"sardines" news and stories

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• Save a yellow onion from the doom that is your vegetable crisper -- use a pearl.
• You don't need to travel to California to tour one of the state's oldest wineries.
• While you're at it, brushing up on your wine-pairing knowledge wouldn't hurt.
• Chimichurri and tri-trip steak -- from Argentina with love.
• Now, you, too, can grill Spanish-style sardines.
• The slow cooker -- probably the single greatest kitchen appliance invented -- is perfect for this blackberries-and-pulled pork recipe.

Happy National Sardines Day!

Said actor and writer Alan Bennett, "Life is like a box of sardines, and everyone is looking for the key." Alas, when it comes to the slippery fish, not everyone is interested in opening up that can. And it seems foodies have a love-hate relationship with the chow.

Even adventurous eater and ex-New York Times food critic Frank Bruni was under fire for rumors that he hated sardines. After further research on his praise for various plates of the dish, the final verdict was best summed up in his own words: "Sardines aren't for sissies."

What do you think? Take our poll and hit the comments to vent or rave.



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While I wouldn't describe myself as a complete sardine junkie, I have to admit that I have a definite appreciation of canned fish. My favorite is probably salmon; when I was a kid, we'd fight over the chalky bones, and I still get a smile out of crunching down on them.

Still, sardines are a lot of fun. While the bad ones tend to taste like cat food, the good ones offer a rich, subtle flavor that is delightful. In some cases, I've even had sardines that I would describe as transcendent, with a mild taste and a silky mouthfeel. Even in the worst of circumstances, sardines are cool to look at, and are a cheap meal.

Even if I'm not a sardine fanatic, I have a very warm space in my heart for mildly obsessive-compulsive behavior; for this reason, the Society for the Appreciation of Sardines blog definitely gives me a smile. With sardine reviews, recipes, and lore, it contains everything that a fan of the oily canned fish could possibly want.

Now what about anchovies?

Every time that I order pizza at a restaurant and I find out that they've flavored it with sardines, I start to gag. The combination of any fish and pizza is nauseating and repulsive. For some reason, sardines over pizza is the worst. The most disgusting thing about this pairing has to be the stinking fishy aroma emanating from the pizza pie. The slippery texture of the cheese and the fish only add to the unpleasant experience.

I do not understand why waiters sometimes forget to tell their guests that a certain pizza contains sardines. You should be warned before munching into this sort of gooey mess.