Italian White Bean and Tuna Salad - My Kind of Fast Food

Chefs (with the exception of obvious shills) have been telling us for years that fresh food is where it's at - a matter of pride for any cook. That's hard to disagree with, but equally hard to live up to on a daily basis. Plenty of people come home exhausted from work at 8PM knowing they ought to be in bed by 10:30. They don't feel like doing any cooking, regardless of how quick the recipe might be. Can't they just open a couple cans and get something delicious and healthy for supper without having to cook?

In general I'd say the answer is no, but I've found a very few recipes that almost work that way and give a good result. Here's a favorite:

Italian White Bean and Tuna Salad

Cutting corners like this flies in the face of Italian cooking; it's a miracle this dish works. It will serve two for lunch. For supper I'd add more tuna and serve with good bread and white wine. The freshness comes from the parsley and red onion. I don't add any salt since the canned beans and tuna (not to mention the capers) are already heavily salted. This takes five minutes to make.

15 oz can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
5 oz can quality tuna in oil (or more, to taste), drained
small bunch Italian parsley, washed and chopped
up to 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tsp capers in vinegar (optional)
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a serving bowl. Serve. Congrats!

Vin Ordinaire 3

Cheap Spring/Summer Pleasures

I've heard people say that life is too short to drink cheap wine. Nonsense. Life is too short to drink bad wine. Cheap wines that aren't at all bad have their place. For me that place is breaking the heat of the day before a light meal. Here are three serviceable daily drinkers that are very easy on the wallet and perfect for the season:

Tasca D'Almerita, Regaleali, Le Rose, Sicilia, 2007: This wine is pink - shocking pink. You can't help but notice the moment you remove the shockingly red synthetic cork. Color is the boldest statement this wine makes. There's not much on the nose, nor in the mouth, but it's light, refreshing and dry without any off flavors. At $8 a bottle that's really all I expect. It's a perfect party wine: festive, and inexpensive enough to pour freely. Five empty bottles are kicking around the apartment at the moment. That's not a testament to my finer sensibilities, but it shows the power of cheap and cheerful.

Keltenhof, Grüner Veltliner, Austria, 2007: There's a sea of inexpensive Grüner Veltliner sold in liter bottles, and this is one of the more agreeable examples. Just enough acidity to pair well with food (try it with asparagus), but light enough to quaff on its own. Think of it as a slightly more substantial alternative to Italian Pino Grigio. $14.

Earl Bardon, Lafollie, Sauvignon Blanc, Loire, 2007: There's a hint of citrus, some crispness, but not much texture in the mouth. I was left wishing this wine were a bit less simple and more elegant on the finish. Still, it delivers a Sancerre-like experience for $11 a bottle - when you figure that a decent bottle of Sancerre will set you back about thirty bucks Lafollie is a deal.