We had a rare cold snap in Tucson. I try not to complain because cold weather, so rare and brief for us, is the norm for many in the northern hemisphere and persists for so many long winter months.
Friends came to dinner one evening during the cold snap, before social-distancing took over our lives. Rather than sit at the table, I decided to serve a fireside supper.
When wintry weather comes, one of the first things that comes to mind is soup. Soups are perfect for this season, and they make a wonderful meal when complemented with some homemade No-Knead Bread and a salad.
Because I can get such good fish from our Sunday farmers market, fish chowder seemed the perfect choice. And it is an old New England tradition, connecting us to both our years on the Maine coast, and to our parents’ parents.
Wait… fish in the desert? Yes, indeed. Our friend Ian sells fish that his father catches in Alaska. The company, White Cane Sockeye Salmon, is named for Ian’s father who is legally blind. We got the lingcod and smoked salmon from him, and I had a small piece of grouper in the freezer to add to the mix.
Fish and seafood are actually traditional in the Sonoran Desert, as much of the desert borders the Sea of Cortez (also known as the Gulf of California) just south of our border. The best shrimp and grouper I have tasted come from those waters. The area is also known for its oyster production.
We enjoyed a special bottle of wine with our chowder — it was a Clairette Blanche from Acquiesce Winery in Lodi, California. This single-grape varietal was perfect with the creamy, smoky chowder bringing flavors of pear, citrus, and honey, with an apple finish. Susan and Rodney Tipton, owners of Acquiesce Winery, do an amazing job – my favorite is their Belle Blanc, a wine in the style of a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But this Clairette Blanche came pretty close!
So, pull up a comfy chair to the fireside, ladle a bowl of chowder, and enjoy a winter evening by the fire.
~ David
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Gerlinde
March 28, 2020 at 7:54 amI really like your new blog design and I know I would love the soup. I miss not having friends over but I am not complaining. Stay healthy and well.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 28, 2020 at 8:41 amThanks, Gerlinde. As long as I can figure out the bugs (like your and several others’ comments going to the trash last week!!!), I will like the new design, too! Little by little. At least yours got through today! Stay safe, my friend — I hope you are feeling better!
John / Kitchen Riffs
March 28, 2020 at 8:39 amFennel is wonderful with fish. And cream. And I’ll never say no to leeks. Such a simple dish, but such a good one — I haven’t tasted it, of course, but it sure sounds like all the flavors are nicely balanced. We’re looking forward to dinner parties again — the times are SO weird, aren’t they? Anyway, thanks for an excellent recipe.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 28, 2020 at 8:43 amTo say these times are weird is an understatement, John! We are getting by with virtual glasses of wine before dinner with friends on FaceTime, but it isn’t the same.
Yes, fish and fennel and cream are all great friends — add a loaf of bread and you are all set.
Stay well and keep the good recipes and humor coming!
sippitysup
March 28, 2020 at 9:44 amSounds like a wonderful evening. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
March 28, 2020 at 3:16 pmIt was, thanks. Can’t wait to get back to more like it!
The-FoodTrotter
March 28, 2020 at 11:01 amI love this beautiful creamy fish chowder, particularly with the smoke salmon 🙂 It reminds me of a beautiful mussels and bacon chowder with potatoes. I should publish the recipe…
Cocoa & Lavender
March 28, 2020 at 3:17 pmThanks, Romain — please do post the mussel and bacon chowder — it sounds fantastic!
Eha
March 28, 2020 at 5:02 pmPeagreen with envy, David ! As our weather is cooling and nights lengthening am so envious of that beautiful fire Mark and you can and do enjoy ! Very much like the sound of of your soup . . . the very first time friends will be able to come down from Sydney after this unreal and tragic situation has resolved, the order for fresh fish from the Sydney Fish Market will be on the agenda, Love the fennel and the smoked salmon to heighten taste . . . OK: keep on keeping well . . . I am still trying to convince my genie that, yes, he can manage the Pond and drop me to share with you . . I mean that is ‘social distancing’ on the way over . . . 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
March 31, 2020 at 8:05 amThanks, Eha — we are all looking forward to the day when we can be in contact with humans again. I hope you enjoy the chowder — the fennel adds a wonderful flavor to the broth but not really identifiable as fennel. It’s quite lovely!
