REVIEW: TUNA!

People seem to be fascinated by tuna.

It might be that their interest in tuna comes from how funny sounding the word is: tuna.

Is it that a large percentage of their flesh and bones knit together from the childhood consumption of tons of the less than elusive tuna? School children for decades have been fed gallons of tuna noodle casserole (or for those of you in Minnesota "hot dish"), sandwiches, salads, ice cream sundaes and malteds.

Well… those last two … not so much.

Speaking of being less than elusive, the other day I was talking with a priest friend and we determined that we are, in a sense, both ecclesiastical versions of Charlie the Tuna. No matter how hard we try, churchy powers that be just don’t want what we are offering. I need a photoshopped image of Charlie in clerical dress, a cassock or something.

Yah, I know. I am about as much of a beatnik as Jaws.

I’m kidding of course, but you get the idea. There’s humor in tuna. Tunny is funny.

Chickens are funny too, but right now we are talking about toooooonah!

So, I thought it was important to alert you to a TUNA REVIEW. WDTPRS needs more entries about tuna … and moose… but especially tuna.

Without ever having put tuna on my wish list, I have actually been given cans of tuna for Christmas. I have been sent cans of tuna by readers of WDTPRS! Tuna is important. A friend alerts me to new tuna products!

Here is a TUNA REVIEW by way of Meanwhile, Back In The Kitchen.

This tuna has the advantage of being named after a region in Italy. Can’t be bad, right?

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Best. Canned. Tuna. Ever.

I am not kidding.

As my family knows, I am darned picky about tuna. Years ago, there was a brand usually sold to restaurants that I was able to get over the internet.

Mothers routinely would call or corner me and ask what I did to make tuna salad that their kids loved and mentioned to their mothers. "Easy," I said. "Just use albacore and real mayonnaise." [Yes, folks. Stick with real mayo for this. But let’s not devolve into dressing disputes here.]

You would not believe how many faces of disgust I saw at the mention of real mayo. Our country is so messed up. [A powerful indicator to be sure.]

However, I digress. My beloved tuna was discontinued, at least for public purchase. Sadness ensued. Accompanied by a quest to replace it.

I have been able to do so to varying degrees, finally settling for a kind sold at the Central Market. For $6 per can.

It was worth it. Just believe me. Not equal to my restaurant tuna but close enough. Then, of course, The Central Market discontinued carrying it in favor of their own brand which, you should excuse me, is something my cat would enjoy but not something I care to eat myself. [Bad tuna in a can is nearly indistinguishable from cat food.]

Yes, HEB, just take it. Your tuna is not all that.

Back to the internet I went. Where I found Lazio tuna … which I completely bought myself. (Hark! Can you hear the angels singing?) Oh. my. goodness.

I didn’t know canned tuna could taste so very, very good.

I bought the oil-pack … just to be an anti-politically-correct-American. [Of COURSE the oil-packed tuna!] As I said, the angels sang.

A canned filet with none of that weird stuff in the bottom of the can. A flavor where you can tell it actually came from a tuna … while still being distinctively canned tuna. Delicately salted but enough that you can tell there is salt. And packed in oil. Like when I was a kid! Although that wasn’t olive oil when I was a kid. I think it was … soybean oil? However, I digress again. Just believe me that this is a glorious products.

Go get yourself a sample.