A few years ago, I would have never guessed at my love for tinned tuna. It smelled to me like something a cat would eat. Then one day in Florence, my husband and I ducked into a little shop to grab a bite to eat. We speak no Italian, so I’m not quite sure what I thought the woman offered me, but I nodded. Tonno it was!

She warmed up my sandwich, and we were back out the door, eating as we walked toward the Duomo. “I’m not sure what this is, but it’s good!” A few more bites and I realized it was tuna, with a bit of tomato sauce, a hint of cheese, and some onion. It was like the Tonno Cippolle from La Pizzeria, only on a sandwich bun (and now one of my favorite pizzas). So that’s the story of how I came to love canned tuna, packed in olive oil.

The salad, however, is something I recently tried at Cafe Campbell, and I decided it would make a great lunch to take to work. Creamy cannellini beans mix with the tuna and onion and a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. Sweet, tangy, salty, delicious! (more…)

Filed under:
Dairy free, Gluten free, Italian, Lunch, Salad by Courtney

I’ve waxed poetic about Limerick Lane’s wines many a time on this blog already, but they really just put out such wonderful wines. This bottle of furmint is no exception, though I was a little puzzled as to what I should do with it once I received it. Such an odd sounding wine — “fur… mint” I kept saying to myself. It came in a small bottle, so it must be sweet, I thought. So I decided to do a little investigation before opening.

I consulted my What to Drink book first, which has a handy reverse lookup (basically, what to eat). (more…)

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Appetizers, Dessert, Drink Time, Wine pairings by Courtney

This salad is great for a light dinner. The smoked duck seems filling, but it’s a salad with a with a with a vinaigrette, so it seems light at the same time. My recipe was born from trying to figure out what I should do with the smoked duck breast I bought from Fabrique Delices. Their booth at the Campbell Farmer’s Market is always full of yummy meats, such as merguez sausages, various types of duck, and pates. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Drink Time, Gluten free, Gourmet, Quick and Easy, Wine pairings by Courtney

Attention Campbellites, this post is for you!

Actually, it’s for anyone that is experiencing those last warm days of summer that are fading into fall. This sandwich was inspired by products I pick up at my local farmer’s market, but if you’re not from these parts, you should easily be able to find most products in your local store (and the one secret ingredient online if not locally).

The veggie pita sandwich starts off with veggies – duh! Personally, I like to start with zucchini, summer squash, and onions. You could also try adding some tomatoes or eggplant to the mix. (more…)

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Cooking outdoors, Lunch, Sandwiches, Vegetarian by Courtney