Friday Flotsam

Did you know that the Director of Public Health in DC is named Pierre Vigilant?

Also, they're finding the female vision (in this case, how the type of watery habitat affects what colors female cichlids (fish) see best, which then affects what colors they "like") can be a strong factor in the evolution of new types of fish. Which might explain why I, with less than stellar vision, tend to go for guys who are umm, easy to spot. Unless I'm picking up a guy in a bar, when it tends to be the guy closest to me with the best personal hygiene...also related to vision...and my over-developed olfactory senses.

And that female guppies will risk their lives just go get away from the boys. If you've ever had guppies (I used to breed them in college for $$ and science credits) you know that the males are huge pains in the, um genital opening, acting like maurauding hordes of frat boys high on testosterone and spanish fly, chasing the females constantly, displaying, look at me, look at me, omigod aren't I pretty, look at me. And then, when ignored, when she's just trying to get a little breakfast, they'll go for it anyway, pokety-poke, hey look at...pokety-poke.

So, females, a dull brownish/goldish color, will venture out into deep water where there are more predators, just to get some peace and the boys won't follow 'cause their brightly colored selves will get snatched up in a heartbeat.

I can so relate.

Then, in the department of taking food over the edge, I give you:

( The Hamburger Fatty Melt )

Cleansing your mental palate...

Well, of course, after that last post, I HAD to go out for lunch and get a mushroom bacon swiss burger, didn't I?

Which now sits in my stomach like a cannonball. Luckily I have no trouble digesting cannonballs.

Luckily, last night, dinner was the antithesis of cannonballs:

1 pound of bay scallops
sauteed in olive oil and an a**load of pressed garlic until just barely cooked. Sprinkling of salt.
A tablespoon of butter tossed in at the end. Set aside.

Turn up the heat in the skillet, add more oil and dice four fabulously ripe Roma tomatoes from the farmer's market, toss into the skillet for a quick sear.

Turn off heat, toss in a handful of basil leaves, chiffonade (little ribbon strips). If you have an avocado laying around, as I did last night, dice that and put that in, too. Toss togther, season with salt and pepper.

Add garlicky scallops back in, sprinkle all with a healthy coating of parmesan cheese, whip under the broiler for just long enough to melt parm.

Put over brown basmati rice.

Wish you'd remembered how damn good this was earlier in the season.