Wow, you guys. I haven’t posted a recipe since . . . since . . .

I actually don’t remember when I last wrote about food. But I think it was sometime in the spring. What with being pregnant, moving, recording an album, and then having this little bundle in October, photographing what I cook and writing long involved stories about how I simmered something has been my last priority. Though for the record, I love reading other people’s long and involved stories about how they simmered something. And I may yet return to such simmerful chronicles at a future date. But for now, my new photographic priority is much more interesting than a half-minced clove of garlic!

And when she does this . . .

. . . oh man. A picture of chiffonading basil is the last thing on my mind.

Altogether, I had no plans of blogging about food this fall or winter. But then, last week, I got America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook from the bookmobile. And I landed on this recipe for corn chowder. I made it, LOVED it, and thought: I must share this recipe with my beloved foodie friends!

It’s worth noting that while there is a recipe and a printable link at the bottom, there are no step by step pictures, but that may be a thing of the past since I’m now cooking like this:

With a baby strapped to me.

I took this picture in the bathroom mirror as the soup was simmering. In fact, 15 minutes prior to taking this photograph I was chopping an onion while breastfeeding my baby hands-free, using the Moby wrap to support her. I couldn’t exactly bend over and mess with her feeding position, so everything had to be accomplished with a fairly immobilized torso, but’s it’s amazing what you can get done wihout bending your back!

And it’s also amazing what you can not accomplish . . . like leaning over the sink to do dishes. Enter: the dish-doing husband wonder.

Anyway everyone, this chowder is easy to make, fantastic to eat, and it’s probably going to be on the menu at our Christmas family gathering. My husband, who is not the chowder type (read: he despises New England clam chowder), loved it. And when I say loved, I mean that soup was gone the very next day. That’s right–we made short work of those so-called 6 servings. Heh heh. Think: spicy but not too spicy. Creamy but not heavy (the secret: blended corn). Delightful little bits of sausage, onion and pepper all swimming in a to-die-for broth. YES. This is what food is all about.

Cajun Corn Chowder

Serves 6

Ingredients

8 cups frozen corn, thawed
3 ½ cups chicken broth
8 oz andouille sausage, chopped
1 onion, chopped finely
1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
1 TBS vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp Cajun seasoning
1 ½ lbs red potatoes, cut in small cubes (about 1/2 inch)
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Put half the corn and 2 cups of broth in a blender, and blend for about 10 seconds; set aside.
2. Put the oil, sausage, onion and pepper in a large pot, and cook over medium high heat for about 8 minutes, until vegetables are soft and a little browned, adding a little salt and pepper as they cook and stirring occasionally.
3. Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
4. Add the blended broth/corn, the additional 1 ½ cups of broth, the potatoes and cream, and stir everything together. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
5. Add in the remaining 4 cups of corn, season to taste, and serve.

And on a completely unrelated note . . .

I love unrelated notes. Especially when they’re wearing tiny jeans with little pink bows.

Click here for printer-friendly version: Cajun Corn Chowder