Art of the Scallop

Every holiday season, my calendar becomes filled with a dozen or so cocktail parties squeezed among a few week's worth of time, causing me to buy extra pantyhose, little black dresses, and variations on the black leather dominatrix-style stilletto. Rushing home at night from meetings, turning into the quick change artist, dabbing on some rich, red MAC Dubonnet lips, and arriving just on time for libations and celebration among friends. It's always interesting to see the kinds of food served at these events, becuase most oftentimes it is not about dinner, but the creative appetizer. In a town of caterers galore, I always appreciate the host/hostesses that go the extra mile by eschewing the standard cheese puff or onion tartlet to deliver a nice little nugget of something original. Recently, at the home of my art gallery-owner friend Christian and his co-hostess/girlfriend Kimberly, we were served the most delectable bacon wrapped scallops that went perfectly with the signature champagne that German-bred Christian is famous for serving. The sweetness of the champagne and the crisp, savory of the bacon before biting into the soft meat of the scallop, made for a perpetual mouth a-ha moment. Eating these divine morsels while perusing a collection of Vargas girl original artworks made for a bittersweet nostalgic moment when sex was subtle and girls became famous for doing coy little things, like making maraschino cherry stem ties with their tongues. The recipe below is suprisingly simple and highly recommended for your next little art fete!

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

12 large sea scallops, cut in half

12 pieces of bacon, cut in half

garlic powder

teriyaki sauce

cayenne pepper

olive oil spray

Cut large scallops in half. Wrap each scallop in half a strip of bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick. Spray lightly with olive oil spray and sprinkle with teriyaki sauce on both sides. Dust lightly with garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Place in baking dish and bake at 425°F, turning once for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Yields about 2 dozen.