As we all know, Taste is subjective. What is wonderful to you, May be dog food to me. And visa versa. That being said, I will say that there are a LOT of versions Of the King Ranch Casserole, aka King Ranch Chicken. Most I don't particulary care for, (I do not like corn tortillas in any way, shape or form) But some are really good. And while it is true that it is served In many so-called "Tea Rooms", Ranchers seldom order it. (Not many true ranchers eat in Tea Rooms) Where it got its name has always been a mystery to me. I live within walking distance of the main gate for the King Ranch. I've taken many visitors on the tour. And to my knowledge, Chickens are not something that's ever been raised there. Perhaps one of their chefs got tired of the ubiquitous beef? Anyhow, here is a casserole recipe we like, Usually a side dish, But could be an entree, I suppose. Squash Casserole (from an early 1980's Southern Living) Ingredients: 4 slices bacon 4 large yellow squash, sliced* 2 green onions, chopped 1 egg, beaten 1/2 C sour cream 1/2 C Swiss cheese, shredded 3/4 C Cheddar cheese, shredded Method: Fry bacon in a large skillet until crisp, Drain on papre towels. Crumble and set aside. Reserve drippings. Saute squash & onions in drippings 8 to 10 minutes. Combine egg & sour cream, Add to squash mixture. Stir in half the bacon. Spoon half the squash mixture into a greased 2 qt casserole. Sprinkle swiss cheese over top. Spoon remaining squash mixture over cheese. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top, Top with remaining bacon. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes (until bubbly) Yield: 6 servings * Can use zucchini, patty pan, or a mixture of summer squashes. It's all good. Rusty

Whew. Party's over. We've cleaned up, kind of. Got to bed at 1:30 am. The tuna turned out pretty well. It was different from the previous fish. Flesh was softer, fattier, not as firm. I skipped the chirasi course because I didn't think this fish was all that suited to sashimi. And I skipped the last course because it was getting late and people were full. The third most favorite dish was tuna marinated in miso and lots of sea salt for 24 hours. Served with a topping of wasabi tobiko (wasabi-infused flying fish roe, buy it at a Japanese market) and a smear of honey-wasabi sauce (exactly what it sounds like, honey mixed with a-not-quite toe-curling amount of wasabi powder). The runner up was the blast-seared tuna. Mix soy sauce, honey, and wasabi. Marinate tuna loin block overnight. Roll loin in sesame seeds to coat. Light charcoal in chimney starter. When coals are ready, put blow dryer at base of starter, so that white flame is roaring from top. Place grill on top, sear loin, each side 20 sec. Slice loin into medallions. Top with reserved marinade. The favorite, by far, was a variant of the pan-seared tuna with ginger shiitake sauce. FOAS posted a link to this dish in the previous tuna thread. I made some modifications - pan-browned the shiitake slices first, omitted the soy sauce, omitted the lime juice, added lime zest. Several people asked for this recipe, so here it is, and thanks again to FOAS - - slice shiitake mushroom caps to 1/4 to 1/8 inch, dice stems - brown diced stems in butter, set aside - brown cap slices in butter, working in single layer and turning each slice individually, to crusty, set aside - chop 1/3 c green onions, 1/4 c cilantro, 2 tbsp fresh ginger, 4 garlic cloves - cook in pan medium heat a few minutes, add mushrooms, then 1 1/2 c whipping cream, heat to low, cook until sauce thickens, set aside - heat to high, get pan very hot, add olive oil, sear tuna just long enough to get 1/8 inch cooked layer on each side - reheat sauce, add zest of 2 limes, add a teeny splash more of cream if sauce looks tired, salt to taste (for me, about 1 tsp kosher salt) - plate and be sure to credit FOAS The last dish, which we skipped, was tuna and scallop ceviche with a salsa of my own tomatoes, peaches, and kiwi. It was something I should have served earlier in the evening. Well, I'll have it for lunch and deliver some to the neighbors.

I don't usually log my oil used in food prep, when counting calories. I figure a teaspoon of oil is only about 40 calories, and it would be rare for one person's meal to contain more than that. I might use a tablespoon of oil when stir-frying a couple of dishes, but those dishes will serve multiple people and stretch to leftovers too. I do tend to use my cast iron pan for searing and frying, as it doesnt need as much oil as my stainless pans, and I don't own a non-stick pan. When consuming something like salad dressing, I do count the oil. Like dcarch, I've wondered about deep frying. One of these days I'll do an expirment and measure it. I sometimes wish I had a grill on the range. Grilling and broiling are two ways to get food browned without oil, but my gas grill isn't hot enough at the grates to do a fast sear, and it's often raining out there anyway.

Sirley, it's very simple. We always had it Christmas eve so I could spend Christmas Eve day preparing Christmas breakfast and dinner. Come Christmas day, we just had a long drawn out day of opening presents. First the stocking stuffers, then a break for breakfast which was a strata and fresh fruit salad. Then we would open Santa's presents and our presents for the kids. Then we would take another break. After dinner, we went into the living room and lit lots of candles, sat and relaxed and then we would open all the gifts the kids bought for everyone. So, a nice relaxing Christmas chowder and some biscuits and cookies was most welcomed Christmas Eve. At first, I would make a potato soup base several weeks ahead of time and freeze it but after awhile I began to cheat. I take a package of Bear Creek potato soup and a package of Knorr's Leek soup mix and mix them both together according to directions on the package. I sauté some celery and onions and throw them in along with some dry sherry to taste. Then I add whatever I feel like. Those lobster claws Raven was showing would be great along with some scallops, some crab meat and some shrimp. It's really quite goodâ¦..the more sherry the better. LOL When it's not Christmas, I will sometimes take the Bear Creek potato soup, sauté some onions and celery and throw in some butter and clams for a New England type clam chowder. Easy and good.