So let’s start at the end for a moment and talk about the elephant in the room, or rather – the tuna in the recipe.
I haven’t touched tuna in 35 years. Anyone who knows me knows that if there’s one thing I don’t eat, it’s tuna. Why? Oh, what a great question! In pre-school, up until the age of 5, I was given tons of tuna in oil; I was a picky, skinny kid who didn’t like to eat, and as soon as the teacher found out I liked tuna, they gave it to me every day.
And so it happened that one day it just didn’t sit well anymore, and since then tuna and I don’t mix. Which is a bit strange, isn’t it? Because there were a lot of things I didn’t eat until I was older and at some point I tried them all and today I try first and then decide whether or not I like it. But tuna? Something stuck, psychologically.
So how did tuna patties get here, you might ask? In recent months, a lot of people have been asking for ideas for dinners that aren’t just an omelet and salad. It reminded me that in the evenings, when I want to mix things up, I make patties: vegetable patties, cheese patties, patties made from whatever I have at home. So why not take a favorite recipe of mine for fish patties and make it with everyone’s favorite, tuna?
So I did. I made it once and let a friend taste it. Then I changed the recipe and sent it to my neighbor, then to my sister-in-law. And in the end, once everyone had nodded and said it was great, I realized I had found a formula that was delicious and easy and also baked. AND it turns out that kids love it too.