Scallops Makiki

I love cookbooks, and have to be careful not to buy too many or else I will have to replace (again) the pantry shelves where I keep them. The present shelves are sturdier than the original, bowed ones, but each time a new cookbook arrives, an old one departs. It’s hard to choose which book should go, and I almost always regret the loss. The best solution is to give the book to a friend.

One cookbook I can’t imagine doing without is MEDITERRANEAN COOKERY by Claudia Roden. I’ve had it many years, and when the spine started cracking, a good friend repaired it for me. Now, despite a few food stains on well-used pages, it’s better than new.

Roden’s recipes are very forgiving of substitutions. One day I was looking for a recipe for scallops, something delicious and easy that our across-the-hall neighbor, who was coming to dinner, would like, and found Roden’s recipe for shrimp Provencal. I adapted the recipe--adding peas; using more brandy and wine; substituting shallots for onion and garlic and scallops for shrimp; and dusting the finished dish with Parmesan cheese. I serve the scallops on top of saffron rice and call them “scallops Makiki.”

1 1/2 to 2 pounds scallops (bay scallops are just the right size, or you can quarter or halve large scallops)

2 to 3 shallots, chopped fine

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

A 28-ounce can of San Marzano or other Italian tomatoes (chopped and including juice)

¾ cup sweet peas, fresh or frozen

3 ounces cognac

¾ cup white wine

Thyme, mild chili powder, salt, and paprika to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

In a wide skillet, cook the shallots in the olive oil till soft. Holding the peas and scallops aside, put in the other remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Then add the peas and scallops, cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the scallops are cooked through. Serve over saffron rice with a dusting of Parmesan cheese on top.

Here is the finished dish:

Maria's Black Beans

Before moving to Honolulu, my husband and I lived in a small redwood bungalow at the end of a flag lot near Kailua beach. A friend had given us a batch of Latin-music tapes with recordings by Juan Luis Guerra, Alfredo, Gypsy Kings, and Los Flamers. Most days, driving home from my hospital job, I'd play the tapes in the car. The vibrant music--que rico!--whisked me over the Koolau mountains in no time. Once home, I'd take a long mind-clearing walk on the beach and return wet, tired, and hungry. When I'd thought ahead there'd be a container of black beans in the refrigerator or freezer, and with tortillas or rice and a bit of salad, dinner was in hand.

A young nurse named Maria, whose paternal grandmother was from Nicaragua, gave me the recipe for the beans. "You can refry them after they're cooked," she said, "or eat them soupy like I do." I lent Maria the music tapes for a few months--I wish I'd given them to her--and still think of her when I make her grandmother's black beans. The beans are delicious both ways, and they keep well in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for a month or so.

For a big pot you need 1 pound black beans, 1 whole bunch cilantro, 1 whole peeled onion, 3 to 5 whole peeled garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, water to cover beans by 2 inches, salt, pepper, 1 to 2 tablespoons wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Rinse the beans and soak overnight (or use the quick-soak method: cover beans with water, bring to a boil, boil 4 minutes, let sit 1 hour), then rinse the beans again and place them in a large pot with fresh water to cover by 2 inches. Add the cilantro, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Bring the beans to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the beans are soft. Discard the bay leaves. Remove the cilantro, onion, and garlic cloves from the pot, place them in a blender with a cup of the beans, and blend well. Return the mixture to the pot, add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer another 30 minutes or so. Then add the wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and a tablespoon of olive oil. These are the soupy beans that Maria likes.

To refry the beans, put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet and fry a chopped onion until translucent. Add chopped garlic, chopped cilantro, minced chili peppers (or dried chili powder), and cumin to taste. Then add the beans with their liquid to the skillet. Roughly mash the beans with a potato masher and cook uncovered (stirring now and then) over moderate heat until most of the water has evaporated and the beans are at a consistency you like.

Here are the ingredients for the beans:

The beans in the pot:

And ready to serve, both refried and soupy, along with tortillas and Spanish rice (plain rice is a good accompaniment too):