Valentina
March 28, 2020 at 7:36 pmBefore the food, I must compliment your fireplace. So beautiful!! I’d have dinner there every chilly night — and without the fire on the warm nights. And that sweet bear dish your crackers are served in is adorable. What a lovely evening this must have been. The soup sounds so comforting and delicious, too! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
March 31, 2020 at 8:09 amValentina — there are weekends in the winter when the fire is going from before dawn long into the night. It is the perfect fireplace in so many ways — it heats the room so well, and it backs up to the bedroom, so it heats that room, too! And — the best part? It draws beautifully and doesn’t smoke up the house! The bear dish is actually a cup measure from Anthropologie years ago. It is terrible as a measure but great for crackers and nuts! Glad you like the chowder recipe, too! 😊
Valentina
April 8, 2020 at 6:03 pmOf course that cute dish is from Anthopologie. 😀 Love!
David Scott Allen
April 11, 2020 at 8:04 amI love so many of their measuring cups and spoons. It’s becoming a problem… 😊
Liz Posmyk
March 28, 2020 at 8:39 pmHi David, a gorgeous recipe, thank you for sharing! Stay safe and well xx
Cocoa & Lavender
March 31, 2020 at 8:15 amHow lovely to hear from you, Liz! Hope you are both well and staying safe — we are doing our best! I know it took me years, but the blog has finally had its redesign which was inspired by the fact that you couldn’t post comments! The final straw was when I couldn’t post comment responses on my own blog! Sheesh! I hope retirement is good for you. 🙂
Frank Fariello
March 29, 2020 at 11:59 amWith such a lovely fireplace, I can see why you enjoy an informal meal by the fire! We like to eat by the fire in our den, too, on chilly nights especially it’s nice and cozy. Stay well my friend!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 31, 2020 at 8:16 amFrank – I can picture your den. In my mind, very East Coast with wing chairs — very cozy. Hope you are both staying well and safe, too.
John
March 29, 2020 at 3:43 pmDavid, that fireplace is gorgeous! We have a perfect empty corner on our back terrace that could easily be filled with one.
The last time I enjoyed chowder was on our trip through New England many years ago. I miss it so much! Dean has an aversion to strong-tasting fennel, but if I use young bulbs he wouldn’t notice the aniseed flavour too much. I need to make this!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 31, 2020 at 8:20 amI always dreamed of an outdoor fireplace but there are always so many other priorities! I hope you build one so I can live vicariously through yours.
Having grown up with parents from New England and having lived there myself, I am a real chowder snob. I detest chowders thickened in any way but with potato — and I always use waxy varieties to keep them from turning to mush!
2pots2cook
March 31, 2020 at 12:22 amPerfect mood, perfect dish ! You really are perfect host, taking care of every single thing to make people feel comfortable ! I wonder have you ever tried to bake a bread in your fire place ? Or chestnuts ? Highly recommended ! 🙂 Be safe dear David !
Cocoa & Lavender
March 31, 2020 at 8:21 amI do love hosting people for dinners, Davorka, and I can’t wait till this is all over and we can get back to life as usual, whatever that will be! Yes, we toast chestnuts and have a grill for cooking in the fireplace, but I have never baked bread. I should try it next winter!
Andrea@thekitchenlioness
March 31, 2020 at 3:47 amDear David, what a beautiful new design to your blog – love all about it. The presentation of your fireside supper is so cosy and pretty and your recipe for the soup with that beautiful fresh salmon and white fish sounds utterly delicious. What a wonderful post and great way to celebrate friends, good food, drinks and the comforts of home!
Liebe Grüße an dich und Mark!
Andrea & Co.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 31, 2020 at 8:24 amThanks, dear Andrea — I am very happy with the new look yet keeping a lot of the color elements of the old site. Our fireplace is wonderful and we love it. Glad you liked the chowder — chowders are a tradition in my family: clams, corn, lobster, shrimp… we make chowder a lot!
Andrea
March 31, 2020 at 3:59 amUnfortunately, further comments on other posts of yours disappear into thin air…I will try again later….
