Quetopian Dream

Won Ton Tacos :)

2013-03-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

These are great for parties and they are so simple, let's start with the ingredient list.

1 package of won ton wrappers. I get these from a local grocer. If you don't have a local grocer that supplies these you can always order them. I got them from a little Asian store that is next to one of my favorite Mexican carry out spots.

Details incoming :)

1 pound of ground beef.

8 ounces of cheese of your choice, I use chihuahua but whatever you like is fine.

1 package of taco seasoning or home made. This will be used to season the beef.

4 ounces of sour cream

4 ounces of pico de gallo. This can be home made as well.

4 ounces of guacamole. again why wouldn't you make home made? ;P

1 oven ready cupcake tin tray.

1 ounce of olive oil (any oil will do)

Here we go....

The first thing you will need to do is preheat your oven to 350.

Cook up your ground beef, drain out the juice and add the taco seasoning or your house seasoning.

Lubricate all of your tins with the olive oil or whatever you have.

Now lay out your won ton wrappers into each of the cupcake tins and press them down to make the cup.

From here it's so simple, just spoon in your cooked ground beef and then load them up with cheese.

Eight minutes in the oven.

I like to finish them with guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo to finish them off. Enjoy!

2012-06-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

This evening or tomorrow morning, depending on their locations, sky-watchers around the world will be able to witness a transit of Venus—a celestial event that won't be seen again for more than a century.

The transit will offer astronomers a chance to refine our understanding of Venus as well as to tweak models for searching for planets around other stars. (Pictures: See what the Venus transit will look like.)

Transits happen when a planet crosses between Earth and the sun. Only Mercury and Venus, which are closer to the sun than our planet, can undergo this unusual alignment.

With its relatively tight orbit, Mercury circles the sun fast enough that we see the innermost planet transit every 13 to 14 years. But transits of Venus are exceedingly rare, due to that world's tilted orbit: After the 2012 Venus transit, we won't see another until 2117.

During the upcoming transit, Venus will look like a black dot gliding across the face of the sun over the course of about six hours.

"Venus's diameter will appear only about a 30th the diameter of the sun, so it will be ... like a pea in front of a watermelon," said Jay Pasachoff, an astronomer at Williams College in Massachusetts. (Read a Q&A with Pasachoff about Venus transits.)

"The effect won't be visually impressive, but that black dot against the sun is a remarkable thing to see."

New Post!

2012-01-08T22:03:00.000-08:00

Yeah I haven't posted in a while...

The cool thing is there were Ice Crystals in the atmosphere, so we got this...

Nice!

Yeah well I so wanted to think there was a conspiracy here, however my cool headed friends promptly told me the cause.

It's still a great view, who knew.....

-=Q=-

Punkin relaxing

2011-08-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

All of you have been so great and I appreciate you feedback. This is my cat Punkin. Please give me your feedback according to her eyes and body language.

If you have questions on her environment feel free to ask. I'm interested hear what you guys think.

Pierogi Festival in Whiting

2011-07-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have heard of the Pierogi Fest from the food network or other travel shows. Having grown up in Northwest Indiana (Da Region) it's just been something I've always known about. I used to go on Fridays and mingle with the massive crowds for the parade. That was always fun but this year I experienced it in one of the best ways possible.

A friend of mine had a friend 3 blocks away from the main drag on 119th street so free parking for us. She lived on this beautiful street. It's the last cobblestone street in Whiting. I took a picture as we were on our way. We went tonight around 9. They close at 10 and there are some huge advantages to this. First of all you get to avoid the massive crowds. Secondly the vendors are closing down so they give you some great deals on food.

We started out with 3 Pierogis. A buddy of mine split an order of six pierogis for 5 dollars. Two mushroom, two kraut, and two potato. They were from a local bar on 119th street and were amazing, the mushroom being the big win of the night.

There is a great Serbian booth that does great cevaps and kabobs. Now here is where getting there late can be great. They had three kabobs left that were sitting in a pool of the most delicious juice. I was able to snatch them for the price of two and share with our entire party. Sadly, the lady in front of me had got the deal of the night on the last of the cevaps. She grinned at me in a good way, but I understood. Man if I had only been there two minutes earlier.

Well know it's crunch time so I had to get some to go orders in. They are great at preparing to go stuff, so no worries on a good take home container. I picked up a dozen potato and a dozen meat.

The great thing here is that we were able to enjoy a great walk down the strip, eat some great food and get in and out in under an hour. Don't get me wrong spending a day here is fine as there is music and plenty of liquor. They have beer tents and they actually allow you to buy booze out of the liquor stores on 119th. I've seen it both ways, but it's nice to know how to make a quick enjoyable visit out such a large festival.

