Comfort Food!

I spend a great deal of time in Oregon, mostly on the coast. While there, I'm always searching for great chowder. The best I've had was from Saffron Salmon in Newport, which closed its doors this past October. The next best was from Yummy in Seaside, but this too closed a number of years back.  On one hand, I miss these establishments, but on the other, I enjoy the continued search.

At home, I have yet to recreate either of these recipes, but I did manage to scoop the formula from one of my favorite East Coast eateries. Over the years I've made some minor adjustments as to make it my own. And since I’m making chowder for dinner tonight, I thought you might enjoy their recipe.

CHOWDER

4 slices bacon, minced 

1/2 tsp. butter

1/2 cup onion, minced
1 tsp fresh garlic
1 tsp Spice Blend (recipe below)

1 Tbsp. flour
1 can clams (6 1/2 oz.)

1 cup bottled clam juice
1 1/2 cups half-and-half 
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 medium potatoes, peeled, and diced 

1 large carrot, peeled, and diced
2 celery stalks, chopped

In a heavy-bottomed two quart soup pot, sauté butter, bacon, onion, garlic, and spice blend over low heat.  Do not allow to burn.  Drain clams and set aside, reserving the juice.  Slowly stir the flour and clam juices in the sauté mixture.  Add vegetables. Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Add milk and simmer 20 minutes.  Add white pepper and clams.  I usually add other seafoods such as prawns & small scallops.   Heat to serving temperature.  Do not allow to boil, as this toughens the clams.

SPICE BLEND

4 tsp dried oregano
4 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp dried thyme
4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried sage
4 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried tarragon
1 Tbsp. flour

Crush with a mortar and pestle.  Store in an air-tight container and keep in refrigerator.

Picture curtesy of Cliff House, Cape Neddick, Maine

My New Year's Day

Looking out the back patio doors I see a light, gentle snowfall and the vast Fraser Valley in the background. My dining room is clean from the night before and the living room is cozy with the heat from the fire. I hear a crying baby and the cheerful sound of a mother trying to calm her son.

There is vistas from every room, and I can see my son’s missing car from the driveway. Like any parent a scense of dread comes over me, then remembrance of “I’m staying at so and so’s tonight”, passes through my brain.

My husband and I were enjoying our morning lattes and now he is on the phone wishing his mom a happy new year, as I wander around my home with my dog under foot, I’m thinking of my mom and the last time I spoke to her.

What should I do today? Take it easy? I deserve that after the hectic holiday season has come to an end. After all I’ve been moving, cleaning, decorating, cleaning, shopping, cleaning, feasting, cleaning, just like everyone else. Well maybe not the moving part.

I’ve painted myself a pretty picture, but what I truly see, is chaos! Who moves just days before Christmas?

The landscaping can’t be completed until spring. The basement is unfinished. Nothing seems to be in its rightful place. My kitchen has no flow, so I have to move the cutlery drawer to where the saran wrap is and who knows where that should go. My alcohol is on one of my kitchen counters because the bar hasn’t been finished. Why does anyone need 28 bottles of tequila? A lot of things are still at my other house so when I reach for something and it isn’t there, I have to drive 10 minutes there and 10 minutes back. Oh crap, I just stepped on one of my grandson’s toys.

How can something so beautiful, turn so ugly? How could I let my mind slip so fast?

I’ll just chalk this up to moving pains and keep my fingers crossed that this is not what’s instore for my 2019!

To all my family, friends and followers, I wish you all a Happy New Year filled with joyous occasions and pleasant memories, and maybe just a little chaos😊