$35 bowl of pasta, spicy Malaysian fish, Korean BBQ feast and more

Seafood Tom Yum Soup at Penang Malaysian & Thai Cuisine in Lodi.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I've been food shopping, preparing meals at home and eating out, and reporting all about it on my new blog, The Sasson Report.

Here are links to those reports:

Spicy Malaysian fish

Kinara in Tenafly, Fish Dock in Closter

Armenian takeout in Hackensack

Food tastes sweeter when on sale

$35 bowl of pasta, no charge for agita

Korean barbecue around a wood-charcoal fire

Hidden dangers of eating fast food

Sanducci's takeout, fish tacos and more

Explore other food posts at  The Sasson Report

Monsanto and GMOs, Trader Joe's and antibiotics, food that can't hurt

At Trader Joe's in Paramus, store-brand cold cuts are displayed above those from Applegate Naturals. Both brands are uncured (free of nitrates or other preservatives), but only Applegate says its cold cuts come from animals that were raised on a vegetarian diet free of harmful antibiotics and animal byproducts.

Editor's note: This post has been revised to make excerpts from Food & Water Watch and Consumers Union more readable, and expanded to include links to other Web sites on GMOs.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

GMOs or genetically modified organisms are among the most confusing and controversial issues we encounter every time we shop for food.

The European Union requires producers to label food containing GMOs, but in the United States, big food companies have fought successfully against implementation of a similar law.

In the U.S., certified organic foods are free of GMOs, as are an increasing list of non-organic foods labeled by the Non-GMO Project.

Monsanto and Roundup

At the center of the debate is Roundup, a herbicide made by Monsanto that is a "probable human carcinogen," according to Food & Water Watch: 

"Roundup is an herbicide made by Monsanto, with the chemical name glyphosate. Hundreds of millions of pounds of Roundup are used on farmland across America every year, even though the World Health Organization's cancer agency found that it is a “probable human carcinogen."

"Glyphosate is turning up in rain, streams and air near agricultural areas, so we can't just avoid certain food or buy organic to avoid contact with Roundup. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for protecting us from environmental risks like this. Tell the EPA to get rid of Roundup!

"Monsanto is a major player in the production of our food, and has made Roundup a necessity for big farms, packaging it alongside its genetically engineered (GMO) seeds.² Then, when farmers use Roundup, the weeds on their fields get used to this exposure, forcing farmers to use even more herbicides to kill these "superweeds."

"Instead of allowing the continued and expanded use of Roundup, we need the EPA to put an end to its use.

"The widespread use of a cancer-causing chemical is just one example of how our current food system is broken.

"Instead of making sustainable food, the system is set up to benefit big corporations that control it, not people. This didn’t happen by accident. Decades of bad food policy designed to benefit big agribusinesses and mega-farms, combined with unchecked corporate mergers, have wreaked havoc on family farmers, public health and rural communities. It's not just the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides — there are a plethora of long-term, systemic food safety problems that are just as serious:

·         Drugs and artificial growth hormones used in the production of our food;

·         The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria stemming from factory farms;

·         And questionable technologies, like GMOs and irradiation, that have not been studied for long-term health impacts.

"Massive corporations like Monsanto, Cargill, Tyson, Kraft and ConAgra benefit from the short cuts, the products and the practices that put our food and health at risk. And these corporations have strong political allies that have helped rig the system.

"Solving this crisis will require a complete structural shift — a change that is about policy, not just personal choice — and it won't be easy.

"But we have a strategy. It involves breaking the problem down into pieces — taking on issues like the use of Roundup to start, and building to bigger problems like the misuse of antibiotics on factory farms and labeling for GMO foods, and through this process cracking away at the power of the corporations that control the system itself.

"We know that this strategy works. It helped us pass bills to get the known carcinogen arsenic out of our chicken production, got Starbucks to stop using milk produced with artificial growth hormones and has kept GMO salmon off the market!³

"Through every action you take, we build people power and grow to make the big change that we need. Take action today to end the use of Roundup — help build the movement to make sure everyone has access to safe food by telling the EPA to stand up for our food and our health!

"While Monsanto and other big corporations hold a tremendous amount of power, and may be more powerful than any one of us, they'll never be more powerful than all of us together."

