Tuna Casserole

Sometimes you just want a classic, like tuna noodle casserole -- a familiar tried-and-true dish, guaranteed to satisfy your most serious comfort food cravings.   This particular recipe has been in my family for decades.  The base is a simple bechamel sauce, rather than canned soup.  And you won't find any peas, carrots, or corn in this recipe, nor is there any potato chip, cheesy topping.  Just onions and celery in the sauce, with a buttered breadcrumb topping.  Simple, elegant, and divine.  A classic.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp + 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk (1% is fine; skim works less well)
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups wide egg noodles
• 1 can tuna (chunk light, 5 oz), drained
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

1. Saute celery and onion in butter until softened in a small pan; set aside
2. In a medium sauce pan, cook flour in 1 1/2 tbsp butter until slightly golden (it will bubble slightly)
3. In a medium pot, boil water and cook noodles for about 6 minutes (or about 2 minutes less than the package instructions indicate); drain, and return to pot
4. Whisk milk into the flour mixture; cook until it begins to boil
5. Add the celery and onions, along with the drained tuna, to the flour/milk mixture; combine and continue cooking for a minute or two on low heat; salt to taste
6. Add the pasta to the tuna mixture; combine
7. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small pan; combine with bread crumbs
8. Transfer pasta mixture to an 8x8 baking dish; top with buttered bread crumbs
9. Bake at 350 degrees F (covered) for 15-20 minutes until the sauce begins to bubble and the bread crumbs are golden.

There is certainly room for experimentation here (for example, I imagine sauteed mushrooms or capers might be a nice addition), but for me, this recipe is the way to go.  On a similar note, while the bread crumbs may seem (to some) to be optional, trust me, they will be missed if not included.

Drink: This dish pairs nicely with a light Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

Autumn in New York: Central Park

I realized too late that the peak of the fall foliage had come and gone before I was able to enjoy a long walk through Central Park, but autumn in the park is still quite a treat even if the trees are now slightly more bare.  Which is why I decided today to walk from the northwest corner to the southeast corner, just over 2.5 miles of beauty and fun.  

Central Park is ideal territory for people watching, and the sights and sounds can be absolutely heartwarming.  The day's mild weather (in the high 50s) encouraged many people to head out to enjoy a little nature, play sports, take in some sun, support runners who were completing the NYC 60K (that's 37.2 miles!), play/listen to a little live jazz, stroll with their families, sail model boats (a tradition that is over 135 years old), dance/roller skate to house music (with a live DJ), visit the zoo, listen to a live performance of Bach's cello suites, tour a castle, picnic, bird watch, listen to someone singing Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" and other arias, etc. etc. etc.  Who could ask for more?