Spengers Clam Chowder from Chef Boisen of Spengers Fish Grotto in Berkeley CA

Award-winning New England clam chowder

Thursday, December 11, 2008. Nick Smith visited Chef Devon Boisen of Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto in Berkeley for this delicious and hearty recipe for winter.Spenger's award-winning New England clam chowder 

From Chef Devon Boisen:
2 cups medium diced potatoes
4 strips sliced bacon, not particularly lean
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery.                                  carrots chopped.                                                    1 green pepper chopped
1 quart water
1 (8-ounce) can clam juice
1 1/2 pounds clams
1 cup cream
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon clam soup base

Blanch the potatoes until just barely tender. Rinse under cold running water, drain, and set aside. Sauté the bacon in a 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat until it is crisp and all bacon fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon from the pan, dice, and set aside. Return grease to the pot along with half the butter. Add flour and cook the roux on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the roux from pot and set aside. Add remaining butter to pot and sauté the carrots, onions, green peppers, and celery over low heat to soften. Return roux to pot, and add the water and clam juice. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently for 6 to 8 minutes, until thickened. Add clams, bacon, potatoes, seasonings, and cream. Simmer about 10 minutes.

About Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto:Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto has been one of the Bay Area's most renowned culinary destination points for over 110 years. Adding to the Spenger's experience are the unique nautical paraphernalia and historic collectibles. Spenger's is located at 1919 Fourth Street in Berkeley, California and the telephone number is (510) 845-7771. Visit Spenger's on the Web at www.spengers.com.

Spengers vintage clam chowder!

 The Berkeley institution used to print the recipe on the paper bags used for takeout in the restaurant’s fish market. Roma Mirov of Fremont found a recipe for Spenger’s chowder in her “old favorites” collection.

Recipe: Spenger's Clam Chowder

Recipe from Spenger's
POSTED:   08/28/2013
SPENGER'S BOSTON CLAM CHOWDER

Serves 4

Note: This vintage recipe calls for MSG. Substitute salt, if you wish, and season to taste.

Ingredients:
4 pounds clams in shells, scrubbed and drained
4 strips bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon MSG (substitute w/ Accent)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 large boiling potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
Salt, pepper
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup half-and-half

Directions:
1. In a large pot, place clams and enough boiling water just to cover. Cook, covered, until clams open. Remove clams; reserve liquid. Remove meat from shells and finely chop.
2. In a saute pan, gently saute bacon. Add onion; cook 5 minutes more.
3. Add bacon and onion to the clam stock; bring to a boil. Add thyme, MSG, if using, parsley, diced potatoes and chopped clams. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer.
4. In a small pot, melt butter. Blend in flour and stir into simmering stock. When stock coats a spoon and potatoes are fork-tender, stir in half-and-half and warm through. Do not let the mixture boil. Serve in deep soup bowls.

Note: For Manhattan style chowder, add 4 peeled, chopped tomatoes, 1/4 stalk chopped celery and 1 chopped green pepper at the same time you add the onions. Omit the half-and-half.-- Spenger's, submitted by Roma Mirov

Buds Spaghetti

Sauce Ingredients:
tomato paste
tomato sauce
oregano
italian seasoning
salt & pepper
garlic or garlic powder.
Or use prego

add:
browned new york sweet italian sausage links
browned hot links cut into 3 or 4 inch pieces
ground beef browned.
1 diced onion
1 can diced green chilies
sugar to taste. 

Simmer 2 hrs or so.

Sometimes he just used the prego sauce.
...never mixed sauce w the Pasta.  Put pasta in dish topped w sauce.   Or just eat sauce w french bread or toast

Best Marinated Tritip!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 pinch cayenne pepper
About 2 lbs Tritip

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, olive oil, ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, liquid smoke, and cayenne pepper.

