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Firstly, if you are a Malaysian, I know what you were thinking when you saw this post. You would probably look at this and think about 'goreng' which is essentially the Malay word for stir-fry (funny why they don't call it goreng kacau..)or frying. That being said, 'goreng' is used in a negative sense. Often translates to 'winging it' or just go with the flow in a certain situation. 

However, I was inspired to write this not because of how I am going to wing this but through me cooking everyday. When my first child was born, my wife was not able to cook for a good few weeks. I volunteer to cook the daily meals. She assured me that it was only temporary. It has been four years and I suppose 'temporary' is subjective. I am not a good chef and I do not try awesome recipes like @tadstrange or cook dishes like those displayed on @howtostartablog's page. 

I am a pragmatist, I price efficiency above all else and as such, the most efficient and practical way is to stir fry. Why you may ask? Well, you can dump everything into the wok and cook it all in one go, no need for a 7 course meal. I have all 7 meals compacted into one dish. Ok, maybe not all 7 meals, maybe 7 ingredients? As both my wife and I are working, it's not possible to cook really elaborate meals. However, there are a few items that are necessary in all my dishes. 

In terms of writing on Steemit, you may not have the luxury of time to write long posts. It is possible that you may not have any idea on what to write. After being on Steemit for a few months, you find that every single unique idea you have has been exhausted and so you spend more time staring at the computer screen than writing. When it comes to writing on Steemit, there are days where I do run out of ideas too, but there are a few key ingredients that I use to start writing. For this post, let me contextualize it into the ingredients that I use to cook as well. 

### **Onions & Garlic**

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I have never stir-fried a dish without garlic and onions. In my opinion, they are the two most important ingredients when it comes to cooking. I would normally dice the garlic and onions before stir-frying them with noodles or pasta. I see garlic and onions as an ingredient that enhances the flavor of my dish and also to eliminates certain odors. Certain ingredients such as fish, beef or mutton may have a very strong smell, stir fry it together with onions and garlic, that smell can be lessened. 

In terms of writing on Steemit, my onion and garlic come in the form of my work experience and cultural background. I find writing on Steemit to be a form of exercise where you present one topic in varying perspectives. So an example would be the idea of free education for all. While it is generally easier to write about how good free education is for all, you can present a different perspective from your work experience. This consists of how free education was akin to a free ticket to a better life. Paint a scenario of how free education and further elaborate the topic into something that is unique to you. 

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As you present a common concept in a perspective that is unique to your work experience and cultural background, you create a different flavor to an otherwise extremely common topic. Similarly, if you were to cook a steak, I'm sure you will agree that a steak seasoned in garlic and pepper tastes way better than a steak that is not seasoned at all. Thus, as you stare at your computer screen wondering what you are about to write, take a common topic, relate it to your personal experience and culture and season the topic with ideas that are uniquely yours!

Of course, just like how onions and garlic  take away the odors found in certain ingredients, you may want to do the same on your Steemit post. This includes eliminating points that may be contradictory or just too complicated to understand. In sum, simplify and present your thoughts well to your readers.


### **Soy Sauce or Salt**

Soy sauce or salt will bring out the flavor in the dish. I would normally use Soy sauce if I'm cooking something Asian. On the other hand, I would use salt for my stir-fried pasta dishes. Soy sauce does go with pasta sometimes but not always. The need to have some kind of salt or flavoring in a dish is essential. It makes the dish more appetizing. 

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Likewise, when it comes to writing your Steemit post you want people to notice your post enough to read it. Consider the following titles:

- A comparative analysis between two different education systems and which best fits your child's learning ability.
- How to help your child learn better.

Readers of course are more likely to click on the second post. Although the first title summarizes the gist of the post better, it does not sound as interesting as the second title. Now consider this, what if you add some salt into the title to spice it up a little? You could do this by implementing a hook or something compelling to attract readers. An example is in the following title:

- Three hacks to help your child learn better.

Such a flavoring of the post does not end in the title only. The same treatment should be given throughout the write-up of the post. This can be done by having a compelling story to attract the writer to read further. I once wrote three interlocking stories for a competition, it adds a level of suspense for the readers. However, if you are looking to write on a hack or technique, share what short cuts or techniques that you would normally use. It may not be generally acceptable, but providing a different perspective for others to consider does add value to your post. 

### **Conclusion**
I hope you have found this helpful. If you come here for tips on cooking, remember that as long as you have garlic, onions and soy sauce, your stir-fried dish will be a hit! If you are here for writing tips, remember to enhance commonly seen topics and add in a little flavor of your own to spice up your content. Until next time... Steem on!


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