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INGREDIENT NOTES Look for panko in bags or boxes in Asian markets or supermarkets. We often use Sun Luck brand, but any brand with good ingredients is fine.

Ask for “dry” or untreated scallops, ones that have not been treated with STP solution (sodium tripolyphosphate), a preservative.

serving & menu ideas

Serve on a bed of rice with a steamed green vegetable, Peas & Escarole, or refreshing Carrot Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette.

po’ boy sandwich

We’ve come to love Old Bay seasoning for its aromatic flavor. (See photo)

SERVES 4

TIME: 30 MINUTES

FISH FILLETS

¼ cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning or other seafood seasoning

4 boneless firm fish fillets (about 6 ounces each)

¼ cup vegetable oil

TOPPING

½ cup Tartar Sauce

1 tablespoon minced red onions

3 romaine lettuce leaves, cut into a rough shred

4 kaiser or sub rolls

1 tomato

Place the cornmeal and Old Bay seasoning in a bag and shake to mix well. Add the fish fillets, close the bag, and shake to coat. (Or mix the cornmeal and seasoning on a plate and press the fish into it to coat.) Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high heat, until hot but not smoking. Add the fish and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place the cooked fish on paper towels to soak up excess oil.

While the fish is frying, in a bowl, stir together the Tartar Sauce and onions, add the lettuce, and toss until evenly coated. Toast the rolls and slice the tomato.

To make the sandwiches, place a fish fillet on the bottom half of each roll. Spoon on some topping, add tomato slices, and cap with the top half of the roll.

serving & menu ideas

Serve with plenty of napkins and a cold drink—and then Peach Brown Betty or Banana Cupcakes.

newport sardine sandwich

An open-faced sandwich that cries out for a glass of cold lemonade or beer.

SERVES 2

TIME: 15 MINUTES

3 slices of whole wheat or rye bread

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon mustard

1 small mild onion, such as Bermuda or Vidalia, thinly sliced

1 3.75-ounce can of sardines packed in oil

2 small tomatoes, sliced

Toast the bread until quite crisp. Mix the mayonnaise and mustard and spread on the toast. Top with onion slices. With a fork, lift sardines from the can and put them on the onions. Then use the fork to lightly mash the sardines to cover the onions.

With a sharp knife, cut each sandwich on the diagonal into fourths. Top each piece with a tomato slice.

variations

Try topping the sandwiches with sliced or grated Swiss, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese and pop them under the broiler to melt the cheese.

serving & menu ideas

A bowl of Tomato Tortilla Soup would be perfect with this sandwich.

From top: Yellow Rice, Green Rice, Lemongrass Rice, Coconut Rice

We love the variety of grains available to us—rice of all kinds, quinoa, bulghur, couscous, grits, kasha, and polenta. Grains are nutritious and filling and make wonderful beds for stews, curries, and bean, tofu, fish, and vegetable dishes. We suggest that you cook extra; leftover grains are invaluable on busy weekday nights. Top a green salad with them to make it more substantial. Add vegetables and/or dried fruit and nuts for a pilaf. Mix with herbs and cheese to stuff peppers or tomatoes. Add an egg and chopped vegetables and sprinkle with soy sauce for fried rice. Stir into a brothy soup. The possibilities go on and on—leftovers rarely languish in the refrigerator. Here are directions for cooking some of our favorite grains for simple suppers:

BULGHUR is made from wheat berries that have been steamed or parboiled, dried, and cracked. It is a quick-cooking, nutty-flavored grain. Medium and light bulghurs cook faster than coarser varieties. See Saucy Hungarian Eggplant for cooking directions.

COUSCOUS is precooked semolina milled from durum wheat. It looks like tiny yellow irregularly shaped pearls. Whole wheat couscous is the same