When you are having guests to dinner, and are throwing things together willy-nilly in the kitchen, do you ever take notes? I have found that taking notes is very important, even if it’s a scribble here and there.

Some of the best meals I’ve made have been created by opening the refrigerator, pulling out what’s available, and putting it together in as creative a way as I humanly can.

This dish is one that I made in that fashion more than 20 years ago. It was a dinner for Mark‘s friend Mary, with whom he worked, and who was moving to be closer to her family in Vermont.

Living on the coast of Maine, we had fresh scallops in our refrigerator, and — being New Englanders — we always had pure maple syrup on hand. We also happened to have a couple of limes and some cilantro.

Here in Arizona, fresh seafood is less prevalent and we sometimes need to use frozen, but we still keep pure maple syrup in our fridge. And fresh limes and cilantro are major staples of the Sonoran diet.

I don’t know what reminded me of this dish I threw together so many years ago, but I found my few scribbled notes on a yellow Post-it note, and made it again the other night for Mark and me. It was as good now as it was 20 years ago. It’s simple, healthy, and a great one dish meal. I paired it with a 2018 Bourboulenc from Acquiesce Winery – the slight salinity in the wine was a perfect match for the sweet, tangy scallops. Susan Tipton, the winemaker, is incredibly talented and I highly recommend her wines.

~ David

44 Comments

  1. Christina Conte

    April 11, 2020 at 8:58 am

    These scallops look and sound wonderful! I love it all, except of course, ze cilantro! haha! I like to put parsley in its place as it looks very similar and I use it a lot anyway. Thanks for the great recipe, David! Glad you kept those notes! 🙂 Happy Easter!

    Reply
    • David Scott Allen

      April 11, 2020 at 11:29 am

      Haha! I knew that was coming the minute I hit “post!” But mint makes an excellent substitute. (I can’t remember if you like mint or not?) But, as you say, parsley is a option, as well.

      Reply
  2. Frank Fariello

    April 11, 2020 at 10:29 am

    You know, I need to keep notes like you. I do improvise in the kitchen all the time but never remember to write things down!

    Reply
    • David Scott Allen

      April 11, 2020 at 11:30 am

      I try to do it every time I create something. Sometimes those notes get tossed right away! But more often than not, I am glad I did it!

      Reply
  3. sippitysup

    April 11, 2020 at 12:45 pm

    Notes from the past! I’ve come across notes that my mother scribbled in her cookbooks from the 1970s. Of course, my mom being my mom I could never understand her peculiar shorthand well enough to recreate a dish as beautifully as you have here. GREG

    Reply
    • David Scott Allen

      April 11, 2020 at 2:05 pm

      It’s funny, Greg, my mother’s notes in her cookbooks are my favorite part. And the grease spots. Telltale, for sure. I make notes in books, too, but also still on scraps of paper. With all the technology available, I’m still a fan of little pieces of paper.

      Reply
  4. Eha

    April 11, 2020 at 5:14 pm

    Easter Sunday morning here, David . . . when it reaches you may the day be as sunny and peaceful and healthy . . .Sometimes living away from the madding throng can be a balm for the soul . . . I love scallops and this will be a totally new way to enjoy them – thank you. “Real’ maple syrup can be quite pricey here but is available everywhere. Actually happened upon a documentary abut how it is produced a week or two ago – how labour-intensive ! Fascinating and explains the price . . . be well !!!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 11, 2020 at 6:09 pm

      Happy Easter, dear Eha! We have had rain all day today but tomorrow will be sunny and warm (24°C) – and we are looking forward to time on our patio.

      Making maple syrup is really quite a task. My mother grew up making it in Vermont and swore she would never do it again. I am surprised she even liked it! I hope you get to make this — enjoy!

      Reply
      • Eha Carr

        April 12, 2020 at 5:30 pm

        David – totally off topic but you are an educator. To use ‘lock-up’ time usefully and make use of university teaching staffs during the enforced absence of hundreds of thousands of Asian students here in Australia, our governing bodies have just announced over 20,000 free or hall-price 6=months on-line courses in faculties of science, IT, education, teaching and nursing beginning May. largely to get the country ready for the huge economic boom to follow the current crisis. Many other local courses have become free. Think this wonderful . . . ‘Don’t binge on Netflix, binge on education’ is the catchcry . . . hope the US thinks along the same lines . . .

        Reply
  5. sherry

    April 11, 2020 at 8:05 pm

    oh yum i love scallops but we rarely have them. Hubby doesn’t eat seafood but he will eat scallops if and when i get them. must do that more often. hope you’re keeping well in these difficult times. Easter here is very very quiet! no one out in the streets at all, and no sounds of laughter from the houses. Can’t wait till this darn virus is over. I read somewhere that maply syrup is hard to come by these days (or will be) due to global warming… Oh no!! It’s very expensive here as there is no home-grown product of course. More’s the pity. anyway I love your recipe. Cheers
    sherry

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 13, 2020 at 6:56 am

      I never thought about maple syrup being hard to get elsewhere, Sherry. I wish you were easy to ship some, as I’d send you some right now… I have a vegetarian friend, and the only thing she ever wants outside of vegetables? Scallops. She absolutely adores scallops, and had them every time she was pregnant. I’m glad your husband like scallops, as well.

