Chef's Kitchen

Mary Jane is a Seattle native who has lived up and down the West Coast as well as Vietnam and Hong Kong. Growing up, she was surrounded by some of the finest examples of cuisine the world has to offer due to parents who loved to entertain; their formal dining room seated 24. She graduated with a BSBA in Hospitality and Restaurant Management from the University of Denver and was named Head of Catering for the University. David was born in Hong Kong to a family of multi-generational restaurateurs. He apprenticed in some of Europe's finest hotels, concluding with the Dorchester in London. When he returned to Hong Kong, he took over the reins from his father to run the world famous Jimmy's Kitchen and opened several other establishments including the original Landau's Restaurant. In 1985, he and Mary Jane moved their family to the Northwest and opened a Landau's Restaurant in Bellevue. It garnered local and national attention and awards. In the mid-90s, they opened the At Home Cooking School that taught everything needed to entertain at home. Landau's Catering and Events was a natural evolution from their restaurant, cooking school, Mary Jane's catering knowledge and resources from 30 years in the business and David's gregarious nature and unmatched kitchen skills.

 

There are two different methods in which scallops are sold on the market: wet and dry.

Wet scallops are commonly treated with phosphates which are a preservative. When scallops are soaked in phosphates, they absorb water, making them weigh more and, therefore, cost more. The absorbed water evaporates during cooking and, in turn, shrinks your scallops leaving them smaller, dry and somewhat tasteless. Furthermore, the added water does not let scallops brown properly during cooking. It is generally easy to discern treated scallops as they will usually appear snow-white in color.

Dry scallops are all wild and natural. They are not treated with any chemicals whatsoever. They are harvested directly from the ocean, shucked on deck, then immediately frozen on the boat to capture their quality. Dry scallops caramelize naturally during cooking to a golden brown color that is very attractive when serving. And, as you might have guessed, there is no cost-added water weight with dry scallops. Dry scallops generally have a natural vanilla color.