Soup, a dish that's often called on to save dinner on a cold, winter night, gets short shrift this time of year. Chilled soups, like gazpacho and vichyssoise, do get some respect on a hot day, but ...

Chowders hold a special place in my heart. I associate them with growing up in a Southern California beach town and making abalone chowder with my father. Yet despite their cold-weather reputation, ...