I love tuna sandwiches. They remind me of my childhood. They take me right back to my mother's kitchen. Because tuna sandwiches were never found in the lunch pail. Nope they were weekend lunches, made by my mother and eaten within seconds of leaving the can. I was not a fan of mushy bread and my mother knew this.

My mother used lemon and celery and sometimes bits of sweet pickle or hard-boiled egg, and of course she used plain ole Star-Kist. Because as a kid I really liked Charlie and his efforts on behalf of that company! Such a riot watching him wanting to get caught! Only to hear the disappointing phrase "Sorry Charlie only good tasting tunas get to be Star-Kist"

But these days tuna is a tricky choice. Do we choose light tuna or white tuna. Are they the same thing made to sound different by marketing pros? Could it be that one is packed in water and the other oil? Or are they just different fish. Is one a greater risk of mercury than the other?

I have heard that "white" tuna is albacore. And that "light" is pretty much anything else. Can anything else include fish that's not really tuna? Could it include non-sustainable varieties such as longline yellowtail or bigeye? Should I support companies that harvest tuna in an irresponsible manner. How do I know what's what and who's who?

I am in the middle of a weeklong tribute to the recipes of my mother. I am lucky to have so many of her recipes compiled into a cookbook my brother put together after she passed away in 1993, long before her time.

Up until today I chose recipes from this collection that were familiar to me. Foods strongly attached to the woman I knew as mom and the food she provided my childhood tummy. Some comfort foods from my past, or dishes that I find endearing because they highlight some aspect of my mother's quirky attributes, or maybe just plain old childhood favorites.

But my mother knew a heck of a lot more about food than merely being the person who filled the bellies of three ungrateful eaters night after night. She was well read and had a sophisticated palate. So, until today none of the recipes I have presented really spoke to my mother's great love of exciting flavors. She was at the front end of American housewives branching out into classical French cooking styles at home. My mother had strong attachments to culinary cities like San Francisco and New Orleans. I remember my parents traveling to these cities and I remember my mother coming home and talking about the food.