Managing household expenditure: A family runs on two wheels
“If you are the bread earner, then I am the butter earner” — rounds with my husband always starts with this sentence. And indeed, it is true!
Eid — then and now
labbayka -llāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā šarīka laka labbayk, inna -l- amda wa-n-ni mata laka wa-l-mulka lā šarīka lak
A Christmas outdoors
Christmas of 2020 should follow the lead and be celebrated on a small scale. Blessing this year’s holiday season is a mild winter cold wave,
#ls editor’s note / Subscribing to newspapers in the new normal
We saw our fathers and grandfathers reading newspapers while having their morning tea. Later, with us, we read the papers in the car on our way to work or during hurried breakfasts.
Plants for interior décor
Plants brighten up our moods and help reduce stress and anxiety; the greens friends make us feel calmer and self-aligned.
ls editor’s note / Sunshine as the doctor ordered
There is no such thing called too much sunshine, we realise that now, my mom and I, and how important and necessary that routine was for me as a baby. And I understand that the colour of the skin never really mattered, though my mother begs to differ.
Of patriarchy and a need to change
People invariably get hurt by loved ones; whether they meant to do it or not remains another question to ponder on. I am talking about family elders, who should by now know how to conduct themselves in this time and era of all things politically correct.
Ilish fiesta
It was already cloudy when we started early in the morning for a launch ride over the mighty Padma. The unpredictable weather was an impending threat, and our only concern was whether a Kalboishakhi will brew out of nowhere and throw a damper on our day out.
Vibrant hues
There is something about the red and white; it reminds me of Apu and Durga, or Devdas and Paro, and invariably in a Sarat or autumn setting.
Life lessons from the Coronavirus outbreak
And then COVID-19 happened, and everything came to a staggering halt.
Happy Heart Day
A slight discomfort in the chest, and I immediately imagine an impending heart attack, not thinking twice that it could easily be some other ailment.
Global kitchens
Cosmopolitanism is all about accepting societal norms and cultures from many different countries and being open to different ideas and ways of doing things. From fashion to cuisine, it was been injected into our everyday lives, and truly enough that it has become a staple in our kitchen and experiments with all things food.
Splendour of colour
What I really love about my kitchen is the bright and colourful ceramic and porcelain crockery against the backdrop of my white walls.
The pay cut chain reaction
Normality as we knew it might never come back, and it would only be wise to accept this new normal and act accordingly.
Half-hearted lockdown diaries
The story of the humble jilapi starts with the Turkic invaders, even before the Mughals took over the subcontinent. A flour based twirled dessert, the jilapi is dunked in sugary syrup and devoured by the tens, and is the most sought-after sweets during iftar.
Cool meals for summer fasts
Similarly, watermelon with mildly salty feta cheese sprinkled with Vietnamese basil is a match made in heaven. Caesar salad, coleslaw, shrimp cocktail, crunchy vegetables wraps in rice paper rolls are all dainty comforting snacks for summer iftars.