Click on these links for more information on GMOs:

Say No To GMOs!

Institute for Responsible Technology

Trader Joe's and antibiotics

Trader Joe's still hasn't heeded a call to stop selling meat and poultry raised on harmful antibiotics, as I saw on a visit to the Paramus store on Tuesday.

I bought uncured sliced turkey and ham from Applegate Naturals, which are from animals raised on a vegetarian diet, free of antibiotics and animal byproducts (bits of dead animals put into feed).

Seven-ounce packages were $4.49 each, a dollar more than 8-ounce packages of Trader Joe's uncured cold cuts, which come from animals raised on harmful antibiotics.

In 2012, Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports magazine, called on Trader Joe's to stop selling meat and poultry raised on antibiotics:

Antibiotic Use in Livestock Poses Public Health Risk

Some 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used not on humans but on livestock. These antibiotics are fed to healthy animals like cows, pigs, and chickens to make them grow faster and to prevent disease in often crowded and unsanitary conditions on today’s factory farms. While public health campaigns are helping to curb the overuse of antibiotics in humans, the livestock industry has steadily increased its use of antibiotics over the past decade.

When antibiotics are used on the farm, the bugs that are vulnerable to them tend to be killed off, leaving behind bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic resistant bacteria can spread from the farm to our communities via meat and poultry, farmworkers, and through the air, soil, and water. As antibiotic resistance increases, the medications we all depend on become less effective.

Trader Joe’s Should Be A Leader

Over 500,000 consumers have signed petitions, postcards and flyers in support of Consumers Union’s campaign. However, Trader Joe’s has so far refused to change their practices or even meet with Consumers Union to discuss the issue. Trader Joe’s offers some chicken, turkey, and beef raised without antibiotics, but no pork. While this is a step in the right direction, it doesn’t go far enough, according to Consumers Union.

“Continuing to sell meat from animals that are routinely fed antibiotics contributes to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance,” said Halloran. “Trader Joe’s has demonstrated its commitment to its customers’ health by saying no to GMOs, artificial colors, and trans fats. It should take the obvious next step and help move the livestock industry in the right direction towards healthy animals raised without drugs.”

At the height of wild salmon season, you won't find any fresh fish at Trader Joe's in Paramus. These frozen Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Fillets are a pricey $11.99 a pound, compared to fresh sockeye for $8.99 a pound at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

Hot dogs, franks, pasta

I also purchased two packages of Trader Joe's Uncured Beef Hot Dogs ($5.99 each), which are antibiotic free, but passed on the Jumbo Uncured Franks, which are from animals raised on antibiotics.

The hot dogs were a dollar more than they were in March.

Another price hike I noticed was for Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Pasta, now $1.49 a pound for a variety of shapes, matching what Whole Foods Market, also in Paramus, charges for its organic whole wheat pasta from Italy.

But the Luigi Vitelli-brand of organic whole wheat pasta from Italy is only $1.25 a pound at ShopRite supermarkets.

Other purchases at Trader Joe's included cans of 100% Arabica Dark Roast and Medium Roast Coffee Beans, which I ground to Turkish in the store ($4.99 each for 13 ounces or 14 ounces).

Also, half-gallon bottles of Low Calorie Lemonade ($2.69), and 100% juices called Garden Patch ($3.49) and Green Plant ($3.99).

HOMEMADE FOOD THAT CAN'T HURT YOU: Two cage-free organic eggs from Costco Wholesale with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese and Middle Eastern flavors, Aleppo pepper, za'atar thyme mixture and chopped fresh mint from our garden, served with skin-on sweet potatoes mashed with extra-virgin olive oil.

Late-summer tomatoes from our garden with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese and Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix (Costco Wholesale), dressed with organic Spanish extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Pan-fried whole red snapper with garlic, onion, carrot, and sweet and hot peppers, all doused with hot vinegar and pimiento. The whole wild-caught fish were $6.99 a pound at H Mart in Englewood.

Fresh wild sockeye salmon fillet with pesto and organic diced tomatoes, all from Costco Wholesale, served with whole-wheat pappardelle.

