"A true chowder is a matter of debate between New Englanders and those further down the coast. New Englanders say that milk must be used, while New Yorkers and Philadelphians maintain just as stoutly that a chowder is not a chowder unless the stock is made from fish and contains tomatoes. In other parts of the country, the subject is academic, and both are acceptable. This is my family's favorite clam chowder. For our family, it is traditional to serve this chowder on Christmas Eve every year...."