Good Morning, Good Lookin Hockey Fans! Happy Tuesday! As promised below is my dear friend Gina Holden's recipe for Tom Kha Gai but before that I wanted to talk about Hungary winning their first hockey game at the IIFH World Championships in 77 years.

That is right hockey fans, the last time Hungary was able to sing along to their national anthem and not drop their heads as the opposing team's flag was raised was in 1939 in Zurich when they beat Belgium 8-1. For a country that has a very loyal hockey fan base it was a big deal, with fans going crazy in the stands while the clock ticked down the final seconds in the 3rd period. It was a 5-2 finish. 

A few facts about Hungary and their hockey team:

1) They may not be on top of the podium but they show up to every World Tournament ready to play. They have had a team in the line up every year since 1986. The first time they had a team in the tournament was in 1930.

2) There was only one player for Hungary that had played in the NHL, Frank Banham. He played a total of 27 games with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim between 1996-99 and five games with Phoenix Coyotes. To help you understand better, Team Canada was 100% NHL players who's teams either didn't make the playoffs or were ousted in the first or second rounds. 

3) Frank Banham can tell his team stories of his time in the Big League but he was also the oldest player in the tournament, at 41 years old! Frank was actually born in Alberta, Canada, drafted in 1993 by the Washington Capitals and is now retired.

There you have it Hockey Fans, a few fun facts on Hungary and their latest IIFH World Championship Team!

And now as promised Gina Holden's recipe for Tom Kha Gai

Gina's Ingredients:

6 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 can Coconut Milk
2 Table Spoons Thai Chili Paste
Fish Sauce (to taste)
10 Mushrooms (any variety is fine)
1 Small Piece Ginger
2 Handfuls of Cilantro
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Chicken Breasts (skin on and bone in)

Courtney's Added Ingredients:

1 Yellow and Orange Bell Pepper
1 HandfulShrimp
4 Green Onion
1 Pork Chop
2 Gloves Garlic
1Handful of Nettles
1 Medium Onion
1 Lime

Directions:

1) Heat a large soup pot to medium heat and add a splash of oil/ Heat oven to 350 degrees

2) Salt & Pepper Chicken and Pork Chops. Place in pot and let skin crisp up. Flip onto other side to crisp as well.

3) Once the chicken and pork chop are crisp place on baking sheet and into the oven. Let it cook until juice runs clear. Once cooked leave to cool and pull the meat from the bone. Chop up and add to soup at the end.

4) Dice onion, garlic and ginger. Place in pot that chicken and pork chop was cooking in. Sauté for a few minutes

5) Add Thai Chili Sauce and a couple dashes of Chicken Stock. Fish sauce to taste. I usually add 4 table spoons or so. Let simmer together.

6) Julienne Peppers and Mushrooms and toss in pot. Let everything simmer for a few minutes.

7) Add reminding Chicken Stock and 1/2 Can of Coconut Milk. Turn heat up and bring to a boil. Once the soup boils turn down to a simmer.

8) Now toss in the chicken, pork chop, shrimp, nettles, green onion and cilantro.

9) Done and ready to eat! I do add cilantro and a few drops of lime juice once I have served. 

​And there you have it hockey fans. A traditional Tom Kha Gai Soup with a Courtney twist. Enjoy Hockey Fans!

Yo yo yo Hockey Fans! My where have I been? I have been around. Trust me I know about the cat walking onto the ice in San Jose, I watched the puck hit not one but both posts in Game 7, St.Louis vs Chicago that may have been the non goal that advanced St. Louis to the Western Conference Finals, I know Hungary won their first game at the Worlds in 77 years, I know that Canada won the Worlds yesterday in a 2-0 shutout vs Finland and finally I know that the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals and the St. Louis Blues are playing the San Jose Sharks in the West. 

Anyone who has been following me since the beginning of my quest to learn more about hockey knows it was my two year old son, who is now 8, asking me questions as he was winning countless Stanley Cups in our living room. My son Hunter is still in love with hockey and now I am driving him to evening and weekend practices plus tournaments during Spring hockey. My knowledge of hockey has grown. Not only can I tell you about the NHL but I can also fill you in on how Minor Hockey works in British Columbia. Hockey Canada creates Team Canada for the Olympics but they also have a say in how Minor Hockey Organizations are run country wide.

I am going to fill you in Hockey Fans with some of my favourites moments in the past few weeks. Until then enjoy the Game Winning OT goal by Tyler johnson assisted by Jason Garrison, last night in Pittsburgh. And please check back tomorrow, I'll have a recipe for my Tom Ka Soup!