There is just something about New England cooking that is deep down good for the soul. Maybe because it is home, or it speaks to some genetic memory of our Scots and or Irish ancestry. Maybe even because you had to have something hearty to sustain you through those winters. Memories of fish chowda, New England clam chowda, with plenty of clams, or the ever present corned beef and cabbage. Holidays were a thing to behold, and though an ernest stab is made at recreating those days, they are never quite the same without those people.