I like to keep some canned salmon in the cupboard alongside the tuna, sardines, kippers, and smoked oysters. I often find that I haven't planned my next meal and want to eat NOW without having to go to the market. It's a good idea to have some pantry dishes in your repertoire.

I also like this because I believe in nose-to-tail eating and try to eat some offal, skin, and bones occasionally. Canned salmon with bones is a very palatable way of eating some bones if you know what to do with it.

There are several choices when you buy canned salmon; I've been buying this one for at least eight years. If the label doesn't say, "boneless and skinless" then it has skin and bones. I always buy water-packed and then give the drained water from the can to the dog. Water-packed salmon isn't dry like water-pcked tuna.

While bones on fresh fish can be downright frightening, bones in canned fish are completely harmless. They crumble readily, particularly if you pulse them a few times in the food processor.

This works for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This is a simple, homey, everyday dish. Don't serve these to company.

Super Mineral Salmon Cakes -- makes 1 very large or 2 modest servings

a 7.5 ounce can of salmon with skin and bones, drained and broken into chunks
1 jumbo egg (or 1.5 large egg)
2-3 teaspoons cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (or substitute sriracha or another seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 ounce chopped red onion or other onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, cilantro, or chives (optional)
zest of 1/2 lemon, yellow part only

oil or butter for pan-frying
lemon wedges for serving

Put the egg and cream cheese in a mini food processor or chopper and process till smooth. Add the remaining ingredients (including the skin and bones, even the vertebrae) and pulse a few times. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse a couple more times. Do not puree. The bones will disappear, I promise.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a bit of olive oil or butter to coat the surface of the pan. Drop the salmon mixture by heaping tablespoon onto the pan and flatten them a bit. Let the cakes lightly brown around the edges before flipping them.

When both sides are golden brown, serve with lemon wedges.