Joie Warner's Take a Tin of Tuna

Tuna sandwiches and casseroles are staples of American cooking, but, declares Warner, the canned version of the country's""favorite fish"" is much more versatile than many of us realize. In this handsome paperback, the author (a food journalist who's penned more than 20 cookbooks) shows how the tasty and cheap standby can serve as the basis for some unexpectedly elegant meals. She spruces up tuna salad (adding avocados, Tabasco and cumin for Spicy Mexican Tuna, Black Bean and Tomato Salad), riffs on tuna melts (suggesting artichoke hearts and Kalamata olives in Not-Your-Mother's Tuna Melt) and adds verve to tuna casserole (with freshly made cream sauce and tangy lemon in Classy Tuna Noodle Casserole). Warner's ideas for using canned tuna in pasta dishes, sandwiches, soups, antipasti and dips are unique yet simple, and the recipes range in cuisine from Italian to French to all-American. The trick, Warner explains, is pairing good-quality canned tuna with fresh, flavorful ingredients. With color photos, well-rounded introductions to each recipe and simple instructions, this concept cookbook will appeal to cooks of all experience levels.