Wolf Lake

2011-07-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

Here is some video I took on Wolf Lake before Pat Benatar's show in Hammond at The Festival of the Lakes.

Anyone hungry for some wolf?

2011-07-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

Wolves are pretty hungry.

Oh Duran..... Duran.....

The best meatballs

2011-07-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here is my absolute favorite recipe for Meatballs, this is a 100 yr old recipe and would make for a great addition to this weekends festivities.

Ingredients

1 pound ground chuck
4 ounces dried bread crumbs
4 large eggs
4 ounces whole milk
6 ounces grated Romano
3 ounces grated Spanish onion
2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic
2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.

Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

James Brown 1972

2011-06-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Hey guys and girls!

I've been on a blog vacation for the last week and for this I am so sorry.

There are some great recipes coming up as well as a really cool restaurant review. I know most of you aren't local so I'm looking to hook up with some foodie bloggers from all of the major cities.

Until then here is some James..

The Best Turkey Burger

2011-06-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying I'm not a huge fan of Turkey. Yeah I know it's tradition and we have great connections to the bird.

I'm sure this is why until recently I haven't prepared or even tried a Turkey Burger.

Most grocers should have ground turkey. I found it in a 85/15 mix. Yeah, didn't know it would be rated like ground beef.

From here I could give you a plenty of ideas but I did a cumin based burger. They pack up much better than a traditional beef burger. I put the over some charcoal and got this.

I have to say it was really good for my first try. I wouldn't dare to give a recipe until I have perfected some... Turkey meatballs??

There is definitely promise here.. I can't forget to give a nod to the very first Turkey Burger I ever had.

That's a Burger in the South Side, Still the best!

They have beef burgers as as well.

Thanks for 400!

2011-06-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

Come Original guys!

Thanks for following,

The next post is up to you guys. Give me some ideas as to what you would like to see me make. I'm not looking to do something stupid, so don't ask me to cook bugs or any other dumb shit like that. I'll consider all serious requests.

Thanks again!

-=Q

Four Hundred Follower Mission.

2011-06-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

I want to start by saying how great you guys are!

You guys are great!

All kidding aside, I'm doing chicken wings on the grill and then roasting some Mexican corn.

I know you guys have already seen the recipes..

J.B. for your troubles.

O Taste & See Cafe Turkey Burger and Seasoned Potatoes.

2011-06-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hey guys I'm going to review a hidden Gem that I found in Highland Indiana.

My boss had mentioned he met a nice lady who ran a small cafe. As it wasn't far at all, I figured I'd give the new place a try for lunch. I was greeted warmly and told about the specials and the free internet. There are comfy couches in here so if you want to hang out and surf, no problem. After looking at the menu which included panini sandwiches, Italian beef, wraps, salads and much more, (I'll get a menu uploaded in a future edit.) I decided on the turkey buger with seasoned potatoes.

Now guys the food here is made from scratch, so it wont hit you at fast food speeds. I was informed that they were going to make the potatoes first and then make the burger. I took a seat and listened to some really relaxing upbeat music that they pipe through. As they were cooking my burger they asked what I wanted on it. "Tomato, lettuce and onion please.. should I grill the onions? Yes that would be great." A few minutes later and my order was ready to go. The owner made a point to show me what it looked like before packing it in my to go container. Which I thought was great because she knew how good it looked.

I love the fact that everything was made so fresh. Kudos to these guys, I cant wait to go back and try something new, although the turkey burger and potatoes where so good, I'll probably get that one more time before I do.

They have all sorts of cafe drinks, I haven't tried them yet. I'll get their drink and lunch menu up tomorrow.

You can find out all about this place at their Facebook page below.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/O-Taste-See-Cafe/200985149912030?sk=wall

Here are the menus...

I'm having lunch here tomorrow.

Chicken Wings at home.

2011-06-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Everybody loves wings. Well maybe not, but I do, so I wanted to make them at home. It turns out that they are not that hard to make and because they will be fresh they will likely blow away what you are used to.

Here is what I did...

I'm not a fan of the frozen prepared wings. Fresh is best,.

I'm a huge fan of the drumette so I picked up a pack of them and a nice size package of whole wings. The ranch is for dipping and the hot sauce, corn starch, and teriyaki will make the glaze.

Let's begin...

The drumettes are good to go. Now it's time to cut the whole wings. Trial and error taught me the easiest way to cut them.. before we go forward, please have a sharp knife. I bought a simple diamond sharpener for around $20. It's great for old knifes that have been letting you down.

Here is a quick video on how to cut your wings.

Now that you have all of your wings cut up it's time to fry them up. I use a nice size skillet with a cup and a half of vegetable oil. Heat the oil on medium high for 5 to 7 minutes and put down a nice layer.

