We hooked her up with Sea Fare Pacific—sustainable, wild caught albacore tuna and salmon in lightweight, environmentally-friendly pouches.

You don’t need to leave the country to enjoy the tuna and salmon, though.

Sea Fare Pacific catches fish one at a time with a hook and line. The goal is to keep the earth and ecosystem safe, and to provide the highest-quality, omega-3 packed tuna with no mercury concerns. Unlike most supermarket brands, the fish is cooked only once to preserve its natural oils and flavors.

The earth-friendly pouch keeps food fresher than a can, is lighter to tote and is more environmentally friendly. There’s no oil or water to drain—no messiness. Simply tear the seal and enjoy.

The company was founded by Oregonian Mike Babcock, who aim to create a Pacific albacore tuna that tasted like his mother’s home-canned tuna. We haven’t tried Mom’s, but find Mike’s product to be excellent.

Products

 
The challenge: Finding the tuna! As a new brand, distribution is in the early phases. Contact the company via the website or at 541.266.TUNA.
 
Why does the tuna taste so good?

The company points out that most brands of albacore tuna on the market are “twice cooked,” which causes the fish to lose most of its heart-healthy fats. Sea Fare Pacific products are cooked only once.

Mercury In Tuna

All tuna are not created equal, vis-a-vis mercury content.

Albacore, often referred to as “chunk white” tuna, is one of the safest fish you can eat—provided it is caught in the U.S. Pacific or Canadian Pacific. The Seafood Watch project of the Monterey Bay Aquarium lists Albacore tuna caught in the US Pacific or Canadian Pacific as the “Best Choice.”

These fish are younger and therefore have had less time to build up high levels of mercury. Most of the popular commercial brands use tuna imported from Southeast Asia, where the larger albacore tuna are much higher in mercury (and lower in omega 3s than their younger West Coast counterparts).

“Chunk light” tuna is a blend of different species, and often includes meat from high-mercury bigeye tuna (along with less contaminated yellow fin). It’s best to avoid it.

Do you know the different types of tuna?

Properly stored, olive oil will keep longer than other edible oils: up to two years. However, once opened, it is best to use the oil within 60 to 90 days. (Some varietals remain fresh much longer due to their acid structure, but this is a good rule of thumb.)

So, buy the size that you need and use a Sharpie to mark the bottle with the date you opened it. And keep it away from light and heat.

When oils turn rancid, they take on an unpleasant musty aroma and flavor, and are best poured down the drain. But if you find that the bottle has simply turned flat and you don’t like the taste, here are other uses for it, courtesy of OliveOilShop.com:

1. Make Homemade “Lemon Pledge.” Combine 2 parts olive oil and 1 part lemon juice in a bowl or a clean spray bottle. Using a circular motion and following the grain of the wood, apply or spray a thin coat onto the wood surface. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then use a clean, dry, soft cloth and buff to a deep shine.

2. Remove Spots From Wood Floors & Furniture. If you have water or alcohol spots on polished wood or furniture, simply rub a little olive oil on the spot. Let it soak in, then gently rub off any excess oil.

Olive oils from Terra Medi. Read our review.

4. Remove Paint From Hair & Skin. If you’ve gotten spattered while painting, moisten a cotton ball some olive oil and gently rub it into skin or hair. It will act as a solvent to remove paint, and it is not harsh like turpentine and other chemical solvents.

5. Preserve Gardening Tools. Clippers, pruning shears and trowels can benefit from leftover olive oil. Before putting the tools away, clean off any dirt or grime. Then lightly oil the tool with a small amount of olive oil on a cloth. The oil guards against dirt buildup and no rust, so your tools will last longer. Keep the bottle in your garage or tool shed; put it in a spray bottle or mister to prevent glass breakage.

6. Lubricate Hinges. Before there was WD-50, there was olive oil. To lubricate squeaky hinges on doors, put a small amount of olive oil at the top of the hinge and let the drops of oil run down by moving the hinge back and forth. Wipe off the excess with a cloth. This also works on the oven door, refrigerator doors, tool box latch, plastic coolers and other latches.

