Sardines

So, I had never eaten sardines until recently, and I was scared because...well, ew.

I have been having major problems with regular old grocery store beef, though, so I had to come up with more meat choices that were...well, less beef-like.

Here are my tips.

1. Buy several different brands and find a (legal) kind you like -- read the labels!

2. Small sardines are MUCH better than large ones. You can't even tell there are bones in the small ones. The big ones are far more likely to have bigger, harder (and more disgusting) bones. How to know? Well, the cheap cans usually have the large sardines. More expensive cans tend to have smaller sardines. This is only my experience, so your mileage may vary.

3. Smoked sardines are very yummy, but make sure they don't have illegal flavorings added to them.

4. Tabasco sauce (the original is legal) is very good for cutting the fishy taste.

5. Salt is also GREAT for making them seem less, well, sardine-y.

6. The kind in oil will be more filling.

So give them a try. They're cheap and easy. And not too bad, really.