Funny how we gravitate later in life to things that were so special and really comforting from our childhood. Food was that for me.
Mom's Legacy
My Mom was one helluva cook. Croatian and self-taught, she was multi-talented in so many ways. From flower design, gardening and sewing to designing, art, writing and, yes, cooking. I think I inherited some of her passions for these things as I oftentimes as a kid was her big helper in the kitchen or when fixing up old furniture we might have found discarded in a dump, near the railroad tracks or alongside the road. We didn't have much, so we had to improvise, be resourceful and creative. I'm so very grateful for this part of my life because it added so much color and 'life' to my life. Plus, it's made me resilient and resourceful, too. I mean these are traits that mean survival.
Mom's Food
There're way too many things I loved that Mom created in our postage stamp sized kitchen with about nothing more than a stove and refrigerator. She didn't have many gadgets and gizmos. Yeah, she had a meat grinder that she attached to the old rickety kitchen table, and she'd grind pork and beef. And, she had a pressure cooker, the old kind, that hissed, screamed and scared the beeegeeebeees outta me when she twisted that nozzle on top and let some of the steam escape. I swear it scared me almost for life until I got a fancy Cuckoo Multi-Cooker that is almost like silent auto pressure cooker release. Yes, I now use a pressure cooker and have overcome my fears of this kind of cooking!
One of Mom's best salads was a tuna salad. She used the cheapest dark tuna packed in oil, a lot of mayo, and heavy on the sweet pickle relish, onions and celery. It was certainly yummy! But, in this age of trying to elevate to a healthier version of vintage and family recipes, I've tweaked Mom's a little and made it much more healthy, but with all the flavor, textures and taste. Hope you broaden your horizons and try this no cook dish. I mean I can eat it all myself over the course of several days. Give me a few scoops of it in a bowl, some salty kettle potato chips and I just escape to growing up in them thar West Virginia hills! xoxo ~ally
PS: A few ideas for serving pieces. You know I'm all into the way your food looks on that plate or in the bowl, and the serving piece is the first piece of 'art' you select!
- 4 cans albacore tuna, drained
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 2 tsp. nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning mixture
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 3/4 cup sweet pickle relish
- 2 cups celery, sliced
- 3/4 cup sweet onions, diced
- 1 cup fresh herbs, loose pack, basil, parsley, thyme, chopped medium
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced or small slice
- 1/3 cup dried apricots, small dice
Ingredients
Instructions
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