EVERYDAY DORIE, The Way I Cook, by Dorie Greenspan
With apologies to Dorie Greenspan, I re-titled this week’s CooktheBookFridays recipe choice. It’s called Potato Chowder Lots of Ways. I’ve chosen to re-name it A Chowder for All Seasons. This soup is worthy of the name.
Here’s Why? A chowder is a rich, chunky soup traditionally made with onions, potatoes, and cream. We’re probably most familiar with seafood, corn or clam chowder. Although there are countless variations, tomato-based Manhattan Clam Chowder, color red, is the odd guy. In this recipe, Dorie takes basic potato chowder and shows us how to make imaginative changes to compliment each season. One recipe. Four versions.
Palate pleasing comfort food. It’s simply put together with chicken or vegetable broth, leeks, onion, shallots, garlic and yellow potatoes. Frozen peas were a tasty add-on and added color. Perfect for cold temps at this time of year. We are not able to share this chowder recipe. If you do want to make it, contact me and I’ll gladly share the recipe.
EATALYLASVEGAS PICTURE BOOK
Ciao Las Vegas
There are 37 Eatalys scattered throughout the world. Las Vegas just became numero sei in the United States. The newly-opened EatalyLasVegas claims to be the largest ‘Italian marketplace with restaurants in the world.’ It’s 40,000 square feet footprint just opened in the Strips’ newest shiny object, Park MGM mega-resort hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
This week I visited Eataly with friends Ardyth and Harold Sohn. I’ve got pictures.
OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER: We walked into Eataly and spotted the popular dancing mosaic bull copied from the Turin coat of arms. The original mosaic is located in the famed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. The oldest shopping mall in the world, it was constructed when America was fighting its Civil War. It’s believed that “Lucky Bull” brings you good fortune by standing on it and circling three times. Deciding to ‘Swing Big or Go Home,’ I powered up and swung strong.
IT’S ABOUT THE FOOD: We sprinted through our initial walking tour overview because who doesn’t become ravenously hungry by 11:30am? We divided to conquer and later found a table for our chosen meals. Ardyth chose a cold pizza served on ciabatta bread from La Pizza & La Pasta. Street Food appealed to me, arancini and fritto misto de pesche. Harold chose to stop at La Pescheria and hand-picked his Branzino, a European Bass, to be grilled. All quite delicious.
FOOD, PART II: After lunch the Sohn’s shopped while I continued to explore the eating opportunities. I stopped by IlGelato (aka the Nutella Bar) for a don’t-miss-it pistachio cannoli. This popular bar offers crepes, cookies and croissants, some smothered with the hazelnut-chocolate spread. (Do you realize you can now buy a whopping seven-pound bucket of Nutella at Costco for about $22.) I finished up my all-things-Italian spree at Caffe Lavazza with Bicerin, a specialty coffee drink from Turin of liquid chocolate, espresso and whipped cream.
ADDIO
Your potato soup looks so creamy and luxurious! I left out the milk and just swirled in yoghurt when I was serving. So good! I LOVE your “stuff on brioche” – I was actually thinking that some of my last bits and pieces of potato would be great with some cheese sprinkled on top then broiled… Next time!
And I just made Branzino for dinner last night. But it didn’t look anything like the one in this blog!
I don’t believe you for a minute, Cath. You are one of the best cooks I know.
Thanks for an exceptional food adventure this week with eye popping colors, textures and shapes….
Please share. thanks
I’m so hungry after reading about your adventures! I imagine the LV Eataly is even bigger than Chicago’s! P.S. One of my girlfriends made Dorie’s chowder with her homemade chicken stock and we were all swooning. SO good. I may have to bite the bullet and make some stock in my InstantPot 🙂 Thanks for the fun read 🙂
Fabulous-looking chowder! Or as George would have pronounced it, “chowdah.”
Will have to try being a food tourist and go to Eataly soon!
Mary, that looks so good. Tricia and I visited the Manhattan store a few years back and had a terrific espresso in a very crowed atmosphere, (you could not move a muscle), but who cared, it was fabulous. Bought a few take aways and enjoyed the experience. By the way, your chowder looks fabulous. I enjoyed the recipe very much.
Your chowder looks fantastic, Mary. Mine is more soup than chowder and the rich appearance of yours has me rethinking my choices. I’m sure good fortune is headed your way after your three turns:) I’m hoping this will post. For some reason my comments often say duplicate and won’t post.
This soup is a big winner! I’m glad you agree!
I’ve grown to love Eataly. There’s one here in Boston, though I didn’t have time to take you there. Howard and I are near it every month or so and always stop in for at least a cannoli. (I’ll admit they’re not as good as the ones at Modern Pastry, but completely acceptable.)
Love your photos. We enjoyed this chowder too.
Your chowder looks so creamy and delicious! A great way of using the leftovers over brioche. We have no leftovers!
Hope your “swung strong” brings you abundance of good fortune! Happy 2019!
What a fun adventure with friends! It is always a treat to find cool places rich with history! Plus your soup looks amazing! I would never have thought to use the leftovers the way you did…although now I might!
A wonderful post! Your chowder in the bowl looks mega-rich, and luscious on toast.
First, I think your renaming of the recipe is quite apropos and a bit easier to write without the parentheses and all! Second, what a great trip! I’m salivating over here seeing all those lovely photos of all that delicious food! A great way to begin 2019, Mary!
OK first off, I now want a pistachio cannoli. STAT. I’ve never even pondered that flavor but am somehow craving it lol. Second, I have the green oval platter that you have under your soup. Love it. Great minds. Third, I am always hungry at 11:30 and my coworkers and I all laugh because it is considered the official govt lunch hour. No lie. In any city we hit the Fedl Employees are hitting the streets at 11:30, which is usually earlier than the private sector dares to but coordinates with work shift and training schedules. And once your tummy is on that schedule, well you know. And finally, I love love loved reading about the Eataly adventure and those fun photos of you circling three times. When in Rome….go for it !
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i’ve only ever been to eataly in manhattan but it’s always a fun time! your soup looks rich and delicious!
Hungry just looking at all the delicious Italian food. Your chowder is certainly the creamiest of all. I got the same idea of a chowder for all seasons and all appetite. There will be many more times this chowder will show up in my house.
I’m really craving a cannoli now and its not even 8 AM…
A soup for all seasons seems well suited to a Mary for all seasons… XO
Branzino looks amazing Mary! Eataly looks fun in Vegas and the photos of you look stunning!