of another race, but he may show him through his actions that he does not respect them.

Children are born loving their fellow man until they are taught not to.  We need to emphasize love and empathy at this time.  Whites can never understand how it feels to be black, and the different standard that exists for them in the world.  Just go to any integrated school and watch the very young ones play.  There is no segregation, no separation by race in young children.  It's not until they get a little bit older, and parents and society have taught them to hate, that segregation takes place.  We as adults have to accept responsibility and change course, or we're going to continue to have a divided country.

One Pan Balsamic Chicken

I am always looking for a quick and nutritious meal that Ron will actually like.  It's getting harder and harder to cook for him.  He likes chicken, but you can't have chicken every night.  I discovered a dish that takes minutes to make and is healthy and delicious.  I hope you like it as much as we did.

                                One Pan Balsamic Chicken

3/4 c. button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
3/4 c. fresh green beans trimmed and cut in half

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. Italian dressing
3 T. balsamic vinegar
1 c. grape tomatoes

Cook mushrooms and green beans in 1tsp. of olive oil until tender.  Remove and set aside.  In the same pan, add a little oil (or spray pan with Pam), season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and cook until just done, a few minutes on each side.  Add the mushroom and beans back into the pan, and add Italian dressing and balsamic vinegar.  Mix until all ingredients are combined.  Add grape tomatoes and toss into the dish.  That's it, it's ready to eat.  Enjoy just as it is, or add rice, couscous or quinoa.  It's a great summer quick dinner either way.  Enjoy.

Why Do People Talk About The Past?

I was waiting to play pickleball one Saturday morning, and got to talking to my friend Carol.  She knows I have a 90+ year old mother, and asked me if my mother talked a lot about the past.  I was startled by the question, having never considered it before, but I came back quickly and told her "No,"  my mother talks about the present or the near future.  I was surprised by the question, but it got me thinking.  I have known people  who talk almost exclusively about the past.  Why do they do that?

I believe they remember times past as the good old days.  Business or work was great, marriage was good, everything was great.  Perhaps they have been effected by a poor economy and finances are tough, or they may be resistant to change, and not have moved forward with technology and cultural changes.  They want things the way they used to be.  We used to have a friend who talked about nothing but years ago, when he lived in New York.  The theatre was better, the food was better, his job was better.  Finally I asked him why he didn't go back to New York.  He wanted things in California to be just like New York, with good weather.

I told Carol that my mom talks mostly about the present, what she is doing now.  She does mention the future, but the near future.  She doesn't speculate on what her great grandchildren will be doing in 15 years, or what this country will be like then either.  She lives in the present.

I, too live in the moment.  I have learned this through 71 years of experience.  All we have is right now.  There may not be a tomorrow.  Ron and I  have faced some difficult challenges through our 46 year marriage, and taking one day at a time has helped us.  Now, with Ron dealing with a difficult illness, living in the present is even more tomorrow.  We are doing just that.  It's fun to reminisce about the past, as we do when we get together with some of Ron's childhood friends.  That's a lot of fun, but then it's time to come back to today, and enjoy what we have right now.

A Nostalgic Night At The Civic Theatre

Carole King is one of the most talented singer/songwriters of our generation, so when a group of my women friends wanted to go see Beautiful, the Carole King musical, I jumped at the chance.  We started the evening with Happy Hour at Brooklyn Girl in Hillcrest.  Crab fritters, shrimp tacos, crab salad, several pizzas and some alcoholic beverages put us in the mood for some good music from our youth.

I knew Carole King was prolific, but I had no idea she had written over 400 songs for artists like The Drifters, The Everly Brothers, The Shirelles, The Beatles, The Chiffons, The Monkees, Aretha Franklin, James Taylor, and many others.  She, with her husband Gerry Goffin, wrote hit after hit in the 1960's.  When Carole and Gerry divorced in 1968, Carole was at first devastated.  She soon came to realize that she could do it all, without a partner.  She wrote music and words for the Tapestry album as a single mother with two small children, and began to perform her music too.  No longer writing for other artists, her songs were personal, inspirational.

It's funny how songs are often a timeline to your life.  I was in college when many of the songs Carole wrote were performed.  I can almost put myself back in the dorm room or at a college dance when I hear these songs.  They bring back so many memories!

