I am posting this after reading An American Story: Everyone’s Invited by Wilmer Valderrama.

On the Page
I'll start with this: I knew his name, but didn't really remember watching any of his shows or movies. I am not even sure why this memoir popped up in my to-read list. But I am so glad I read it. I still don't think his shows are my cup of tea, but I will consider them after reading this book.
In An American Story: Everyone’s Invited, Valderrama details his journey from rural Venezuela to Hollywood along with all of the trials and tribulations of being an immigrant in this country. When he started school, he didn't speak English; he taught himself to mimic English-speaking television shows and movie. After being cast in a school theatre production, he knew that he had found his calling. He started auditioning, taking the bus or asking his dad for rides. He was constantly criticized for his accent. Eventually he embraced the accent, creating an exaggerated character that landed the part of Fez on That 70s Show. Fez was originally FES, meaning Foreign Exchange Student! It catapulted him to stardom.
After that he created the popular MTV show Yo Mamma and segued that into a troop that traveled to USO locations where they entertained troops all around the globe. And he has an incredibly long list of credits to his name now. This is the true American story - of a young immigrant who was determined to build a new life for himself and for his family.
There was plenty of food on the pages. About his mother, he shared: "Growing up, she’d been taught to put herself last, so as an adult she had a tough time communicating love through words or kisses. Her way of showing love was to cook. Mom fed me plate after plate of hot stuffed arepas, the staple of every Colombian and Venezuelan meal; it’s like naan or pita bread, except made with corn flour. Each night she grilled beefsteak or pork, or she prepared deep-fried fish, showering the meat with fresh lime juice. Another favorite was guasacaca, an all-purpose guacamole dip blended with mayo and lime juice and spices. For snacks, she stuffed me with delicious cachapas, flavored fried corn dough, sometimes topped with butter and cheese. Meal after meal, I gorged myself on empanadas and crispy tostones—the golden brown twice-fried plantains that are pounded flat and covered in savory salt. A big pot of sancocho always bubbled on our stove. It’s a traditional soup, more like a stew, with meat and vegetables, garlic, onions, potatoes, taro, and cilantro."
He recalled: "Soon, we discovered the quintessential American family restaurant—Sizzler, where a mouthwatering steak could be had for a couple of bucks. That became our favorite dinner stop until Minneapolis, where we discovered Red Lobster, with its surf and turf on the menu. All-you-can-eat endless, battered, deep-fried shrimp. I mean, come on!"
What sent me into the kitchen was this passage...
We ate at a restaurant called Gladstones, where they served clam chowder inside bread bowls. Imagine that. Soup inside a loaf of bread.
I am unfamiliar with that restaurant, but I love making clam chowder.
Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
3 cups cubed potatoes
3 cans chopped clams
2 cups clam juice
4 cups fish stock
1 cup corn kernels
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
freshly ground pepper to taste
Procedure

In a large soup kettle or stockpot, heat olive oil. Stir in onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until onions begin to turn translucent. Stir in the potatoes and chopped clams. Pour in the clam juice and fish stock. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Fold in the corn kernels.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour to form a roux. Add in a ladleful of the soup base and whisk until incorporated. It should make a thickened gravy. Stir in the cream and whisk to combine. Then pour the thickened stock-cream mixture into the larger soup pot. Cook over medium heat until thickened to your liking. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper. Serve hot.
For Jake - my gluten-free husband - I spooned the chowder into a regular bowl. But the rest of us enjoyed it in a bread bowl. Delish.

I am adding this to the March 2025 #FoodieReads Link-Up.
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