Football-crazy Kerala
The best place to find yourself in the run-up to the World Cup—if not in the host country itself—is probably Kozhikode. I’d read about Kerala’s football fans who install life-size cutouts of players but it’s an entirely different experience to be in the midst of it. At a market in Mukkam, I found quirky air fresheners shaped like team jerseys. As I looked for one for a friend and France fan, my mind went back to the 1998 World Cup—watching it with my father, learning about the game, and following it piously until Zidane retired in 2006 after that upsetting head-butt. In that moment, of buying a souvenir and getting caught up in the excitement, I went from amused observer to active participant again, and I’m now watching, discussing and dissecting matches. — Shalini Umachandran
A tale of three kittens
Scrolling through Instagram can induce terrible FOMO and absorb long hours of precious time, no doubt. However, it is also a great space to de-stress if you follow the right accounts—in my case, those crammed with cat pictures and videos. One of my favourites is spongecake_thescottishfold, an account dedicated to three New York City based kitties with simply delicious names—Sponge Cake, Mocha and Donut—who are travelling around the world with their parents. Catch them peeking out of a backpack, silhouetted against the Eiffel Tower in Paris or watching Gondolas in Venice, and always wearing fantastic accessories. — Preeti Zachariah
My toast to Christmas
Packed with flavour and a whole lot of alcohol, Mumbai chef Aditi Keni’s homemade mulled wine is my drink of choice every Christmas. I discovered it a decade ago at a pop-up when she was selling it by-the-glass. Then she moved to packaging it in repurposed wine bottles, and now it comes in a glass jar with handwritten instructions to serve and store. It’s a German-style mulled wine called Glühwein, which loosely translates to glow-wine. Keni mixes in raisins, rosemary, cinnamon, orange slices and dry fruits for a medley of flavours one associates with Christmas. For me, this wine trumps cakes and every other festive treats. To order, call/WhatsApp on 9820444561; ₹1,500 for 750ml —Jahnabee Borah
Not-so-daily bread
As I was looking at LoaferandCo.’s website to find out more about my current favourite Bengaluru bread-makers to write about in this column, I couldn’t resist placing an order for their Caper, Olive and Garlic Oil Focaccia Rolls (I mean, just look at that photo). Based in Malleswaram, the small bakery churns out many exotic breads, from Japanese Milk Loaves to brioches and bagels and different varieties of sourdough, all made from locally sourced grains and ingredients. For instance, their Black Rice Sesame Semolina Loaf is made from the Kerala rice variety kaala mallipulo, sourced from a local organic produce company called Biobasics. While Loafer delivers all across the city, it does so only on Tuesdays and Fridays. It’s worth the wait. — Shrabonti Bagchi
