Quick, easy, inexpensive and a family-favorite: a New England Seafood Dinner adds style to your dining room. It's so easy to make -- and just Down East delicious.

Elegant and home-style at the same time, New England cooking is some of the best around.

Here are the recipes for a complete New England Seafood Dinner.  A great meal that will astound friends, surprise family -- or please that someone you met somewhere like WUVING.com with a romantic dinner -- it's a home cooked delight for whoever your guests may be.

Start with a fresh yummy chowder (a cup only, served with just a few salted crackers), continue with a stylish and delicious fish entree that your guests will talk about for days -- and finish off with a quick and fast traditional dessert and you have got...

A NEW ENGLAND SEAFOOD DINNER

--Boston Clam Chowder--

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery 1/2 cup diced leeks

1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons flour 1 quart milk

1 cup clams in juice

1 cup diced potatoes

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon dry thyme

1/2 cup heavy cream

1) In a soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, leeks and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes mixing often.

2) Remove from heat and add flour, mixing well.

3) Add milk and whisk vigorously.

4) Drain clams and add juice to soup.

5) Slowly bring to a boil, mixing often. Reduce heat to a simmer.

6) Add potatoes and seasonings, simmer 10 minutes.

7) Add clams and simmer 5 - 8 minutes.

8) Finish with heavy cream. Serve.

ENTREE: Fried Haddock & Down East Tartar Sauce served with Homestyle Onion Rings and Vermont Dill Potato Wedges

--Fried Haddock--

4 fresh haddock fillets, 6 oz. each

1 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 cup cornmeal

vegetable oil

In a shallow dish, mix together milk, salt, pepper, and paprika.

Dip pieces of fish in milk mixture. Roll fish in cornmeal and set pieces on waxed paper to dry. Heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to 350F. Deep fry fish, turning once, until golden brown.

(NOTE: Haddock can also be pan-fried, using less oil...)

Drain fish on paper towels and keep hot. Use the same oil for Onion Rings:

--Homestyle Onion Rings--

1 cup McCormick Golden Dipt Tempura batter mix

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup beer

1 extra large white onion, sliced 3/8" thick

6 cups vegetable oil in your deep frye

Preheat the deep fryer to 375F

Combine the tempura mix with the spices and liquid to make a batter using a fork. There will be some small lumps; don't worry about those.

Slice the onion, and separate all of the rings.

Dip the individual rings in the batter, and drop into the preheated oil. Deep fry 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, salt lightly, and serve hot with fish dinner...

--Vermont Dill Potato Wedges--

7 or 8 new red potatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced fine

1/4 pound butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. celery salt

2 tsp. dried dill weed

Wash potatoes well and boil until barely soft. Drain, and cut potatoes in wedges. Melt 1 stick of butter, in large frying pan (use only real butter if possible) and saute garlic for about one minute.

Add potatoes and the rest of the seasonings. Pan-fry the potatoes until they are lightly brown.

--Down East Tartar Sauce--

(Prepare beforehand)

1/3 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing

2/3 cup Sour cream

1/4 cup Confectioner's Sugar

3 Tablespoons sweet white onion, chopped fine

2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish from jar with the relish juice

3 Teaspoons carrot, chopped fine

1/4 Teaspoon salt

Chop the sweet white onion in food processor, put in small container and set aside. Chop carrot in food processor, and add to onion.

Mix in remaining ingredients and stir to blend thoroughly.

Do not use electric mixer. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to let flavors blend.

--Colonial Carrot Cake--

 2 1/2 Cup All-purpose flour

2 Tablespoon Baking soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt 2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Cup Light brown sugar, packed

1 Cup White sugar

1-1/2 Cup Butter, softened

3 Large Eggs

2 Teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

3 Cup Grated carrots

1/2 Cup Crushed pineapple, drained

1 Cup (6-oz.) raisins

1 Cup (4-oz.) chopped walnuts

16 Ounce Cream cheese, softened

1/2 Cup Salted butter, softened

1 Tablespoon Fresh lemon juice (about 1, large lemon)

2 Teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

3 Cup Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. In a large bowl stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugars. Add butter, one egg and vanilla; blend with electric mixer on low speed.

Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. And remaining eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Add carrots, pineapple, raisins and walnuts. Blend on low until thoroughly combined. Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Bake in center of oven for 60-70 minutes. Toothpick nserted into center should come out clean.

Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then invert cakes on rack and cool to room temperature. TO PREPARE ICING: On a medium bowl with electic mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth add lemon juice and vanilla; beat until combined. Add sugar gradually, mixing on low until smooth.

TO ICE THE CARROT CAKE: Place one layer on a cake platter, and with a metal spatula spread icing over the top to form a thin filling. Place second layer over the first, rounded side up. Coat the top and sides of the cake evenly with remaining icing. Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing.

And you are serving an elegant New England Dinner that is every bit as fine as a restaurant meal -- but only a fraction of the cost. Serve this meal to your family and they'll brag about you for weeks. Serve it to friends and you'll get the reputation of a Top Chef!

Enjoy!

Brian Alan Burhoe -- www.brianalanburhoe.com