Hank Quense's Blog: Hank Quense's Blog, page 97

Baked Cod with Roasted Potatoes and Onions

Description:  A variation on fish and chips

Serves: 2-3

Time: one hour

Ingredients:

4 potatoes
Cooking spray
Cooking oil
¾ teaspoon paprika

large onion
cup plain dry bread crumbs
Black pepper to taste
1 pound cod in one or more pieces

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Spray a glass baking pan with nonstick cooking spray
Peel and cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut halves into small wedges
Slice and then coarsely chop the onion
Place potato wedges and onion in a bowl and...

New Interview

Today I was interviewed by Susan Whitfield on her blog.  We talked  about Fool's Gold and my writing projects.

You can catch it here.

New Story Published

Afterburner SF just published a short story if mine.  Go here to read GS Midden.

An unusual day

My wife and I generally watch some of our grandkids for a few hours one or twice a week.  Yesterday (Friday) was quite different.  I picked up two of them, Jenni age 4 and Sean age 2, at one o'clock.  Both parents were at work and their sitter had to leave to attend her college classes.  At five, another pair of kids got dropped off: Anna age 8 and Will age 6.  Part of the deal was I'd cook dinner for all of them.  Jenni and Sean ate chicken nuggets and alphabits (a pasta dish shaped like...

Fool's Gold Interview

On 2/10/10 I had an interview with Nanci Arvizu on Blog Talk Radio to discuss my novel Fool's Gold.  You can listen or download it to hear later at this site:

Lottery winner assumes post of mayor in Camton, NJ

(Hanque Faux News Network)

Marcus Blair, the bus driver in Campton who won the first mayoral lottery last month, was sworn in as the mayor of this troubled New Jersey city.  Hoping to eliminate the graft and corruption associated with entrenched politicians, the state instituted a special lottery to determine the next mayor of the city.  Open to all citizens in the county, half of revenue from the ten dollar ticket will go into the coffers of the city. Blair will remain in office for eighteen ...

Study on cell phone ban

A recent study on the effects of banning cell phone use while driving came up with an unexpected result.  The study showed that the accident rate didn't change after the ban went into effect.  Investigators were puzzled by the results and don't understand them.  Well, duh.  The accident rate didn't go down because drivers ignore the cell phone ban and keep on using them while driving.

Cell phone bans are useless.  The only thing that will stop drivers from using their phones while driving is a...

Fool's Gold: A finalist!

Fool's Gold was a finalist for best novel of the year in the scifi/fantasy category on the Readers Favorites site.

The five-star review reads in part:

Fool's Gold by Hank Quense is the retelling of the ancient myth of the Rhinegold with a unique twist. Quense's version takes place in a dark future after society as we know it has been destroyed by hostilities, pestilence and contamination. This novella is filled with aliens, primeval supernatural beings, beautiful Norse goddess, out-of-date...

Jets coach to increase team's motivation

The Jets rookie head coach, Rex Ryan, took his team's lose to the Colts very hard.  Despite making it all the way to the AFC championship game, Rex announced that his team would need additional motivation to reach the Super Bowl next year.  To provide that motivation, Rex announced that he would fast until the Jets made it to the Super Bowl.  Currently consuming 7000 calories a day, the 350 pounder will cut his caloric intake to 6000 calories per day. "This decision sends a message to the...

Book Review: Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

While the book has a good pirate tale in it, the story telling is deeply flawed.  Hunter, the chief character, is commissioned by the governor of Jamaica to prey on Spanish shipping.  He sails off and is captured by the Spanish.  He is freed by one of his men who hides in the bilges of the ship breathing through a straw for several days. Crichton doesn't explain what the guy ate and drank during that time.  Hunter's men are great at killing the Spanish.  One kills the entire crew of a ship...