This recipe is based loosely on the fantastic Pho soups that I have enjoyed for years at Pho Pasteur in Allston, MA. I'm usually a very modest man, but this version of the classic pho soup just happens to be one of the best soups I've ever had. It has amazing healing and restorative qualities.

Serves 4-6.

When I was a kid, my mother used to make traditional New England-style baked scallops, covered in butter and breadcrumbs, and I clearly remember loving the breadcrumbs and hating the scallops. I used to try to scoop as much breadcrumbs as I possibly could into my plate, hoping that mom wouldn't notice that within that mound of buttery breadcrumb goodness hid only one or two of the fishy, dried out mollusks, that I would quickly gulp -- no chewing -- and wash down with a heady dose of Coca Cola.

Tastes change, however, and as a 31-year old I love scallops. I eat them seared, baked, pureed into a sauce, and -- perhaps the most exquisite expression of scallops -- wrapped in bacon. Because in New England fresh day-boat scallops are relatively easy to come by, they have made a regular appearance on the menu at Chez Vinilicious.