100 Easy Summer Meals - Thank you Mark Bittman

I came across this fabulous article in the New York Times today - Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less. It sparked my creative juices for cooking, and Patch's too! So we each went through and picked out three recipes, which we are committed to trying before Sep. 1. We will report back our results and our favorites.

Patch's choices are:

- 3 Cut eight sea scallops into four horizontal slices each. Arrange on plates. Sprinkle with lime juice, salt and crushed chilies; serve after five minutes.

- 65 Sauté squid rings and tentacles in olive oil with salt and pepper and garlic; add chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes break down. Serve over pasta.

- 81 Combine crab meat with mayo, Dijon mustard, chives and tarragon. Serve in a sandwich, with potato chips.

She plans to serve them all at a dinner party - first course of mini crab sandwiches, second course of scallops, third course the pasta, with Chardonnay.

My choices are:

- 53 Put a tablespoon of cream and a slice of tomato in each of several small ramekins. Top with an egg, then salt, pepper and grated Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees until the eggs set. Serve with toast.

- 37 Frisée aux lardons: Cook chunks of bacon in a skillet. Meanwhile, make six-minute or poached eggs and a frisée salad. Put eggs on top of salad along with bacon; deglaze pan with sherry vinegar and pour pan juices over all.

- 11 Warm olive oil in a skillet with at least three cloves sliced garlic. When the garlic colors, add at least a teaspoon each of cumin and pimentón. A minute later, add a dozen or so shrimp, salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley, serve with lemon and bread.

I will probably just make these for myself for dinner - maybe I will make the top one next week for my roommate and I, as she is a vegetarian.

Stay tuned for updates on our adventures in easy summer cooking ;) After reading this article, I am officially starving......good thing I am going to Piccino tonight!

Emilia