My husband Tim didn’t follow a recipe; he just made it up as he went along. “I didn’t even measure the mayo — just squeezed in a blob, stirred and if it seemed too dry, I squeezed some more in it.”
Dawn Kessinger/The Lima News
Have you ever just not felt like running out for fast food, even though you also have no idea what you’re going to fix for dinner? Do you ever open a cupboard door with a growl in your stomach but also a slice of hope in your heart that you’ll see something that might spark an idea for something satisfying to eat?
The ingredients you might find and combine to create a meal could end up being a favorite dish you find yourself continuing to make and enjoy years later.
Thirty-some years ago, my husband Tim lived in Columbus while he attended The Ohio State University. Since he shared an apartment with two or three other young men, I guessed that each would take a turn as chef for the day or week. I guessed incorrectly.
“Everybody was busy and we all had crazy schedules and different foods we liked,” he said.
Although there was an occasional shared meal, no one person claimed the chef hat and apron on any set schedule.
Although Tim liked fast food as much as anyone else and it was relatively inexpensive, he found that he didn’t want an everyday diet of junk food. One day, he said he wanted to fix something, but was at a loss for what to make. Grocery shopping was no one’s favorite and since it was such a chore, it wasn’t done as often as it probably should have been.
“I went through the cupboards and just started pulling out whatever we had: a bag of noodles; some cans of tuna; mushrooms; mayo,” he said.
“There was no recipe; I didn’t follow anyone’s instruction — I just made it up as I went along. I didn’t even measure the mayo — just squeezed in a blob, stirred and if it seemed too dry, I squeezed some more in it,” Tim said.
“We didn’t have a lot of time and everyone was always in a hurry so I wanted to do something quick. Boiling the noodles was the longest part of it. But after that, add the tuna, mushrooms and mayo while the noodles are still hot, mix it up and you’re done — there’s your meal.”
When Tim’s roommates sampled his tuna noodle, they repeatedly asked him to make it again. And he did.
“I’d fix it and we would finish it in one sitting. There wasn’t anything left,” he said.
With only two of us at home, and not being starving college kids anymore, there were leftovers when I made Tim’s tuna noodle recipe. But the meal continues to be a favorite, because long after I had scraped the last of the leftovers into a bowl for his lunch, he was asking for more.
College Kid’s Tuna Noodle
Ingredients:
• 12-oz package egg noodles (or No Yolks egg white pasta — dumplings)
• 8-oz can mushrooms pieces & stems
• 3 or 4 5-oz cans of tuna (in water)
• Mayonnaise to taste
• Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: hot sauce on individual portions/servings to taste
In large pan, set water to boil. Add noodles when water boils. Stir frequently. Turn off heat when noodles are al dente. Drain. Pour the pasta into a large bowl or Tupperware. Drain cans of tuna and add to the pasta. Add can of mushrooms (undrained), mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add more salt, pepper, or mayonnaise as needed. Serve immediately.
Want to share a meal with The Lima News readers? Send your recipe with your name, city of residence, phone number (won’t be published) and a photo of your meal to [email protected].
