When asked to write an article about ‘change’, the last thing I wanted to do was write something that was obvious – or had the word ‘change’ repeatedly in the first sentence. (A moot point now)

Anyhow, with everyone excited with the change of hands in the US administration and the overall feel-good that comes with the start of the year, there’s a feeling the this year will be different. Somehow. For the better. In my opinion, I do get a little irritated that the well-being of the world depends on the well-being of America. But hey – doesn’t matter if everyone ends up feeling all happy and content.

But will things really change for the better? There’s a saying I read on a mat of a cool vegetarian restaurant I ate at recently:
” An optimist sees the glass half-full. A pessimist sees the glass as half-empty. A realist knows that someone will have to wash the glass.”
As most people can see where I’m getting at, I agree with the realist. Regardless of whether this year will be better or worse, it’s up to us to make it work – ‘wash the glass’. All the crap of last year can truly be a thing of the past if we take it upon ourselves to fix the mess we got ourselves into in the first place.

But I don’t want to continue on a lecture about responsibility – I’m sure there’s enough on the web if you search hard enough. I like light and fluffy things – sounds either like food or a soft toy. I’m generally very frivolous in my posts and articles and I like it that way – although the darkness creeps in from time to time. This post might ramble on and have no meaning. That’s fine by me too. That’s how I write and think. No human being thinks like a well-written essay. That’s why you can’t write in one go. You stop, think, edit and plan your way through the word limit given. Being the nerd/geek that I am, I actually enjoyed my English exams – gave me the chance to speak my mind in an essay. No straight-lace stuff about “My Pet” or “How I Spent my Summer Vacations…”. I’d always pick the essay which had something on the lines of “Insert the following phrase into your essay”, followed by some weird sentence. Those were fun to write. My one regret was the school not letting me sit for English as a First Language and instead made me give English as a Second Language. I aced that of course – but I knew I would have aced the First Language one too. Their reasoning was: “The Cambridge examination board does not expect foreigners to pass that paper”. What BS.

I promised TJ/Cookie Monster/biscuitinabasket (take your pick) that I might include a recipe in my post. I’m a foodie and I generally add recipes on my blog from time to time (shameless plug to my blog). So, I’ll hand over a recipe (which I will re-publish on my blog after the 7PI7D is over – sorry TJ) which has ‘evolved’ over time and is a popular comfort food/weekend brunch dish in my house – well mostly just me:

• 1 pkt of hotdogs (about 10)
• 3 large potatoes, chopped into 1cm cubes
• a condiment of your choice – generally a smoky sauce like BBQ or thai chili sauce does well
• olive oil
• salt/pepper to taste
• crumbly cheese (optional)

Heat a non-stick pan and add 1-2tbs of olive oil to the pan. Add potatoes and cook until somewhat crispy and golden on the outside and is mostly cooked. While sauteing the potatoes, cut the hotdogs while frozen into very thin slices. It’s easier doing it while frozen. Once the potatoes are sauteed, add hotdogs and cook for about 5 minutes, when the hotdogs have browned somewhat and are cooked. Add about 1-2tbs of the sauce of your choice, along with salt and pepper. If using a salty cheese later, omit the salt. Cook for another minute and add cheese. Blend quickly and take pan off the heat. Serve hot with eggs or eat plain.

Now about the cheese used, this was a recent modification. I never used cheese before but got a really yummy, salty fresh cottage cheese from Dhaka. It was in a ball and had small holes, like Swiss. The consistency was that if heated, it would melt slightly, giving it a stringy appearance, but retained its shape. That’s the type of cheese I would advise to use. If you use cheddar and/or mozzarella or the melty stuff, I’d advise to add it after you take the pan off the heat. This recipe makes enough for about 4-6 people, depending on appetites and if its added as a part of big weekend brunch. It will stretch to 8 people if used in a big brunch.

My name is Mars, and my mind is ticking on The Inner Workings Of A Media Junkie

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