Tuna-Stuffed Tomatoes

I didn't grow up to be a tea-sandwiches-with-the-crusts-cut-off kind of gal.  In fact, in high school, my standard sassy line to my own mother whenever she (frequently) got on my nerves was a question about whether she really wanted me to be just like Tricia Nixon, sitting primly at a ladies tea eating white bread sandwiches with the crusts cut off. Fast forward a few decades and here I am, happily cutting off the crusts for tea sandwiches for a baby shower for the daughter of one of my close friends. 

The menu for the shower was tea party foods. I volunteered to make tea sandwiches (of course) and small scones, along with lemon mousse. Although there were several types of sandwiches, I felt as though the menu needed a colorful, vegetable-based dish.

The stuffed tomatoes idea came to me as I strolled down the produce aisle and realized that Campari tomatoes are the perfect size for stuffing – big enough to easily hollow out, but not so big that the stuffing would be an overwhelming amount of food. Campari tomatoes are bigger than cherry tomatoes and smaller than regular ones. They are typically sold on a stem, in a hard shell plastic box.  As you can see, they are slightly larger than a large-size egg.

This recipe is gluten and dairy-free, a simple but elegant brunch, lunch, or tea-time dish.  

Tuna-Stuffed Tomatoes

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Superbowl Food and Drink Tips

I’m not a big televised sports fan.  But I love the food and comraderie that come along with watching (or pretending to watch) a championship game.  

Hosting a Superbowl party doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to cook – you could do a pot luck or buy ready-made food.  Even if you are cooking, there are plenty of ways to put together a perfectly wonderful menu that won’t tax your culinary skills or empty your pocketbook.  And if you need help finding a few Superbowl-appropriate recipes, all you have to do is glance at the food section of a newspaper, do an online search or simply check out your favorite food blogs. 

So what is there left to write about when it comes to Superbowl parties?  How about the non-glamorous party advice  - the tips that don’t seem important until someone spills the red wine or asks if you’re sure the cole slaw is OK to eat.  

Roll your eyes if you must, or sigh deeply – but do finish reading this post if you’re hosting the party. 

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A Nonpartisan Look at Election Night Food

Given how closely watched the 2012 U.S. elections have been, I found myself wondering how we’re all going to cope with election night food issues tomorrow evening. 

Watching election returns can be a long night.  Especially if you start tracking the returns when polls close on the east coast and stay up until the coverage winds down (hopefully with a winner and not with a protracted battle over the results) – you’re in for a long haul. What will you eat?  If you’re hosting others, what will you serve? 

I’d rather think about these weighty issues than listen to another PAC commercial or read about another rally in a swing state I don’t live in.  And I found them easier to talk about than politics right now.  Before I knew it, I was crowd sourcing this blogpost.

Election night food dilemmas are nonpartisan and we all have to eat.  Even those who said they will be too nervous to eat soon gave up on that hard core stance and began offering food suggestions.  The presidential races and many others are so close that, no matter whom you favor, you really can’t be sure if watching returns will end up as a celebration or a wake.   You can keep champagne or sparkling cider in the fridge until the last moment, but you're going to want something to eat before you know whether you'll be drinking it. 

Here are the first folks who helped me find out what foods folks want to eat on election night.

Then other friends, Facebook fans of MotherWouldKnow, tweeps, and various assorted other people weighed in. Perhaps not surpisingly, people were anxious to talk about food, regardless of their political beliefs or level of interest (or lack thereof) in tomorrow evening's results.  

Election Night Food 

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