A few key ingredients from Canada Night: fresh flowers ($8 at the Ferry Plaza farmer’s market); fresh clams, white fish, parsley and bacon for the soup; and Bird’s Custard - an English import essential to making Nanaimo Bars.

Canada night brought out four couples of varying ages and backgrounds - we had folks from as far apart as Atlanta and Brazil - to gather around steaming bowls of chowder. The conviviality and ease delighted me - it’s always a dream to host such engaging people. Chowder recipe coming soon!