Bay scallops or sea scallops, nigiri (on a pad of rice) or gunkan-maki (in a cup made of toasted seaweed), once you taste their sweet, raw flesh, you may never want cooked scallops again!

Raw scallops are a Spanish tradition as well; but instead of with rice, sushi-style, they’re marinated in citrus juice: ceviche.

And modern chefs are putting their own spin on them, serving scallops cru (that’s French for raw).

Anita Lo, executive chef/owner of Annisa in New York City, makes a preparation we adore: raw scallops, salmon caviar/roe (ikura) and seasonal garnish: spring pea puree.

At Local 121 in Providence, Rhode Island, chef Tyler Demora gives scallops cru a garish of herbes de Provence and a seasonal spin with rhubarb, English peas and shoots (photo below).

In the hot weather, there’s nothing more refreshing than a dish of raw scallops. No “recipe” is required—and no cooking, either. Serve them whole or sliced with your choice of garnishes.

 
Serve with an optional lemon or lime wedge.

Delicious!

It’s easy to make tartlets (individual portions) or mini tarts (bite size) for dessert. The minis are a festive idea to cap an evening of July 4th celebrating.

You can make preparation even easier by purchasing the shells (we use these from Clearbook Farms) and jars of lemon curd or raspberry curd. Otherwise, make the pastry cream recipe below.

You can make this recipe with only blueberries and raspberries, or use blackberries and strawberries as well.

RECIPE: RED, WHITE & BLUE TARTLETS OR MINI TARTS

Ingredients

1. CLEAN berries and pat dry. If using blackberries or strawberries, cut them into pieces that will fit onto the small mini tart surface.

2. FILL shells with pastry cream or other filling. Top with berries and optional confectioner’s sugar.
 
RECIPE: PASTRY CREAM (CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE)

Pastry cream can be made ahead and refrigerated, wrapped well with plastic wrap on surface, up to three days. Extra cream can be used as a topping for fruit or other desserts.

Ingredients For 3 Cups

 
Preparation

1. WHISK together 1/2 cup milk, egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a medium bowl.

2. ADD the remaining 1-3/4 cups milk to a medium saucepan. Scrape in the seeds from vanilla bean; then add the pod. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar over. Place the pan over moderate heat and bring to a simmer without stirring. When the mixture boils…

3. WHISK it and remove from heat as you gradually whisk it into the egg yolk mixture. Return the pan to moderate heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream simmers and thickens, about 1 minute.

4. REMOVE from the heat, discard the vanilla pod and whisk the cream until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Chill until cold, about 4 hours.
  

Way back in 2009, we discovered the excellent cake in a jar from Yummy Cupcakes in Los Angeles. It became a Top Pick Of The Week, and one of those products that, years later, we still pine for, remembering every spoonful.

The trend was slow in starting. After five years, in the past week we’ve received notice of two more cake in a jar products.

DUFF’S CAKEMIX

The Food Network’s Ace of Cakes, Duff Goldman, has a custom bakery in Baltimore, a line of cake mixes and cake decorating accoutrements sold nationwide, and most recently, a bakery café, Duff’s Cakemix, also in L.A., which includes a studio where Duff wannabes can decorate their own cakes.

The bakery offers an array of freshly baked sweets, including Dinkies (Duff’s version of Twinkies) and Cake in a Jar.

The latter presents an opportunity to send a special occasion “slice” of cake in a Mason jar, which keeps it moist and fresh for five days (not that there will be any left by then).

So gift challenges are solved: You can send cake in a jar as a birthday gift, or to celebrate any occasion. There’s currently a seasonal red, white and blue Star Spangled Cake In A Jar.

Confetti Cake is sweet and celebratory. Photo courtesy Duff’s Cakemix.

Flavors include Chocolate With Chocolate Buttercream and Chocolate Chips, Confetti With Vanilla Buttercream, Marble With Chocolate And Vanilla Buttercream and Vanilla With Vanilla Buttercream.

We received a sample of the Confetti With Vanilla Buttercream. The confetti says “celebrate”; the recipe was a bit on the sweet side for us, but should be just the thing most American palates are looking for.

