Ricetta 1: A Loosely-based "Bacon Chowder"

Yes. Bacon chowder.

I fully confess this is not a traditional recipe. I did this dish off the top of my head, but it worked like a champ! I committed the ingredients and method to memory and now want to share it here. It's not actually a "chowder", per se, but I do utilize some of the elements of a chowder. However, if you will forgive me of this culinary faux-pas, let's get on with the recipe! Ha!

NOTE: I will include links to products I use when possible. This way you can try them for yourselves if desired, and you'll know what they are named and what they look like. I also shop mostly at Caraluzzi's Bethel Food Market, where these products are available.

Ingredienti:

(This will yield about 3 quarts of product. Give or take...)

• Extra virgin olive oil (I use Colavita)
  
• 1 whole stick of unsalted organic butter (Horizon brand is good)
• 1/2 package of bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces (I use Applegate uncured, nitrate and nitrite-free bacon, available at Caraluzzi's)
• 5 medium-sized white potatoes, peeled and cut into mostly uniform smallish pieces for boiling quickly (put into cold water to keep them happy and then drain them out of water right before you will add them to cooking pan, Step 9 below)
  
• 2 bunches of scallions (green onions), chopped into uniform smallish pieces starting with the green tops and moving all the way down into the white part until gone (be sure to clean them first, trimming off the very top ends of the green parts and removing the roots from the white!)
  
• 1 medium-sized green bell pepper, chopped into 1/2" pieces, with no seeds or rib portions (that white-ish fibrous stuff on the inside) used
• 2 fresh whole corn on the cob, to be stripped of their kernels with a knife, all fancy-like
  
• 4 fresh garlic cloves, peeled, smashed, and finely minced to the best of your ability
• 2-quart container of unsalted chicken stock or vegetable stock (I use Kitchen Basics brand)
  
• Flour of choice, as needed, to make a slight roux of sorts (I use Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour due to gluten-free needs in my house)
• Curry powder of choice as needed (I use Sharwood's Hot Curry Powder)
  
• Crushed red pepper flakes as needed (I use Nutmeg Spice Company for basically all my spice and dry herb needs)
  
• Salt as needed
  
• Black pepper as needed
• Water as needed
  

1. Put your 3-quart pan onto stove and get it just under HOT
2. When HOT, and you'll just know it when it is, go ahead and pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom and toss in that stick of butter, expecting a reaction of possible splatter and sizzle
3. Toss in that chopped bacon, stir to coat it with that luscious butter/olive oil mixture, and let it cook for about 2 - 3 minutes (NOTE: if you were so inclined, now would be a great time to add some dry white wine, about 1/2 cup or so, and let it cook off before you proceed to Step 4)
   
4. Add about a cup or so of that stock and expect it to bubble, stirring bacon pieces to make sure they didn't stick to bottom of pan
5. Throw in some of that flour you have, enough to create a mild roux-like substance, clumping in the bacon and gumming it all up in a mix of pork goodness and awesome butter, and after about a minute add some more stock to keep it all moist
6. Throw in that chopped green onion and stir it to mix together with bacon, cook about 1 minute
7. Put that chopped and minced garlic into pan, making sure to stir and add some stock if looking dry, because burnt garlic is pure evil, and we hate evil in my kitchen
   
8. Now add in  that green bell pepper, all chopped pretty, and stir to mix, cooking about 2 minutes, stirring diligently, then....
   
9. ...put in those very patient white potato pieces that you just removed from the water they were sitting in so they wouldn't turn brown and ugly, mix, mix, mix, and then add that corn that you sliced off the cobs, mix together and cook for about 1 minute
   
10. Add the remaining stock to pan, mixing thoroughly and adding enough water to bring the entire thing up to the 3-quart line
11. Here's now where you will add your salt, black pepper, curry powder, and crushed red pepper flakes, making sure to stir them all into the chowder (I am not offering measurements on these spices because it's all about your taste buds and not mine.)
12. Cook this chowder into a rolling boil then drop it down to a happy simmer and let it go long enough to cook those potatoes until they are soft without being mushy. Taste often and test often, but don't hover over the pan.