New England Clam Chowder

I still remember the first meal I made my husband back when we started dating almost a decade ago. Even though I'd worked as a baker and cook for a long time even then, I still had (and have) some anxiety when it comes to trying to impress people with food. This leads to obsessive cake frosting smoothing, viewing a plated side dish from all possible angles and in various lighting before serving it to ensure even sprinkling of garnish, and silently holding my breath when people taste something I hope has turned out just perfect until I see satisfied looks on their faces. 

Anyway, what I made  him was lemon dill poached salmon, grilled asparagus, fresh homemade peasant bread and a pumpkin pie, which was his requested dessert. We sipped Yellow Tail Shiraz, which was only 3.99$ a bottle, thus the perfect pairing with a college budget. As I became increasingly smitten with this man, I found it of the utmost importance to feed him things he found irresistible. The reasoning was not because I feel my duty as a woman to cook for my man, simply because I love to cook, and he loves to eat.  Since his favorite food of all-time is Clam Chowder of the New England variety, I set out on a long journey to find the perfect recipe, and after a lot of tweaking and experimenting, we finally found a winner.

New England Clam Chowder

-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

-1 large onion, diced

-1/2 cup butter

-3/4 cup flour

-2 quarts milk

-3 cans undrained clams

-1 T. parsley

-2 t. sea salt

-1 t. sage

-1 t. thyme

1 t. pepper

Directions: Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. In a large stock pot saute onions in butter until tender. Add flour; stir until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain potatoes; add to Dutch oven. Add clams and remaining ingredients; heat through.

*Makes 10 servings

This wholesome soup is as delicious as it is hearty, and it's a favorite in our house on any given night, especially on an April night like this one when it's only 30 degrees and raining! Enjoy!