Barbara Bretton: Wish You Were Here

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The Food Goddess is in the Kitchen! I am delighted beyond words to present my friend, my pal, Kali Amanda Browne (daughter of the beauteous and talented Marie) aka The Food Goddess. Enjoy!

Don't Ignore the Noble Sardine

No matter how big or small our kitchen or our level of expertise in the kitchen, we are all likely to have a cupboard. Depending on your dietary needs or preferences, there will always be some foods that you will keep stocked at all times.

Your cupboard might be a single cabinet or six. It may be a milk crate under a table. When I was a kid, I loved that my great aunt had a nook in her basement, next to the stove. It receded into the wall, and shelves were built into it. It was adorable!

Because we grew up with a Puerto Rican mother/grandmother, our cupboard always has rice and several kinds of beans. It also includes several kinds of pasta and grains (including couscous, quinoa and maftoul). Our condiments, seasonings and spices are well represented.

I want to make a case for a neglected and often maligned food: the canned sardine.

Nutritionally speaking, sardines are a source of vitamins B12 and D, calcium and protein. They are low in mercury and high in omega-3 fatty acids - which are said to reduce cardiovascular diseases and might even reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Canned or tinned sardines are washed, cooked and dried; then they are packed in water, oil (olive, sunflower or soybean), tomato, chili or mustard sauce. At least that was what was traditionally done. More recently, as sardines have once again begun to enjoy a renaissance, more esoteric dressings have emerged (smoked in piri piri sauce, for instance).

There are probably hundreds of brands and dozens of price points. In my opinion Portuguese and Spanish sardines are the best and you'd do well enough with sardines packed in olive oil. By all means try anything you'd like, but for my money olive oil and salt are the only preservatives it needs and this gives you far more versatility in what you can do with them.

As for the taste, it might be an acquired thing, smokier and with slightly more depth than tuna. My personal favorite assessment of the virtues of canned sardines is from Wikipedia (of all places): "easily portable, nonperishable, self-contained food."

Appetizers

Sardine pate combines a tin of the fish, about 2 ounces of softened, unsalted butter, chopped parsley or chives, pepper to taste and about a teaspoon of lemon juice. Process until smooth and it makes a lovely mousse-like spread.

Chopped boiled eggs, with dill, a tablespoon of mustard, mayonnaise or sour cream makes for another lovely spread. Add hot sauce at your own peril.

Snacks

Combined with tuna salad, whatever your favorite recipe, adds a smoky depth to the tuna that approximates a subtle (not fishy) salmon.

With pico de gallo, guacamole, shredded lettuce, grape tomatoes and scallions, sardines make a great fish taco.

Salads

With slices of red onion and olives, chopped sardines are a good topping for warm potato salad with a dash of red wine vinegar.

Drain, flour and quickly pan fry until they're a golden crispy. Combine with black olives, feta, garbanzos, diced cucumbers, mint leaves and a dash of yogurt.

Sauces

You can substitute anchovies for sardines in your puttanesca for a subtler, less salty result. Sauté a tablespoon or two of pressed garlic with drained sardines and mash into a paste for a couple of minutes. Add capers and pepper, mix well, then add a can of whole tomatoes (I chop mine into cubes), and a can of pitted black olives. Cook over medium heat until it bubbles.

Set a package of cream cheese at room temperature in a bowl. Add two or three scallions and 1/2 cup of fresh, chopped herbs (dill, parsley or chives) and a couple of tablespoons of capers. Add a quarter cup of pasta water, lemon juice and freshly ground pepper. Fold in chopped sardines and toss with pasta.

You can email me at kali.templeofdoom@gmail.com.