7. Hair Conditioner. Before commercial hair conditioners, women used olive oil. Measure 1/2 cup of olive oil. Wet your hair, then warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil at a time in your palms. Massage it into your scalp in a circular motion. Repeat until the entire scalp has been massaged. Rub the ends of your hair with the remaining oil. Then cover your hair with a plastic bag, secure with hair clip or bobby pins, and allow the oil to remain for 30-60 minutes. (If you have a heat cap, use it). Rinse and shampoo.

25 More Uses For Olive Oil.

Triscuits are 100% whole grain and a good source of fiber. A “dill-licious” snack out of the box, Triscuit Dill, Sea Salt & Olive Oil is also perfectly complemented by freshly grown cracker toppings like tomato and cucumber slices. The line is certified kosher by OU.

Here are two sophisticated snacks/hors d’oeuvre, plus more recipes and wine pairings (including a free app).

*Why don’t you still like foods you loved in earlier years? Your palate evolves, seeking more sophisticated flavors; and companies cut back on quality ingredients, so products don’t taste as good as they used to.

TRISCUITS WITH TANGY GREEK TOPPERS

Ingredients Per Serving

Preparation

1. Lay cucumber slices on Triscuits, followed by feta cheese and red pepper.

2. Garnish with olive slices and lemon zest. Serve with Sauvignon Blanc or other white wine.

 
TRISCUITS WITH SALMON-DILL TOPPERS

Ingredients Per Serving

 
Preparation

1. Spread crackers with cream cheese. Layer with salmon.

2. Top with remaining ingredients.

3. Serve with Pinot Noir or other light-to-medium-bodied red wine.

Triscuit is a biscuit (cracker) form of shredded wheat. Shredded wheat cereal, made of boiled wheat, was invented by Henry Perky in 1890, as a palliative for his digestive problems. In 1892, he took his idea to a machinist friend, William H. Ford, in Watertown, New York. Together they developed the machine for making what Perky called “little whole wheat mattresses.” He established the Shredded Wheat Company of Niagara Falls, New York (acquired by the National Biscuit Company—now Nabisco—in 1928). A patent was granted in 1902. Commercial production began in 1903.

In 1935, Nabisco began spraying the crackers with oil and adding salt, creating today’s delicious Original flavor profile. From 1984 through 2008, additional variations were created and the crackers were made crispier. Today the line includes Original; Reduced Fat; Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil; Dill, Sea Salt & Olive Oil; Fire Roasted Tomato; Garden Herb; Hint of Salt; Parmesan Garlic; Quattro Formaggio; Roasted Garlic; and Rosemary & Olive Oil.

Find more of our favorite crackers.

White and brown eggs are identical in flavor and nutrition. Brown eggs cost more because they come from breeds (red-brown in color) that are larger and require more feed. Photo by Karen Andrews | SXC.

The fresher the egg, the more flavorful (and colorful) the yolk and the better the white will hold its shape.

 
Get The Freshest Eggs

How To Read The Date On An Egg Carton

If you can unscramble the date on the carton, you can take home fresher eggs. There are potentially three dates on a carton, depending on state laws:

More About Eggs

Check out nutrition information, how to safely use raw eggs, the different types of eggs and yummy egg recipes.

While Scotland long had crunchy oatcakes, the pliable oatmeal cookie we’re familiar with was a 19th-century American creation.

Jean Anderson, author of The American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century, notes:

“The first recipe I’ve found for oatmeal cookies appears in the original Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer (1896)…in fact they were barely oatmeal cookies, containing only half a cup.” (Here’s the original Fannie Farmer recipe).

The oatmeal cookies we know and love did not begin routinely appearing in cookbooks until the twentieth century, according to Ms. Anderson.

Ingredients

Makes 60 cookies.

 
Preparation

1. BLEND. Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in sour cream, egg and vanilla. Add combined flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients.

2. DROP. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. BAKE. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie edges are lightly browned.

4. COOL. Cool on sheet 1 minute; remove to cooling rack.
Find more of our favorite cookie recipes.