The Tuna Fish Sauce

Well, Thanksgiving is over, we may have eaten too much or just enough and now we move toward the Chanukah, Christmas, New Year celebrations with more drink, food and company. At the end of the day, it is really about being with people we may love but hopefully at least like.

Some thoughts for us to consider to make the holidays personal:

Let's give something meaningful to each other that is not "just bought". Perhaps a treasured book, scarf, piece of jewelry, art work or CD.

Cook a meal for some one(s)especially to honor your friendship.

Offer to relieve someone of a task for some period: caring for an elder, walking a dog, washing windows, do the laundry.

Make a gift. Try baking. It is easy if you follow easy recipes.

Arrange to visit the recipient to spend several hours over time reading from a favorite book of poems, or a classic novel.

Arrange a visit to a museum, cinema, library or a trek through a woods followed by a small meal.

You get the idea. Something done personally, from the heart not the wallet will mean so much not only to those who receive; but will fill you with the spirit of this time of year.

If you decide to cook, I offer my father's recipe for tuna fish sauce as promised:

Ingredients: Serves 4

2 tins of Italian tuna fish packed in oil. Each tin should be 5 to 10 ounces.
1/2 of a small red onion.
1 large clove of garlic.
1/4 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dry.
2 28 oz tins San Marzano chopped tomatoes. Please try these. Simply the best!
1 table spoon of red wine vinegar.
1 table spoon of virgin olive oil. May not be needed if the oil from the tuna tins is ample.
1/4 tea spoon cayenne pepper flakes.
1 pound of dried pasta, preferably linguine.

Cooking:

Use a 4 quart heavy sauce pot that takes heat well on the open flame.

Open the tins of tuna. Hold the lid of the tin over the contents so you can pour the excess oil into the sauce pot.

Fork the tuna into a mixing bowl and gently break it up.

Open the tins of tomatoes, pour into another mixing bowl. Add thyme, cayenne pepper and salt to taste.

Chop the garlic and red onion finely either by hand or in food processor.

Saute the onion and garlic over a medium flame, in the sauce pot with oil from the tuna tins. The bottom surface of the pot should be thoroughly coated with oil. If not use all or some of the table spoon of olive oil.

When the mixture is lightly browned, add the table spoon of red wine vinegar. When you do this, hold the pot lid at the ready to be quickly placed on top of the pot. The mixture will sputter and spray all over if not quickly covered. Lift off the stove for a minute to allow the mixture to calm.

Place the pot back onto the flame, remove the lid and add the tuna. Use a wooden spoon to mix the tuna and saute.

After a few stirs add the tomatoes, stir the mixture and bring to a boil.

When at a boil, lower the flame to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Boil water for the pasta, cook, drain. In a large ceramic bowl or the pot the pasta was cooked in, add several scoops of the cooked tuna sauce. Add the pasta, stir with a wooden spoon until the pasta is thoroughly coated.

Spoon into deep pasta bowls, add tuna sauce to the top and serve.

The meal can be started or ended with a plain arugala and pear salad and crusty baguette.

Happy Holiday Season Everyone!