Oh Yes, Chowder. That's an entirely different thing. heh heh heh.
Family chowder recipes are like a coat of arms around these parts. Probably comparable to the family feuds over barbecue recipes in the southern states.
And yes I realize it's almost the same thing. In fact, one seaside restaurant which I used to love had menu items that looked something like this.
Seafood Bisque:
A delightfully creamy seafood melody of lobster, clams, scallops, and two varieties of the freshest, white fish of the day.....................$850.00
Seafood Chowder:
A delightfully creamy seafood melody of lobster, clams, scallops, and two varieties of the freshest, white fish of the day.....................$8.50
My understanding that is with a bisque you puree the vegetables while with a chowder, they are left cut into chunks. Oh and lets not forget the most essential chowder ingredient of all (after seafood), "bacon". Still, it was always fun to hear somebody new read the menu out loud and get puzzled by the two items until the waitress would have to explain that it was a joke.