Let the wings cook for a good 10 minutes and flip. You should have a good brown as seen above.

They need another 10. Just let them be and when they are done remove them to a good draining area, I just use a paper bag as it is perfect for this application.

From here you can make any type of sauce that you want.

We are going to do Spicy Teriyaki!

Yeah I know but it works really well.

This is half a bottle of the hot sauce and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.

and then a half bottle of the teriyaki sauce.

Hand mix and you will get this.

After your wings have drained, just mix with your sauce.

Great wings were had by all.

There are a few more methods, I'll show you guys in the future, this is one of my favorites.

Punkin got all mad because she didn't get a wing.

Fresh wings are the best wings. I hope you guys enjoy!

-=Q

Morel Mushrooms

2011-06-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

Morels are bad ass!

Morel mushrooms are such a bitch to find fresh as they can't be farmed.

Yeah, I know you can order them fresh or dried as a chef.

There isn't anything wrong with that, but every once in a while you get lucky and they are growing in your yard.

Here was the moon that night.

I love a good fire with friends...

Starter fire.

More Moon!

A little butter and onion.

What should I do next?

Beef Sandwiches.

2011-06-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am so fricken pumped guys, I just got one of these.

This is an old school Berkel commercial quality meat slicer. Here is what I did with it for a work function.

I went out and bought a nice top sirloin roast.

You usually can find a nice 4 pound one like this for around $12.

What I like to do is cover it in olive oil, worcestershire sauce, (I use Lee and Perrins), Lawrys Seasoning Salt, galric powder, and some black pepper.

1 hr uncovered at 350 with a half cup of chicken stock, then bring her down to 275 covered for another hr.

Now it's just a matter of letting her cool and getting your thin slice on. They key guys is to use a nice oven poof glass pan, preferably 9x9 that just allows the roast to fit for maximum au jus.

Mexican Corn on the cob.

2011-06-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I'm so sorry I haven't posted this past week. I'm back and will be posting on my regular schedule.

Memorial day had my grill overloaded with the typical brats, dogs, burgers, and steaks, but nothing was more memorable than grilled Mexican corn.

I first learned of this dish from a friend of mine who lived in a Mexican neighborhood and used to buy these from street vendors.

Here is what you will need:

1. Fresh sweet corn, the more the merrier.
2. Mayonnaise
3. Butter
4. Paprika
5. Good quality crumbled dry parmesian cheese. (If you have a Mexican grocery store near you get the traditional cotija instead)

I use these because they are fun, but not necessary.

These are really simple to assemble, just grill up the desired amount of corn and get rid of the husks, now load those bad boys into your cute little corn trays and liberally load on the butter, then do the same with the mayo. now load on your cheese and finish with paprika.

You may be saying, "Dude, that sounds crazy." Well so did I. Believe me these are delicious. Please enjoy one or 4 this weekend.

Great chili recipe.

2011-05-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hey guys sorry I haven't posted in a few days. After the round of devastating storms, We got a nice cold front. Since it was so cold I decided to make some delicious chili.

This chili is by no means above and beyond, it's just a really good ass chili. Yeah I'm going to share it with you.

Here are your basic ingredients:

1 - 1.5 pounds of fresh ground chuck, If the butcher is in ask him or her to make you a fresh batch.
2 - 1 nice size yellow onion
3 - 1 full bulb of garlic (I didn't have this, so I subbed garlic powder) I assumed, I know...
4- Good chili powder
5 - Good cumin
6 - salt
7 - pepper
8 - 12 ounce can of crushed tomato - or 12 ounces of fresh tomatos.
9 - 1 can of kidney beans
10- 1 can of pinto beans
11- 1 can of tomato sauce
12 - small can of tomato puree
13- good olive oil
14- nice balsamic vinegar

This is obviously a guideline as chili is, well chili, so it can be whatever you want it to be.

Here is how I did it...

First I diced up the onion and threw it in with a couple dashes of olive oil.

After the onions are nice and warm, throw in the chuck.

Now it's time to let these two have a great marriage.

Now that they are joined together, it's time to add everything else and let them turn into delicious chili.

At this point you ad all of the tomato ingredients and seasoning. How much? Well it's chili so here is where it is about tasting. Remember you have, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Work with it until you get a flavor you like.

Now that you have your flavor profile, add your beans, or don't, this is optional, not all chili has to have beans.

I like the beans, so I did add them. It's all about flavor guys, so with chili you can really test what you do and don't like. Try this base out and let me know how you have extended it.

Thanks everyone!

Nostalgia Time!

2011-05-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I woke up and was feeling all 80's and shit.

