Tuna

As a chef, my favorite tuna has always been the yellowfin packed in olive oil because of its taste and meaty texture. But I now realize that, as a consumer, it is so much more complicated than just good taste. All the tunas on this list are good tasting, but are also high in omega-3s, contain no additives, and were all fished in American or Asian waters, where fishing methods yield a catch with lower mercury levels. American Tuna Pole Caught Wild Albacore was judged the best overall because of its taste, rich natural oils, low mercury, superior texture, high omega-3s, and because it is cooked only once in the can. It also contains no additives and is caught and packed by fishing families in the mainland United States.

BILL PARCELLS used to teasingly refer to Sean Payton as "Dennis the Menace. " There's no telling what Parcells might call his former assistant now. Payton outsmarted his old boss early, then had some fun at his expense with an onside kick later, once the New Orleans Saints were well on their way to a 42-17 victory over host Dallas last night. Having spent the last 3 years on Parcells' staff, Payton knew exactly how to attack the Cowboys - and Drew Brees pulled it off perfectly, tying his career high with five touchdown passes, all before the third quarter ended.

Backyard cookouts are part of the July Fourth tradition. But by July 5 or 6, burger and dog lovers might be ready to grill something new. Dave and Amy Rihl, owners of the Hula Grill on the Ocean City boardwalk, suggest trying fresh yellowfin (or Ahi) tuna steaks, which are inspired by the abundant seafood and Asian-influenced cuisine of Hawaii's North Shore. The recipe calls for ingredients easily found in Asian markets and specialty grocery stores and makes four sandwiches.

Heart-healthy food is hiding in your cabinet. We're talking about canned fish - tuna, of course, but don't forget convenient salmon-in-a-can. It can stand in for the far pricier fresh or frozen version in combinations and casseroles, with no nutritional loss. And salmon instead of tuna can add variety to those lunchtime sandwich spreads. Both tuna and salmon are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, those wonderful substances that make fish oils so good for your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

For Mayor Goode, a 51-year-old workaholic who rarely strolls, but races when he walks, Thursday was one of those stressful days that wouldn't end. Several hours after Goode listened to top city officials vent their anger at him and each other during a 10-hour gripe session, he was rushed to the hospital with head and neck pain, a racing heart beat and soaring blood pressure. After a battery of tests, Dr. Arthur Whereat, a cardiologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, said Goode is not seriously ill and did not have a heart attack or heart problems.

Pressed to recall when it was that he first started worrying about tuna nets and dolphin slaughter, Scott Hall raised his eyebrows and said, "MTV. " MTV, the cable channel where teenagers tune in to Madonna the vamp, Aerosmith the androgynous and Guns N' Roses the outlaws, also has a show about the environment. The new generation, explained Hall, is less egocentric than the last. In the meantime, a new medium has matured with a degree of social conscience. This is how reform movements are born.

ABOARD THE STEVE IRWIN - Tuna fishermen battled environmentalists on the Mediterranean, hurling heavy links of chain at them as the environmentalists tried to disrupt illegal tuna fishing under the no-fly zone north of Libya on Saturday. The fishermen also tried to lay a rope in front of the activists' boat, the Steve Irwin - owned by the U.S. group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - hoping to disable it. Environmentalists responded with fire hoses and stink bombs. Several hundred feet above the fray circled a French fighter jet summoned by the fishermen, who claimed, falsely, that activist divers were trying to cut their net. The 195-foot Steve Irwin, named after the Australian conservationist who died in 2006, left the Sicilian port of Syracuse early Friday, heading for a rendezvous with a smaller, faster sister ship, the Brigitte Bardot, just north of Libyan waters.

'Plain Talk About Canned Tuna: A Safe & Healthy Food for Everyone. " That's the claim of a full-page advertisement that has begun appearing in newspapers and magazines, placed by (you guessed it) the U.S. Tuna Foundation. "America learned this week that tuna, and many other fish, can contain harmful levels of toxic mercury," says a competing ad, placed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and MoveOn.org, an activist group. Who's right? What's a consumer to do? Many people are responding with what they believe is the "safe" choice: Passing on the tuna melt, retiring the tuna casserole, opting for turkey on rye. Just as some health-conscious consumers have culled beef and farm-raised salmon from their grocery lists because of mad-cow and cancer fears, they're dropping tuna because of warnings over mercury levels.

Tuna, Texas, is the locale of a trilogy of plays from a trilogy of writers: Joe Sears, Jaston Williams, and Ed Howard. Opening the Walnut's Independence Studio season for the third year with a "Tuna" holiday show, this latest entry, Red, White and Tuna, following two hilarious hits, is a definite miss. "This place has gone from mean to meaner," says one resident, and he's right. Of course, these rednecks were always mean as well as bizarre, but they seemed, in their eccentricities and loyalties and feuds and intrigues and romances, somehow also lovable and endearing.

