Divided BY Chowder

If there is one thing I have learned as a chef, there are many chowder recipes as there are people who enjoy this soup, err…I mean stew..no I think soup?  

Each of my cookbooks and TV series has a version of some sort of a chowder recipe. I have judged chowder contests, participated in chef chowder tastings, and been a referee at a few chowder-boxing matches. Well, not really, but people do get heated up over red or white chowder. 

What really is chowder? The word "chowder" comes from the French word chaudiere, or caldron, the vessel in which the dish was cooked. And, derives from the word "jowter," meaning fishmonger, a term that was used in 16th century coastal regions of England.

Is it soup or stew? Early versions of chowder simmered from the New England area: a frugal recipe of pork fat, onions, potatoes, fish, herbs, dry biscuits or flour for thickening, and layered in a pot and cooked in water, with a bit of milk added at the end. In the 1800s, the Manhattan clam chowder was notable because it contains tomatoes. Manhattan clam chowder has been described as "that rather horrendous soup resembling a vegetable soup that accidentally had some clams dumped into it." All respect Mr. Beard, but those are fighting words. As a New Yorker and from coastal Long Island, an East Ender, we take our chowder VERY seriously. 

Tomato-based clam chowders came about with the newfound popularity of the tomato in the mid-1800s with the large population of Italians and Portuguese in the New York and Rhode Island region. In 1939, Maine legislators introduced a bill outlawing tomatoes in chowder because it is far more of a vegetable soup. What?

I can end this entire soup divide right now. Aside from any vegetables, corn, chicken or other non-seafarer ingredient for the stew--here are three versions you can enjoy from my TV series and cookbooks. They have satisfied many and with hope can prevent a nation from future chowder conflict. 

Manhattan vs. New England Chowder N.E. not my fav..

Seafood Chowder Yes, now this is a stew!

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George's Gameday Posole

A traditional Mexican dish from the pacific coast region of Jalisco; Posole is a thick soup made with hominy–dried corn with the hull and germ removed. Makes any large gathering a fiesta!

George's Gameday Posole

Makes 8 servings

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2 pounds pork shoulder chops

1/2 cup Posole Pork Rub

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 sweet onion, sliced thick, grilled and chopped

4 jalapenos, roasted on grill; split seeded and chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cups hot chicken broth

4 cups canned hominy, drained and rinsed

1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilentro

3 fresh red radishes, sliced thin

1 cup fresh cabbage, finely shredded

Rub pork on all sides with Posole Pork Rub, and refrigerate for at least two 2 hours or overnight.

Pre heat large soup pot  to high heat.

Brush chops with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add chops and sear pork on both sides until browned and not fully cooked. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the hot broth, jalapenos, hominy and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chops, cool and chop meat into small pieces. Put pork back into soup. Continue cooking for 30 additional minutes. The longer and slower the soup simmers the better.

Stir in cilantro and serve bowls of soup topped with sliced radish, shredded cabbage, and with warm corn tortillas.

Posole Pork Rub

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon each: ground cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, chili powder, thyme

1/2 teaspoon each: nutmeg, allspice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly sealed container.

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Top Soup

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The University of Illinois published a study based on matching personalities with soup preferences a few years back in the Journal of Database Marketing Lifestyle and Personality Clusters. The four most popular soups were chicken noodle, tomato, minestrone and vegetable. These four top soups were cross-tabulated with personality and lifestyle traits. What's your soup say about you?

click to enjoy Potato Leek Soup recipe

The Findings:

Chicken noodle soup; you score high on the church-going scale, are fond of pets, are more likely to be stubborn and less likely to be outdoorsy.

Minestrone; you were more likely to be physically fit, nutritionally conscious, family spirited, unlikely to own a pet and also on a restricted diet.

Vegetable soup; was a homebody at heart, less likely to be a world traveler, less likely to be spontaneous and more likely to read family and home magazines.  

Tomato soup; by contrast, seeks more adventure, were more likely to be social and also tended to enjoy books and pets.

Soup, especially this chilly time of year, is comforting to the body and soul. Delighted that my Tomato Soup falls into the top four! 

reference; Journal of Database Marketing Lifestyle and Personality Clusters

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Craft Brewed Onion Soup

The Addition of a good craft beer to this classic recipe adds another dimension of flavor which compliments the caramelized onion. An IPA or dark beer is better but you can use your favorite brew.

Beer Onion Soup

Makes 4 servings

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6 cups Vidalia or sweet onions, sliced  

1 Tablespoon olive oil  

1 head caramelized garlic  

2 pints craft brewed IPA beer  

6 cups beef or vegetable broth  

1 teaspoon fresh thyme  

1 teaspoon fresh parsley  

pinch nutmeg  

4 large sour dough bread croutons  

4 slices of Gruyere cheese  

1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese 

Preheat a soup pot. 

Add olive oil, onions and garlic. Cook onions until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add beer and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add broth, thyme, parsley and nutmeg. Simmer for 45 minutes. 

Place sourdough croutons in 4 bowls. Add soup to each bowl. Top with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and a slice of Gruyere. Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese melts and is slightly browned. 

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Beat The Chill

The flavorful way to beat a cold snap, cook with curry. This will definately warm you up from the inside out. A good curry spice mix has a well rounded balance of flavors with a touch of heat!

Curry powder is more of a generic term for a blend of different spices. As with many things, curry powder can have more spices added to the mixture, to suit your the taste. Most recipes and producers of curry powder usually include; coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek (like clover), and red pepper in their blends. Depending on country origin, the curry recipe may also include additional ingredients such as ginger, garlic, asafoetida, fennel seed, caraway, cinnamon, clove, mustard seed, green cardamom, black cardamom, nutmeg, long pepper, and black pepper may also be added. 

Curry Spinach Bean Soup

Makes 6 servings 

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2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 Italian sausage links, hot or sweet, removed from casing

1/2 cup chopped onion 

1/2 cup chopped carrot 

4 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 cup tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon curry powder

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped 

1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, more if you like it spicy 

1 cup potatoes, peeled and chopped 

3 cups chicken broth 

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 

2 cups baby spinach, washed, dried and chopped 

Fresh ground black pepper to taste 

Pre heat a large soup or saucepot to a medium heat. Add olive oil, sausage meat, onion, carrot, garlic, hot pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until the sausage is light brown and vegetables are tender. Add the potato, tomato sauce, broth, thyme, curry and beans. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer, cover and cook about 30 minutes. Puree one half of soup in food processor. Return pureed soup back to soup pot. 

Bring soup back to a boil, turn down to a simmer and add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Add pepper to taste, serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

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