tuna and hummus sandwiches

I love to look back, at photos, at a memory of a place and remember how happy that moment was. I have been thinking a lot about Paris lately- about a year ago we were getting ready to go there for a weeklong visit. I find myself day dreaming: walking into different museums, strolling down sunlit streets, perched at cafes for hours sipping rose.

In pictures, we (my husband and I) seem suspended in time and light. In those still shots, it is just the two of us discovering this beautiful place together. I was amazed at how quickly a foreign place could feel like home, because we were together.

And maybe that is the piece that I carry with me. That wherever I am, when we are together, it is my home- Parisian streets or just everyday life.

Besides photos, for me, food is one of the quickest ways to recall travel. Trying to recreate certain dishes or flavors is a fun challenge I look forward to. In my Parisian day dreaming, this past weekend, I put together a California version of a cafe lunch for us- steamed artichokes, chilled rose and little open-faced tuna and hummus sandwiches.

The salty tuna, earthy hummus and peppery radish make a nice little bite. Also, I realize I am very late to this party, but Italian tuna packed in olive oil is pretty amazing.

This recipe is from The Barefoot Contessa's 'How Easy Is That?'

tuna and hummus sandwiches

14 ounces jarred or canned Italian tuna in olive oil
1/4 cup minced celery
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion (I used scallions here)
2 tablespoons minced cornichons (I doubled this to 4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons good mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I go easy on this and just add to taste- with the pickles and mustard, I think it hardly needs any)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sourdough bread, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
hummus, store-bought or homemade
fresh radishes, sliced

1) Drain the oil from the tuna, reserving the oil. Place the tuna in a mixing bowl and flake it with a fork. Add the celery, onion, cornichons, lemon juice, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil, the mustard, salt, and pepper and mix well.

2) Cover a refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

3) Toast the bread (let it cool a bit) and spread each slice with a layer of hummus. Spread the tuna salad on each piece of bread, garnish with slices of radish and served immediately.