DINNER IS SERVED: Leftover wild salmon is delicious right out of the refrigerator over organic spring mix with garden tomato slices, dressed in extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I grilled the salmon for 6 minutes on a preheated non-stick pan I sprayed with oil (medium high heat), starting them skin-side down, flipping them after 3 minutes and in the final minute, back onto the skin. Before I cook the fish, I add fresh lime juice and a little sea salt.

I cooked down a 15-ounce can of organic diced tomatoes with a half-cup of red wine, garlic powder, black pepper and other seasonings before I started to boil the pappardelle, which take about 11 minutes. When the timer hit 6 minutes, I put the fish on the preheated grill pan. The pesto requires no heating before you add it to the drained noodles.

Cheap wine at Stew Leonard, naturally raised bacon at Trader Joe's

You'll have to run the gauntlet of more expensive bottles to find drinkable reds for under $5 at Stew Leonard's Wines in Paramus, above and below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

If you are only interested in bottles of drinkable red wine for around $5 each, Stew Leonard's Wines in Paramus will make you work for them.

On Monday, I walked past hundreds of more expensive bottles before I found what I was looking for in the farthest corner of the store -- on a bottom shelf.

The bottles of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Chile carry the Los Caballos label ($4.99 each).

I also found 1.5-liter sizes (equal to two bottles) of Sangiovese and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Italy for $9.99 and $8.99, respectively.

Whole Foods Market in Paramus and any Trader Joe's with a liquor department have a wider selection of inexpensive wines.

The Stew Leonard's Wines Web site says the stores are independently owned and operated, not part of a cooperative buying group and not part of Stew Leonard's food chain. 

Stew Leonard's Wines, 396 Route 17 north, Paramus; 201-649-0882. 

Web site: Stew Leonard's Wines 

Trader Joe's in Paramus is offering an organic version of Costco Wholesale's Kirkland Signature Natural Peanut Butter, made only with Valencia Peanuts and sea salt. A 16-ounce jar of Trader Joe's Organic Peanut Butter is $3.49, compared to $10.99 for two 40-ounce jars of Costco's Natural Peanut Butter, which should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent separation.

Trader Joe's and antibiotics

Trader Joe's won't say "no" to antibiotics.

The specialty grocery store still hasn't heeded the call of Consumers Union -- the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports -- to stop selling meat and poultry from animals raised on human antibiotics, as any visit to the Paramus store shows.

On Monday, I drove out of the Stew Leonard's Wines parking lot and into the Trader Joe's lot next door to shop for the meat eaters in the family.

I found antibiotic-free Trader Joe's Uncured All Beef Hot Dogs, but Trader Joe's Jumbo Uncured Beef Franks contain meat raised on antibiotics (16 ounces, $4.99 each).

W brand Uncured Bacon is all natural pork raised without antibiotics ($5.49 for 12 ounces).

However, Trader Joe's Uncured Apple Smoked Bacon is pork that received antibiotics and possibly growth hormones ($4.99 for 12 ounces).

Consumers Union believes "the overuse of antibiotics by the meat and poultry industries on healthy animals is promoting the spread of drug-resistant super bugs that threaten public health."

Trader Joe's, 404 Route 17 north, Paramus; 201-265-9624. Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Bringing home the bacon -- from Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's hot dogs, jumbo franks and bacon are uncured and preservative-free, but the franks are made from beef raised with harmful antibiotics and growth hormones.

Trader Joe's conventional and organic sweet potatoes and fresh figs.

I dashed out to Trader Joe 's in Paramus for uncured bacon and hot dogs, as well as sweet potatoes, but came home with so much more.

I couldn't resist a 20-inch stalk studded with fresh Brussels Sprouts ($3.49) or a 2-pound package of fresh, sugary black figs from California ($4.99).

I went for more conventional sweet potatoes (85 cents a pound), but also picked up organic sweet potatoes ($1.23 a pound).

Costco Wholesale, where I usually buy a 10-pound box of sweet potatoes, has them only at the holidays, and doesn't sell the organic ones.

I also purchased Trader Joe's non-fat Greek Yogurt with honey, mango and pomegranate in 5.3-ounce cups (99 cents each).

A stalk of Brussels Sprouts.

