A cousin of mine has a simple solution when she has stomach issues: ditch the bread and egg and have a rasgulla for breakfast. She follows the same principle at weddings—stay safe by feasting on a couple of rasgullas. It’s a typical Bengali way of reasoning: it’s made with chana (cottage cheese) is not fried, so can’t be bad. The Bengali love for rasgulla can be observed at weddings, where you can see some people gobble them down like golgappas. There is no dearth of shops selling good rasgulla in Kolkata, but the one to have is from Soma Sweets in Mankundu, a 40-minute train ride from Howrah station. It’s also famous for its chanar goja and chanar murki. An acquaintance recently got a dozen rasgullas from there. They are spongy, light, and the right amount of sweet—and not chewy. As with most sweets, they are best had fresh. —Nipa Charagi
The New Happy, a mental health podcast that encourages us to unlearn any old notions of happiness, is one I have enjoyed, especially for its unique format: each episode is never more than five minutes long, has no guests and no excessive chattiness. It is crisp and never infused with a try-too-hard-calmness typical to shows about mental well-being. Each episode is clear, even in its title: The real reason you’re procrastinating; or, the latest. Every emotion matters. Host Stephanie Harrison is an author and speaker, with a master’s degree in positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She speaks simply with an aim to offer “daily tools, science and support…to live a happier life”. These bits of audio are like quick mental health shots whenever you need to reset a thinking pattern in which you find yourself stuck. —Vangmayi Parakala
When I was a rookie fashion journalist, I was most curious about French girl fashion. By scouring style blogs, I learnt a classic Breton stripe shirt is a versatile must-have for them. Ever since— it’s been a decade—I was on the look-out for one, but was never satisfied with what I got: clumsy fits, poor quality fabric and overpriced options. About a month ago, a friend gifted me a classic Breton shirt from Uniqlo. Needless to say, I have been living in it. It’s comfortable with breathable cotton and is one size bigger, which works perfectly with winter thermals. The French are right about this piece being a style chameleon. It can go from ultra feminine when paired with a pleated skirt and stilettoes to super chic with a sari and cat-eye sunglasses. —Jahnabee Borah
After a day in Puducherry and woeful food at two of its most recommended, and expensive, restaurants, I was not expecting much from the bakery we’d planned to have breakfast at. But what a welcome surprise Baker Street was. It was packed at 10am for good reason. We managed to grab a couple of baguettes. The bread was crisp, yet soft, and baked to perfection. The ingredients were minimal. Sliced tomato, and a drizzle of pesto. We finished with a sweet, but not cloying, cinnamon bun. We decided to go back to pack more for our travel. The croissants were still flaky and soft over a day later, and I, who don’t have a sweet tooth, had no qualms polishing off a delicious plum tart. — Dakshayani Kumaramangalam