When the show was over and the applause had died down, we were all disappointed.  We wanted more!  More music and more songs that reminded us of our youth.  Thank you Carole King, for the hundreds of songs you wrote and sang, that bring back that lovin' feeling of the 1960's.

Visiting Old Friends

When I titled this blog "Vising old friends," I did not at first realize how old this friendship was.  We went to Colorado, in part, to visit an old high school friend of Ron's, Ian.  Ian and Ron first met 62 years ago.  They reconnected about six months ago while we were visiting some other high school friends in Phoenix.  The two of them had such a good time getting reacquainted in Phoenix, that they decided to meet again in Colorado.  I'm so happy we did.

Ian and Carol live in Basalt, Colorado.  It's a beautiful little town of about 4,000 residents (not all permanent), about 20 minutes from Aspen.  Having never been to that region of Colorado, we were excited to visit.  Living in this beautiful area of Colorado does not come cheap.  A 2,400 square home, nice but not extravagant, runs about $900,000.  Small change compared to what a house in Aspen might cost.  Homes in the $10-20 million range are everywhere.

The drive from Denver airport to Basalt was 3 hours and 20 minutes, most of time enjoying magnificent views of rocks, mountains and small towns.  We spent the afternoon and evening together.  Carol and I got to hear high school stories that the two of them shared, and we enjoyed the fact that they were having so much fun.  We were tired from a day of travel and driving, so we went to bed early.  I was told not to go out for a walk in the neighborhood alone, as there were bears in the area.  That's all I had to hear.  No walking for me!

The next day we went to Aspen.  It's everything I thought it would be and more.  The homes are gorgeous, and the downtown shopping area is just what you'd expect from a town inhabited by people with more money than they know what to do with.  We had lunch at The White House, a great choice.  I had a delicious salad, Ron had a French dip sandwich, Carol had the fish and chips, and Ian had a burger.  Lunch for the four of us was $100.  If you go to Aspen, bring your wallet.

Dinner that night was at a local Italian restaurant called Bella Mia.  It's the restaurant where Ken Lay had his last meal (Enron executive).  He died, so they said, of a heart attack that night, before he was scheduled to report to jail.  Nice little local restaurant with a bit of history.

Visiting Ian and Carol was great fun, especially for Ron.  There's nothing like reminiscing about crazy high school days.  Ian and Ron were crazy then, and it was fun to hear Ian confirm funny stories I'd been hearing for the past 47 years.

It's A Wow for Wow Wow Waffle

The North Park neighborhood of San Diego is home to all things artsy, funky and just plain fun.  Thanks to Marilyn and Sue, our breakfast bunch group visited Wow Wow Waffle for a fun and delicious morning of great waffles, and a short walking tour of the beautiful Craftsman homes in the area.  I would never have found this place on my own.  It's on 30th Street, in a mixed neighborhood of residential and commercial.  Most of the businesses are housed in old bungalow style houses.  Wow Wow Waffle is one of these.

Wow Wow Waffle began in 2011 as a food truck, with a presence all over San Diego at the local Farmer's Markets.  They developed such a following that they decided to open a brick and mortar restaurant.  The only item served at Wow Wow Waffle is, you guessed it, waffles.  They serve sweet and savory waffles.  I enjoyed a waffle topped with goat cheese, smashed avocado, and candied bacon for $7.  They offer a parfait waffle, topped with greek yogurt and fruit.  Other waffles included one topped with Nutella, another fruit and whipped cream.  They also make waffle sandwiches, like the turkey sandwich, which uses waffles instead of bread.

If you go to Belgium, you find street waffles everywhere.  It's a snack that people pick up at kiosks on the street, much like the crepe in France.  In America, we're not there yet, but waffles are definitely catching on.  Wow Wow started as truck, and is now a free standing restaurant.  Everyone in North Park knows about it, and  now you do too.  The food was great, the staff was super friendly, and the ambience was eclectic.  If you're in the area, try it for breakfast or brunch.  Be sure to check their hours, as they're are not open all the time.  All I can say is, WOW, after eating at Wow Wow Waffle.

