Hip replacement surgery made for a long week.

It began with a night at a motel (not exciting, honest), an early dinner (a superb turkey club salad), a not-terrific sleep, and an early shower. My daughter, Darcy, drove me to Gifford Hospital at 7:30 a.m., and the journey to a new hip began at around 9 a.m. A few hours later, I was in recovery, starving (are you surprised?).

By the time I was wheeled into my own room, I ate something (nothing memorable) and got onto a Zoom. I kept the audio but deep-sixed the video. The next morning, I was discharged and we drove home.

Yes, there was some pain and the big white pills worked. I walked from the couch to my upstairs bedroom and onto the very tall bed. The cat and I slept well. The next breakfast was a bagel with cream cheese, onions and tomatoes, along with a big glass of V-8. As I whined on the couch, Darcy began to cook. That night we had carne asada (her own salsa, marinated beef, soft corn tortillas).

The PT fella came Thursday, as did the visiting nurse. Compared to how I felt a few days after the last hip, a year ago, I felt I could run a marathon. On Saturday the PT said I could start on a cane and we walked to my car, I got inside, then outside and back to the couch. Then the food began. First, it was roasted pork chops from Sue, which we ate the next day. Then she-crab soup and housemade bread from Judy and Dick. Chicken curry and a cake from Sharon George (she and her husband are Indian, so the food was the real deal). Darcy and I ate like queens and, just because she cannot get clam bellies in California, we ordered in from Flanders. I made my own sauce with Heinz and lots of horseradish.

The next day Darcy made a gorgeous fresh tuna salad. She had bought the tuna steaks at Aldi’s, and bought lots of veggies and lettuces. It wasn’t what I thought I wanted for dinner, but, boy, was I wrong. The dish below is hers. She rarely uses recipes but was kind enough to tell me what she used, along with other things which do just beautifully. So the recipe doesn’t look like my own recipes. And if you want her own char siu as a marinade, e-mail her at dwhite2005_06@yahoo.com.

Seared Tuna Salad

From Darcy White

Serves 2

2 tuna steaks (together, less maybe 10 ounces)

For the marinade:

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons coconut oil (for the skillet, not for the marinade)

Lettuces and cabbage, about 2 to 1, sliced thin

Raw salad add-ons, julienned, sliced or chopped: grape tomatoes, snap peas, mandarin oranges wedges (I always have Haloes at home), apples, cucumbers, sweet peppers

Sesame seeds (regular, black or white)

Good ginger dressing

Thaw tuna steaks at room temp. Marinate the tuna, turning a few times, in a baggie overnight or for a few hours, in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge before searing and allow them to get to room temp, 15 to 30 minutes.

Heat up coconut oil in a good skillet. Plan to sear at least two minutes each time. This is for rare tuna, the best way to eat it; not rare, a little longer.

Once off the heat, cut the tuna on the grain; doing this makes them very pretty. Place the tuna gently on the plate over the prepared salad. Drizzle the dressing lightly. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

On the Side

I am not really sure about Aldi. I know it is a German supermarket, and that the company also owns Trader Joe's. I know it is inexpensive. Their meat in their advertisements is available not the same week but the next. Much of the vegetables and fruits are organic. The brands look like our own American ones, but I do not think they are. There are lots of them in Connecticut but rarely in Fairfield County.

But many of my friends buy there. My daughter, who lives in Los Angeles County in California, buys most of her food there. Here is what I know: the three tuna steaks she bought here cost under $6. They were as good as I have ever had in a five-star restaurant.

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.