I have a simple summer meal for you. Seared Scallops with Succotash.

It's a great warm weather dinner because it takes advantage of super sweet summer corn while it’s at its best. Besides there is no oven to turn on and very little hanging over a hot stove involved. The scallops are seared a mere 4 or 5 minutes. The succotash just a few moments longer. It could even be made ahead and served at room temperature. Further simplifying the preparation.

But I think its best served warm, with a cool and crisply acidic chardonnay. Which is no bother because two people working in tandem can get this meal on the table in 8 minutes flat, once the prep work is done.

Still, just because this is a quick cook meal does not mean you can get sloppy about the details. I am quite finicky about scallops.

Scallops should be served rare, if you cook them all the way through you are destroying their delicate nature. An overcooked scallop is a rubbery waste of money. But just because I won't submit to an overcooked scallop does not mean I want it undercooked or improperly cooked either. In fact I like quite a bit of crunchy crusty searing on my scallops.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers, and all you sons and daughters too. Because Mother's Day is a day to honor our mothers, sure– but it's also a time for all us sons and daughters to pause and reflect. So that's what I have for you today, culinary reflections on my mother. In fact, starting today I have 7 posts in a row. A week's worth of reflections and recipes from my mother: Judi Jo Ann Bond Henry.

The 1970’s were when my own awareness of food began to develop. My mother was a fantastic cook. She probably learned most of her skills during this same period and I’d bet that Julia Child, Simone Beck and the whole Mastering the Art of French Cooking craze were her primary sources of inspiration.

While other kids were scarfing down “Tuna Twist”, “Mug-O-Lunch” and “Shake-A-Puddin”, my mom was serving us Bouillabaisse, Duck a la Orange, and Mousse de Foies de Volaille. She even taught my little brother and me how to make perfect little crêpes so that she could have 2 or 3 pans going at once for her famous dinner parties!

I recall bringing celeriac rémoulade to school in my lunch box. I knew the difference between a béarnaise and a hollandaise. We did not eat meat cooked beyond medium-rare (even pork) ever! So in many ways, you see, these are my comfort foods.