      Reply
  6. John

    April 11, 2020 at 8:08 pm

    Well thank goodness you found those yellow Post-its! This is beyond easy to make, yet I already know delicious these scallops would be. Thank you!

    Happy Easter to you and Mark. It’s a gloriously sunny, slightly chilly day here in the mountains. Perfect to trim the hedges and potter around the garden!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 13, 2020 at 7:10 am

      Yes John it is ridiculously easy to make. Which is why I don’t think I ever wrote down more than a few notes!

      We had a nice, quiet Easter. Hope you and Dean did, as well.

      Reply
  7. Chef Mimi

    April 12, 2020 at 7:11 am

    This really is a nice recipe. I am the Queen of creating stone soup, so to speak. We had some “lean” years and that taught me creativity that I may not have had prior. But when I have company, I’m a crazy over-achieving planner. To the point where I make everyone crazy, even though they’re not the ones “working.” But when my daughter married into a HUGE local family 11 years ago, and had to learn how to be more impulsive. 8 of them could be invited over at any time, and I had to learn how to relax about feeding people. Especially people who really don’t care about any culinary finesse I have. They just wanted to hang out, drink whatever, and eat whatever. It’s been wonderful for me.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 13, 2020 at 7:15 am

      Wow – that’s a challenge. But a fun one, I think! I love coming up with something from nothing , too… One night, Mark and I had just gotten into our pajamas for the long haul (with plans to have salad for dinner), when a car drove up with four friends. For a moment we thought it was a drive by “hello” only to realize that we had forgotten to put a dinner date with them on the calendar. Aside from our being in our pajamas, they would never JP have known they were not expected! The meal – a pasta impromptu, as we call it – was wonderful and they all asked for the recipe. I certainly didn’t take notes when I was throwing that together!

      Reply
  8. Kelly | Foodtasia

    April 12, 2020 at 10:20 am

    David, I started making kitchen notes as well, years ago. I’m always the one to wing it in the kitchen and dishes never turn out the same way twice. (Before the food blog days, of course!) Whenever I have a dish that turns out particularly well, I hurry and write everything down.

    These scallops look so delicious with their lime and maple glaze. I’m a big fan of salty sweet combinations and definitely on team cilantro!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 13, 2020 at 7:16 am

      Blogging has made me much more aware of what I write down, too, Kelly! Need to be prepared for a post at any time!

      Glad you like the combination of flavors on the scallops!

      Reply
  9. Inger @ Art of Natural Living

    April 12, 2020 at 11:12 am

    Looks so good ! But I would never even have found the post it note David! I find that I can remember (even fairly complicated) amounts and ingredients precisely, but only for 24-48 hours. After that it’s gone. I call it my super power. I love it for cooking since I don’t need to write anything down (even when I up by a half teaspoon here and there), but I have to be disciplined to document it after!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 13, 2020 at 7:17 am

      I’m pretty good 24 hours out, too, but figure a few at the time is very helpful.

      Reply
  10. Carolyne

    April 12, 2020 at 3:08 pm

    What is not to like about that combination? You make it sounds easy, but perfecting scallops is a bit of an art. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 13, 2020 at 7:17 am

      I guess I have been lucky, Carolyne – scallops have always been easy for me!

      Reply
  11. Susan Manfull

    April 12, 2020 at 5:36 pm

    Sometimes the simplest is the best. This will be on our table next week! For sure!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 13, 2020 at 7:18 am

      Looking forward to hearing back! I know you will love them.

      Reply
  12. andrea@thekitchenlioness

    April 13, 2020 at 3:32 am

    Dear David, these scallops with their sweet and savory glaze look utterly delicious – I am also a ‘note scribbler’ although (Ha!) I tend to use that paper kitchen towel for notes (not a good idea), forget about the notes and use it to wipe spills later…I always console myself with the fact that there are a million other recipes still waiting on my ‘to-do-list’… And btw although I am far from being a New Englander myself, I always have Canadian maple syrup in my fridge 😉
    Frohe Ostern, my friend, from all of us!
    Andrea xo

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 13, 2020 at 7:20 am

      I am so glad you have good Canadian maple syrup! It is some of the best!

      I love the image of you wiping the counters with the recipe you just finished eating! That sounds like something I would do!

