• Originally published March 1, 2010 at midnight, updated March 2, 2010 at 6:10 p.m.

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• SEARED TUNA TOSTADAS 1 Tbsp. wasabi paste 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise Vegetable oil 8 wonton wrappers, cut into 2-inch squares Salsa 1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped finely 2 scallions, chopped 2 cloves garlic 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar Salt and pepper Quick Tip: Purchase Pico de Gallo and mix in rice wine vinegar. Allow to sit, and use as directed Tuna 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. sesame oil Freshly ground pepper 1 pound of tuna steaks, cut into 11/2- by 5-inch logs 1 Tbsp. canola oil Garnish Sour cream Cilantro leaves Mix wasabi paste and mayonnaise; set aside. In a deep skillet, pour oil to depth of 1/2 inch and heat to 380 degrees. When you place the wonton into the oil, it immediately starts to fry and turn golden. Fry wonton squares a few at a time and remove, draining on paper towels. Dust with salt. In a bowl, stir in tomatoes, cilantro, onions, garlic and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, place soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and pepper. Add tuna and marinate for 30 minutes. Turn tuna over after 15 minutes. Heat a cast iron skillet. Place 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. When the oil is very hot, place tuna in the skillet and sear on both sides. Each side should take about 30 seconds. The tuna will be rare on the inside and seared on the outside. Slice the logs into 1/4 inch pieces. Place a piece of tuna on the tostada, smear the tuna with wasabi mayonnaise, top with salsa (Pico de Gallo) and garnish with cilantro and sour cream, if desired. Eat immediately.
  SEARED TUNA TOSTADAS -2010-03-02 00:00:00

We drove to Waco this weekend to visit our three kids. They are all students at Baylor. We haven't been up there in awhile because it's a four-hour drive, and they come back to visit us in Victoria fairly often.

I think the life at college is one that does not involve parents (except for the parental financial contribution), so the kids don't necessarily desire that we visit frequently.

College kids don't particularly want their folks to know how much time they spend studying compared to the time they hang out with friends, or how late they sleep in the morning or stay up late at night.

College is a time to learn to be independent (except for the parental financial contribution). We hope that they can gain much wisdom the easy way, from books and their professors, and not the hard way, from the consequences of bad decisions.

We arrived about noon on Saturday, in time to take them out for lunch. Spencer is a freshman and he still looked a little sleepy, like he might have just gotten out of bed. He had probably been up late the night before studying.

Miles is a second-year senior and had been over at the art department working on a project.

The boys wanted to go eat barbecue, so I excused myself to go to Hannah's house. She was to have a wedding shower that afternoon given by her roommates, so I needed to go over there to offer my assistance in the preparations.

I told the guys to go find something to do after they ate because they weren't invited to the wedding shower. The average guy would find a wedding shower about as enjoyable as having their eyebrows plucked, so they seldom participate in either activity.

I arrived at the house and entered through the front door in time to see several young girls scurrying around the kitchen.

There was a distinctive scent of burning bread in the air. I yelled to open the oven, and indeed, a round loaf of sourdough bread was in flames after having been placed too close to the broiler. I removed the loaf with a dish cloth and threw it out the back door hoping to dissipate the odor of burning bread.

Paige, the party hostess and maid of honor, had decorated the house with paper flags, which hung across the ceiling in several colors of green, giving the rooms a festive flair. The house is normally decorated in bright colors anyway. The dining room table, a retro linoleum yellow (like your grandmother had in her kitchen), had been covered with floral tablecloths. Chairs of all kinds lined the edges of the dining room and den, in order for the guests to have a seat during the party.

Hannah's house was built in the 1930s, and not much has been changed since then. The air conditioning does function, but due to old windows and the lack of an airtight roof, the girls tend to live with a strong influence from whatever the temperature is outside.

In many locations, this house would be at the bottom of the "rental" scale, but for some reason in a college town it has the garnered the title of "cool," and so the three girls make one bathroom work and tolerate its uneven floors.

Paige had prepared a plethora of appetizers including flatbread with hummus, several meats and cheeses, pickled okra, prosciutto wrapped around cantaloupe bites with a mint glaze and dipping sauces for sourdough bread bites.

I was quite surprised to see such beautiful food, since Paige had indicated that she was not much of a cook. She has been hiding this talent from us.

For dessert, she prepared ice cream balls, which the guests would coat with fudge sauce, sprinkles, pecans, M&M's and peanuts. I could tell there was a level of excitement in the air as the friends began to arrive and oohed and aahed over Paige's table and decorations.

Once everyone settled into chairs with their snacks, she announced that Hannah would become a contestant on Paige's version of the "Newlywed Game."

Before the event, Paige had videoed Ben's, Hannah's fiancé, responses to multiple questions and played them after Hannah guessed what she thought his answers would be. The girls roared with laughter, and I flashed back to a time remembering the excitement of a wedding and being young with your whole life before you.

I stood at the doorway to the small den in which 18 girls squeezed onto small couches and chairs. They were all so beautiful, full of youth, with bright eyes and pink cheeks. After the game, Hannah opened gifts and thanked her guests.

Paige had prepared special favor bags of whole-bean coffee with handmade labels portraying cameos of Hannah and Ben and the words, "Perfect Blend." Paige was so consumed by the party, she forgot to give them to the girls, so Hannah promised to deliver the favors this week.

I don't recall being that creative at their age. Perhaps it was due to the fact that there was no such thing as a personal computer back then.

I hugged many of the girls as they left the party knowing that for some, our paths might not cross again. Others promised to come to Victoria for the wedding. These girls have been good friends to Hannah during her four years, and I am forever grateful.

I congratulated Paige on a successful wedding shower, as she slumped into an overstuffed chair, while promising me she was not the least bit tired.

Paige has been Hannah's best friend since their freshman year. Paige, Anne and Hannah have shared everything for three years living side-by-side, borrowing clothes, sharing food and stories. These years together have bound them for a lifetime.

Although their lives will take different directions and years may go by without a visit, when they get together, I suspect it will seem as if little has changed. As with some of the best times in our lives, it is as if time stands still.

I ran across a great recipe for party appetizers this week. They are simple to make, but have an interesting fusion of flavors that would be just right for the spring and summer. You can save time by purchasing prepared Pico de Gallo and use in place of the salsa.

Myra Starkey lives in Victoria. Write her in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901, or e-mail myra@vicad.com.

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