Cooking For Engineers

[Boston]

Who said to shut up about where New England begins and ends? Do you have a problem? Come over here and let's talk about it for a second.

We here in New England love to argue about anything, and everything. A very important things to us is our group identity, which is in part defined by our geography.

A prized characteristic here is to be honest to others. That's why when you ask someone "How are you today?" they might respond with "Horrible, I'm just having one hell of a day." Think I'm lying? Look at the Boston Herald comments about the Red Sox. We're a bitter and angry group of people. And when people make mistakes about us, we care, and we love to point out flaws. Hence the voluminous response response to a tiny geographical error.

I think if you are going to cook New England food, you might try on our emotional angst and bitterness while you're cooking. Just for kicks! Scowl the whole time you cook.

Wikipedia is wrong. Just for the record, here is how Bostonians define New England:

NYC is not New England. Half of Connecticut is not New England either; it is Suburban NYC or "The backyard" or the city. Yankee fans too.

All of Mass, Vermont, R.I., New Hampshire and Maine are in New England.

Many consider New Brunswick, PEI, and Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland to be a part of New England, but generally we term this group "Maritime States" because it's Canada, even though we do share "New England" cultural heritage with them.

Quebec is Not New England; is is French Canadia.

Secretly, we all wish NYC was a part of New England, but our angst gets in the way. Probably the day we admit we like NY, we'll get annexed.

[guest]

Thanks for the recipe and the comments were wonderful and helpful.

I have been making a version of chowder for years that my family loves.
I always make a huge potful because they eat it for breakfast and lunch the next day.

Since our family rarely goes by breakfast conventions, it is rather sweet to see them eat and enjoy huge bowlsful of it the next day and ignore other food.

What is a standby menu with the chowder is cornbread or a whole grain quick bread, and an apple crisp for dessert, no ice cream or whipped cream.

[City Cook'n]

I thought this was about 'Soup' not a 'State' or Region.

[Guest]

As a visitor to San Francisco from Australia one of the highlights was the Clam Chowder - couldn't get enough! I have tried Campbell's canned chowder and it is not too bad but it has inspired me to try to cook my own. This recipe looks great, I usually do a roux but have an open mind about it.
The arguments about ingredients and geography etc. do not change the fact that New England Clam Chowder is fabulous.

[BrendaK66]

Hey Michael,

I love this receipe. Thanks for all the detail and pictures, as it really helps to know what things are supposed to look like at various stages. My husband loves clam chowder, so I just made this version last weekend and it was the best we've ever tasted.

Brenda K

[Guest]

We just made the New England Clam Chowder. It was the best that we have ever had.

Congratulations!

[DeadFred]

I'm moving there from the left coast soon...so what really is NE? Headed to Maine BTW...it's 80 here in San Diego today BTW.. :-)

[shadowstabbing]

You don't want to simply plop all the flower down. Singer works best.

[Ernie Johnson]

I tried your recipe for the first time but with some of my own revisions added... First let me tell you that in our opinions here the combination of the two were very good indeed. Thank you.
First I did use bacon. and very thick lean and tasty type. Second I used fresh Razor clams I got my self. third I used two sprigs of garlic and several good shots of Tabasco sauce as my seasoning to taste
On the making process I chopped the clams into very small pieces and cooked them separately in a pan with the garlic till not quite brown, draining off the juice into the the already cooking potatoes. Every thing else I did as your recipe asked..
Thanks again it's nice to look up on the Internet a recipe and have it turn out good. I'll print and keep this one..

[Sven]

I must side with the whole "Roux First" discussion. A good clam chowder should take a while to make...I don't like the "quick & easy" methods.
I use fresh clams, not canned ones (must cook separate because of the sand still coming out - even after draining), did the roux etc.

But maybe, I just like cooking

Thanks for the recipe, a great guide!

[Guest]

I made this exactly as instructed and it was a huge hit. In the past I have always made it with a roux and I thought this was much better. I'm from Maine but I'm open to new interpretations of old favorites

[mack1]

Hmmm..... I just made this, but used salt pork grease instead of bacon grease, no onion, and doubled the clams.

It is off somewhere, and I can't quite tell what it is. I'm thinking it might be the clam juice, or it might be the starch from the potatoes. I added some butter and it did help. For what its worth, the lady liked it.

[Kristen]

Delicious. Thank you! I fried up the onions and potatoes in butter (instead of bacon fat) and added celery and carrots too. I didn't have cream or half and half so used milk and it was still great. Nice and creamy.
Thanks for the recipe!
Kristen
philawriter.wordpress.com

[dbeem]

A roux is an essential part of French cooking and is therefore an essential part of Cajun cooking. This was adapted into southern cooking. I repeat: SOUTHERN COOKING. This is why a roux is not used in traditional New England clam chowder. Nothing is to stop anyone from using a roux in clam chowder, but if a roux is used, don't consider what you have made to be traditional New England clam chowder.

[Vicky]

I've made this soup twice now and it came out great both times. I love clam chowder and have been looking for a good recipe to try - and this is it. I think cooking in the bacon grease definitely adds flavor to the soup! Great recipe!