Monday, June 7, 2021

Chowder +Giveaway by Maya Corrigan

POTLUCK MONDAY: CHOWDER 

We started Potluck Monday as a day for the unexpected: to revisit an old recipe, welcome a surprise guest, or explore a food topic. Though we planned to take turns at the potluck, the scheduling became complicated and I volunteered to take over Potluck Monday. It will be a day focused on food and cooking without a new recipe, but often with links to related recipes already on the blog. Today’s topic is chowder. Leave a comment about chowder to enter a drawing for Scam Chowder, my 2nd Five-Ingredient Mystery.

Chowder originated as a potluck meal. When men from the fishing villages along the Atlantic coast of France returned home with their catch, the community celebrated by preparing a thick soup or stew with ingredients from each family. Some contributed fish, others vegetables or seasonings. Whatever they had, they threw into the pot. Later, as people from the fishing villages relocated to Canada, they brought their culinary traditions with them. Eventually, the French word for the large pot or cauldron (chaudière) used to make the villagers' soup morphed into the English word chowder. This way of cooking fish migrated down to New England and farther south along the Atlantic coast and eventually across the country, with variations developing in each region.

Chowder even entered into literature, with a chapter in Herman Melville's Moby Dick devoted to it. Melville character, Ishmael, describes the clam chowder of 19th century New England: “It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuit, and salted pork cut up into little flakes; the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt.”

Today clam chowder comes in several varieties: white or New England chowder, made with milk or cream; red or Manhattan chowder, made with tomatoes; and the light broth-based chowder found in Rhode Island, around parts of the Chesapeake Bay, and Cape Hatteras. 


A recipe for the Chesapeake version of light chowder appears in Scam Chowder. The cover illustrates the five ingredients that go into this type of chowder. In the book the passing of two different types of chowder around the table serves as a clue to the murderer’s identity.

Chowders aren’t just for fish. Hearty soups made with chicken or vegetables are also known as chowders. Here’s a selection of chowder recipes that have appeared on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. 


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Maya Corrigan writes the Five-Ingredient Mysteries featuring café manger Val and her live-wire grandfather solving murders in a Chesapeake Bay town. Maya lives in a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. Before writing crime fiction, she taught American literature, writing, and detective fiction at Northern Virginia Community College and Georgetown University. When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, travel, trivia, cooking, and crosswords.
  • Visit her website to sign up for her newsletter. One subscriber wins a book each time a newsletter goes out. 
  • Check out the easy recipes, mystery history and trivia, and a free culinary mystery story on the website.



ABOUT SCAM CHOWDER: Five-Ingredient Mystery #2

When a con man preying on retirees dies after eating Granddad’s clam chowder, Val must prove her grandfather innocent of murder.

Val loves the historic town where she lives with her grandfather, the Codger Cook. Running the fitness club’s Cool Down Café—and salvaging the five-ingredient dishes Granddad messes up—keeps her busy. When a dinner guest, a scammer who preys on retirees, goes face down in the chowder, Granddad's in the soup. As the police gather the ingredients for a murder conviction against him, he and Val dredge up secrets that could save him or get them both killed. ​

“Granddad is a hoot and his jobs as a food reviewer and part-time detective provide endless possibilities for fun and murder . . . Charming.” —Kirkus Review

"Your book highlighted the problem of fraud against seniors...an excellent mystery coupled with a great public service announcement!" — A Reader Review of Scam Chowder

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To enter a drawing for a copy of Scam Chowder, leave a comment about chowder by Wednesday, June 9. I can mail the paperback only to a U.S. address. Outside the U.S., the winner will receive cozy mystery swag or an e-book. 


Do you like chowder? If so, what's your favorite kind? 

33 comments:

  1. Unfortunately we haven't had the opportunity to try clam chowder. Living so far inland and living in a very small rural town, it's almost impossible to get and kind of seafood and fresh is non-existent. Sounds heavenly! We do enjoy homemade soups and hoping some day to be where we can at least try it.