Fruit Smoothie

I'm back on Weight Watchers again for probably the 47th time in my life.  Will this be the time that I get to goal?  I certainly hope so.  I was at the nail shop a few weeks ago and ran into a new friend, Dannica.  I commented to her that I thought she was looking great, and she told me she had started Weight Watchers about a month ago.  I told her of the many tries I had made, and she encouraged me to come to the Tuesday morning meeting, which I did.  I'm so happy to be back on a program that allows me to eat the foods I love.  One of things I love is fruit.  Fruit is a free food on Weight Watchers, so here's my 0 points, almost no calorie fruit smoothie that I can eat any time I like.

                                    Fruit Smoothie

3/4 cup Ocean Spray DIET cranberry juice
1 stalk kale, stalk removed
few sprigs of mint
4 ice cubes
1/4 banana
1/2 cup frozen fruit, any kind

Place all ingredients in a blender (I have a Ninja), and blend until smooth.  Enjoy.  You can modify the smoothie any way you want.  Use fresh spinach, parsley, and chard as desired to vary the taste.  Also, fresh fruit of any kind can be used.  The frozen fruit is great as a base, as it assures you a nice thick smoothie.  No calories, no points, but lots of flavor!

Aging: Focus On What You CAN Do, Not What You Can't Do

In the past year I really feel old.  Up until my 70th birthday I could do just about everything.  I would boogie board, go zip lining, do strenuous yoga, take step classes, long walks and hikes.  I was game for just about anything.  On my 70th birthday we moved to Ocean Hills, and I've been feeling my age ever since.  It's not living here that has aged me, as most people here act much younger than their chronological age.  One thing that has changed for me is this.  I used to go to the Encinitas Y every day to work out.  I don't do that anymore, and although I do a lot of physical exercise, I just don't feel the same.

It's easy to focus on what I can't do anymore:  I haven't been boogie boarding in a year, I would never attempt a step class, I take  a more gentle yoga than in the past, and my walks are shorter than they used to be.  Besides this, my hip hurts one day, my back hurts another.  Advil is my best friend.  I look at Ron, who has many limitations that he didn't have even a year ago, and admire how he has tried to continue to do everything he did before, but slower and with more difficulty. He can't play baseball anymore, but he can exercise in the pool.  There are many things he can do, and he tries to focus on them.

It's so easy to fall into the mentality of focusing on what you can't do.  I used to go, go, go all day without a rest.  Now, I need an afternoon nap.  I used to do a lot of gardening, bending and pulling, but not anymore.  I can do a little gardening, but  I just can't overdo it.  I used to love playing 18 holes of golf.  Although I can still do that, I prefer to play 12 or 13 holes.  I'm tired after that.  I can still do most everything, but not as fast, not as intense, and not as often.  Fortunately I have discovered pickleball, a racquet game that can be played well into your 80's.  I love it and it's something I CAN do.

Aging is a process, and each year brings new aches and pains, new challenges.  I plan to keep active, both physically and mentally, as long as I can.  Focusing on the positive, what I can do, should he to keep me going.

Sunin: Lebanese Food in West Los Angeles

It was a hot night in LA, and my mom and I decided to go out for a quick dinner.  I love Greek, Persian and Lebanese food, so we settled on Sunin on Westwood Blvd.  The area on Westwood Blvd between Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards is called "Little Persia.  There must be a dozen Middle Eastern restaurants in the area, and many bakeries, grocery stores and small shops that cater to a Middle Eastern clientel.

Sunin has been around for over 20 years.  For many years it was across the street from its current location, and was just a little hole in the wall.  Now it is a nice, casual restaurant, with probably 20 tables.  We decided to have a dinner of appetizers.  We picked out several of our favorites, and feasted on a variety of salads.  Here's what we had:  Yogurt salad- Greek yogurt, mint, parsley, and sliced Persian cucumbers.  It's so delicious, so fresh and cool, dipped in pita or eaten plain.  Labneh-  a tart cheese, similar in consistency to cream cheese.  We ate it all with the pita and my mom can't wait to buy it and eat at home.  Sanbousek-  A Lebanese specialty, made from ground beef, onions, and pine nuts, stuffed in a flaky pastry dough and deep fried.  Very good.  Babaganouj-  one of my favorites, an eggplant dip with herbs and spices.  We were so full that we couldn't finish, and took a lot of food home for the next day.

The menu has lots more to offer, like falafel, fried cauliflower, beef, lamb and chicken kabobs, and mousakaa.  There are more expensive restaurants on Westwood Blvd, but you won't find food and better or fresher than Sunin.  It's a great place to stop for a quick lunch or dinner.