When Texas met Sicily:

Folks, I hate tuna fish, you know they kind that you see in deli counters, saturated with mayo, perhaps some stinky onion, or though celery  stalks, and beat into a mushy pulp, perfect food for those who lack teeth.   I am a bit spoiled when it comes to tuna fish. My days behind the counter in my uncles store exposed me to Sicilian tuna sold by weight, out of two  kilogram tins, preserved in pure Italian olive oil . That food put the bar very high for me when it comes to tuna.

My social studies class in Italian middle school taught us about the Tonnara, a quasi mythical event that takes places off the coasts of Sicily, where men wage war on schools  - unfortunately not abundant - schools of  Mediterranean tuna.  We also learned about the process that takes tuna flesh , and transforms it into great tuna fish in glass jars, some of which is still hand packed today .

As a result, today , I will only buy and eat Tuna imported from Sicily. It is of superior quality, and unfortunately , also of superior price with small glass jars now costing more than ten dollars. Worth it . Well worth it my friends. My preferred brand is Flot. Check out their website - http://www.flottspa.it/index.php?page=azienda

Sicilian Tuna in Olive Oil
Courtesy Flott s.p.a (http://www.flottspa.it)

Here's a quick salad I made by combining Italian ingredients with something quite distant from Sicily .


Pickled Okra and Sicilian Tuna Salad

Pickled Okra and  Sicilian Tuna Salad

Ingredients 

Crunchy Pickled Okra,
Hot Mexican Red Peppers
Sicilian Tuna Fish - glass jars only
EVOO , S/ P

Preparation notes 
Well, its's a salad not more to say . Just try to keep the tuna pieces from disintegrating  and cut your okra  in large pieces.

Cheers!