Spanish Tuna and White Bean Salad with Marcona Almonds

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Remember when I was talking about the word 'salad' in THIS post?  Well, here is another delicious salad.  But the funny thing about this salad, it is served as a dip.  Does your brain hurt right now? Whether you serve it as a dip with pita chips or as a salad (on a bed of lightly dressed mixed greens is nice), it is quite tasty and quick to prepare. 

If you haven't tried or heard of Marcona almonds, you are in for a treat.  They are Spanish almonds that have become increasingly popular over the last couple years.  They are flatter in shape, a little sweeter and much softer in texture than regular California almonds, so please do not substitute.  They can easily be found at most grocery stores or gourmet food shops.

Here's a fun food fact and another etymology tidbit for you.  The word 'almond' is derived from the Ancient Greek word 'amygdala', the almond shaped portion of the brain. Now does your brain hurt?😜

Twisted Tuna Pasta Salad

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Can one have too many summer pasta salad recipes?  They are perfect for my household because I can make a large batch for dinner, have leftovers for work, and some more to pack for picnics at the park or beach.   Good, portable food in my house is a plus!

This is a classic deli pasta salad that feeds a crowd.  The first time I made this, the five of us had a portion, some went back for another bite, and there still was over half left.  I serve pasta salads with veggies and fresh fruit on the side so we don't mound our plates with just the pasta, therefore I increased the serving size to 8 adult servings.  I made quite a few changes to the original, reducing the tuna and a few veggies, but adding chopped hard-boiled eggs (I love eggs) and fresh flavors like parsley and lemon.  I also reduced the amount of sugar, but added a bit more mayonnaise to make for a tasty dressing.  It is a delicious pasta salad that we all enjoy.

Sunday Dinner

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Spuma di Tonno

Rosemary Grissini

Lasagna with Béchamel
Roasted Fennel

Broccolini with Gremolata

Chocolate-Layered Espresso Jellies

One of my favorite things to do with my free time is to go to the library and get lost in the stacks of cookbooks.  I pull books on classic techniques, French bistro food, chocolate and baking and create my own culinary world.  Unfortunately, for the past year and a half, our local library moved to a small and temporary location in order to renovate and improve the original building.   Getting lost in the stacks of cookbooks wasn't an option.  Yesterday, however, was the grand re-opening of the new and improved library.  Yeah!  To celebrate I thought I would put this appetizer recipe on our Sunday dinner menu.

I found this recipe a few years ago while getting lost in the stacks.  It was in the book Mediterranean Summer by David Shalleck.  It is about an American chef that spends an idyllic summer cooking for a wealthy couple aboard their yacht while sailing through the Côte d'Azur--a great read.  This recipe he developed was a favorite that summer and I have to say it is now a favorite of ours.

Spuma di Tonno, or tuna mousse, is super simple to prepare and has an incredible taste.  You won't believe how quickly this disappears.  I have even converted some non tuna likers with this spread. I serve it with Rosemary Grissini, but it is equally delicious on crostini or on thin slices of baguette for a passable hors d'oeurve.  I do hope you give it a try.