Moms (Only) Allowed!!

There are certain things that one will never do as well as a mom. For instance, no one, including myself, will ever make as good a bowl of oatmeal as my mom. I’m not sure why. I’ve tried. I’ve added the whole milk, I’ve added the honey, I’ve added the vanilla extract and cinnamon. I’ve stirred for the exact amount of time as I’ve watched her stir, and still my oatmeal is subpar compared to my mom’s. As DB will tell you, no one will ever make as good a deviled egg as his mom, Helen. There again, I’ve tried. I’ve gotten Helen’s recipe and followed it to the letter. I even had him taste test at each step as I went along, to ensure that I was staying true to the flavors. But alas, at the end, the finished product was nothing like his mom’s. I know this, not just based on his critique, but on mine. I’ve had Helen’s deviled eggs, and in a word…heavenly. There are some things that only a mother can do. I realize this, but I haven’t quite accepted it. Case in point, our dinner tonight….Tuna Noodle Casserole.

Growing up in Haiti, there are many things that, as a child, I never experienced. I think that I had my first potato chip at age 13. I didn’t grow up with it, and I had no idea it existed, so I didn’t miss it. I had also never had pizza or pancakes, meatloaf, or string beans served with the crunchy stuff on top. Oh, and sloppy joes and cheeseburges…nope, never had those either. I didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, and up until we moved to the United States, I had no idea that candy canes were such a meaningful part of Christmas. The list is long. Conversely, most American children have never eaten mangoes, sipped juice directly out of a freshly cut coconut, eaten frog’s legs, or played jacks with real goat knuckles. It evens out.

During a conversation with DB last night, as we devoured a variety of pates and terrines, and literally attacked a large plate of salumi at our local salumi bar, somehow the topic of tuna casserole came up. It may have been because we were discussing possibly ordering the “crudo of yellowfin tuna with olive relish”, although we eventually decided on the “crostini of sardines and cicerchie beans” – this dish encompassed an amazing combination of flavors, and a perfect marriage between the cold sardine and the warm cicerchie beans. It was the perfect starter to what turned out to be a delicious meal. But back to that tuna casserole. This is one of those dishes that was part of his mom’s repertoire of dinner dishes, when he was growing up. During our many conversations about our respective childhood, the talk often turns to food, and DB doesn’t quite understand how it's possible that I’m not intimately familiar with the dishes that to him were an endemic part of his childhood. You should have seen his face when I told him that I’ve only had pancakes once in my life. And that was in college. In fact, not only did I not eat tuna casserole as a child, I have also never had it as an adult. True. So, in all trepidation, I decided to tackle one of the “moms only allowed” dishes.

The result was....as expected. Was it as good as mom’s? In a word, no. And in DB’s words? "It's missing something...you should ask my mom what she puts in hers". He had few bites, followed by a large bowl of cookies 'n cream ice cream.

Tuna Noodle Casserole*

12 ounces of Fettucine broken into thirds

6 tbsps unsalted butter

10 ounces button mushroom caps sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 medium onions, minced

1/4 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup milk

1 tbsp lemon juice1

1/2 cups freshly shucked peas

1/4 cup minced parsley

1-1/2 tbsp chopped thyme

2 cans tuna in water

Make the topping by toasting 1 cup of fresh bread crumbs, salt, and 1-1/2 tbsp unsalted butter at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, cool.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Boil pasta until al dente and drain.

Saute mushrooms in 2 tbsps of butter with onions, salt, and pepper and cook until moisture evaporates and onions soften. Set aside.
Melt 4 tbsp butter, add flour, and whisk until golden brown. Still whisking, add chicken broth and milk. Raise the heat and cook for about 5 minutes more until it thickens. Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp salt, lemon juice, and fresh herbs.
Combine sauce, pasta, tuna, peas and mushrooms, add salt and pepper. Put into a buttered 13 x 9 inch baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes or until topping is browned and casserole is bubbling.

Notes:
- I used shitake mushrooms
- I forgot to use the peas
- I added a dash of red pepper flakes
- I didn’t have bread crumbs, so I used panko crumbs instead and prepared them the same way as in the recipe
- It goes without saying that I used more butter than the amount listed in the recipe

*Adapted from “The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition” by Cooks Illustrated Magazine