Bec's New England Clam Chowdah

One of our favorite meals in the summer is a bowl of New England Clam Chowdah (Chowder for you non-New Englanders) and some warm crusty bread.
Here's my version:

INGREDIENTS:
2 TBSN Butter
3 pieces celery, diced 1/4"
3 large potatoes, diced 1/2"
1 lb fresh clams or 4 bottles whole clams
4 - 8oz bottles of clam juice
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp white pepper
Kosher salt to taste
red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
1.5 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream (can use light cream if you prefer)

Roux:
10 TBSN Butter
5 oz All purpose Flour

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions on medium heat until they are translucent (don't brown).
2. Add celery
3. Add potatoes, clams, juice, wine,white pepper and salt (and optional red pepper flakes)
4. Turn up heat to high and bring to a boil.
5. In a heated saucier (sauce pan), melt the butter completely and with a wire whisk, stir in the flour until well blended. Reduce heat to low and cook while other pot is coming to a boil.
6. When the soup pot is boiling and the potatoes are done, stir in the roux. Bring it back to a boil and remove it from the heat to cool.
(note: when using a roux, whatever it is added to must return to a boil or go rancid).
7. In a separate pan, pour in the milk and cream. Now slowly add some of the stock from the soup to temper it, bringing it up to equal temperature and then add it back to the soup.
8. EAT!!!!
9. Make sure the soup is cooled properly on a cooling rack until it is ready to be refrigerated if there's any left.

Great with a loaf of warm crusty bread....

Yield 8 cups

Asian Fusion play on Kung Tom Yam (Prawn Soup)

My husband LOVES Kung Tom Yam but he loves it even more when I prepare it in an Asian fusion manner....a stock with more flavor...using noodles....more like a hot pot than just a soup. His favorite noodles are udon...and easily incorporated. He prefers the shrimp when I sauté it first as opposed to tossing it in raw to boil in the soup. The carmelization from the skillet gives the shrimp a little more umph! I usually take about 12lbs of shrimp shells and cook them for a couple of hours in a huge pot of water...reducing it to 6 cups of stock so the flavor is intense. In this recipe, I'm using lobster stock from a Catalan recipe I made a few days ago....so there's a little saffron in the lobster stock but fantastically delicious.

As I always say....use your imagination...use your senses..there is no right or wrong (unless you are arguing with a French Chef!!). Food should give you pleasure...and it's up to you to experiment to YOUR liking.

In my case...I've spoiled my husband...to the point that when we go out...invariably, he wishes I was cooking for him at home....usually a much better meal than what he ordered. It's an easy way to show him how much I appreciate him.

The main thing..have fun while you're cooking. I now have my husband cook with me so we spend even more time together...appreciate what we've created together and... steal a few kisses in between!

Ingredients:
6 cups lobster stock
1 tsp salt
2 stalks lemon grass
4 kafir lime leaves
3 fresh chilis
1 TBSN Fish Sauce
2 TBSN Lemon juice - Fresh Squeezed
2 lbs colossal shrimp - 8-12 size
1 TBSN olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 fresh red chili - seeded and thinly sliced
2 TBSN fresh Cilantro, chopped
4 Scallions, chopped

2-3 servings udon noodles or rice noodles

Directions:
1. Shell and de-vein shrimp/prawns. Since I'm using the lobster stock, I'll save all the shells in the freezer for a later date when I want to make a shrimp stock.
2. Combine the lobster stock, salt, lemon grass, kafir lime leaves and whole chilis in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20. minutes.
3. Strain stock and return liquid to the pot. Add fish sauce and lemon juice.
4. Pat the raw shrimp dry with a towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet, add a TBSN of olive oil and when hot, place the shrimp in the pan. After a minute or 2, flip over to carmelize the other side for 2 minutes.
5. Toss shrimp into the soup stock and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
6. For an individual serving: I take a package of udon noodles (refrigerated section of your asian grocer) and place it at the bottom of a japanese soup bowl....pour the stock on top...add 6 pieces of shrimp...scatter some scallions and hot chili pepper and serve.
For a table: I do the same thing, but use a hotpot or a small dutch oven..or whatever you have...instead of the bowl.