Tuna Salad

There's nothing canned about fresh tuna. With a full, rich flavor and dense, meaty texture, tuna, like swordfish, salmon and other oily-fleshed fish, stays moist and tender when cooked over direct heat.With more and more of the prime commercial catch being marketed in fresh or frozen form rather than going to the canneries, several species of tuna steaks and fillets are becoming more widely available and often are an excellent value. Albacore, a relatively small, pale-fleshed species, is one of the most popular tuna "sea steaks" for char-grilling.

How do the rest of you do it? How do you eat out and still stick with an eating plan that helps you lose those pounds left over from '96?It's a quagmire out there.Recently, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reported on registered dietitians' inability to accurately guestimate the fat and calorie content of restaurant fare. At the American Dietetic Association (ADA) annual meeting last October, dietitians were challenged to evaluate lasagna, grilled chicken Caesar salad, a tuna salad sandwich, hamburger and onion rings, and a porterhouse steak dinner.

The '90s have caught up with Hampden, which may be good or bad depending on your point of view. Here's McCabe's, a neighborhood bar known for its hamburgers, serving its tuna salad with a "light balsamic vinaigrette." And that tuna salad is blackened tuna steak salad.McCabe's reopened recently after being closed for two years. It's a fairly lengthy time to be closed for renovations, but owners Chip and Lauren Miller both worked at other jobs and wanted to do the remodeling themselves on their days off.I can't quite remember what McCabe's looked like before, but the general effect is the same -- a bar on one side, the pleasant dining room on the other.

They've been called the nation's nutrition nags for taking on Chinese food and movie popcorn, the diet terrorists for ruining a dinner of fettuccine Alfredo.Now that they've shattered illusions about the all-American sandwich, just what do the fat cops themselves eat for lunch?A peek in the fridge at the Center for Science in the Public Interest reveals: Chinese take-out boxes. Plates of leftover spaghetti. Full-fat Russian dressing. Black bean tamales. A pre-wrapped slice of American cheese.

Donna's Coffee Bar2 W. Madison at Charles St. Hours: Open Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Fri., 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (410) 385-0180.The sight of platters heaped with roasted vegetables standing next to plates with thick slices of cake and the smell of fresh bread which curls into the aroma of coffee help make a trip to Donna's become an excursion for the senses.The menu offers a tempting array of soups, salads, sandwiches and dinner pastas. Donna's Salad ($4.75)

When Ron Sanders' father died in 1986, his recipe for homemade ice cream went with him."I regret now that I never asked for it," said the 53-year-old retired school principal-turned-restaurateur. "I guess I was shortsighted, but I never expected to take this over.""This," is Sanders Corner, a Towson-area landmark that began as a country blacksmith shop in the 1880s, has been a general store and post office, convenience store and soda fountain and is now becoming a full-service restaurant -- albeit without that homemade ice cream.

MT. VERNON CAFE 5716 York Road. Open Mondays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; lunch served after 11 a.m.; limited breakfast menu. Phone (410) 323-1995. FAX (410) 323-2085.Looking for a lunch-time escape? Somewhere quiet and friendly with a nice choice of tasty food?You might want to try the Mt. Vernon Cafe, which is miles from Mount Vernon in the Govans-Belvedere Square strip of York Road. It's sort of an unlikely place for a cafe and carry-out, but worth your time to stop there.The Mt. Vernon Cafe is bright and sparkling with a black-and-white checkered floor and a dozen or so white tables, if you want to eat in. The menu is basic with the usual hot and cold sandwiches -- ham, roast beef, turkey, egg salad, among them -- a few salads and desserts.

John Brown's StoreJohn Brown's StoreShawan and Falls roads, Hunt Valley. Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Fridays; 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Deli closes an hour earlier.Phone: (410) 785-2660. Fax: (410) 785-9761.John Brown's Store, named for a long-ago proprietor, not thcurrent owner, serves food as diverse as the mix of customers attracted to the stone building on the rim of Worthington Valley horse country west of Hunt Valley Industrial Park.The store, which features a full-service deli, catches morning commuters -- construction workers particularly like to get an early start.

GIBBY'S SEAFOOD 2318 York Road, Timonium. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m Sundays. Call 561-5225. Mention crab cakes and the first word that comes to mind is pricey. Not so at Gibby's Seafood, a carryout on York Road a few blocks from the Timonium Fairgrounds.Two crab cakes, heavy with crab, cost you $7.95, and with that you get your choice of two side dishes, among them tomato-cucumber salad, macaroni shrimp salad, potato salad or cole slaw.

