Claire’s BO sandwich and a scallop haiku

A sandwich tribute is high honor, and on my way home from work I decided to name the dinner I was anticipating after the woman who provided it: Claire’s BO.
My daughter Jasmine got the joke immediately. Instead of a BLT, it’s a bacon and onion sandwich with a questionable title. Claire is always passing purple onions, bacon and Papadeaux bread into my life. Long story. Delicious options. I’m always thinking of new ways to prepare these blessings and drove home imagining olive oil toasted onto the bread halves with crispy bacon and pungent, thin onion slices. A little Swiss cheese made its way in to the BO in its inaugural serving. Can’t wait for the next delivery.

A scallop haiku
We Gulf Coasters are by the sea, yet far from the scallop world. Images of the creatures, their habitat and harvest and ways they can delight your dish fill pages of “Scallops: A New England Coastal Cookbook.” Elaine Tammi and her daughter bill themselves as scallop foodies and haikus prove the point. If I can’t travel to New England soon, I must buy every scallop I see and try each offering here. Bet you never thought to pair them with pumpkin. There’s so much on scallop culture, the first recipe, doesn’t come up until page 121. It’s for Broiled “Dayboat” Scallops and Bacon with Honey Soy Sauce.
Here’s more from the foodies:

Captured Scallops
A haiku by Eliane Tammi

Captured scallops sit
In a basket by the dock
Awaiting our feast.

Ginger Scallops
1/4 teaspoon butter
4 scallions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ginger root, chopped
8 large sea scallops, trimmed, rinsed, patted dry and left whole
7 tablespoons white wine or champagne
chopped Italian parsley for garnish
sauce pan
bay scallop shells or scallop baking shells
Sheet pan
Melt butter in sauce pan on medium heat; add scallions and garlic. Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, simmering until scallions and garlic are translucent. Then add ginger and scallops and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove scallops and scallions from sauce pan, keeping warm. Pour wine or champagne into sauce pan juices to deglaze pan. Cook on high heat, quickly. Warm scallop shells for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove and spoon scallop-scallion mixture into warm shells. Pour sauce over scallops in shells and sprinkle with parsley. Serve.

Chocolate bunnies for grownups
I didn’t bite the ears off my Godiva chocolate bunnies. I melted them into coffee when no one was looking, so I wouldn’t have to share. Hop to those shiny foil bunnies now, but in May, be on the lookout for Godiva’s new flavors: Banana Split and Black Raspberry, available this year exclusively in the chocolate case. The ice cream-flavored novelties are something I’ve not tried, but I’ll be on the lookout for pints of Mint Chocolate Chip, Neapolitan and Pecan Caramel Sundae, Pistachio, Rocky Road, Double Dark. Ice Cream Parlor Truffle Bars, chocolate bars filled with ice cream infused truffle filling, have new goodness: Strawberries n’ Crème in White Chocolate Bar as well as a Milk Chocolate encased in Dark Chocolate Bar.
ddoiron@panews.com