New England Clam Chowder

20060223-chowderHeavy fog, rain, ice, and blazing sun. I had originally planned to make a stuffed chicken breast tonight, but the weather screamed soup, so... time to break out the clam base! It's such a pleasure to have a well-stocked larder. I had all the ingredients I needed, so out came the pot and to work I went.

I lived and worked in Boston for about 5 years and have had many versions of "New England Clam Chowder" from the thin but creamy fish chowder at the No-Name Restaurant to the thick chowder served at Legal Seafoods. (Boy, I just checked out their website - they're getting fancy...) But I digress... We made it at The Hyatt, we made it at The Charles... You really can't go anywhere without seeing it on a menu. Some great, others merely okay.

Now, I know I should have boiled down my clam shells, and all, but I just bought my Clam Base and just had to use it. I sauteed 1/4 lb chopped bacon with a cup of diced onion and a cup of diced celery. When it was looking right I added about a half cup of flour and mixed it all in a bit. Next was 3 cups of water and 2tbsp of the aforementioned Clam Base, 2 cans of minced clams, and a couple of turns of pepper. I let it thicken up then added a quart of half and half, and 4 diced potatoes. Let it simmer until the potatoes were done, and voila! Rich, creamy, and full of clam flavor! That base is damn good!

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Dessert is going to be a Chocolate Pudding Cake. But I have to wait for a while. I'm stuffed.....


A Proper Cuppa

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I've never been a huge tea drinker. Oh, back in the '70's I did my share of herbal teas and gallons of Constant Comment. But, it was living in Tahoe and smoking lots of pot, too. It was what was expected. And for a while in the 1980's I was buying loose tea from a place called "Cherokee Tea" in St. Louis (they're long gone...) But, usually, given the choice, I'll have a cup of coffee. Most commercial American tea has just been too bland for my taste. Just as with coffee, I'm not a huge fan of "flavors" of tea (the aforementioned Constant Comment, excepted.) They all have their place, but, when I want a cup of tea, - just as with my coffee - I want a cup of tea. No milk, cream, sugar, sweetener. Just tea.

And then we visited England a couple of years ago. Having a "when in Rome" mentality, I found myself drinking tea all the time. And it was good. Strong, rich flavor. Not the weak, bland colored water I was used to drinking. We brought several boxes back, and started imploring friends to bring us back more when they traveled across the pond. I started searching out different "English Breakfast Teas" and "English Afternoon Teas." Good, solid, black tea.

We were out west for my dad's birthday and ran into Cost Plus to see what was new. We practically lived at Cost Plus when we lived out west. We have furnished half our home from them and I was shopping with them way back in the '60's.  But I digress.....

I noticed a box of tea. PG Tips. The box said "A popular British blend of the finest Assam, Ceylon, and Kenyan teas which produces a rich and refreshing flavour. The definative traditional English tea." Okay. Sounds like what I'm looking for!

Fast-forward... It's a great tea! And it comes in these neat "pyramid" pouches that, again, according to the box, gives the tea leaves 50% more room to move around than a flat conventional tea bag. So the tea bag works like a miniature tea pot. This allows for all the freshness to be released for the best tasting cup of PG."

I dunno if it's the tea bag or not, but it's a great cuppa tea!


SoupBase.com

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Okay, I admit it. I'm a food junkie. An ingredient junkie. I just can't seem to get enough. There are just so many things out there, and so little time to make everything I want to make. That doesn't mean I stop, though! And sometimes fate has a way of stepping in and sending me off to new and exciting places.

Case in point... I received a phone call at work the other day asking about a particular Greek Salad recipe we had made. It was a busy day, I was trying to cook food, answer customer questions, and talk on the phone. I didn't recall the recipe off the top of my head, so I mentioned the website. All our Demo recipes are there. Search for ingredient, and all is good.

When I got home that evening, I had an email from the woman saying she couldn't find the recipe on the site. It seems the dressing she was using came from another store! not unusual for us. Folks shop at several different stores, and, like me, often confuse one from nother. I sent her back an email with the sad news that we didn't have her recipe, but I did offer to call around to a couple of the local stores and see if I could locate it. it sounded really good.

Received a lovely email back. She had remembered where she had originally bought the product. As a 'thank you' she sent me a link to one of her favorite places "SoupBase.com"!

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Now, I must admit I don't use bases. They're usually nothing but salt-and-chemicals, and if I want that, I can use bouillon cubes. {{{shudder}}} But Soupbase sells Minor's products, and Minor's are some of the better bases on the market. I've used them in the past, and appreciated the no MSG, lower sodium versions, etc. And they do have a pretty rich flavor, for a base. So... One container of Clam base, cie vous plait!

While perusing the site, I also noticed BakeWell Cream! I haven't seen that in 25 yerars! It's like a baking powder without the baking soda. You can use as you would baking powder, but add soda to each batch of baked goods. It made a pretty good biscuit, if I recall correctly. Add one can.

