The Cook in Me: Redefining Penny Lane's Love for Pork

We had a lil birthday dinner at our place last week.
A typical Naga-invite includes lots of pork cooked with bamboo shoots, dal, dry fish hot chutney, rice and boiled veggies. It’s funny how 'typical' it had really become; a friend of ours would automatically reply to our Invite:

"Appt. 501 resident: Come over for lunch/dinner?
Friend: Let me guess the menu….pork, dal and rice!"

Well, our dear friend has gone back home and we miss him so much. He was the Rey of our Trove. Henceforth, all the salads that are tossed in Appt. 501 is a tribute to him :)

So this time, subconsciously, I decided to make sure that there should be something to outshine our pork! I love Pork but I also am a great lover of Salads along with this really cute friend of mine (She is 24 but looks not a day older than 18!). She goes Ooh Aah Ayaa to anything that is fresh, Italian (food!) and salad dressings.
My first tryst with salad dressing was Mayo, Mayo, and more Mayo. Then, came Ranch Dressing (thanks to The Dollar Shop!) and Honey Mustard Dressing. Then, I tried Karen Anand’s Italian Dressing which was light and tasted like sultry summer.
For our lil dinner, we mixed Honey Mustard and French dressing. The basil and parsley did magic...It was awesome! Got some good reviews too...well actually, I quote me, "rave reviews" as I recalled to this friend of mine...I was so happy and excited! :P
I even remember my Rocker friend asking me for the recipe. I did scribble the recipe (someone was actually asking me How to Make Something???) that night...but I did no justice... (This reminds me..I have to write it down properly and pass it on... )

Anyways, coming to the ingredients, American Sweet Corn has raided our fridge. Its awesome with any light salad dressing. Also, salami is now relegated Only as an important ingredient to any kind of salad we toss. I really like croutons but have never got around to making them. To be honest, I was never the one who would Cook...there was always this 'other person' who was better than me. But things have changed...I live with a friend who will get down and dirty and clean every nook and corner of the house but cook! She is just too cute....Well, lets just say that I also Can cook without any help. Its all full-fledged, my-own-style cooking and know what, I actually like it! Hopefully, I will try and make croutons over the weekend and if it tastes like how it should taste, I will post a blog on how I made them (not how to make em!).

I suddenly rem'ber Yan with his 1000watt smile-sans-eyes from Yan can Cook and his slogan "If Yan can cook, so can you!"

Penny Lane can cook too!

Lemme ask Jeeves!

Where is Jeeves???

I have to read up on my Jeeves.

:)

You

I found this while blog-viewing. Supposed to be a chain mail (I absolutely dislike them with the core of my being!) BUT this really is interesting and "different" as jenniferweisz puts it.

PS: Teeny-weeny portions edited to my relativity :)

"They call it the "Quarterlife Crisis."

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close do not really care or love you like they professed. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too and aren't really as cold, catty, mean, or insincere, but that they are just as confused as you are.

You look at your job, and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom. That scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute you are insecure and then the next, secure. You constantly try to nudge your "truths".

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try to cling on to the past for dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away. There is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken or don't even know if its broken or not and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't seem to work things out people you connect and care about. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person.
Now, someone fancying you without even Knowing you and random hook ups start to look cheap. Trying to fit IN the crowd and acting like you know things starts to look pathetic.

You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and you talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about money, the future, and making a life for yourself.

And while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender! What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

Send this to your twenty-something friends. Maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion. "