And you are here why?

This isn't really Chicken Chettinad. Then again, if you ask 6 people from Chettinad, you'll probably get 14 recipes, usually to the tune of  " This is how  I  make it, but it's not really the way my mom does, and let's not get started on my aunt, who says you should  less  fennel but what does I know... "  If you want a - somewhat - more authentic version, there's this from WhiskAffair, but what follows is the way  I  make it... Marinate the chicken 1.5 lbs chicken thighs - boneless/skinless, chopped into 1" chunks 1 clove ginger chopped into wee tiny bits 1" ginger grated 1 tsp red chilli powder 1/2 tsp turmeric Juice of 1 lemon 1 cup coconut milk Put all this in a bowl, mix thoroughly, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, and preferably overnight, in the fridge. Masala 3 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp black peppercorns 8 dried red chillies (remove the stem, and crumble the chillies) 1" cinnamon 3 cardamom...

You're young, fresh of heart, recently graduated and out to conquer the world. It's your first job, and you're oh-so-excited because you get to Contribute! You get to Be Part Of Something Big! You're on your way! And then BAM!  you run into workplace politics 🤬, and there go your dreams, running smack-dab into the brutalist wall of reality.  Mind you, this is the easy version, when you're fully aware of what's going on around you. It's even worse when you get caught up in it, and don't realize what you're doing 🤯. We, as humans like being part of something larger than ourselves, something that gives us a sense of belonging,  that can help us be rooted amongst all the chaos that is swelling all around us. And our workplace is one of the most natural places to find this. Yeah, yeah, the obvious comes to mind - company songs (hello Japan), group activities (trust falls!), and oh so much more. But, in this case, I'm actually referring to something...

  Cynicism is pretty much in vogue. Mind you, I suspect it's always been in vogue, well before the Marquis of Cynìcse famously remarked " mon élicotère est plein d'anguilles " in response to a question about the monarchy (etymology of "cynicism", in case you're wondering). This is particularly relevant when it comes to one's workplace - witness pretty much anybody's response to an exhortation to do good by the company. I mean, " The company doesn't give a s**t about me, why should I give a s**t about the company " is pretty much is a fact of life these days, isn't it? The thing is, it is all too easy to mix up the Company with the People That Work At The Company. If anything, that's pretty much the job of whoever is doing brand-management at the company, that's their job, and they tend to be very good at doing so! But, and this is important, don't fall into that trap . Oh, by all means, be cynical about the company t...

  Stock photographs are the *worst* Are any of the folks that you work with your friends? And no, I don't mean "folks that I'm happy to get coffee/beer with after work" - I'm referring to folks that you deeply care about, grew up with, went to college with, etc. Or even folks that you met at work, and eventually got pretty close with (after all, you can't spend 70% of your waking hours with folks without developing some  sort of relationship with them. Then again, that relationship might be deep antipathy - depending on where you work 🙄) Anyhow, back to friends that you work with, the thing is, there is always the underlying possibility of things going south, of your work responsibilities getting in the way of your friendship. There are so many scenarios here You're both up for the same promotion - a classic movie-plot scenario that is all too common in real life You're working for rival teams (Hello Ballmer-era Microsoft !) You work for your friend, ...

Are you a "tidy plate" kinda person? Or one who pretty much just loads the plate up willy-nilly, because, hey, "eating is where it's at!"? I'm actually being serious. I mean I know people who are extremely clear about their food - the potatoes can't touch the peas, and god forbid the ragù overflows and ends up touching the bread! And then again, there are those for whom "plating" basically translates to " put it on the plate, that's all there is to it! " I know, you're sitting there thinking "And, pray tell, what does this have to do with software?" Well, very broadly speaking, software folks also tend to fall into these two categories. On the one hand, you've got folks that like clarity. Give them a task list, a well documented requirement, a bug to track down, or some such, and they're happier than clams in a bake. On the other hand, you've got the folks who thrive in chaos. Ambiguous requirements, flak...

What actually matters in your organization - the People? Or the Process?  OK, that's a bit of a trick question, right?   I mean, of course  the people matter, because you're all People Persons, and y'all care about your peoples, and y'all want to do The Right Thing, etc. etc. But, and this is one of those things that is kinda hard to face, is that actually true ? After all, there are very few companies out there that basically come right out and say "Yeah, we don't care about our employees". Instead, what you'll find is any number of declarations along the lines of  • Our employees are our most important assets • We foster personal development • We are honest with each other, and don't play politics etc. If anything, the more sociopathic the organization, the more likely that their ostensible values are the exact opposite (probably thanks to some very judicious word-smithing courtesy of their Marketing/PR wings 🙄) And that very sociopathy is what ...

Why "Red Chicken Curry"?  Well, first of all, because this isn't really some kind of official recipe - not that there are really all that many "official" recipes for most Indian dishes, but, well there you are. And secondly because when I made this, I decided to actually get the dish to come out red (like in the restaurants, y'know?) and added red food coloring. And, well, turns out that the food coloring was pretty potent, and turned the dish not just red, but RED . So, there you go... Anyhow, it's good, really really good - recipe below. Marinate the chicken 1.5 lbs chicken thighs (leave the bone in, and the skin on) 1 clove ginger chopped into wee tiny bits 1" ginger grated 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder Juice of 1 lemon 1 cup yoghurt Put all this in a bowl, mix thoroughly, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, and preferably overnight, in the fridge. Masala Powder 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp black pepper...