Cocoa & Lavender
March 31, 2020 at 8:25 amYour comments are posted now. For some reason, they went straight to “trash” and I had to recover them. It happened to several other people last week, too. 🙄
Fran @ G'day Souffle'
March 31, 2020 at 7:56 amDavid, I would KILL to have a fireplace like yours! Fennel, cream, and fish- what a combo! I’m glad you used a mandoline slicer for the fennel- otherwise the fennel can get a bit ‘chunky’!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 31, 2020 at 8:27 amFran, I don’t know what I would do without my mandolin. It has to be one of my favorite tools in the kitchen. Glad you like the chowder — the combination worked so nicely! And the fireplace? We are very fortunate.
Susan Manfull
March 31, 2020 at 1:38 pmOn our next rip to the produce store — we decided we can’t go there on a whim anymore — we will get fennel and leeks and be in business. (You know that we can just walk across the street for fish…so we do still got there on a whim!). This looks soooo good!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 3, 2020 at 10:23 pmSusan, if Sanders’ fishmarket were smart, they would keep leeks and fennel in the store, as they are wonderful pairings with most fish and seafood. I can’t wait for you to try this!
Susan Manfull
April 12, 2020 at 5:43 pmWe finally collected everything and made the chowder! It is to die for!!! I have never been a big fan of fish chowder, but THIS is in a completely different category. For us, it made enough for three meals (six servings) and I never grew tired of it! Excellent!
David Scott Allen
April 13, 2020 at 7:23 amSo glad you liked it! I never knew that you weren’t a fan of fish chowder! I’m honored that you made it!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
April 2, 2020 at 1:17 pmNo fireplace here in Florida but I would still enjoy a bowl of the chowder.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 3, 2020 at 10:24 pmDo you miss having a fireplace, Karen? I don’t think we could live without one, as we really enjoy sitting by one in the winter as it melts the stresses of our weeks away.
Christina Conte
April 10, 2020 at 10:18 amWhat a gorgeous fireplace! It would be lovely to eat this marvelous chowder by the fire! It’s raining in LA today, so it would be perfect. I absolutely love a good seafood chowder, and this one would hit the spot! Lovely!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 11, 2020 at 7:48 amThanks, Christina! We love the fireplace, too – it actually makes us look forward to chilly weather! The chowder has been getting great reviews from friends who have made it!
Kelly | Foodtasia
April 12, 2020 at 10:28 amSuch a lovely and cozy meal to have beside the fire. Some fish chowder would really hit the spot. Your fireplace is stunning! I didn’t realize it got cool enough there for a fire. Fireplaces aren’t a thing in Dubai. It doesn’t really get any colder than a pleasant spring day. Through your beautiful pictures I can dream though!
David Scott Allen
April 13, 2020 at 7:24 amPeople always think it’s really hot here, but in the winter we can have many nights below freezing! And the fireplace really helps! Sometime we should chat about your life in Dubai. It sounds really interesting!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
April 12, 2020 at 11:01 amA perfect dish to serve fireside–and your fireplace looks so inviting! I have a few containers of seafood stock in my freezer, so there will be something forthcoming from me too. I am looking to recreate on old Mediterranean fish soup I used to make but lost the recipe for.
David Scott Allen
April 13, 2020 at 7:25 amOoh -looking forward to that soup, Inger! I have lots of seafood stashed away!
sherry
April 27, 2020 at 6:03 amhow very delicious does that soup look and sound? yummo. love the fireplace too! it’s coming into winter here, but we are still in shorts and tee shirts every day. i think it’s going to be 9C on friday night. brrrr that will be cold for here. keep well!
sherry
Cocoa & Lavender
April 27, 2020 at 10:37 amSherry — that sounds cold for here, too! I would certainly be lighting a fire and making soup. Glad you like the sound of it — and I hope you are doing well during all this craziness.
Marcelle
April 28, 2020 at 9:43 pmDavid, this chowder looks so good. I love soups like this one so much, I will have to try to make it sometime soon. It’s getting warmer here, but I actually love to make soup in the summer as a light meal. Y’all have a gorgeous fireplace and it looked like a cozy, delicious meal indoors for two! I miss people and places so much, especially my family down at the coast (my mom). Hope you both are doing well, this too shall pass!!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 1, 2020 at 9:13 amIt is getting a bit warm down this way for cream soups, isn’t it? We do love our fireplace, Marcelle, and it gets a lot of use in the winter… Take care and stay safe!