The Brussels Sprout took a hot bath before I drained the pot and seasoned them with extra-virgin olive, a little salt and a lot of organic non-salt seasoning from Costco.

I boiled and mashed organic sweet potatoes with garlic cloves and added olive oil.

I bought the antibiotic-free Trader Joe's Uncured Bacon ($3.99) and Trader Joe's Uncured All Beef Hot Dogs ($4.49) for my teen-age son, but he also wanted the Jumbo Uncured Franks, even though they are made with conventionally raised beef.

These drug-filled jumbo franks ($4.49) and other items are why Consumers Union has launched a campaign to get Trader Joe's to sell only meat free of harmful animal antibiotics.

Here is an e-mail I received on the campaign from the political and action arm of Consumer Reports magazine:

"You’re now one of the half-million Americans demanding that antibiotics get out of our food animals. 

"Yesterday, your name was among those delivered to Trader Joe’s New York City flagship store asking the grocery chain to sell only meat raised without antibiotics!

"And ‘you’ arrived in style, accompanied by signs, speakers and our new mascot, Joe the Pig, who wants Trader Joe’s to get him off drugs!


"The widespread use of antibiotics in food animals contributes to the spread of deadly, antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ in humans. We’ve asked Trader Joe’s – one of the nation’s most progressive grocers – to lead the way and sell only no-antibiotic meat. 

"And hundreds of thousands of you agreed.

"But company executives have refused to meet with us to consider your request. So we bundled all 557,772 of your petition signatures (on a paper-saving flash drive) and delivered it to the NYC store so execs know shoppers are serious.

"Consumers can change the marketplace if we speak out together. If grocery stores stop selling antibiotic-raised meat, factory farms will stop using overusing this drug. If you have friends and family who are concerned about the overuse of antibiotics and superbugs, forward this message so they can get involved."

Trader Joe's, 404 Route 17 north, Paramus; 201-265-9624. Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Why you can't trust food labels

This Trader Joe's label lulls you into a false sense of security.

Editor's note: Food labels can be deceiving, even at Trader Joe's. Today, I also discuss  food from Costco Wholesale, and seeking healthy dishes when dining out on Mexican and dining in on Chinese.

For years, I've been relying on Trader Joe's markets in Paramus and elsewhere for naturally raised bacon and hot dogs for family members who eat meat.

Both bacon and hot dogs are free of such harmful preservatives as nitrates and nitrites, which have been linked to cancer.

But the package of Trader Joe's Jumbo Uncured Beef Franks I bought there recently says nothing about how the beef was raised (see photo).

In my freezer, I have a package of W-brand bacon I bought at Trader Joe's that carries the words "pork raised without antibiotics." 

No similar phrase appears on the jumbo franks package, and now, I'm not sure the regular Trader Joe's franks are made with antibiotic-free beef, either.

This ambiguity is why Consumers Union -- the political and action arm of Consumer Reports magazine -- is calling on the California-based Trader Joe's to sell only meat and poultry free of animal antibiotics.

Ancient Grains granola and fruit make a great breakfast.

Highly rated marinara

A couple of days after I read an evaluation of pasta sauces in Consumer Reports' August 2012 issue, I found Victoria Marinara Sauce at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

The sauce is rated "Excellent," just below the top-rated sauce from Giada De Laurentiis (Target).

The Victoria sauce has fewer calories and less sugar than the one from De Laurentiis, and the 40-ounce jar sold at Costco for $4.25 works out to about 12 cents per ounce.

There is more than enough sauce for a full pound of pasta, and you can boost its already good flavor with a can of anchovies and their oil, red pepper flakes and dried Italian herbs.

My teenage son raved about the Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Penne I served him with the enhanced Victoria Marinara. 

I had penne with Victoria Marinara Sauce for breakfast today.

'Ancient' breakfast

When is the last time you ate spelt, khorasan wheat and amaranth?

Those are some of ingredients in Nature's Path Organic Ancient Grains Granola with Almonds from Costco's Kirkland Signature ($6.99 for a pair of 17.6-ounce bags).

I filled a bowl with the granola, added blueberries and strawberries, and poured on lactose-free milk for a filling breakfast.

The blueberries are from Michigan, and they're sweet. They were $6.49 for a 2-pound package. A pint of blueberries weighs 12 ounces.

