Seared Sea Scallops Au Champagne Gratin

Elegance with Few Ingredients

Recipe by Robin

Back in the days when I first left my birthplace in New England, my parents would ask me what I wanted to eat when I visited from California. My dad’s scallops were always high on my list. He’d pan-fry the scallops, crumble Royal Lunch milk crackers over them after plating, then top off with butter sauce. Since original Royal Lunch crackers have been replaced with an odd and expensive substitute, and fresh scallops aren’t too available here, I’d never tried to duplicate his recipe. Until inspired by some scrumptious-looking sea scallops I saw at Costco recently while shopping for chicken. Seafood night!

Motel Room Cooking: Lobster Rolls

Total Decadence: Add Shrimp Appetizer

Recipe by Robin

Spending a week or two at the beach in summer can run into high accommodations costs, but you can keep food costs down. Find a place to stay with a 2-burner stovetop, fridge, and microwave, and eat like locals. Or camp and pack your ice chest and cook stove. Fruit and veggies from farm stands or farmers’ markets, along with fresh fish and shellfish from local sources can be prepared into 5-star cuisine for a fraction of what you’d pay at a restaurant. It helps to have these supplies: a sharp knife; a medium skillet; medium and large covered pots, a colander or large strainer, and a large bowl or two.

Shrimp Scampi with Mushrooms and Sundried Tomatoes

Scampi is Italian for Shrimp

Recipe by Robin

The readers have spoken! The photo of a mistake in my How to Tweak a Recipe post inspired more comments about how delicious the shrimp looks than the boo-boo with the salt. Shrimp is easy and fast to prepare, and almost everyone likes it. So I thought I’d share a recipe I made up a few years back when I lucked into a locally harvested shrimp windfall. I don’t prepare shrimp frequently because finding sustainable shrimp is challenging.

Shrimp Stir Fry with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Shrimp with Seasonal Veggies

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers

Shrimp! So delicious and healthful, and so confusing to buy sustainably. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website identifies 13 different categories for shrimp harvests, varying in country of origin and fishing method. Plus there are several species in each category. Sometimes a species can have several common names, and sometimes you’ll find a common name at the store that’s not on the list at all. What’s a consumer who’s concerned about eating shrimp sustainably to do?