Though I have had dogs my whole life, I only recently learnt that different kinds of fresh meat and chews are great for a pet’s overall well-being. We had stuck to feeding them chicken, and after discovering that my ailing dog needed varied and more protein, I have been experimenting with all sorts of meats. Enter Canine Craving, a Bengaluru-based pet food brand that makes fresh treats, broths and natural supplements, and also delivers meats for pets. While my dog partakes of smaller chews, they have all sorts of options that can also keep giant breeds happy. Their meats arrive fresh and well-packed, and the broths are great for an ailing pet. My dog has never been happier about meal-time, and it’s heart-warming to see their joy on gnawing a natural chew rather than some manufactured one with mysterious ingredients. —Dakshayani Kumaramangalam
Modernists often see tradition as hidebound, conservatives tend to glorify the past. Chandan Gowda’s new book of short essays, Another India, makes a charming case for the fact that neither can be right. He retells little-known fables and myths from Karnataka, recounts tall stories about contemporary figures like B.R. Ambedkar and M. Visvesvaraya to show how icons take on the mantle of mythic figures when their achievements are larger than life, and gently points out that there isn’t just one way to understand an event, a story or a life. It’s an endearing book with a playful storytelling style that brings together politics, philosophy, culture, folklore and daily life in Karnataka. —Shalini Umachandran
I use this space too much to write about coffee but for the sort of well-being even one small glass of it offers me, any paeans still fall short. I am writing this on my phone as I lie in bed with a back injury. What makes some of those few-minute windows of sitting up worth it, however, are ready-to-use decoctions from iD and VS Mani. When I can, I quickly pour some of the pre-made brew into a mug and add in hot milk from a flask. The aroma lifts my spirits, the hot coffee clears my mind of the sort of self-pity and anxiety only illness can induce—and, generally, it leaves me looking forward to the next morning. These ready-made ones may not be the exact, customised blend I like but they are decent—and get me through the day. —Vangmayi Parakala
American singer-songwriter Mitski has recorded seven albums, all of them built around her clear, calm, arresting voice. One thing that has changed, though, is her willingness to trust melody and craft. Her latest album, The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We, has sighing country guitars, strings, expertly deployed choirs, and some of the simplest, prettiest songwriting of her career. Add to this Mitski’s self-doubting, cutting lyrics and you have a complex mixture of warmth and disbalance. “As I got older, I learned I’m a drinker/ Sometimes a drink feels like family,” she sings on Bug Like An Angel. A choir jumps in on the word “family”, offering support, and alleviating the bleakness. Similarly, she marks the end of a relationship on The Frost, but the pedal steel guitars and the country trot are anything but morose. —Uday Bhatia