    Can't wait for the opportunity to read "Scam Chowder" which most definitely is on my TBR list since I first learned of it in the works. Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected. Thanks for the chance! <3
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  2. love new england clam chowder. Thanks for the chance!
    Jess
    maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  3. I have tried New England clam chowder and like it pwtish171@gmail.com

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  4. I like fresh corn chowder with some potatoes and bacon . . .pjcoldren[at]tm[dot]net And thanks for the chance to win1

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    1. Thanks for replying, pj. No matter how you fix it, you can't beat fresh corn.

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  5. I'm an equal opportunity chowder eater: New England, Manhattan, or Rhode Island. Just not with clams, please.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  6. I have always loved chowders of all kinds. But there is something about the New England style clam chowder that has always most appealed to me.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  7. I have not yet eaten clam chowder. Your recipe sounds delicious. The idea of chowder being a community potluck meal reminds me a bit of the old folk tale of Stone Soup!

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Nancy. The stone soup tale also occurred to me when I read about the origin of chowder.

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  8. Love this cover. My husband loves New England Clam Chowder. Mom used to make various chowders. I love a story that deals with family helping family. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  9. Chowder made with fresh corn on the cob and butter and potatoes with a dash of Bay Seasoning is delightful.
    lindalou64(@)live(dot)com

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  10. I've only had New England clam chowder. the non-clam chowders sound interesting.
    wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  11. I recently had a delicious chicken and corn chowder.
    Denise
    Dlc1228@gmail.com

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  12. A Louisiana gumbo is just a chowder without the milk or cream.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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  13. My favorite is New England clam chowder
    sgiden at verizon dot net

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  14. I like corn chowder, but I've never had clam chowder. I like the hardiness of a chowder, I can see why it would be a great potluck dish.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. I like a good thick New England clam chowder.
    3labsmom(at)gmail(dot)com

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  16. I have never had chowder, but I loved your history lesson about it! I'll check out the recipes you posted. Renee (mickeymania1@aol.com)

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    1. Thank you for commenting, Renee. I love food history stories.

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  17. This Southern gal loves soup, esp. "chowdah". Two of my dad's fave soups were minestrone and New England Clam Chowder. Once a friend from Mass. made some Lobster Chowder, with potatoes and bacon. So delicious! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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  18. I won't eat anything that has chowder in it's name. I am allergic to shellfish so, the usual chowders are out. I tried a corn chowder once and got deathly ill. So, never again. I don't even like the smell. Sorry all of you chowder lovers.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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    1. Sorry that happened, Linda. But there are plenty of other soups to enjoy! Thanks for commenting.

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    2. Love New England clam chowder. Thanks for the chance.
      maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    3. Sorry my cursor was on this spot and responded to this section. I put my comment at the end of the main list.

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  19. Karen B
    LOVE New England Clam Chowder since I was a little girl. No tomatoes!! Book sounds terrific.
    kpbarnett1941@aol.com

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Karen. New England Clam Chowder seems to be the most popular.

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  20. My sister in law always makes her chowder every year for Christmas! tWarner419(at)aol(dot)com

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  21. I absolutely love clam chowder! I grew up in the SF Bay Area where some of the best chowder (IMO) can be found! Add SF sourdough bread and I'm in heaven. We make chowder a few times through the winter months but I miss the sourdough bread!

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  22. Love New England clam chowder. Thanks for the chance.
    maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  23. I've never had clam chowder. Thank you for the chance 😊 I'll check out your recipes you posted. My son likes clam chowder the white creamy one. Your book sounds interesting and fun to read. Donakutska7@gmail.com

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  24. I am a fan of the New England style, nice and creamy with a side of sourdough bread. The Del Mar Fish Market has some of the best that you can find on the west coast and makes for a nice afternoon snack or a frugal date night when you're a young couple. I look forward to seeing Granddad's 5 ingredient recipe for the chowder! I LOVED the Gingerdead Man story and had fun making gingerdead man cookies, with a cutter that I found on Amazon. Thank you for the opportunity! tracy.condie@gmail.com or tracy(dot)condie(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thank you for leaving a reply and for your kind words about Gingerdead Man. I'm not familiar with the west coast version of chowder, but I look forward to trying it some day.

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    2. Duke's, a local Seattle restaurant, makes a great clam chowder with local clams.

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