Canned Sardines Are Awesome

Yes, we can eat fish out of a tin

The thought of canned fish isn't particularly exciting unless you're a cat. But the world of tins can be truly exquisite–especially when fresh sardines are hard to find.

Lately, we've been digging Bela's fat sardines ($18 for 6 cans). They're caught off Portugal's southern coast, smoked ever so slightly and packed in olive oil.

The best thing about keeping a few cans around is that you can put together a perfectly civilized meal when you think there's no food left in the house.

You have some bread lying around, right? Brush it with olive oil, grill it, and rub it all over with a clove of garlic. Use a fork to gently squash a couple of those sweet, fat, smoky sardines on top.

It's such a wonderful snack, you'll forget it came out of a can.