WERNIG COUNTRY MEATS6301 York Road. Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays. Call 435-7036.This family-owned business run by Pat and Bill Wernig has moved recently from the Belvedere Square shopping center to a new and larger location on York Road. The Wernigs specialize in grain-fed beef and poultry raised on their farm in Harford County. The store carries a complete deli line as well as very good homemade soups and cakes.One of Wernig's best items is a whole barbecued chicken roasted on the premises ($2.69 a pound)

The first incarnation of Kader Camara's Cafe Mocha was a small shop on Howard Street's Antique Row. There, customers had the joy of discovery. Maybe they would come in for an investigatory cup of cappuccino and a pastry and leave with some of Camara's healthful cafe fare. Before long, Camara's food, especially his sandwiches, many of them sprinkled with North African or Caribbean influences, developed a good reputation. Last fall, Camara, a native of Guinea, moved Cafe Mocha into the renovated Railway Express building.

Maybe it was all those fishy lunches I ate as a kid, but on summer afternoons I have a yen for a tuna-salad sandwich. I know there are upscale versions of this sandwich out there that mix chunks of high-quality tuna with walnuts and grapes, or with fennel, tarragon and capers. But on this go-round I kept it simple: canned tuna salad on rye with lettuce and tomato, served at downtown eateries. During a sunny noon hour when tourists were meandering through Harborplace, office workers were dodging Redwood Street construction crews, and the lunchtime throngs filled Lexington Market, I went fishing for tuna-salad sandwiches.

Hold the chicken salad - and the international incident. Turns out Gov. Martin O'Malley did not serve Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert an unkosher meal. O'Malley had Olmert over to the governor's mansion for lunch the other day, when the prime minister was in Annapolis for (using the current geopolitical shorthand for "comically abbreviated Middle East peace conference") Annapolis. With reporters hungry for details, the governor's press office fed the beast: O'Malley served chicken salad sandwiches and a cheese plate.

Here's a promise the dining-out crowd may love to hear: It'll be the best place to eat in the area. That's what the owner/chef of Canton's newest restaurant is vowing. Ted Stelzenmuller certainly knows East Baltimore restaurants. He's worked for the last few years in the vicinity, first at Red Fish, and then at Salt. If all goes as planned, starting tomorrow you'll be able to see whether he lives up to that promise, when he's set to open the doors of Jack's Bistro. OK. His name is Ted. Yet, his eatery is called Jack's.

A well-known Baltimore City resident has moved to the 'burbs. After closing its Lancaster Street location a year ago, Victor's Cafe now can be found in Timonium. Owner Victor DiVivo says he was forced to leave his waterfront location because of plans to build a Four Seasons Hotel on that spot. But he wasn't about to leave the restaurant business. And he decided on the old Donna's space in the Timonium Crossing shopping center because the parking was easy. And free. He describes the space itself as a "typical cafe, very comfortable, very cozy."

If you're up on the scuttlebutt, you know the restaurant at the Woman's Industrial Exchange is about to reopen. You know that the interior has been almost totally revamped. It's modern industrial now, with lots of light greens. The famous black and white checked floor is about the only original element that remains. And that includes the name. When the new place opens, it will be known as Chef's Express. The title brings its own nostalgia with it for new owner Jerry Edwards. Jerry says that was the name of his first business, a little sandwich shop he opened in Towson 24 years ago. That shop has since closed, but Jerry Edwards' Chef's Expressions catering business is flourishing.

Elementary schools Tomorrow: Schools closed for students. Tuesday: Manager-planned menu. Wednesday: Popcorn chicken, fresh vegetables with dip, roll, peaches, gelatin with fruit. Thursday: Cold cut sub or tuna salad on roll, stuffed sub salad bar, chicken noodle soup, fresh fruit, pudding. Friday: Pepperoni or cheese pizza, tossed salad, fresh fruit, cookie. Note: Peanut butter sandwich available daily; half-pint of milk served with each menu (35 cents separately); children, $1.60; reduced price, 40 cents; adults, $2.70.

PUT THE salt and pepper on the raw hamburger, then form the meat into patties. Rub the steak with a dab of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, then put it on the grill. Remember that when you are grilling, your best friend is an instant-read thermometer; it can tell you when things are done. These are some of the bits of cooking advice that I have been attempting to pass along to my sons, 24 and 19 years old. As with most forms of father-child communication, I am never quite sure what sinks in and what sails past them.

The knish, it appears, originated generations ago somewhere in Eastern Europe. But you can almost hear the first knish maker planning it out: "What if we combined the bread and the potatoes?" Today, it seems to me, the knish is the ultimate comfort food - an Atkins-busting medley of bread dough, mashed potatoes and occasionally extra goodies. At some delis, the knish remains mostly an afterthought. Not at the Knish Shop in Pikesville. The small shop sits in a strip shopping center on a busy stretch of Reisterstown Road.

Paella -- hot off the grill Never mind the burgers or steak. Next time you're looking for a dish you can make on the grill, try paella. Although we usually make paella on the stove top, this Spanish dish got its start in Valencia, Spain, as a communal meal for fieldworkers who couldn't go home for lunch, according to the USA Rice Federation. The workers cooked their paella on an open fire, adding whatever meat and vegetables were available. Originally it did not contain sausage or seafood, but as the dish migrated to other regions, those ingredients were added.