Writing Works in Progress

So, I buy these "cole slaw kits" in the supermarket for a couple of bucks. They're basically a bag full sliced cabbage & a little grated carrot, and include a generous plastic squeeze packet of cheap, chemical-y, over-sweetened Italian dressing. It's enough for 2-3 side dishes, or one decent bowl for one person which can sub for a meal if you're not that famished.

Here's how I fix it:

1. Dump the slaw mix in a bowl. The stuff I buy mostly fills a 16oz soup bowl.
2. Squeeze in 1/2-3/4 of the included "dressing", to taste. I prefer less rather than more.
3. Put in a generous dollop, a pretty big forkful or two, of mayonnaise.
4. Give it a couple of decent tablespoons of vinegar. I use white but red might work. Try to err on the side of not overpowering it... you don't…

This is a regular snack around my place.

Ingredients:
1 large (7oz unopened) can tuna, drained
2 thin slices ham
healthy dollop or two of mayonnaise
red Tabasco sauce
black pepper
optional: lemon pepper
powedered garlic
shredded cheese of your preference

1. Put tuna in a large bowl
2. shred ham slices and add
3. add healthy dollop or two of mayonnaise
4. Several dashes of Tabasco sauce. This is one of the exceedingly rare instances where you don't want to overdo it with Tabasco sauce... just a dash or two. This is because we're about to overdo it with the black pepper, and surprisingly, they don't mix.
5. Add garlic to taste... I like a lot.
6. Add pepper. Now, I have a standard rule of them for how much black pepper you need to add…

Here's the seasonings I keep on hand:

1.) Black Pepper
2.) Lemon Pepper (read the ingredients. Don't buy the stuff with salt in it.)
3.) Ginger
4.) Ceylon Cinnamon (this is NOT what is sold as just "cinnamon" in the US. You want the stuff that specifically says "Ceylon Cinnamon". It's similar a different plant. You know when you were a kid, and you had scented magic markers, and brown was "cinnamon", but it didn't smell exactly like real cinnamon? That's because it smelled like Ceylon cinnamon.)
5.) Ground Fenugeek seeds (or buy whole and grind yourself.)
6.) Turmeric
7.) Dill
8.) Unsweetened dark cocoa
9.) Powdered garlic
10.) Tabasco sauce (green or red, both are great. Red is more general-purpose but green is delicious.)
11.) Chipotle powder
12.) Black seeds (that's just what they're called, "black seeds". Not…