A 2-pound package of California strawberries was $3.49 at Costco.

I made a salad from Costco fruit, added mint from the garden and lime juice, and served it with Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese from Italy, also from Costco.

I added banana to the fruit salad this morning, using skin as a cutting board.

Snack time

I bought a 3-pound package of California raw almonds at Costco for $10.99 and roasted them at 275 degrees for 1 hour for a salt-free snack I have several times a day. 

My son prefers Kirkland Signature Trail Mix: peanuts, M&M's Candies, raisins, almonds and cashews (a 4-pound package is $12.59).

Whole fried fish at Las Maravillas de Tulcingo in Englewood.

Can you find the fresh pineapple in these tacos al pastor?

Dining out on Mexican

Last weekend, I took my son out for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Englewood, and it seems to have slipped just a bit in food preparation (84 W. Palisade Ave., Englewood; 201-568-1980).

For him, I ordered tacos al pastor -- marinated pork with fresh pineapple, cilantro and onion ($7).

For me, I ordered the whole tilapia, which was deep fried and served with yellow rice, beans and corn tortillas ($13).

I also ordered a large Tulcingo Salad -- fresh cactus, cheese, avocado, radish and cilantro -- with a spicy green salsa as a dressing ($7).

Tulcingo Salad comes in small and large sizes.

Fresh carrot juice is served with a wedge of lime.

Ordering the large salad was a waste, because my son refused to try any of it. I took the leftovers home and ate them the next day.

He liked his tacos al pastor, but I thought they should have had more fresh pineapple.

My whole fish was smaller than the last time I ordered it, and tasted as if it had been fried in the same oil used for chicken.

I've been eating a lot of fried fish and calamari lately, and plan to ask restaurants with those items on the menu if they can prepare the seafood on a grill or under the broiler. 

Dining in on Chinese

Last night, we ordered takeout delivered from Zen Kitchen in Teaneck (201-837-7322 and myzenkitchen.com).

My son's plate: General Tso's Chicken, House Fried Rice and Shrimp.

My second plate of Jumbo Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables over brown rice.

When I called, I asked the woman taking the order if the cook could put less sugar in my son's General Tso's Chicken, but was told the sauce was pre-mixed ($10.50).

I was able to get my Jumbo Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables prepared in fresh garlic, instead of the ubiquitous brown sauce ($14.75).

Related posts

• Putting Trader Joe's on the spot
• Animal antibiotics blamed in 'health crisis'

Putting Trader Joe's on the spot

A Trader Joe's in Massachusetts.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss animal antibiotics, a  hearty dish that will make you forget about meat and other ideas for meals at home.

Consumers Union, the political and action arm of Consumer Reports magazine, is calling on Trader Joe's to stop selling meat from animals raised on harmful antibiotics.

I rely on Trader Joe's in Paramus for antibiotic- and preservative-free bacon and hot dogs.

But I've been disappointed when shopping for a holiday ham for the meat eaters in my family to find only those from conventionally raised pigs.

Here's an excerpt from a Consumers Union e-mail I received:

"You know you shouldn't take antibiotics as preventive medicine because it weakens your ability to fight really deadly bacteria later on.

 "Yet factory farms continue to pump antibiotics into healthy chickens, pigs and cows, putting you and your family at greater risk from antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

"We’re trying to get Trader Joe’s, one of the nation’s more progressive grocers, to commit to selling only meat raised without antibiotics. If Trader Joe’s agrees to source only drug-free meat, it will put major pressure on factory farms to stop feeding animals antibiotics – sparking change driven by you, not the government!

"We’re hoping to meet with company execs very soon, and show them how many consumers want meat raised without antibiotics. If we are successful with Trader Joe’s, we expect other grocers to follow suit."

I got an anonymous comment relating one reader's experience buying chicken raised on antibiotics, as you can tell from his or her description of "huge" poultry parts:

Anonymous July 30, 2012 10:16 AM

I've bought different brands of chicken from several local stores.
The meat was rubbery, translucent after cooking and just strange tasting. 

The legs were huge and when cooked gave off puddles of water rendering the juices useless for gravy. The breasts were massive resembling turkey breasts in size. 