Place steaks in a shallow glass dish with the marinade, and turn to coat. For optimum flavor, rub the liquid into the meat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 mins to 1 day. Prepare charcoal grill for medium-high heat with charcoal to one side. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steak directly over coals for several minutes on each side to sear in juices with bbq lid on vents cracked slightly open. Move steak over edge of coals and cook till meat reaches 143 degrees (meidum well pink and juicy!) keeping the lid on and bottom vent slightly open & top vent holes fully open opposite of intake vent so smoke travels across meat. (I like to brush on marinade mixture a few times on each side while it cooks) perfection!

My Sriracha Deviled Eggs!

Ingredients:

12 hard boiled eggs
6 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp dijon mustard
5 to 6 tsp sriracha
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Dash of Aji-Mirin sweet cooking rice seasoning                                                           

Salt and pepper

smoked paprika to taste for garnish

Instructions:

Peel eggs and cut in half.

Scoop all yolks into a bowl and mash finely with a fork.

Add mayonnaise, mustard, sriracha, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Use a spoon or piping bag to fill each egg half

Sprinkle decent amount of smoked paprika over deviled eggs and serve!

These are awesome!!

Grandmas Deep Fried Prawns

Grandmas prawns ... prawns dipped in dixie fry batter.  Dixie fry is in small box by fish batter/coatings etc.  u mix it just w water ( it's orange color) then fried in elect skillet heated at 350 w about 1"  Vegetable or canola oil or deep fryer till golden.  Maybe 4 mins or so. Salt & pepper after cooked & lay them on paper towel on cookie sheet.  It's simple

Grandmas Lemon Love Notes

1/2 cup butter                                              
1 cup flour

1/4 cup powdered sugar                                                  

1 cup sugar                      

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder                      

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons lemon juice                      

2 teaspoons lemon rind, grated

Combine butter, flour and powdered sugar n bowl, mix until crumbly.
Press into ungreased 8-inch square pan.
Bake 350°F - 8 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool in pan on rack.
Combine sugar, 2 tbsp. flour & baking powder in bowl.
Add eggs, lemon juice & rind. Mix well.
Pour evenly over baked, cooled crust.
Bake 350°F for 25 minutes.
Top will puff-up while baking but will fall when cooling.
Cool in pan on rack & cut into 2-inch squares.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes 16

Grandmas Refrigerator Nut Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
(cream above mixture)
then beat in
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

sift and add
3 3/4 - 4 cups flour
about 3 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt

stir in 2 cups chopped walnuts.
shape into balls and flatten with glass dipped in sugar

Bake at 375 to 400

Elaines Chocolate Frosting

2 cups cream cheese
1 cup whipped topping
2 cans milk chocolate frosting
1/4 cup hersheys chocolate syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 dashes salt
1 tsp soft butter
if too thin, thicken with instant chocolate pudding mix (add a little at a time because it takes a little bit to see how thick it will get)

mix everything and refrigerate

Grandmas Chili Soup! Good!

1 lb ground beef, browned near fully cooked and drained. Pour off grease.
48 oz tomato juice (if too much tomato taste just add water)

1 medium or 2 small cans hot sauce (red chilli sauce)
1 pkg dry onion soup
2 24 oz cans kidney beans (or about 50 oz)
2 tbsp. Grandmas Chili Powder (must be Grandmas brand)
Optional: add diced jalapeno or green bell pepper

(I like mine with Sriracha added for extra kick!)

Simmer for about 30 minutes

Great served with cornbread or crackers

Elaines bbq chicken wings!

Spray baking pans w pam.  Put in wings (single layer if possible). Season w salt & garlic pepper & spray wings w butter pam (dont have to...just helps them brown a little more). Cook 450 for about 20 mins.  Pour grease if any. Put on favorite sauce....bake 350-400 til sauce carmelized & wings real tender

Grandmas popcorn balls

Popcorn Balls
3-4 quarts popped corn
Keep popcorn hot & crisp in oven whole cooking syrup.
Syrup:    Mix in saucepan
1c white sugar
1/2 c. white Karo syrup
  1/3 c. Water
1 tsp salt
   1/4 c. Butter
Cook to 250 degrees F (or hard ball) remove from heat & add 1 tsp vanilla.
Pour immediately over popped corn stirring to distribute evenly.  Butter hands & shape into balls while hot.     Be careful not to burn hands

Best Easy BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury pizza crust classic dough roll
1/4 cup Sweet Baby Rays origional bbq sauce
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (i used sunnyside low moisture part skim)
2 boneless skinless chicken breast fillets baked and shredded
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Optional: add pickled jalapeno slices to liking

Instructions:

Bake chicken breasts on 350 till tender then shred (salt and pepper to taste)

Flatten pizza dough and place on pizza stone or baking sheet. (optional: sprinkle a little corn meal on sheet surface) & bake (bake on 400 for cookie sheet & 425 for all other pan types) for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.

Spread 1/4 cup sweet baby rays origional onto dough then add 2 tbsp minced garlic. Then add about 1 cup mozzarella. Add shredded chicken and return to oven for 5 to 8 minutes.

Suzannes Rice Pilaf w/pinenuts and bacon

Ingredients:
1 pkg pinenuts
dash of salad oil
5 pieces bacon
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
2 cups minute rice
1 can beef consume
1 can water
salt & pepper

In large skillet, brown 1 pkg pinenuts in salad oil, remove & drain. Leave oil in large skillet. Cut 4 to 5 pieces of bacon in bits and cook until brown. Remove bacon, add medium chopped onion and cook till transluscent. Remove from pan and add 2 cups Minute rice (more for larger serving) & brown, don't burn, add more if needed. When brown add one can beef consume & 1 can water. Bring to boil, add bacon, onion, salt & pepper. Put in oven with a lid at 300 until all water is absorbed. Mix in pine nuts. You can use electric skillet instead of oven. Just cook in skillet until water is absorbed

Christys Coconut Macaroons

preheat oven to 325

14 oz sweetened shredded coconut
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 extra large egg whites at room temp
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla in large bowl. in a separate bowl whip the egg whites and salt on high speed until they make medium-firm peaks. carefully fold the egg whites in to the coconut mixture. Drop the batter on to sheet pans lined with parchment paper using a 1 3/4 inch ice cream scooper. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool and serve

Christys white strawberry cake w/ butter cream frosting

12 tbsp. (1 1/2) sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2   9 inch 1 1/2 inch layer pans buttered and lined with parchment paper

Set rack at middle of oven & preheat to 350. In large mixing bowl beal butter & sugar for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder, Salt. Set aside. Combine egg, milk, vanilla. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to butter mixture then half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate begening and ending w/flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth top with spatula. Bake about 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick emerges clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes turn out onto a rack and let cool completely.

For yellow cake sub 3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk for all egg whites above


Butter Cream Frosting    
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp. whipping cream

In mixer, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cream and beat on medium for 1 minute more adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

Grandmas Chocolate Chip Cookies (the best!)

1 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup crisco
1 1/3 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup rolled oats (Quick Oats)
2   12oz pkgs semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts

Using mixer, cream the butter, Crisco, sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice. Mix flour, salt, cinnamon in bowl. Combine creamed mixture w/ flour mixture. Add oats, chocolate chips and walnuts

Bake @ 325  17-19 minutes
or 350  16 minutes for crisper cookies

Elaines Sausage and Potato Gravy!

4 packages Jimmy Dean sausage rolls (brown in pot and drain off all but a tbsp. or so of grease)
2 cups flour (sprinkle over cooked sausage)
Slowly add & stir in 12 cups milk
pepper
4 oz can diced green chilis
3 tbsp. butter
4-5   14.5 oz cans drained drained sliced potatoes
accent and or salt
slow simmer a while until thick

Grandmas deviled eggs

8 hard boiled eggs cut in half
yolks in bowl and mash w/ fork until all lumps are gone.
5 tbsp. mayo
2 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
salt + pepper to taste

fill whites with yolk mixture