Do y’all need comfort food now and then? I certainly do. This week has been especially difficult, and I decided it was time to cook. I had another reason to do so. Amidst all my sadness the last couple of days over the disappearance of my cat, there was cause for rejoicing. My neighbors down the street had a beautiful, healthy baby boy! Congratulations Ann and Olav, and welcome to the world, Torbin. This is almost as exciting as getting a new grandbaby!

Because a new mom needs to get her rest, and because it is expected of Southern women (at least it was when I was growing up), I felt the urge to take them a meal. Doing something for someone else could help take my mind off my own troubles.

It’s been bitterly cold the last few days, so Potato Chowder sounded good to me. Fortunately, it sounded good to them, too. Besides, standing in my kitchen I could look out the window and fret, hoping my cat would come slinking down the driveway. She hasn’t yet, and she probably won’t. But, I thank y’all for your good thoughts.

I set to work in the kitchen whipping up the chowder, and decided to share with you, in case you need some comfort food, too. Keep in mind, that I cook in much the same way my Mamaw did. When my grandmother cooked, she didn’t necessarily “measure;” she just kept on adding whatever she had until it tasted right. There is no exact science to cooking around here! I like this recipe, because it only takes about 30-45 minutes to make it, depending on how fast you chop vegetables.

Here’s what you need to pull out of the refrigerator and pantry:

4-5 strips of bacon (Of course! I don’t know how to cook without it!)
6 Tablespoons flour
3 cups of milk (cream is better if you have it)
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 slices of celery, sliced
a handful of mushrooms (if you have them in the refrigerator)
1 can of chicken broth
4-6 potatoes (depending on how hungry you are) peeled, sliced and diced
1 can of corn (unless you want to get ambitious and slice corn from the cob—if you do, then cook it as you cook the potatoes)
salt and pepper to taste
any other spice to your taste [Here's where you get creative. This time I used a dash of brandy and a sprinkling of basil. Other times, I add a splash of sherry and some thyme. Then, occasionally I plop in a half cup of picante sauce and some chili powder to give it a good old Texas kick.]

1. Fry the bacon. I cut mine into tiny pieces and cook it on high. I don’t know the science of it, but it seems that if more surface area of the bacon touches the hot pan it makes more grease. You are trying to get bacon grease.
2. Remove the bacon and eat it. Unless you are generous enough to share with everyone else and save it for garnish. I’m not.
3. While that bacon is frying, put the mushrooms, celery, onion, and potatoes in a large pot. Add the chicken broth and enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring that to a boil. You want to cook those vegetables until they are almost tender, then add the corn. That should only take about 15 minutes.
4. About the time you add the corn to the other vegetables, heat that bacon grease again. Add enough butter to the skillet (I didn’t say this wasn’t fattening—it’s comfort food!) to make about 3 tablespoons floating around in the pan.
5. Slowly stir in the 6 tablespoons of flour to make a roux. [When I asked my sweet spousal unit to proof read this, he said some people might not know what a “roux” is. It’s just flour and fat cooked into a paste and browned. You use it to season food, but if you want to know the full meaning, you can follow this link to know about a“roux”. is.
6. Add the milk or cream, stirring like crazy so you don’t get lumps (although in this chowder, people would mistake the lumps for potatoes).
7. When that milk and flour mixture is thick and creamy, plop it into the pot of vegetables and stir.
8. Salt it, pepper it, and spice it up.
9. Heat it for five more minutes, then dish up a bowl and go sit by the fire to eat it.

Anyway, that’s how potato chowder gets cooked around here. How do you cook it? I’m always open to new recipes.

And, given your choice, what is the comfort food you cook when you need it? I may be needing some more comfort.