A couple of nights ago, I came home determined to try something new for dinner. I had in mind a cross between avgelemono (Greek egg and lemon soup) and stracciatella (Italian egg-drop soup). Let's just say it didn't really turn out. I mean, it tasted fine, but I just didn't get the texture right. No biggie. I'll try again. I know some people get really bummed by kitchen failures, and that it saps their joy of cooking. I guess I'd feel that way if I made something for a big group that turned out really badly, but that's what Tuesday nights at home are for--trying something new, and fiddling till you get it right.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a recipe for corn chowder. I make this often, and it is very easy and close to foolproof. You will note that it features my favorite: frozen vegetables. Fresh would work great here, but I like to have the frozen stuff on hand so that I can still make dinner even when I can't bear the thought of a trip to the grocery store after a long day.

Tuesday Night Corn Chowder
1 T olive oil
1 shallot finely chopped OR 1/2 onion finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
32 oz water or stock
1 cup diced potatoes (about 5 small potatoes, diced)
1/2 pkg frozen corn
1/4 pkg loose packed frozen spinach
1 medium tomato, diced OR 5 cherry/grape tomatoes quartered
1 T flour
2/3 c milk
12 medium shrimp (fresh or frozen), cut into thirds
salt & pepper
splash of lemon

1. In a soup pot or large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is glassy and thin, but not smoking, add the shallot or onion, stirring frequently to avoid browning.
2. When the shallots are soft, add the wine and bring to a boil.
3. When the wine boils, add the water or broth, the diced potatoes, and salt to taste. Bring to a slow boil.
4. Once the broth is boiling, add the corn and return to the boil.
5. While the potatoes and corn are cooking, in a small bowl, add the milk to the flour, stirring briskly with a fork or whisk to ensure no lumps.
6. When the potatoes are tender (but not mushy), add the spinach and tomato, and bring back to the boil.
7. Add the milk and flour slurry slowly--you may not need it all to get the consistency you like. Check for salt here, and add pepper (you can add more at the end, but the pepper you add now will leach a little into the soup for more distributed heat and flavor).
8. Once the soup is thickened, turn the heat to medium low, add the shrimp, and cook just until pink throughout.

Serve with a splash of lemon, a couple of cracks of pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil if you like. I don't actually measure any of this out when I make it--I am always just trying to use what I have, so you can mess with the proportions if you like. If you have a couple of strips of bacon or pancetta lying around from yesterday's breakfast, by all means, throw that in when you do the shallots. Or if you have a piece of grouper but no shrimp, cut that into chunks and use instead. The tomatoes and spinach aren't required, either, but they do make the soup so much sunnier, which I like in the dead of winter.