Chowder

Serves 6 4 cups chopped sea clams 4 cups (32 ounces) bottled clam broth 2 cups water 1/4 onion, finely chopped 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon coarse salt, or more to taste ...

 Serves 4 ½baguette, thickly sliced2tablespoons olive oil2tablespoons butter2stalks celery, coarsely choppedSalt and pepper, to taste1½cups water1½cups bottled clam juice1cup frozen corn kernels½cup heavy cream2pieces cooked fish, flaked2squares cooked potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces1cup cooked escarole, coarsely chopped 1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. 2. Brush the baguette slices with olive oil. Set on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

The Halifax Congregational Church on Plymouth Street has begun its chowder luncheons, which will be served every Friday until March 30. The lunch features choice of clam, corn, or seafood chowder, along with a dessert and beverage. Lunch attendees are asked for a donation of $7. - Christine Legere

Fish and potatoes is a classic combination, whether in a casserole or stirred into the chowder pot. For the first supper, layer potatoes, onions, and bell peppers in a baking dish and send them to the oven to soften. Place the fish on top, cover with buttery crumbs, and bake briefly. The fish juices soak into the potatoes to give them lots of flavor. While it cooks, steam escarole with garlic and lemon in a little water, just until it's bright green. With some of the cooked escarole, fish, and vegetable mixture, you just need clam juice, water, and a little cream to make a...

A Lenten tradition going back 40-plus years returns this week, with homemade New England-style chowder suppers being offered from 4:45 to 7 p.m. every Friday through March 30 in the United Church of Christ's Parish Hall, at Bedford and Niles streets. The gatherings began soon after the North Congregational, Methodist, and First Parish Congregational churches merged, drawing in their worshippers for luncheons and, most recently, chowder suppers. Clam, fish, or corn chowder, sandwiches, desserts, and a beverage are on the menu, with prices ranging from $4.50 for a bowl of chowder to $7.50 for a full meal.

Serves 4 Smoked fish, particularly smoked haddock, is exceptionally good in chowder. The sweet and briny smokiness tastes just right in a delicate milky broth. Finnan haddie is a type of smoked haddock originally from Finnan (also called Findon), a Scottish fishing village on the North Sea near Aberdeen. In Scotland at one time, haddock was lightly salted and then cold-smoked very gently over a slow peat fire. These days a similar product, still called finnan haddie, is smoked in New England over hard wood.

Serves 4 2 pounds skinless, boneless cod, hake, haddock, or cusk 3 cups water Salt and pepper, to taste 4 slices bacon, chopped 1 onion, chopped 4 medium red potatoes, cut into bite-size wedges 3 cups whole milk ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives 2 cups chowder crackers, crushed (for...

The Halifax Congregational Church, adjacent to Town Hall on Plymouth Street, will offer its final chowder luncheon for this year's Lenten season from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Friday in the church hall. Choice includes clam, corn, or seafood chowders along with dessert and beverage. The donation is $7 per person. - Christine Legere

TOKYO - There is a stunning array of miso in my local market. It's like looking at paint swatches. They vary in color and strengths, from a pale yellowish tint in mild shiro (white) miso to a dark mahogany of the saltier, aka (red) miso. Miso is the base of the soup that is a staple of many Japanese meals. Typically, it's served in small deep bowls, usually reproduction lacquer, that often have red interiors. The broth is dashi, which is fish stock. Miso, made from soybeans, salt, and koji, a fermented rice and barley starter, ferments over time into a paste.

Serves 4 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 large leek, trimmed of dark green, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced 1 bulb fennel, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste ...

The Halifax Congregational Church, adjacent to Town Hall on Plymouth Street, will offer its final chowder luncheon for this year's Lenten season from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Friday in the church hall. Choice includes clam, corn, or seafood chowders along with dessert and beverage. The donation is $7 per person. - Christine Legere

The Halifax Congregational Church on Plymouth Street has begun its chowder luncheons, which will be served every Friday until March 30. The lunch features choice of clam, corn, or seafood chowder, along with a dessert and beverage. Lunch attendees are asked for a donation of $7. - Christine Legere

A Lenten tradition going back 40-plus years returns this week, with homemade New England-style chowder suppers being offered from 4:45 to 7 p.m. every Friday through March 30 in the United Church of Christ's Parish Hall, at Bedford and Niles streets. The gatherings began soon after the North Congregational, Methodist, and First Parish Congregational churches merged, drawing in their worshippers for luncheons and, most recently, chowder suppers. Clam, fish, or corn chowder, sandwiches, desserts, and a beverage are on the menu, with prices ranging from $4.50 for a bowl of chowder to $7.50 for a full meal.

Ten years, 10 championship games for Boston's professional sports teams. That run has offered many opportunities for making wagers — and no bets are of a higher profile than the ones made by mayors eager to put their cities' best food, drink, and experiences on the line. While the real winners are the charities who receive most of the spoils, mayors have been eager to drive the stakes higher every year. Here are some of the items Boston's City Hall has won and lost over the years.

I'll see your chowda, and raise you a cheesecake. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is betting chips, pies and bowls of New England clam chowder that his Patriots will win Super Bowl XLVI. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is putting bagels, yogurt and cheesecake on the line in support of the Giants. The bet for Sunday's NFL championship game highlights regional cuisine that this year will be donated to local food banks. If the Giants lose Sunday's game, Cuomo will send 46 cases of New York-made yogurt, 46 dozen bagels from Manhattan's Ess-a-Bagel and 46 cheesecakes...

Pop diva Kelly Clarkson, who performed at the Wang Center last night, brought her band to the Artisan Bistro at the Ritz on Wednesday night. The happy group mingled at the bar and sampled desserts and chowder sent out by chefs. She performs in Pennsylvania tomorrow.

Serves 4 1 ½ cups light cream 4 ounces smoked scallops 4 ounces smoked mussels 2 slices bacon, finely chopped 1 large onion, chopped 3 cups whole milk 16 small red potatoes, halved or quartered Handful fresh dill, finely chopped (for garnish) 1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a simmer. Remove from heat, and add smoked scallops and mussels; set aside.

Serves 6 2 cups water 1 cup bottled clam juice 4 pounds mussels, scrubbed 3 tablespoons olive oil 6 tablespoons butter 1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 ...

CATALYST *** 300 Technology Square, Cambridge. 617-576-3000. www.catalystrestaurant.com. All major credit cards accepted. Wheelchair accessible. Prices Appetizers $9-$15. Entrees $15-$28. Desserts $9. Hours Sun 5-10 p.m. Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 4:30-10 p.m. Fri 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 4:30-11 p.m. Sat 5-11 p.m. Noise level Just right. May we suggest Chicken liver mousse, seared scallops, tournedos of beef, roasted cod, butterscotch-passion fruit pudding.