By Judy Eichner

Growing up in Manhattan was an education in itself.  I never realized how much of an education until I met people from other States and Western Europe.  My mother’s family came from Eastern Europe and when she married my dad at the ripe old age of 18, she knew as much about cooking as a toddler does.  She was determined to learn how and by the time I was married she had become one of the best cooks I had ever known.

In honor of her and all the mothers around the world, I am sharing two of her favorite recipes…they are mine, too.

Linguini with Scallops

             1 lb. bay scallops

1 bunch of flat leaf Italian parsley

Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1 large clove of garlic

Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground ginger

Salt

Freshly ground white pepper

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter

¼ cup of heavy cream

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 lb. of linguini

Wash scallops thoroughly under cold water and drain well.  Put them in a bowl and add the lemon juice. Start a large pot of water to boil, covered. Chop enough parsley to yield ½ tablespoon.  Chop the garlic and grate the nutmeg and ginger.  Add the parsley, garlic, nutmeg, ginger, salt and white pepper to the mixing bowl holding the scallops.  Toss well.  Taste the marinade and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.  Let the scallops sit in the marinade until ready to cook. When the water comes to a boil, drop in the linguine and stir once or twice with a fork.  Cook according to package directions, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Drain the pasta.

Set the skillet over a medium flame and wait 1 minute; then add the linguine to the scallop sauce.  Mix well and stir for about 2 minutes. Just before removing the scallops from the heat, add the butter and cream.  Stir until the butter melts. Serve hot, distributing the scallops evenly.  Serve the grated cheese on the side if desired, and pass the pepper mill.

Enjoy!

Quick Strawberry Sherbet

2 pints of fresh strawberries*, or 1 package frozen strawberries, thawed.

¼ cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup water

Juice of ½ lemon

Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor. Combine the maple syrup, the sugar and the water in a saucepan and boil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool, then stir in the strawberry puree and add the lemon juice.

Pour the well-blended mixture into a freezer tray and freeze, **stir periodically.

*In season, raspberries can be used instead of strawberries.

**Failure to stir periodically will turn the strawberry mixture into a solid block making it impossible to break down into portions.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Publishers Note: This column is printed in memory of former OTC contributor Judy Eichner. Judy provided many a tasty recipe during the time she collaborated with us. Her daughter, Leslie, was an intricate part of the OTC family as well in that she did the layout and design for over 10 years.