Has anyone every cruised down the block in one of these?

My mom used to sport the shit out of the old Delta 88. Oldsmobiles, I miss them so.

Now it wouldn't be a proper cruise with mom if we weren't blasting some of this.

Did my jeans look like this?

Fuck yeah they did, now crank the Benatar!

The tornadoes this weekend.

2011-05-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

As a blogger I tried to get some cool storm video by pointing my shitty camera out the window. I'm here in the Chicago area and of course we had warnings all day. Being underneath Lake Michigan I seem to always have a buffer. At first I was pissed that I didn't get any cool footage as the storms always seem to go above or below me. After watching this I realize, I'm lucky not to be in the open plains.

My heart and prayers go out to all of those who suffered from this weekends violent tornadoes.

The least I can do is give you a small motivational video. I would love to hear stories from anyone who follows me that went through this tragic ordeal.

My thoughts on Facebook.

2011-05-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

It's one of those Lazy Sundays.

There's been talk about rain for the weekend but so far, sunny skies and low 80's with a slight wind. Perfect!

That aside I want to talk a bit about Facebook.

I think my first experience with Facebook was about two years ago when a friend of mine sent me an E-mail that was viewable via a Facebook sign up. Great job by the way. My nostalgia kicked in and of course I agreed.

So now I'm in, time to friend.. Oh yeah I remember that dude, -friend-, talked to her once I think, -friend-, and then of course there are the people you see everyday, yep, friend them.

OK there might actually be people on here who I used to hang out with and kind of lost touch.. For me this is why I'm still on Facebook. I really don't give a fuck that you just got up and had coffee, but it's cool when a random old friend posts something like this..

How to make great baby back ribs.

2011-05-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, it's Saturday and the world didn't end so I'm going to celebrate with some great baby back ribs. This is such a simple recipe that I have came up with over the years. I'm so excited to get to share it with you.

You will need:

1 slab of baby back ribs, preferably fresh from the butcher, stay away from the shrunk rap injected stuff.

1 container of McCormick Grill Mates Pork Rub.

1 can of Heineken, most liquor stores sell a 24 ounce, so use half and enjoy the rest.

1 bottle of Sweet Baby Rays Original.

The first thing you will need to do is preheat your oven to 225 degrees.
Now place your ribs in a nice size glass cooking pan. You will need to remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs. I do this by using a paper towel and a knife, just pry up a little piece and grasp it firmly with the paper towel and carefully peel it all off.

You're almost done now... From here take your McCormick Rub and liberally cover both sides. Don't be afraid to really get it on there.

With the meaty part up in the pan. pour the can of Heineken into the glass pan and cover with, aluminum foil.
Place the ribs in the oven and leave alone, for 1 hr. 45 mins. Take them out once and baste the shit out of them. Now liberally add the Baby Rays, return to the oven covered for one more hr. Turn the heat off, remove foil and let sit in oven for 20 mins. That's it.

I have tried many different variations of these and this is the one I always return to, I hope everyone enjoys.

Nice Peter

2011-05-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't featured any YouTubers in a while.

This is Nice Peter, I discovered him about a year ago and his one of the few channels I check out on a regular basis.

Here is one of his better videos.
www.youtube.com/nicepeter

Steak Fajita's

2011-05-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Yes! It is steak fajita time. The Indian food kick was cool, but I have some time off, good weather is on the horizon and it's time to grill.

Here is what I use for my marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup real soy sauce, I use kikoman
6 cloves garlic, crushed, minced.
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 limes, juice em.
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill

I use skirt steak, pick up a nice slab, doesn't matter what size, there is more than enough marinade here. Now throw this baby in the marinade for about 4 hrs turning once and hour. The best method is to just use a long glass cooking dish.

I've seen some recipes where people pan fry this meat. For shame, you must grill this beutiful piece of meat. I wouldn't recommend going over medium rare.

Obviously throw some onion, red, and green pepper on with the steak.

The key here is really in the marinade and please for the love of god make sure you cut against the grain. From here just assemble with some good local or homemade flour tortillas and enjoy!

Brandon Boyd on his didgeridoo

2011-05-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

I was just inspired by my fellow blogger Dave at http://asamanthinkethsohebecomes.blogspot.com.

As you guys know I enjoy Incubus. Redefine is one of my favorite songs off of one of their earliest and still my favorite albums, "Science", and it just so happens it features the didgeridoo. Check it out here.

I started going to their concerts in 97. I was able to catch them in Chicago at the Riviera for Snow Core where they did this.

The didgeridoo remains alive and well at Incubus' live shows.

For all of my Incubus friends here is their latest track and again. Thank you didgeridoo and Check out Dave's blog.