Tuna Fish Po’ boy

Not your typical New Orleans po’ boy but… you may think that this is just a sub but it’s not.  What makes a po’ boy a po’ boy is the french bread.  Sandwiches from different deli’s or Subway or ones you may make that are on white bread or a hoagie or sub bun is just a sandwich by another name.  The po’ boy is on a french bread.

My Tuna Fish Po’ boy came out of nothing else to make.  I had the ingredients on hand and thought it’d be clever to make.  It tasted great!  My wife loved it and I loved it.  It’s just one of those things to pass along.  In case your in the mood for a tuna sandwich, it’s just a way to add a twist to it.

On thing I’ve noticed about New Orleans, is that everyone is willing to help out everyone else.  I’ve been to a few concerts here in the Detroit area where brass bands from New Orleans have come to perform.  Not all the original members of the band is there, but there are other musicians filling in and the band doesn’t miss a beat.  I know they are there for a paycheck, but even at the clubs in New Orleans, musicians fill in and sit in for one another just to help out.

I talked to one musician on Facebook and told him my plans to vacation in New Orleans fairly soon.  He gave me his number to call him once I get down there.  I talked to a chef on Facebook, Tommy Centola, who runs an excellent blog the Creole Cajun Chef.  He recently published his book “You can’t keep New Orleans out of the cook” which you can find on his website.  Not knowing me other then the fact that I also like to cook Creole and Cajun foods, he told his Twitter followers to check my blog out.  I thank you Tommy and I encourge all to check his blog and book out.

What I’m trying to say is, is that New Orleans isn’t just a city, New Orleans is a culture.  It’s what I love about it.  My two favorite football teams are the Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints (I know, no Detroit Lions).  I love the Raiders for who they are, always will, and I love the Saints for where they are, always will.  When I wear my Raiders hat, no one ever says anything about it.  Who talks about Oakland?   When I wear my Saints hat, I hear stories about New Orleans.  People who love New Orleans, no matter where they are at, or what connection they may have, come together.  There’s a lot to share about New Orleans and everyone loves to talk about it – the food or the music or Bourban Street.

I want to share what I’ve learned of the food and what I’ve heard with the music.  From the muffuletta to Glen David Andrews.  From Tommy Centola’s cookbook to the history of the po’boy.  Like Dr. John sang in “Sweet Home New Orleans”, “…this is what it means to love New Orleans.”

TUNA FISH PO’ BOY

Ingredients:

• 2 cans tuna fish
• french bread
• mayonnaise
• swiss cheese
• lettuce
• tomatoes
• pickles
• creole seasoning
• mustard (or Creole Mustard)

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Mix the tuna with the mayonnaise and creole seasoning.  Spread the tuna across the french bread and top with the cheese.  Heat in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Once heated, the french bread will have a crisp top, add the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and mustard.  You could make the Creole Mustard to use instead of regular mustard.