Those from New York and Connecticut prefer a tomato base and in Rhode Island you will find chowder made with clear stock, vegetables and no potatoes. Catania and his brother, Dick Catania, worked together to fine tune a recipe for lobster chowder that originated at the Daniel Webster Inn. The Daniel Webster chefs make lobster chowder every night and will serve the clam chowder as a special. The dish is made with fresh lobster, their own stock, fresh herbs, vegetable and a moderately creamy base. Because chowder is so adaptable, you rarely find two that taste the same.
Some people make a hobby of going restaurant to restaurant to try the creamy white stew.
But with a little work, you can make your own. Here are some recipes to get you started. After you learn the basics, you might just get inspired, be creative and make your own version of your favorite chowder. Fry the salt pork in a heavy skillet until crisp. Remove and set aside.