Once upon a time, I was a waitress at an Italian restaurant. I loved it. I loved seeing the tomato mustasched smiles of kids with their parents digging into a plate of spaghetti. I loved the warm appreciative glow in the eyes of two people, so very much in love, enjoying an appetizer of fried calamari. I loved the hustle and bustle of tour-bus crowds scrambling in, scarfing their buffet meals, and reluctantly leaving for their hotel.
As a waitress, I was supposed to receive only the basics during a dinner break: salad, spaghetti with meatballs, or chicken parm. But one of the chefs and I became fast friends, and he often treated me to a little something special. :) One time he made me chicken marsala. Another time, he slipped me a box of tiramisu. He introduced me to scampi. And one time, he even threw a few scallops in with it! It was our little secret and it was awesome.
This recipe is a small tribute to that wonderful, friendly, and generous chef.
