On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 19:17:17 -0500, Rodney Myrvaagnes
> wrote:

>On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 15:45:59 -0600, Damsel >
>wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 10:14:46 -0500, "Bob (this one)" >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>In New England, clam chowder is usually essentially cream of potato
>>>soup with clams in it, with small local variations.
>>
>>So, I could make potato leek soup, toss in a can or two of baby clams, and
>>I'd have chowder?
>>
>Well, sort of. It might come out fine. But I think salt pork and
>diced, not pureed potatoes, are customary, and onions were far more
>common than leeks in New England fishing villages.

I generally use plain ol' ham in my tater soup. And it's ALWAYS cubed
potatoes, with the exception of a few that I zap with my stick blender to
make the soup thicker. I don't like creamed soups, except Jill's Butternut
Squash soup. Even then, I leave a few chunks of squash so I don't feel
like I'm eating baby food.

I'd use leeks just because the recipe I'm working from is very well liked
by my fussy eater, Crash, and he's a little onion-phobic for some reason.

>My attitude is do what you like, unless you are representing it as a
>historic recreation.

Nah, I'd just call it clam chowder. I'm not gonna dress up like Thomas
Jefferson when I serve it. More like Louise "Weezie" Jefferson.

>I am convinced that Pastorio knows what he is talking about, and if he
>says canned clams are ok then go with it.

I've got lots of respect for Pastorio (he invented pasteurized milk, didn't
he?), too.

>I get littlenecks from the
>fisherfolk who come to the greenmarket and have never tried canned.

When I was small, we went clam digging along a shoreline in Washington
state. Does Razorback sound right? Damn, those things are fast! You just
filled up your bucket, and brought it to this canning place where they
cleaned them and canned them. We were eating those clams for years. I'd
nearly forgotten that memory.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_