National Clam Chowder Day

I got an e-mail from Boudin Bread that today is "National Clam Chowder Day"

One of the most delicious clam chowders I've ever eaten was on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco that I bought at Boudin's Cafe. It was served in a sourdough bread bowl that was overflowing with the creamy soup as you can see in this picture:

It was a beautiful day when I was visiting San Francisco, so I sat outside on the dock to eat my soup, and had a row of big frisky seagulls watching my every move in the chance I would throw them some crumbs of bread. They were disappointed because I ate it all, and was so full afterward I didn't have dinner that night! Just look at the size of that bread bowl!

The Boudin's Bakery was full of beautiful loaves of a variety of bread, but their most famous is the sourdough bread.

It has been made the same way since 1848 using a portion of the original dough starter nurtured for over 150 years to begin each batch.

Information from the Boudin website : "Wild yeasts in the San Francisco air had imparted a unique tang to their traditional French bread, giving rise to San Francisco sourdough French bread.....made with just unbleached flour, water, salt and a portion of mother dough; no fats sugars, preservatives or dough conditioners are ever introduced." It has a unique and delicious taste.

The very interesting history of clam chowder is as varied as the region it is made, but the New England clam chowder version is the most commonly known.

Some good clam chowder recipes can be found here:

• Epicurious,
• New England Recipes
• Food Network

Hope you enjoy some clam chowder tonight!