You Say 'Chow-dah,' I Say Chowder

About author / Sarah Christine Bolton

Coffee addict; professional food writer; food fusion. Her slow cooker recipes go above and beyond your normal crockpot fare.

When my parents offered to fly me and my husband to San Luis Obispo, California, we eagerly agreed. A weekend getaway to the Central Coast of California was the perfect break from work and Memphis.

When we arrived at their beach house, my mom was unloading bags of food from the back of her pickup. While I helped stock the fridge, she made us barbequed chicken sandwiches, with goldfish crackers. She told us we must be starving, since we didn’t get lunch on the flight (My mom believes everyone is always in a state of hunger, and is constantly trying to feed people).

Like for most families, food was a big deal when I was growing up. With four active kids running around, my mom was used to having to feed people. And when we were all old enough (which in my family was about age 5), we were in the kitchen, too, cooking and tasting and burning.

The one good thing is that while my family is very into food, they are very into exercise, too. So, even though we ate a lot and often, we burned it all off with beach walks and mountain hikes and bike rides.

One morning, we went for a long walk on the beach, searching for sand crabs. My brother’s black Labrador was the most dedicated to the search for the elusive little guys. She would wait until the waves receded, and then dig like her life depended on it. When the sand crabs flew out of the sand and all around her, she simply nosed them curiously.

Even though the sun was out, it was cold at the beach, and we were ready to head inside to get something to eat. We found a tiny corner seafood restaurant and ordered fish and chips, fish stew, and fried shrimp. When I saw Manhattan clam chowder listed on the menu boards, I was ecstatic. I love Manhattan clam chowder, but it’s more difficult to find than its counterpart, New England clam chowder.

For those of you who might not know the difference between the two chowders, here’s a little background info to help you out.

First of all, the word “chowder” comes from France. La chaudree (cauldron) was a type of fishermen’s stew that was common along the coast from just north of Bordeaux all the way up to Brittany. This custom was carried to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and down to New England in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, although chowder was only made with fish in its early years. By 1836, in Boston, “clam chowder” was in existence in many forms, but always creamy and white.

That soon changed, however, when cooks started adding tomatoes to clam chowder. Some food historians believe it was Portuguese immigrants in Rhode Island who made this change. True New England white clam chowder purists scorned this controversial change, and refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of red clam chowder. Even now, it seems the line is drawn quite clearly between Manhattan (red, tomato-based) chowder and New England (white, cream-based).

I suppose since I live in the South, I’m somewhat exempt from all the chowder drama, so I will continue to enjoy the guilty pleasures of Manhattan chowder.

Serves/Makes: 8

• 3 slices bacon
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 3 medium onions, finely chopped
• 4 small potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce, or to taste
• 1 pint minced clams, fresh or canned
• 1 can (28 ounce size) stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley