Aussies Battle Yanks Over Chowder

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Memorial Day is coming up, and and I have no place to set up a BBQ -- reminding me about my other summer favorite, a great chowder. This summer, I have a chance at a chowder by none other than Australian Chefs Benjamin Christie and Vic Cherikoff. Yes, the Aussies are taking up the challenge against the New Englanders at the 2005 Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-Off in Newport Beach, Rhode Island, on Saturday, June 4th. This is America's first and longest running clam chowder championship -- and adds an extra 3,000 gallons of clam chowder to the millions of gallons of seawater you can experience as you tramp the beaches of Newport and gaze upon its mansions. You can also get Jill Cordes sign a copy of Food Network Best Of the Best Of. Many of may think of chowder as an "American," but actually chowders date back to 16th- and 17th-Century shipping towns along coastal France and England, according to the What's Cooking America. Chowder comes from Latin calderia, which meant a place to warm things is related to the English word "cauldron" and the French "chaudiere." Small wonder that settlers to both the American and Australian colonies brought with them chowder recipes. Benjamin Christie's recipe, Australian Clam Chowder with Wildfire Spice is in fact American inspired -- a creamy thick soup with large chunks of clams, bacon and potato, with pepper. Previous articles: Ozzie Dining Downunder and Bushfood Benjamin Christie: Australian Emeril? Technorati Tags: chefs food restaurants cooking branding --> back to superchefblog