      Reply
  13. Ron

    April 13, 2020 at 6:05 am

    David, I’m very glad you scribbled that note as this looks to be a smashing dish. We love scallops and like you always have maple syrup in the fridge. Yep, we get maple syrup over here (it’s imported from Quebec). As our weekly visit to the fishmonger is on hold whilst we are self-isolating, we too will be using frozen. It’s on next week’s menu.
    Now, about that “do you take notes” question. Absolutely, we have a journal we keep in the kitchen that I use to jot down cooking notes. I also have a whiteboard that comes in handy as well.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 13, 2020 at 7:21 am

      I really like the idea of a journal, Ron. That would be really helpful. No place for a whiteboard, though…

      Hope you enjoy the scallops and glad you have the syrup! Hope you and Eva had a good Easter!

      Reply
  14. 2pots2cook

    April 15, 2020 at 3:49 am

    Dear David, Chef Mimi says “Food is Love” and I couldn’t agree more ! You have upgraded your love to a new level by writing about it …

    Reply
    • David Scott Allen

      April 16, 2020 at 7:35 am

      Food is love and sharing it with people I love — even if only one now — is a great gift. Thanks, Davorka, for your kind and thoughtful comments! ❤️

      Reply
  15. Jeff the Chef

    April 18, 2020 at 6:54 am

    This is an awesome flavor combination that I wouldn’t’ve considered, but upon seeing it, I can easily imagine that it would be delicious! I so envy people who can throw things together. I’m not one of them. I’m a direction-follower, although I do have a certain capacity to modify things and morph them into new things. I’ve heard excellent chefs say that this is essentially where “throwing things together” comes from, but I remain firmly convinced that they have some kind of special knowledge that eludes me. Nonetheless, I do take notes when I’m having guests over – mainly having to do with logistics … figuring out what has to get done, in what order, and according to what timeline. Man, I’m just realizing that this reveals a lot about my personality. But I swear, I’m not as ridged as I make myself seem.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 18, 2020 at 8:25 am

      Jeff — my creative abilities are usually borne of the desire not to waste things in the fridge! But I also find it fun. And, now knowing this part of you, I imagine you are someone who uses a thermometer to check your cooking temperatures of meat and poultry. I am a rogue cook and have never done that — I admire that in other cooks! And I admire your organizational skills, too. And I don’t think anyone in your house is starving, are they?

      Reply
  16. Valentina

    April 18, 2020 at 4:02 pm

    Fantastic you found those yellow post-its! Scallops are probably my favorite shellfish and this preparation is superb. 🙂 ~Valentina

    Reply
    • David Scott Allen

      April 23, 2020 at 8:19 am

      What would we have done without Post-It’s? We wouldn’t have Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion or this recipe! Yikes!

      Reply
  17. Lynn D.

    April 21, 2020 at 7:43 am

    This was delicious. Scallops are sweet and I was worried that the maple syrup would make them two sweet, but not at all! Had to supplement the dry lime with a little rice vinegar and it worked well. Served with a mashed yam and asparagus, it was an elegant quarantine dinner.

    Reply
    • David Scott Allen

      April 23, 2020 at 8:20 am

      Hi Lynn, I am so glad you liked it and the rice wine vinegar was a perfect substitute for the lime – quite brilliant! Really, all it needed was some acid to balance the syrup. I really appreciate you writing to tell me you made it! Thanks so much!

      Reply
  18. John / Kitchen Riffs

    April 22, 2020 at 9:13 am

    I often take notes when I cook — otherwise I’ll forget what I did if I want to recreate a dish! Scallops are Mrs KR’s favorite food (after chocolate) and we always have maple syrup on hand. Gotta try this — thanks.

    Reply
    • David Scott Allen

      April 23, 2020 at 8:22 am

      I think Mrs. KR has her priorities straight! Yes, I am glad we all take our notes – lest what would we have to write about? Thanks, John, as ever.

      Reply
  19. Karen (Back Road Journal)

    April 24, 2020 at 11:33 am

    Wish I could still get those wonderful sea scallops that were so plentiful in New England. Your meal looks so good.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      April 26, 2020 at 8:41 am

      Fresh scallops are definitely something we use as a splurge meal, Karen. There is nothing like them!

      Reply
  20. Susan Manfull

    April 27, 2020 at 3:01 pm

    This recipe sounded like one we would make right away (as, of course, you know we live across from a seafood store) but we still haven’t had the pleasure of trying it yet. As I reread your post now, I am even more eager to make it!

    Reply
    • Susan Manfull

      April 29, 2020 at 10:44 am

      We made the scallops yesterday and they were delicious (and very simple to make!). A definite keeper!

      Reply
      • Cocoa & Lavender

        May 1, 2020 at 9:08 am

        I m so glad you liked the scallops, Susan! They are so simple and so good!

        Reply
  21. Raymund

    April 29, 2020 at 6:07 pm

    Ohhhh those scallops are droolwoorthy! Look at those plump morsels, yummy!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 1, 2020 at 9:07 am

      Thanks, Raymond! Glad you stopped by and I really appreciate the kind comment!

      Reply

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