In the middle of our 30-day trip across the UK, @sumantratalukdar_ofbehala and I were spending a little too much time in Edinburgh. We wanted the Highlands—not in a checklist way, not with a plan or an itinerary—but just with the hopes to unwind.
So one morning, we just left.
No dramatic planning. No overthinking. We checked bus timings, picked the closest place people consider part of the Highlands, and left. That was Oban.
We weren’t chasing sights or tourist spots. We went in the hopes of vibing.
And we vibed.
The sea called for us. And we answered.
On a Sunday morning, we decided to meet at 7 a.m. and go for a walk to the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata. What followed was an impromptu plan to walk down to Dacres Lane and stuff ourselves with breakfast.
This is my home. My people. My family. Food tastes a little better when you share it with the people you love most.
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@sumantratalukdar_ofbehala@lolitadeb
This is what I did for 30 days in the UK. I cooked. I cooked a lot. I mostly did Bhortas and Makhas. Not because it’s easy, but because in the cold weather, nothing matches a spicy kick that wakes you up and flavours that punch your tummy. Also, you can’t deny the nostalgia.
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All my friends gave their kitchen to me and they were quite sweet about it. They used to go to work, while @sumantratalukdar_ofbehala and I used to go to the closest supermarket and see what we can find.
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The beautiful thing about cooking is that there are no rules. Just do whatever you want. As long as it tastes good and you feel fuzzy, it’s all worth it.
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Things I made - mushroom bhorta, dim makha, kochur loti makha, dal bhorta, coconut chicken casserole, braised chicken with charred broccoli, tomato makha, peyaj dim.
A day in the life of @amritabhattachaarya
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There is a certain sense of joy that one gets when the food comes directly from the source. This is what farm to table really means. No frills, no complications, just simple cooking. And cooking with a lot of love with your community. Two hands are always enough, but having a few more in a shared kitchen is always better.
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Unripe jackfruit is an underrated gem of an ingredient that is very similar to meat in terms of texture. We decided to make some tacos out of it.
Beer. Humanity’s greatest invention. And they seem to make the best of it in the UK. One of the better things of travelling with a lot of time in hand is that you can get to try things. A lot of things. As a self proclaimed lager man that I am, all I did was drink beer. Morning, day and night. It seemed the locals were beating me to it anyway, so I never felt alone. After doing the rounds and tasting quite a few beers out there, my favourite always seems to be the Guinness. Boring, I know. But so so true. What’s yours?
There is always that one trip that stays with you. Not because of the highs and the lows, but because of the absence of it.
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I had travelled to the UK and my closest friend @sumantratalukdar_ofbehala convinced me to join him and slow travel for a month. So I did. The experience was nothing short of magical. Not because of the things we did. What made it great was to feel at home. When the rush of vacationing stops, the ease of travelling starts.
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There were days where we woke up early in the morning to go to the nearest park and enjoy an 8am breakfast. And do nothing else. There were evenings where I cooked a meal for my lovely friends and hosts who came after a long day of work. It really felt warm, fuzzy and familiar. Thank you @forms_expressions@doyeeeeeeel and Ankush for an unforgettable month that I had being in the company of greats.
Gin Sour (Turmeric & Ginger)
Infuse gin with fresh-cut turmeric for 24–36 hours; strain and store
Add to a shaker:
45 ml turmeric gin
15 ml jaggery syrup
20 ml fresh lime juice
15 ml aquafaba
Freshly grated ginger (or 10 ml ginger juice)
Pinch of salt (or 2 ml saline solution)
Add ice and shake vigorously until well chilled and frothy
Strain into a chilled rocks glass over fresh ice
Garnish with a fresh slice of turmeric. Get drunk by 3pm.
Hanoi. A place so familiar that it makes you remember your childhood. But you have never been here before. So it gets a little confusing. But then you realise, the nostalgia is not triggered by the memories, it’s driven by the way of life.
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The colonial architecture, the food, the people, the contrast of the old and the new sits almost indenting to the Kolkata ethos and emotion, it’s almost like you never left home.
Hoi An. The town that dreams are made of.
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I used to wake up everyday at 7am and take out my scooter. No agenda. Just zoom into maps and pin the neighbouring village. I used to sit down in the morning for coffee, followed by my friends joining me for lunch and then the day rolled over to laid back tungsten lit evenings. Sake in the glasses and spring rolls on our plates.
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I’ll never forget the last 7 days. Just one place. Nothing to do. But lots and lots to absorb.
Ho Chi Win.
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Travelled to 6 food joints over 3 days. Met some lovely people, shared beautiful smiles and filled up our hungry tummies.
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Mornings were all about coffee, where we spoke about lunch. Lunch was all about planning dinner and life moved on.
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Ho Chi for the win. Kya baat hai.
Whenever I’m travelling, I look out for two things - like minded people and local food. This trip to Coorg, I got both. Loved the coorgi cuisine and absolutely devoured the Pandi Curry and their other offerings.
Not to mention the occasional Vadas and filter coffees that were sprinkled on us through the day.
Coorg is known for its coffee and spices. Thanks to that, I managed to stay caffeinated through the entire trip. Man, I love food, specially when it’s made from the heart.
