Because cold, snowy weather is lingering into March this year, we’ve got the perfect
excuse to share more mouth-watering original soup recipes from the city of Bowling Green’s Winterfest
soup and chili cookoff.Today’s offering is Sandy Milligan’s version of corn chowder, which wowed enough
of the more than 200 taste-testers who passed by her table that she ended up winning first place in the
individuals category for soups.It was Milligan’s second year entering the competition, as she offered a
favorite recipe for potato soup in 2012."Last year I ran out of soup, too. I made it further this
year," but again ran out of all the soup she brought before the two-hour event even ended, Milligan
says.She thinks the corn chowder hit the spot for so many people because it is different than most such
chowders in several respects."Normally, the corn chowders that I’ve had seem to be not as creamy as
this one. They’re water-based or chicken broth-based."Milligan dreamed up the recipe for this soup
herself and has been making it for several years."It’s reminiscent of the type of homegrown sweet
corn that you cut off the cob, that you get at the end of summer."That’s not just Milligan’s
opinion. One person who tried a sample at the cook-off exclaimed, ‘Boy, it really tastes like fresh
sweet corn in there."That’s due to the most vital secret of this recipe. "Usually, corn
chowder has whole corn in it and this is the creamed corn."It’s vital that you use the Pict Sweet
brand, she cautions.But keep in mind, this isn’t your grandmother’s creamed corn chowder."Several
people said they liked the little touch of heat. They couldn’t tell what that was from, but they felt
that played nicely with the sweetness of the corn."It turns out, Milligan includes diced jalapenos
and crushed red pepper flakes.Still other members of the public who got a taste loved the smoky flavor
of the bacon that is one of the ingredients. Milligan always uses Belleville’s bacon."The smoky
(flavor) is a great play off the sweet and spicy" notes in this chowder.Asked to share the popular
recipe with the public via the Cook’s Corner, Milligan admitted that she’s never written it down before
now, or used any measurements.That’s not to say that she never consults recipes, but even when she does,
she generally modifies them to her own taste."I very much like to cook" and pretty much always
have, she said. "I think it stems from a love of eating. If you like to eat, then you like to
cook."Soups are one of her specialities, no doubt about it.She dreamed up a new soup just this
week, one made with swiss chard, sausage and white bean.Milligan loves to host dinner parties for
friends, at which she goes all out, to the extent of making elegant place cards for each guest.She
usually offers guests a choice of soup or salad prior to the main entree. For a Valentine’s dinner she
made no less than three different soups – one was the corn chowder; the others were cream of mushroom
and cream of broccoli."You can’t go wrong with cream."Along with soups, Milligan is known for
her appetizers, including such recent successes as a crab and artichoke dip, and her own recipe for
stuffed mushrooms.She recently volunteered to make a few appetizers for the American Cancer Society’s
kickoff party for volunteers for the 2013 Daffodil Days fundraiser held at Wood County Hospital.The
Bowling Green native is president of Milligan Workshops, Inc. on Industrial Parkway. It’s an outsourcing
firm whose employees do finishing work for area manufacturers like assembly, inspection and
packaging.She’s owned the business for 26 years, and has been sole owner since her husband’s 1999 death
from cancer.

Corn Chowder2 1-lb. tubes of frozen creamed corn, thawed (I use
Pict Sweet brand)4 slices of bacon, diced (I use Belleville Brothers’ bacon)1/2 large sweet onion,
diced1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)1/4 of a jalapeno, diced with ribs
& seeds removed (more or less to taste)2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil1
cup heavy cream1 1/2 cups half & halfSalt & freshly ground pepper to tasteHeat a large
saucepan over medium-high heat, when hot; add the olive oil, bacon, onion, crushed red pepper flakes and
jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally until the bacon is rendered and the onion is tender, 5-10
minutes.Reduce the heat a bit and add the thawed corn. Be sure to scrape all of the delicious "corn
milk" from the package into the pot.Add the cream and half & half, stirring well to make
sure nothing burns on the bottom. Heat the soup until bubbly and hot all the way through.Taste, then add
salt and pepper to your liking.