Order them online at DuffsCakemix.com.

CAKE CHICAGO

We then received news that one of our favorite artisan bakers, Cake Chicago, is selling cake in a jar.

Cake Chicago began life as a wedding cake specialist, subsequently branching out into daily treats like cookies, bars and chocolate truffles.

So it’s no surprise that their cake in a jar achieves a higher standard. Just look at the elegant layers in the jar, perfectly fitted.

We’d give these as wedding favors and serve a dessert that most guests will prefer to wedding cake. As you can see in the photos, the perfectly-fitted layers and make an excellent presentation.

Like Duff’s, the jars can be wrapped in grosgrain ribbon, and tags can be added for quantity orders.

 
The price is the same as Duff’s: $7.00, with a two jar minimum (8 ounce size only). Order online at Cake-Chicago.com.

And if anyone out there wants to send us a gift: More cake in a jar, please! It’s a happy way to enjoy a nice piece of cake.

In an ideal world, you’d make your favorite muffin batter and add fresh blueberries and raspberries. But using a muffin mix, prep time is just 15 minutes, with another 30 minutes to bake, cool and glaze the muffins.

RECIPE: RED, WHITE & BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients For 12 Muffins

Save time with a mix. Photo courtesy Betty Crocker.

Preparation

1. HEAT oven to 425°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups, or grease bottoms (only) of muffin cups if not using liners.

2. DRAIN blueberries from the muffin mix; rinse and set aside. In medium bowl, stir muffin mix, milk, oil, eggs and cherries/cranberries just until blended. Gently stir in blueberries.

3. DIVIDE batter among muffin cups; each should be about three-fourths full.

4. BAKE 17 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool 3 to 4 minutes; remove from pan. Stir together powdered sugar, milk and orange extract until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over muffins.

You can cut back on the ounces by enjoying your steak in a taco or on a salad. A few slices equal the three-ounce portions that nutritionists and healthcare professionals recommend, and you still get your steak delivered in a delicious way.

Steak tacos and steak salad are also ways to stretch leftover steak or other grilled meat (we especially enjoy a grilled lamb salad).

RECIPE: STEAK TACOS WITH CHIPOTLE SLAW & AVOCADO SALSA

This recipe is from QVC’s David Venable. David suggests: “A fun way to make sure you get a beer that will go with your meal is to shop by region. If you’re cooking a big Italian meal, try an Italian beer. If you’re going Mexican, stock up on your Coronas. Try this recipe with a dark Mexican beer (like Negra Modelo) to match the heartiness of the steak.”

Ingredients

For The Steak

Steak tacos let you enjoy steak—just less of it. Photo courtesy QVC.

 
For The Avocado Salsa

1. PREPARE the marinade. Combine the garlic, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, jalapeño and chili powder in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely minced.

2. PLACE the flank steak in a large zip-top plastic bag, pour in the marinade and squeeze out any excess air before sealing. Allow the steak to marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours; do not exceed 8 hours.

3. PREPARE the slaw. Combine the sour cream, milk, chipotle and vinegar in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Add the cabbage and stir until it’s completely coated with dressing.

4. PREPARE the salsa. Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl; toss until combined. If kept refrigerated, this can be made up to 2 hours prior to serving.

5. GRILL the steak: Preheat a barbecue or indoor grill and set the temperature to medium high. Grill the steak for 8 minutes on each side, or to your desired degree of doneness. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting, diagonally across the grain, into thin slices.

6. ASSEMBLE the tacos. Place 4-5 slices of steak in a taco shell, top with approximately a quarter cup of salsa and the same amount of slaw.

RECIPE: STEAK SALAD

Hearty greens, including spinach, peppery arugula and bitter watercress, are good counterpoints to the steak. In the summer, a garnish of berries adds seasonal festiveness.

Ingredients

 
Also check out this Thai Beef Salad.

Find more of David Venable’s recipes at QVC.com.
 
Preparation

1. TOSS salad greens with tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, olives and dressing.

2. LAYER sliced steak atop the salad. Garnish with crumbled or sliced cheese and berries.