I finally narrowed down one of the offensive brands; Amick Farms, purchased at Pricerite. Yuck. We call it mutant chicken or rubber chicken. 

I now buy only Purdue which may be bad but still tastes like chicken. I've tried some of the local natural chicken but they also look and taste like mutant chicken. I suppose we'll have to raise our own backyard chickens or become vegetarians.

Who needs meat?

Organic whole-wheat spaghetti with sardines and anchovies.

This simple tool makes easy work of opening sardine cans.

A filling dish that will make you forget meat and bread is Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti in bottled pasta sauce that gets added robustness from cans of sardines and anchovies with their oil.

I used 36 ounces of sauce (1 and a half Classico bottles), 16 ounces of spaghetti, 1 can of anchovies and 3 or 4 cans of sardines. 

I also add extra-virgin olive oil, red-pepper flakes and dried Italian herbs to the sauce.

The Trader Joe's package calls for cooking the pasta for 10-11 minutes, but I usually drain it and finish it in the sauce for the last 2 minutes or so.

The whole wheat spaghetti tastes like conventional pasta, but my body processes it better. A 16-ounce package of spaghetti, penne or bowties is $1.39.

H Mart food counter

The new food bar at H Mart in Englewood has counter and table seating.

After the store was renovated last year, the city closed the food counter.

Englewood has allowed H Mart to open a food counter in its renovated store.

The counter opened after the renovation, then was closed by the city. The approval came about three months ago, an employee said.

Korean Potato Salad contains mayonnaise, egg, cucumber and raisins.

Crunchy Cucumber Kimchi is one of my family's favorites.

Shin Ramyun is an instant dried noodle soup with a spicy kick.

I went to the Englewood H Mart last week after dropping my teen-age son off at a friend's house nearby.

I picked up two side dishes, Korean Potato Salad ($3.49) and Cucumber Kimchi (also $3.49), and a 5-pack package of spicy Shin Ramyun ($5.49), his favorite instant soup.

Chicken and spices

Leftover chicken went into a takeout container for storage in the refrigerator.

One of my favorite preparations for chicken and fish is coating them in spices before roasting them in the oven.

I keep a large plastic container filled with bread crumbs and spices in the refrigerator.

The container is large enough to accommodate the fish or poultry pieces, which I coat on all sides.

I use spices from Wick Fowler's 2 Alarm Chili Kit, including red pepper, paprika and dried onion, and combine them with a large can of plain or seasoned bread crumbs.

Salt in the chili kit is optional. I also omit the masa flour, a thickening agent.

Whenever I have other spices, I add them to the container. 

Recently, I added Korean black sesame seeds and a package of Fish Masala, including cumin, black pepper, fenugreek and clove leaves. 

Before that I added a package of Middle Eastern spices for kabobs I wasn't using.

Last week, I used Empire Kosher Leg Quarters, which are from free-roaming chickens raised without antibiotics (see photo above).

Tonight, I thawed and broiled two more leg quarters for my teen-age son, covering them in barbecue sauce and gochujang (Korean red-pepper paste) in the last few minutes of cooking.

I served him one leg quarter with a leftover chili-spice drumstick and organic whole wheat penne pasta in marinara sauce with anchovies.

Salad from a can

Here is what goes into a canned seafood salad.

Canned seafood salad with kimchi, tomato and smoked wild salmon.

I splurged on four cans of Bumble Bee Lump Crabmeat at Costco Wholesale to dress up my usual canned fish salad, but the single can I used got lost among the sardines, tuna and pink salmon.

Into a plastic storage contianer, I emptied one can of Moroccan sardines, one can of yellow-fin tuna, two cans of pink salmon and one can of lump crabmeat -- including all of the liquid for a moist salad.

I added chopped onion and sweet pepper, Dijon mustard, ground cumin and fresh lime juice.

I could see the bits of crab, but couldn't taste them, so next time, I'll use two cans of crabmeat and only one of salmon.

Hospital takeout

I love the salad bar's oil-free sun-dried tomatoes, beans and fresh greens.

I look forward to Wednesdays, when I volunteer at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center and purchase a takeout salad from the hospital's Garden Cafe.

If there is a vegetarian soup, I buy that also for my dinner at home.