
Hello everyone, hockey hockey and more hockey. The only break we have had from hockey lately is last Sunday night when Beyonce put on an amazing show that was right in between some huge sporting event called the Superbowl?!?! There were only 4 hockey games that day, all the teams where from the eastern conference and all the games ended by 3:30. In time for New Orleans to get the show on the road!
I do watch football. It is my second favourite sport next to hockey but don't try to pick my brain about it. I know the basic rules and some of the teams but other then that I am clueless. My best memories of football would have to be when I was a kid. My Dad always had football on TV on Sundays. I did get to the Rose Bowl live in Pasadena a few years back. It was USC vs Penn State and it was fun fun fun. Everything from the pre game tailgate parties to walking in the stadium, to the beautiful sun that was out, to the cheerleaders to the game itself. Americans really know how to throw a great football party!
It was a also a great comeback the 49ers made after the lights went out. They ended up making the game close and came within 2 points at one point! but it was the Ravens that took the big prize winning 34-31 final. One of the best parts of the game for me was the fact that the head coaches were brothers! For the first time in Superbowl history. The next family dinner at that table should be interesting...........

On Tuesday night the Blackhawks took on the San Jose Sharks. Going into Tuesday's game the Sharks had only lost one regulation game. The Sharks record is now 7-2-1. San Jose did take an early lead with goals by Joe Pavelski and Tommy Wingels. Brandon Saad who has been getting a lot of press lately made it 2-1 for Chicago. San Jose reclaimed a 2 goal lead 39 seconds after the Saad goal with a goal by Michael Handzus. But Chicago had Andrew Shaw and Marcus Kruger up their sleeze who both scored to tie up the game 3-3 at the end of the 1st period. The 2nd period saw only one goal which ended up becoming the game winning goal by Patrick Kane. Then on an empty net in the 3rd Patrick Kane scored again for the insurance goal and the 5-3 over San Jose to keep the Blackhawks undefeated still with a 8-0-2. Yes the Blackhawks have lost twice in OT but they still picked up single point in each the game.
Now I know Chicago isn't part of the region we call New England but it is much closer to New England then I am in Vancouver B.C. so today I though I would give you another recipe for New England Clam Chowder I make! Great food to eat during a hockey game is nearly as important as the game itself! Enjoy


Ingredients:
2 large potatoes
2 carrots
2 stacks celery
1 small onion
1-2 cobs corn (or a small tin if corn isn't in season)
2 bellpeppers (I use one red and either a yellow or a orange pepper. They add a nice crunch and wonderful colour to the chowder.)
4-6 strips of thickly cut bacon (optional)
2-3 pieces of sausage of your choice (I opt for something simple like beef with garlic and basil) (also optional)
2 tins of baby clams in clam juice
1 small jar of clam juice (for extra flavour)
1 250ml container of cream
1 liter of 2% milk (add as you see fit, you may not need the whole litter)
And lastly a small spoonful of butter and a handful of parsley
Instructions:
1) Put the potatoes in a pot of cold water. Put on the oven to boil. The potatoes are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork.
2) Chop the onions, celery, carrots and bell peppers in evenly cut pieces. I prefer a chunkier chowder so I leave my vegetables in bigger pieces but feel free to cut them smaller.
3) Throw the onions into a big soup pot with a little melted butter over medium heat. Let the onions cook until the start to sweat a bit. Then add the celery and carrots.
4) To save time and not dirty another pot I pop the corn into the pot of boiling potatoes. You only need to leave the corn in for 2-3 minutes. Then I pull the corn out of the water with tongs and let it cool. After it is done cooling I cut the corn off of the cob.
5) Then add the bell peppers into the soup pot with the onions, celery and carrots, once they have soften a little. I usually now add a dash of salt and pepper.
6) In a fry pan I cook the bacon. I cook the bacon till it is pretty crispy. Then I cook the sausage. Once I have pulled the bacon from the pan and let it drain on some paper towel I break it up into smaller pieces. Again I like chunkier chowder and I leave the pieces a bit bigger. Once the sausage is done cooking I cut it into more bite size pieces.
7) By now the potatoes should be done cooking. Pull them out of the pot with tongs and cut them up into bit size pieces. Once that is done throw the potatoes and corn into the soup pot with the other vegetables.
8) Now throw in the bacon, sausage and the 2 tins of baby clams.
9) Next toss in the jar of clam juice, cream and milk. Add the milk as you need to. Sometimes I use the while litre, sometimes not.
10) Now is when I raise the temperature of the pot from medium to high. I wait till it hits a boil and throw in a spoon full of butter. Stir in the butter and lower the heat to low for a simmer. The butter is completely optional. I just think it adds a great richness.
11) And finally when you are ready to serve toss in the freshly chopped parsley. It adds a beautiful green colour! And there you have it! "Courtney's New England Clam Chowder" or perhaps I should call it "Courtney's salute to the Chicago Blackhawks Clam Chowder"
Also for a beverage during the game with the chowder, I enjoy a light crisp glass of white wine but feel free to have a pilsner. I love a pilsner with a chowder. Pilsner to me is old fashion like chowder!
Below you can check out Patrick Kane's game winning goal that got them the WIN over the Sharks! A huge goal for the Blackhawks that kept their record at 8-0-2! Tonight the Phoenix Coyotes have the chance to snap the Blackhawks winning streak.
And also check out Jason Garrison's first goal as a Vancouver Canuck. It took a few games but Garrison snapped a one timer and it went right past the Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov. Remember ladies, Garrison is the reason we have the saying "Tall, Dark and Handsome!" Enjoy X