SC - New pet peeve

[Philip & Susan Troy]

LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
> 
> So I gather tjhat you are of the crowd that views Manhattan Clam Chowder as
> the 'real' chowder? :-)

Nope. It's just horribly misrepresented for some of the most heinous
reasons, and it's really good when properly made, which is almost never.
NE Chowder seems to survive the canning process a lot better, and for
some reason the ignorant will insist in putting nonessential stuff in
Manhattan Chowder. One common atrocity is to assume since it contains
tomatoes, it should also have things like pasta shells, basil and/or
oregano in it. 

<pfeh>

Manhattan Clam Chowder is a variant on Montauk Fish Chowder (classically
made with tautog or blackfish, or perhaps striped bass), which is itself
a variant of Rhode Island cod chowders, specifically Block Island
Chowder (a look at a map would help right about now), which is, due to
geography and origin, a New England Chowder.

What I find galling is that so many people are basing a preference for
tomato-less varieties on canned samples of chowder (made in New Jersey,
no less!!!) which includes tomatoes, and claiming that their preference
is in fact based on the supposition that tomato-less varieties are the
"more traditional" type, which is nonsense.

No, I'd have to say that I don't consider Manhattan Chowder (fish or
clam) to be the Canonical Version, but it kinda bothers me to be told
that a _soup_ that seems to have been invented by a lady running a
cooking school 103 years ago, rather than a _stew_ created by some
fishermen hundreds of years ago, _is_ the Canonical Version, by virtue
of ancient tradition.

Now, if someone simply said, "Well, I tried some home-made Manhattan
Chowder, and I didn't like it, and I think the problems were more with
the concept than with the execution, since I don't think tomatoes go
well with fish," that would be different, since it's a matter of opinion.

Adamantius
Østgardr, East  
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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