Rosie's Scallop, Wasabi Cream, Black Bean Salad Creation.

The Hawthornes' soiree with Xmaskatie and Glowria continues. For the entree, Rosie is making a scallop dish - sauteed scallops served on a bed of my black bean salad and highlighted by a rather crisp Wasabi cream sauce.

I'm starting on my sauce first in order to let the flavors blend and grow.

2 TB Wasabi powder sour cream heavy cream

First I put in the Wasabi powder. A good 2 tablespoons.

Then I added some heavy cream.

And some sour cream. How much heavy cream? How much sour cream? Depends. On your tastes. Just add small amounts - a tablespoon at a time and taste and add more creams if needed. If it's not hot enough simply add in more Wasabi powder. Get your own balance.

Salt and pepper. And please, use grinders. Fresh cracked peppercorns and sea salt is the way to go. Truly, it makes a difference.

While I'm at it, why not add some lime zest? I stopped at the lime zest, but if you wanted to, you could experiment with some herbs here. You might want to try cilantro, or parsley, or mint, or basil. Experiment. Because that's the only way you'll learn. Refrigerate and let those flavors do what they do. I always taste-test again before serving and adjust seasonings or base, if necessary. On to the scallops.

I always put my scallops in a colander and rinse well. Then I place them on paper towels and blot dry. Freshly ground salt and pepper. Note: I forgot to blot dry tonight. Let me explain: I've been cooking all day and Mr. Hawthorne has been little help except for deheading, boiling, and peeling the shrimp. Maybe that sounds like a lot to you, but really, it's not. I know. It's something. So I throw him treats every now and then. Good boy. Back to ME. I've been planning this meal all day. I've been preparing this meal all day. This is what I do. Not a problem. But sometimes I need a little extra help. As in with dirty pots, pans, utensils, etc. I cannot enjoy any meal at my counter unless all my counters are clean and there's NOTHING in my kitchen sink. Is that too much to ask for? So, as I'm prepping and gathering and thinking and cooking and preparing, I'm having to stop and wash and put crap into the dishwasher and clean countertops and dry stuff and put it away and deal with children and their friends who come into the kitchen just to hang out and deal with the puppies and cat. Just normal stuff. So finally, when I got to a resting point, about 6PM, I calmly explained to Glowria and Xmaskatie that dinner would be served at 10:30. Yes, once again, I digress. My point was I didn't blot the scallops dry. I was making lame excuses for my lapse. Back to dinner.

I love this pan. It's a 10-inch Revere Ware and it's quite heavy and thick-bottomed. I bought it specifically for scallops and it does its job very well. After heating the pan, I melted some LOLUB (Land o' Lakes Unsalted Butter!) and added in some ELBOO. (Extra Light Bertolli Olive Oil!) I seasoned the scallops with just a dusting of a Cajun seasoning and some cumin and salt and pepper. Saute 2-3 minutes each side. I added a little white wine to the pan to deglaze the non-existent goody bits which weren't in existence because I didn't blot the scallops dry and put them in wet.

Now don't get me wrong. There's nothing at all wrong with these scallops. They're sweet and oceany and juicy and wonderful. They're just not seared like I want.

I'll just have to deal.

See what a difference the light temperature makes? This is in daylight. The picture of all the scallops on a plate was indoor lighting.

I plated my scallops on top of my bean salad and gave it a good icing of my Wasabi cream sauce.

I enjoyed this. There are a lot of flavors on this plate. Every now and then, I'd get a hint of the warmth of the Cajun seasoning or the cumin on the scallops. The black bean salad with its fresh summer flavors was the perfect bed for my scallops. And like I said, the Wasabi Sauce was the icing on the cake - just enough heat to make you pay attention.

Bon appetit!