Need a tuna melt tutorial? Senator's viral video isn't one. - TribLIVE

While most of the country – and world – is under stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus outbreak, a slew of videos and tutorials on getting creative with lunch have been posted to social media. This is not one of those.

Plain white bread, lots of mayo, tuna straight from the can, medium sharp cheese and microwave for 30 seconds.

Voila! A gourmet lunch in the age of the shutdown — at least for Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia. He calls the sandwich his “real specialty,” though most people would likely politely decline a bite.

“I love mayo. I know my kids hate mayo, but make sure you get plenty on both sides,” says Warner as he’s adding the condiment to the sandwich, pushing the boundary for the appropriate amount for one sandwich.

But there’s also something else in the 3:21 video posted to his Instagram page on Sunday. After making the sandwich and popping it in the microwave, he spends 20 seconds at the kitchen sink washing his hands — there’s even a timer.

“Remember to wash our hands for close to 20 seconds, as we all know. … Make sure we’ve got no germs, none of the virus,” he says. It basically serves as a public service announcement for washing your hands.

“I can’t get my wife and kids to eat these anymore, but I tell you, on a coronavirus day, nothing hits the spot more than a tuna melt,” Warner says after a bite of his creation.

“I know these are challenging times. I hope you’ll maybe be willing to try a tuna melt,” he says. “We will get through this, Virginia. We will get through this, America, when we go back to basics.”

The video did attract the attention of many, including his fellow legislators, mostly from other Democrats.

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey added his own take on the tuna melt recipe on Twitter, “I prefer my tuna sandwiches with mustard. I hope @MarkWarner gets the help he needs.”

Sen. Tim Kaine, Warner’s fellow Senator from Virginia, tweeted, “I’ve learned a lot of things from my senior senator, but I’m proud to say cooking isn’t one of them.”

Sen. Kamala Harris of California offered Warner some help: “Mark — we need to talk. Call. Please. Your friend KDH.” She later shared a video of her own tuna melt recipe on her Instagram story.

“Ok @MarkWarner we need to talk. That’s too much mayo dude. Where is Lisa? I love your effort … but …” former Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill added.

And about not draining the tuna can, Warner’s communications director Rachel Cohen tried to clear it up: “Ok, Internet, I asked him your questions,” she tweeted. “And he wants you to know that he **intentionally** didn’t drain the tuna ‘because I didn’t want it to be too dry.’ ”

The sandwich needs some help, but the message about washing hands was likely the point.

Frank Carnevale is a Tribune-Review digital producer. You can contact Frank at 412-380-8511, fcarnevale@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Food & Drink | Lifestyles