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And then I noticed Melipone Mexican Vanilla. Now, I *really* like vanilla. The vanilla blurb on the website stated "Melipone Mexican Vanilla is an authentic half-century old Mexican formulation that is made in New Orleans by Chef Reginald. It is named after the Mexican Melipone bee which pollinates the vanilla orchid. In Mexico, as in other warm climates, consumers demand more vanilla flavor intensity. This concentrated vanilla is 3 to 4 times stronger than ordinary vanilla and has a full-bodied, rich and creamy taste. Its unique formulation has a distinctive and delicious flavor and aroma which is retained at high baking temperatures as well as at the sub-zero temperatures of ice creams. It is especially delicious when added to coffee, milk, and other beverages. Add one to the shopping cart, please...

This was on Wednesday. Today, I get home after a birthday party for a friend, and what's awaiting me on the front porch?!? My shipment! Talk about fast and efficient! And what's really cool, is there is a cook booklet of recipes fror each of the items I purchased! There must be 60 recipes using the Bakewell Cream, and 40 or more using the Clam base! Plus a newsletter, and all sorts of other goodies!

The company has a lot of stuff I don't think I'd really be interested in, only because I make my sauces and gravies from scratch, but they also have a lot of things that really are fun and unique. And if prompt and friendly service means anything, then SoupBase.com is your place to shop. I know I'll be visiting them, again.


It's not like I haven't been cooking lately...

... it's just that I've been really busy updating our Totally Joyous Recipes site. It's close to 500 pages of recipes and food fun - and every page has to be redone individually. I'm taking everything off Microsoft FrontPage and recreating it in Dreamweaver. Once completed, I'll be able to update things easier and change things quicker. But for the rime being... It's work!


A Simple Sandwich

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Ah... lunchtime. My favorite meal after Breakfast, Dinner, and Snacks!

It's fun being home at lunchtime. Sandwiches are so much fun to create. Let's face it - you can put just about anything between two slices of bread - and if you're creative with the bread, well... the possibilities are endless!

Today it was a simple tuna sandwich on focaccia... Okay - not all that simple, but it was quick and easy to make, and it left me thinking of even more possibilities in the future.

I took a round of focaccia and cut it in half. (Put the other half away for another day, another time...) Then I toasted it in the broiler.

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I made a quick tuna salad with Genova Tonno - Tuna in Olive Oil. Just for the record, I don't eat tuna in "spring water." Water dilutes the taste of the tuna. Make's it flat and unappetizing. Olive oil enriches the flavor, making for a decidely delicious tuna. Calorie-wise, you drain off the excess oil, anyway, so it's not all that much difference - but it's a world of difference in taste!

Back to the sandwich...

I added a bit of mayonnaise, diced celery, onion, and pickle, S&P. Spread it on the bottom slice of focaccia. Then went thinly sliced tomato. Then thinly sliced avocado. Then alfalfa sprouts. Topped with the focaccia.

Half of the focaccia made two generous sandwiches, and with a handful of potato chips and a mug of tea, it was the perfect lunch!


We Always Eat Well On Wednesday

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We always eat well on Wednesday. Wednesday is shopping day, Wednesday is "I'm off work" day, and Wednesday means I can actually spend a few minutes in the kitchen!

Shopping today was a lot of fun because we were out of everything! I didn't go shopping last week because of the trip to San Francisco... no sense buying stuff just to sit in the fridge while we're 3000 miles away. Besides, there was plenty of stuff in the freezer and cupboards to get us through.

Last night I was taking inventory and actually writing a list of basics we needed when I came upon a small package of blue cornmeal. It had been in the cupboard for a while. I think I bought it at the Lancaster farmer's market, but it could have come from any number of places. Anyway... I decided I was going to use it today. I had a few ideas in mind... I have chopped green chilies, there's some cheddar cheese... Muffins or cornbread would work. I was kinda thinking Mexican. I did my shopping without a clear picture in mind (typical...) and came home to figure out tonight's meal. I had everything I needed to go in any number of directions, but I still wasn't quite sure...

And then I came upon a Cornbread Stuffing recipe from Bon Appetit last November. It was perfect! It would use up the ham slice in the freezer, the chestnuts in the cupboard from Christmas... Out with the old, make way for the new! We were having Stuffed Chicken Breasts for dinner tonight!

The full meal was the stuffed chicken breasts served on a bed of Manishewitz extra extra fine egg noodles with a mushroom sauce and escarole braised in white balsamic vinegar and garlic. Oh yum!
Direct from Epicurious...

STONE-GROUND CORNBREAD

This simple, rustic cornbread is best used for making stuffing.

  • 1 1/4 cups medium-grind stone-ground whole-grain yellow cornmeal
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 11x7x2-inch metal baking pan. Whisk cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend. Whisk milk and egg in small bowl to blend. Add milk mixture and melted butter to cornmeal mixture and stir just until blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
Bake cornbread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn cornbread out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cornbread in foil and store at room temperature.)

