Traveller's Clam Chowder



From:  "Iron Kettle and Clams" - Soren Emil Carlsen (1926)

 As Nigel taught me, when travelling, tinned food can be a boon.  Not only are you guarranteed a meal without much foraging, but you may also have some of the home comforts that would otherwise be near impossible.  One such comfort is the "Traveller's Clam Chowder".  Using tinned clams allowed me to bring a simplified version of my childhood comfort with us on many of our exlpoits abroad.

This is also a lovely way of using older, hearty vegetables, especially root vegetables.  Nigel makes sure we always have these on hand, as well as various meat drippings.  He's an occasional devout fan of rustic living.


Traveller's Clam Chowder
2 tins or cans (6.5 oz each) clams, juice reserved
1 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 cups whole milk
2 Tbsps bacon drippings
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 medium white potatoes, diced
1 tsp minced garlic (or 1 to 2 cloves)
2 bay leaves
ground thyme
sea salt
cooked rice (optional)

Heat bacon drippings in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally.  When onions pieces begin to soften, add carrots and celery, stirring occasionally.  When vegetables have begun to soften, add clams, clam juice, and potatoes.  After a couple minutes, lower heat and add the cream, 1 cup milk, bay leaves, a few dashes of ground thyme, and a couple pinches of sea salt.  Adjust seasoning as you see fit.  Cover dutch oven and allow to simmer for 20 to 40 minutes.  Add more milk if you desire a thinner chowder.  When done, serve over the rice (if using).


Side Notes:
I prefer Snows canned clams.  Whether chopped or minced is up to personal taste and texture preference.  Light cream and lighter forms of milk may be used, if desired, though starch (such as corn starch) may need to be added to assist in a creamy texture.  Using russet potatoes instead of white may also assist in giving a creamier texture without the necessity of using an additional starch.  A lighter oil, such as olive oil, may also be used instead of the bacon drippings, though the flavor will be affected.

We normally use white rice, but have recently tried brown glutinous rice which I now prefer for this.  The added chewy texture and light nutty flavor was a lovely addition.  I cannot vouch for regular brown rice, though I can see it having a similar effect (though a less pearlesque appearance).

An update

I feel remiss in sharing our culinary exploits.  Have no fear, for we have not been stagnant in ideas.  On my list to share are porridges and chowders.  As you can see, I have been in a mood for simple, rustic fare.

Sugar Glazed Walnuts and Introduction to "Microwave Apparatus"



"Persian Walnuts"
Almeda Lambert (1898)

One thing Nigel and I have learned is that the most exquisite of culinary items are also sometimes the most simple.  While we were having tea with Madame Umber Landbouwer, she had a bowl of sugar glazed walnuts which she had cooked just prior to our visit.  When asked for the recipe, she introduced Nigel and I to a new and wonderous gadget, called the Miniature Non-ionizing Micro Wavelength Radiation Calefaction Apparatus (or "Microwave Apparatus", for short). 

This gadget is essentially a small metal box that uses "microwave radiation" to heat molecules in the food items placed within the heating chamber.  We were warned that there are some items that should not be put into this device, though we are not sure what the consequences would be of doing so, as Madame Landbouwer would not allow Nigel to experiment with it.  Nigel, being interested in understanding and sometimes owning mechanical advances of all natures, is determined to construct one for our homestead.

There are recipes for making sugar glazed nuts in a baking oven or on the stove top, but below is how to make them in the wonderful Microwave Apparatus.  Enjoy!

Sky Kraken Theories and Spicy Sky Kraken Stir-fry

 As any adventurer who has had the privilege of travelling by air ship would know, one must always be prepared for the rare opportunity of a sky kraken sighting. An even more rare and utterly unique experience is to have the chance to taste sky kraken. Lucky happenstance bestowed such an experience to Nigel and myself while we were travelling over the Far Eastern Korean peninsula.  The recipe is included further down this page.

The flesh of the kraken (sky or water) can likened to it's cousin, the squid.  Though no one really knows what caused the evolutionary step of the water-bound kraken to take to the skies, I have my theories.

It is my belief that the sky kraken, in fact, bear a resemblance to flying fish.  When seen, a noticeable trait of the sky kraken is the elongated and widened fins along the mantle (or tube).  These are used by these creatures for gliding flights, whether to avoid predators or to find more sources of sustenance.  I am not truly convinced that humans are one such source.

Another anatomical difference to note is the sky kraken's mantle (tube).  The mantle of their water-bound kin is used for propulsion by drawing water in and expelling with with great force.  My belief is that the sky krakens use this same mode of propulsion to jetison themselves into the skies for their gliding journeys and aerial attacks.  Their mantles would have evolved to allow a greater amount of force to be exerted and a learned or instinctual angling of their bodies to become air borne.

These, of course, are merely theories based on the short glimpse Nigel and I had of a sky kraken and the various stories we heard in regards to the experiences of other witnesses.  There is, however, no definitive answer to the mystery of the sky krakens at this time.

Below is the recipe for the sky kraken dish we were provided.

Websites: Mrs. Beeton and Historic Foods

I've heard quite a bit about Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management as a good resource for Victorian recipes, though I do admit that I like looking through these books for the household information as well. I was thumbing through a receipt book I procured, which dates back to the 1890's (I forget the exact year at the moment of writing this), and did my usual perusing of various topics it covers. This time, I read a number of items regarding caring for babies as well as the cooking section.

Regarding the latter, I find it interesting how the recipes do actually (for the most part) include measurements for many of the ingredients. I hear over and over that Victorian recipes don't typically have measurements, especially fairly precise ones, but this book does. I'll have to include the actual name, date, and author in a later entry.

Anyways, I looked a little at Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management and do hope to try out some of her recipes.

One other resource of note is Historical Foods. I found this while looking to see how others have faired with Mrs. Beeton's recipes. Historical Foods is very helpful, as it uses a variety of sources and attempts to offer modern interpretations while not altering the recipes too much.