Nantucket Bay Scallops in Tabasco Butter with Parmesan Cheese and Croutons

  

The American Hotel.
A must stop in Sag Harbor whether for
Bay Scallops or not

         I can’t tell you how proud I am of this recipe.  It is really one time when I can genuinely claim authorship of a dish. I’d tried a recipe for something similar several weeks ago.  It was a way of using the absolutely delectable tiny scallops that are native to the waters around the Hamptons on Long Island and even more renowned when they hail from Nantucket.  These wonderfully sweet morsels are in season and we look forward to every delicious bite.   But what a disappointed the recipe was!  The topping was made with those breadcrumbs that likely live in most pantries for years.   The scallops were drowning in them and bland as all get out. Disappointing is an understatement.  Especially after having had the most tender, deliciously flavored Peconic Bay Scallops at a holiday dinner at Sag Harbor’s wonderful American Hotel.  I vowed to make them again and started working on ways to create this dish.

Moroccan Beef Meatball Tajine

         My cousin Bubbles and I have a running dialog about what we’re making for dinner.  The other day she mentioned meatballs and then told me that she seldom makes them anymore because she has a friend who, while claiming not to be a cook, makes the most superb rendition of this true comfort food.  I, on the other hand, am a huge fan of these lovely little pillows of meat, almost inevitably encased in a delicious sauce.  I love to try various versions of the meatball using pork or lamb, beef or a combination of ingredients.  However on the night I made this wonderfully aromatic Moroccan dish, I had singled out a package of Organic Beef for use in that night’s dinner.  And you’d be amazed how few recipes call for beef alone.  This one did and it allowed me another indulgence, one I’d been keen to explore.