chicken of the sea

Due to the recent Chron article on the miracles of canned tuna and three Niçoise salads this week, I’ve been thinking a lot about this unappreciated fish.  But really, it’s incredible when you stop to think about what tuna can do for you.

Growing up, you enjoy the comfort of tuna salads, tuna sandwiches, and tuna melts.  I went to school packing many a tuna sandwich in my day (don’t forget to drain the celery or it’ll be watery!) and I still remember Smelly making me my very first tuna melt back in the day.  And I’m sure there are a few of you out there who will confess to mixing up the mac and cheese with a sprinkling of StarKist.  No?  It’s delicious.

 Nostalgia aside, those little cans are packing lean protein and omega 3s as well, so it’s worth remembering these recipes in our adult life.  And, for you bachelors, they’re just as easy as ramen and much healthier.

Of course, as adults, we enter the greater world of tuna, with bluefin and yellowtail sushi, grilled tuna steaks, and tuna tartares.  All of which are frankly much more delicious than a sandwich oozing with tuna and Cheddar.  Tuna in its rare and simply dressed state is really something worthy of admiration.  I would rank it near Al Gore on Time’s Top 100 list.  Maybe slightly above if it’s a really good tuna steak.

After all, it’s the versatility of tuna that makes it so awe-inspiring.  From the most run-down school system to the the finest restaurants around the world, the humblest can to the most expensive cut.  Even Jessica Simpson eats it (the stars!  they’re just like us!), out of the can, no less.  So the next time you’re browsing for canned beans or searching for the freshest slabs of salmon, remember how happy tuna can make you.  And even if you’ve got a bun in the oven, most canned tuna is skipjack, which is very low in mercury.  So ask yourself, WWJD (what would Jess do)?, get out that fork and can opener, and dig in.  For some chicken.