Thirty-six inches. There it was, in khaki and denim, the indisputable measure of just how far middle age has spread across my too, too solid flesh. A few pairs of 34-medium slacks, chosen in a desperate rear-guard action against the truth, sat in a glum, discarded pile on a chair. Still out on the selling floor were all those cotton twills with 32-inch waists, which I'd fingered briefly in wistful tribute to foolish youth. When I was kid, Jim Brown, the Hall of Fame running back, was my hero.

BILL PARCELLS is unlikely to become the New Orleans Saints interim coach, according to multiple reports. Parcells prefers to remain retired and not replace his protege and friend, Sean Payton, who will serve a seasonlong suspension for his role in the New Orleans' bounty system, the reports said. Saints spokesman Greg Bensel declined Tuesday to confirm Parcells has been ruled out as a possible Payton replacement, saying the team "has nothing to report" concerning the search for an interim coach.

THE MINNESOTA Vikings and a source close to Bill Parcells both shot down a published report that the franchise was pursuing the former coach to "run the show. " According to the report in Wednesday's New York Post , Parcells, who is being courted by New Orleans to serve as interim coach while Sean Payton serves his yearlong suspension, said Vikings owner Zygi Wilf told him to "name his price" to oversee the organization and coach the team. "There is no truth to the media reports," said Vikings publicist Bob Hagan.

DECISIONS ARE still pending on a possible appeal of Sean Payton's suspension or an interim coach should his season-long punishment be upheld, a person familiar with the situation said. The person says Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and their staffs were in meetings at the team's suburban headquarters Thursday and focused primarily on preparations for next month's NFL draft. The person spoke to the Associated Press Thursday on condition of anonymity because the Saints have not announced their plans.

Prices for gasoline and lots of other items are rising. It could be worse, though, so here are some reminders that it is still possible to avoid the most expensive things in life. Gasoline. If you think you've got it bad at the gas pump, then look at these 10 places where gasoline prices are higher than in the United States. Mainstreet.com lists some impressive pricing, including the topper, Asmara, Eritrea, an African nation on the Red Sea, where the equivalent of a U.S. gallon fetches $9.58.

I promised my daughter when we started this learning-to-cook blog that I would provide simple recipes. On that pledge, I think I have delivered. But I also told her that the recipes would be quick. And on that front, the first few recipes have not lived up. I guess I felt that a few basics were in order, to get her thinking like a real cook. But now that she has mastered roasted chicken, meatballs and tomato sauce, and homemade lentil soup, it's time for something really quick and easy: tuna and white bean salad.

Fishing remains good when weather permits boats to sail. Call ahead for schedule updates. Offshore canyon trips produce tuna, swordfish, dolphin and tilefish. Croakers, ling, cod, blues, triggerfish and porgies are being caught on bottom fishing trips. Boats with Federal Set Aside permits are fishing for fluke and sea bass. BRIELLE: Jamaica tuna trips sail for 31 hours at 7 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 21 hrs. at 5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Sea bass specials will sail in November and December.

Horseradish gives special texture and tang to many dishes. To salute this ancient root, I've created a simple glazed tuna steak with horseradish. Sauteed new potatoes with spinach complete the meal.   Hot Glazed Tuna Steak Makes 2 servings 21/2 tablespoons orange marmalade 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons olive oil 3/4 pound fresh tuna steak Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. Mix marmalade, horseradish and mustard together.

ABOARD THE STEVE IRWIN - Tuna fishermen battled environmentalists on the Mediterranean, hurling heavy links of chain at them as the environmentalists tried to disrupt illegal tuna fishing under the no-fly zone north of Libya on Saturday. The fishermen also tried to lay a rope in front of the activists' boat, the Steve Irwin - owned by the U.S. group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - hoping to disable it. Environmentalists responded with fire hoses and stink bombs. Several hundred feet above the fray circled a French fighter jet summoned by the fishermen, who claimed, falsely, that activist divers were trying to cut their net. The 195-foot Steve Irwin, named after the Australian conservationist who died in 2006, left the Sicilian port of Syracuse early Friday, heading for a rendezvous with a smaller, faster sister ship, the Brigitte Bardot, just north of Libyan waters.

Down-to-earth tuna Mark Tropea, chef/owner of the BYOB Sonata in Northern Liberties, deftly balances the meatiness of tuna - which he believes is at its peak in the summer - by pairing it with earthy ingredients not usually found in the warmer months. The tuna is crusted in dehydrated black trumpet mushrooms, seared rare, and served with fava beans, chanterelle mushrooms, and black truffle with both a red wine and a veal stock reduction, and a foie gras butter sauce.  

"So what gives? Where are the photos of Lady Gaga in waders? Does George Clooney have something against tuna?" These and other scathing indictments fly in the June 14 Globe, the supermarket tab. The headline: "CELEB HEROES TURN OIL SPILL ZEROES!" The theme: The glitterati are doing zip about the oil-spill mess. We at "SideShow" love this article. I mean, who is doing much about the slick? The folks involved in cleaning it up . . . um . . . can't. True, director James Cameron is on the scene, so at least it'll be in 3D soon, right?