Tonno sott’Olio Mantecato

A Painter friend who is as gifted a cook as he is an artist had asked me to have tea with him at a smart new Italian place on Madison Avenue. With tea we had little soft rolls with a buttery spread. My friend marveled over the spread, asked what it was and could I get him the recipe. “But it’s so simple,” I said. “It’s just good canned tuna beaten with butter and capers.” “Why have you never put it in a book?” he asked. “It’s so simple that I paid no attention to it,” I explained, “but if y