As a kid, growing up in Massachusetts, I didn’t know or care much about Rhode Island. My best friend’s family, however, originally came from our smallest state and I got to spend some time at fun places like Rocky Point and Goddard Memorial State Park.
Rocky Point was one of our favorite outings, enjoying the Amusement Park then heading over to the large dining halls to have some clam cakes and “red” chowder. OK – now I believe it’s called Manhattan Clam Chowder, but not in Rhode Island.
We also enjoyed their family picnics at Goddard Memorial State Park and I can remember the ringing of the Del’s Frozen Lemonade carts coming by. It was the best frozen lemonade ever. That was about all I knew of Rhode Island cuisine at the time. Sadly to say Rocky Point is gone and I’m not sure where to find the clam cakes. Del’s is everywhere now – so if you haven’t tried it, it’s the best.
Over the last several years, I’ve come to enjoy exploring Rhode Island for great restaurants and as you can see here at The Restaurant Review, we are adding to our list of reviewed restaurants every month. I still was on the search for the “red” clam chowder and the clam cakes (that probably had bits of sand in them!) that I so fondly remember. I know it’s not the gourmet or fine dining cuisine that we talk about each and every day, but a wonderful memory that maybe time can’t recreate.
To my surprise I found Rocky-Point Style Chowder and a few clam cake recipes. So I thought I would bring in a truck load of sand, rent a ferris wheel, invite over my best friend, and try to recreate a few memories. OK – I didn’t bring in the sand or the ferris wheel, but I did take some time to read through the book and try out the chowder recipe. I also found out that there is a fast food establishment in Warwick called Rocky Point Chowder House that still serves this famous “red” chowder.
The chowder recipe was straight forward and the ingredients easy to find. We steamed up the quahogs and prepared the broth with onions and potatoes. Using just the clam juice was a bit salty, so we added some water and a bit of white wine. Then adding the cooked quahogs, we let it simmer a bit. The chowder came out great and we enjoyed it with Pilot Crackers (as recommended).
As for the book, it is a delightful compendium of over 200 recipes and anecdotal stories about food, local lore and state history. You will find dishes and culinary terms that are unique to Rhode Island. So if you’re looking for stuffies (baked stuffed clams), Dynamites (the Rhode Island version of sloppy joes), pasta recipes from Federal Hill or even Buddy Cianci’s Marinara Sauce (the picture of him looks a bit like a wanted poster, but I still respect what he has done for Providence) you will find them all in this book. The book is broken down into sections – breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts. There are also side bars on how to prepare quahogs, steamed clams, lobsters, and more.
The book is as entertaining to read as it is to cook from. Each recipe has a story and so many of them just make you smile. You will find recipes and stories from many of the restaurants in Rhode Island including Aquaviva, Venda Ravioli, Costantino’s Ristorante, 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille and the CAV.
Linda did a fantastic job with the book. It’s a pity that there aren’t any color photographs as the nature of cooking, food, and even the Italian heritage is often quite colorful. However, we know how expensive color books are to produce.
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