CORNBREAD STUFFING WITH HAM, CHESTNUTS, AND SAGE

For convenience, make the cornbread one day before preparing the stuffing.

  • Stone-Ground Cornbread
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
  • 8 ounces ham steak, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 cups)
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 3 large celery stalks, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • 1 7.25-ounce jar steamed peeled chestnuts, coarsely crumbled
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
  • 2 large eggs
  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coarsely crumble cornbread onto large rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven until slightly dried, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Maintain oven temperature.

Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced ham and sauté until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer ham to large bowl. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and sage; cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to bowl with ham. Stir in chestnuts, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. (Toasted cornbread and ham mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and store cornbread at room temperature. Cool ham mixture slightly, then cover and refrigerate.)

Stir crumbled cornbread into ham mixture. Whisk 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Mix into stuffing, adding more chicken broth by tablespoonfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spray sheet of foil on 1 side with nonstick spray. Cover cornbread stuffing with foil, sprayed side down. Bake stuffing 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top begins to brown, about 20 minutes longer.

I more or less followed the recipes (at least as much as I ever follow a recipe...) but used my own homemade chicken broth and I added about a half loaf of whole wheat bread that I cubed and toasted. And another egg, and more broth...

For the sauce I sauteed about 4 oz mushrooms in a tbsp butter and browned them well. Added a bit of flour, then a couple of cups of the aforementioned chicken broth. A shot of garlic powder, and some S&P, and it was ready.

The escarole was a splash of olive oil in a frying pan, added the escarole, a bit of S&P, garlic powder, and a sprinkling of white balsamic vinegar. Cooked it until wilted. It was yummy, too!

Start-to-finish was about 2 hours - and that included making and baking the cornbread. Any and all parts can be done in advance, and it's bake in the oven about 45 minutes!


To There and Back Again...

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It was another quick trip. (What an opening line. It sounds like "It was a dark and stormy night...") But quick trips seem to be the only type we make out to San Francisco nowadays. At least this one was for a happy occasion - Pop's 82nd Birthday! Since only three of us six kids actually live in San Francisco, it's just about the only time all six of us actually get together anymore. It's a wild and crazy time when everyone gets together! The kids, the grandkids, the great-grandkids... We are not a quiet family...

We flew in Thursday, and immediately headed to Big Joe's on San Mateo Ave in San Bruno for a burger. Now, if burger quality is judged by the amount of napkins needed whilst enjoying a perfectly grilled burger, Big Joe's comes out waaaaaay on top. I used easily a dozen for my "Joe's Burger" a half-pound burger with avocado, bacon, and cheese. Not a diet plate by any means! Damn, it was good! It's the type of burger that has to be cut in half to even begin to try and eat it, and one has to take bites here and there to finally get it in ones mouth. It's just too huge to chomp right into. Stuff goes sliding about, hands get greasy and messy... It's pure heaven!

It seems every trip west is a food-fest of some sort, and this was no exception. We stopped by and visited with Pop and then headed over to my sister Eileen's for dinner. Knowing we had gourged ourselves at Joe's, she mad a simple but rich split pea soup with homemade cornbread. Yum-licious! It was still early by California time, but late by Pennsylvania time, so, fully sated, we headed to bed.

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Friday was another fun food day! We headed down to Redwood City to see our friend Deb who works at DreamWorks! After a tour of the studio, we got to eat in the commissary! Free Lunch! It was "Tailgate Party" theme in honor of the Super Bowl. There was so much to choose from! I had grilled sausage on a really great french roll, potato salad, iced coffee... There was fresh fruit everywhere, salads, nacho bar... These folks know how to eat! sadly, Deb finally had to get back to work, so we headed back up the penninsula...

We did a bit of shopping at our favorite lamp store - Lamps Plus. (I really wish they would head east! We stopped in and bought a new light for the kitchen. It should be shipping any day now... ) Then into the city to meet everyone at the local watering hole.

Saturday was Pop's official Birthday - and the official party! That, of course, meant lots of food! We headed out shopping early. Not only was it a Saturday - my least favorite day to grocery shop - but it was also the day before the Super Bowl. Junk food junkies were everywhere!

Loaded with supplies, we headed back to Eileen's to start cooking. The party was at Judy's, but Eileen has a better-equiped kitchen. We did a baked ham, stuffed eggs, macaroni salad, potato salad, spinach dip in a hollowed out french boule. Loaded up with our goodies, it was off to Judy's.

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Judy lives in San Mateo, just down the penninsula from San Francisco. Great weather, great old houses. She has lemon and tangerine trees in her front yard, camelias, jade plants. All the typical west coast flora that I miss! And a great house built in the '30's.

More food started arriving. Debbie made a great ambrosia, and a huge crudite with every assorted vegetable imaginable. Sadly, Mike dropped half of it in the street bringing it in. Oh well. At least the dip survived!

These trips are too damn short - and we eat waaaay too much. I love the second part!
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