Onam Ashamsakal!; The godfather of modern cooking

Hello,

Let’s start our lazy Sunday with the latest celeb from the animal world! 

Meet Thailand’s new internet sensation—baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng! 

The two-month-old, new arrival at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo near Bangkok, is nothing short of a cuteness overload. When she’s not gobbling up grapes, she’s rolling on the floor or taking a dip under Thailand’s scorching sun.

ICYMI: For all those who think dog cones are boring, ya’ll need a bit of fashion inspiration!

Also, don’t play with your dog too much! Sorry—that’s not us but the experts, who highlight this and 14 more common mistakes we humans make.

And, we are here to help you avoid one more: Grab your tickets for TechSparks Bengaluru 2024 NOW before they go up in just ONE day!

Meanwhile, Swiggy has taken in-between-meals snacking seriously and has come up with a new service ‘Cafe’, which will deliver our favourite pass-time snacks and beverages in 15 mins!

Lastly, check out this monastery hanging from a cliff in Turkey.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Memories on a banana leaf
• Let your mind be as it is
• The godfather of modern cooking

Here’s your trivia for today: Which videogame console did Nintendo release directly before the Wii?

Wine and Food

Memories on a banana leaf

Onam, the annual harvest and cultural festival, is all about celebration. It revolves around wearing fine kasavu sarees, meeting family and friends, and relishing the sadya (feast) that has over 26 vegetarian dishes.  

Today, restaurants, hotels, and caterers across India offer extravagant meals to celebrate Onam, allowing people from diverse cultures to experience the elaborate sadya. Chefs across India share their fondest memories around the festival and the grand spread.

Food fiesta:

• Onam is all about togetherness and bonding over traditional food for Delhi-based Chef Selvansolomon, who particularly loves parippu pradhaman, which is made with moong dal, coconut milk, jaggery, and an extra dose of love!
• While most people associate sadya with vegetarian fare, Chef Velmurugan Paul Raj says the northern districts of Kerala—Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Malappuram—prepare a non-vegetarian sadya. 
• “The highlight of these (Onam) gatherings was always the shared meal on the banana leaf, where every age group—from children to grandparents—would join in the feast,” Chef Bala Subramaniam shares.

Mindfulness

Let your mind be as it is

While weekends are spent on movie nights, dinner dates, and some time with family and friends, what about self care? Are deep tissue massages enough? Self-care goes beyond this—it is about nourishing the body, soul, and mind. 

That’s where ‘doing nothing’ meditation helps. Is your first thought this: why must I add another to-do to my overflowing task list? Well, you don’t have to do anything. This form of meditation encourages you to do nothing at all, and that’s how it gets its name. 

Keep calm:

• Doing nothing meditation—often referred to as ‘non-doing’ or ‘wu wei’ in Taoism—is a form of mindfulness that emphasises effortless awareness. 
• Unlike traditional meditation, which focuses on controlling the breath, concentrating on a mantra, or clearing the mind, this practice involves letting go of all effort and allowing the mind to be as it is. 
• Varun Veer, Co-founder of Lifeyoga, a multidisciplinary yoga centre in Delhi, says, “The art of stillness can be practised wherever you are—be it on the move or indoors. Close your eyes and just be; it will instantly release pressure from your mind,” he adds. 

Wine and Food

The godfather of modern cooking

British chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White or MPW, often referred to as the ‘godfather of modern cooking,’ has been in India for two weeks, touring Mumbai and Bengaluru before arriving in Delhi. 

In an interaction with YS Life, White, who once ran Harveys, one of England’s most iconic restaurants, says, “Every time I go back to England from India, I go back larger than I arrived. Indian cuisine forces you to indulge. You can’t stop. It’s addictive like the country.”

Masala stop:

• Pointing out that Indian cuisine is not designed to be served in small portions, he says, “It’s designed to be served generously. I also believe it’s the most humble cuisine in the world.”
• White believes in simple principles and refrains from making things complex. His food reflects the same thought, and so does his lifestyle. 
• The chef hung up his apron at the peak of his career and returned his three Michelin stars in 1999, earning himself the sobriquet enfant terrible meaning ‘terrible child’.

News & updates

• Chips: Intel qualified for as much as $3.5 billion in federal grants to make semiconductors for the Pentagon. The secretive programme, Secure Enclave, seeks to establish production for advanced chips with military and intelligence applications.
• Breach: Antitrust investigations by the CCI have found Samsung, Xiaomi, and other smartphone companies colluded with Amazon and Flipkart to exclusively launch products on the ecommerce firms' Indian websites in breach of antitrust laws. Here’s all you need to know about CCI’s antitrust findings.
• Gamechanger: The US FDA cleared the Apple AirPods Pro 2 to be used as hearing aids. It authorised a software called Hearing Aid Feature (HAF) that will allow Apple AirPods Pro 2 earbuds to function as hearing aids when paired with an iOS 18-compatible iPhone or iPad. 

Which videogame console did Nintendo release directly before the Wii?

Answer: The GameCube, released in 2001, was the predecessor to the Wii.

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