Grilled Scallops!

Happy (as a Freakin' Clam)

I still cannot believe I had not cooked seafood for myself until a week ago. I love it so, yet I always viewed it as an "out to eat" commodity. But now there are so many exciting possibilities!

So to begin, I simmered:

~1 c. pinot grigio

chopped parsley

sprinkle o' dill

1 garlic clove, chopped

The dill is surprisingly necessary and apparent in the final product. The only time I've consciously had it was when Dear Moth baked salmon fillets topped with sour cream & dill; a very comforting childhood memory).

When it was a'bubbling, I added (2 cups?) of chopped mushrooms; crimini and shiitake and oyster. Such a scrumptious bunch, they are.

I let them simmer until the sourdough bread that Bean had plans with (he made french toast and fried eggs -- a combination I will never understand) was done. Then I added the clams; precisely one dozen. How many does one person eat? I am at a loss; when I was a child we would race for the last one without having any inkling of what "one serving" was. So I played it by ear.

A study in clams:

Whitefish (?)

Some day this week I came to the realization that as much as I love seafood, I have never prepared it for myself. Tonight, then, I set out to do just that.

It's funny how disproportionate individual joys can be -- after a long day at work, we went separate ways, and met at home after:

1. Bean looked at motorcycles (scooters? not such a macho term, we need...), and I came home to a house full of no people.

And so, the first item: an olive martini.

2. I stopped at Saigon Market in Nashua, which sells Asian and Mexican food. It's a strange combination, but it's filled with nice people. I got one whitefish about 10" long, and thin like an eel; I had no idea what to do with it.

Bean arrived home earlier than expected, so to the grocery we went! Asparagus and tomatoes lent some assuredness to an otherwise uncertain dish.

The fish, though. What to do? I sliced it halfway up its belly, perhaps cutting the spine right in two. And here I got rid of all the unappealing and organ-like bits. I don't get disgusted by much -- whatever looked edible remained on te plate. And then that thing steamed until it had achieved a satisfying opacity!

It didn't have much flavor, though. Next time I'll add something.