LA CHANTEUSE AM GRABEN

Maybe because I was living in France as a student who always had to cook by oneself, everytime when I return, I often prefer to stay in an apartment with a kitchenette. Cooking is of course more work then dining in restaurants, but apart from being economic, cooking by oneself is also much more fun.
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This time we got lots of French cheese as usual, Brie, blue cheese from Auvergne, etc.. And since we are in the city with a 40 km coastline, sea food is naturally always our "plat du jour."
Right on the next day after arrival, we hustled to the big hypermarket Auchan, where there are 2 sections each for red wine and white wine, one for rosé, several big counters for daily delivered sea food, and a long fridge of cheese from all over the country. After three dinners, I have until now half kg of salmon and shrimps, and 7 big, fresh scallops.
Actually it's quite simple, I always believe that if you get good material, there's no need of much flavoring. Just put the sea food in an alumi container,salt it, then send into the oven, voilà !
The combination of scallops and a glass of rosé made me think of the little story about Su Dongpo (蘇東坡) and the Fugu (河豚). When he first arrived 常州, a local host prepared the famous meal of fugu to treat the great writer, and the whole family hid behind the curtain eager to hear his comments. Dongpo had one piece after another without any words. As the people getting disappointed, he suddenly shouted, ' worth dying!'
Fortunately scallop is not poisoning, but the taste of a plate of self-made, grilled fresh scallops with the finest rosé Produce of France, is definitely worth a one-hour transfer of different bus lines and a 70 euro bill of grocery shopping, which is also a big loss of blood and sweat !
蘇軾《惠崇春江晚景》：“竹外桃花兩三枝，春江水暖鴨先知。蔞蒿滿地蘆芽短，正是河豚欲上時。”