The Saturday Sip: May 24, 2025
Your etiquette tip, quote, and selected Emily Post Cookbook recipe for the week
The Tip
When delivering condolences, it’s important to be clear and keep it simple. Stick to the sympathy. Pondering or musing on the meaning of life, how the person died, or linking their death to a cause are unnecessary. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”, “You and your family have my deepest sympathies at this time.”, or “I wish you my sincerest condolences at this difficult and sad time” are all good options.
The Recipe
It’s a cold, rainy day in Edgartown, Massachusetts, as we prepare this week’s Sip. So we went looking for a clam chowder recipe from Emily. We cracked up when we found New England Clam Chowder recipe for a can of soup. Literally. (Okay, so there are a few additions to the can of soup, but we still thought it was hilarious!) We thought we’d bring you this clam soup recipe of Emily’s instead.
Cream of Clam Soup
pg 29 of The Emily Post Cookbook, 1951
TIME: 15 minutes
SERVES: 4
Ingredients
1 tbs. butter or bacon fat
1 tsp. scraped onion
1 tbs. flour
2 cups milk
1 pt. opened and chopped hard
clams or 1 can minced clams
2 tbs. chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Melt the fat in a 2-qt. saucepan. Add onion and cook slowly 5 minutes.
::
Add four and stir smooth. Add milk gradually and stir constantly until it boils up once.
::
Add clams and seasoning and reheat to just under boiling. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
The Quote
“The atmosphere of hospitality is something very intangible, and yet nothing is more actually felt – or missed.” - Emily Post
Signed Copies Available
Signed copies of Emily Post’s Etiquette - The Centennial Edition and Mind Your Manners Trivia Game, and pre-orders for Emily Post’s Business Etiquette are available from our local independent bookstore, Bridgeside Books, in Waterbury, Vermont! And yes, your game can be signed, too! Order yours today.
YOUR SUPPORT WILL KEEP EMILY POST ETIQUETTE PUBLISHING: A paid Community Membership is the most direct and impactful way to keep etiquette content from Emily Post available to all. Upgrade to a paid subscription today to support the content you care about. Together, we can keep Emily Post publishing for another 100 years!
We hope you’ve enjoyed the Saturday Sip this weekend! How’s the weather in your neck of the woods? If you can’t post here, head over to the Monday post comment thread, where the comment section is open to everyone.
We hope you have a lovely weekend!
Lizzie and Dan
AND DON’T FORGET! Subscriptions to this publication make a great gift to your members, employees, or even friends and family.
A young Emily Post sits to have her portrait painted. There’s an interesting story in Emily Post’s biography Emily Post, Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners by Laura Claridge, about the artist offering Emily some deep thoughts about life and how to live it well. Check it out today for the full story!