The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pics/Bipin Kokate
Ek joke sunaoon?
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At the launch of a new app on Friday in Mahalaxmi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui manages to get Tabu's attention and cracks her up. Pics/Bipin Kokate
The good fight
Journalist and author of Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up, Rana Ayyub took to Twitter on Friday to say that she will be one of the SHEROES from across the world to be featured in U2's maiden India tour, The Joshua Tree concert, which will take place at the DY Patil Stadium this Sunday.
Ayyub has been a fierce human rights defender and critic of the establishment's policies. She has also been under attack by online trolls for her book and most of her journalistic reportage.
As has been the norm, this tweet by Ayyub received both congratulatory and derogatory messages. The Irish band has always made news about its philanthropic activities and has also honoured journalists in the past, including when they dedicated their song Ultra-violet to Maria Ressa.
What's cooking in the Pink City next year?
The Jaipur Literature Festival, now in its 13th year, kicks off on January 23. It has often been hailed as the biggest celebration of literature. For its 2020 edition, the festival will see veteran food and travel writer Madhur Jaffrey and Indian-born chef Asma Khan, who was in this city last month, headline the cuisine section.
While Jaffrey has been one of the torchbearers of Asian cuisine in Britian, Khan's rise in the culinary world has been steady, with her recognised UK-based diner. "I wan't to be remembered as a storyteller who tells stories of food. And this is a great platform for that," Khan told this diarist.
A new tale in Mumbai
The season of literary and cultural festivals shows no signs of slowing down as another one makes its way into the city next month, before travelling to Panchgani. Titled Mumbai International Storytelling Festival or MIST, it is being put together by Mumbai Storytellers Society (MSS), a registered society founded by six city-based storytellers.
With the theme being World Mythology for the Millennials, it will feature international professionals such as Stella Kassimati from the UK, Singapore's Sheila Wee and Rubena Sinha from Canada. Noted author and translator Arshia Sattar will also be part of it as will Kaavad Katha performer Akshay Gandhi.
Speaking about the theme, Usha Venkatraman (in pic), founder of MSS, told this diarist, "We've been planning the event for the past four months. It is important to know where mythology comes from because it helps explain why people of a certain culture are the way they are. All that you read today has already been discussed before. And we'll be catering to both adults and children."
Pay per onion even when fine dining
With onion rates skyrocketing in the country, it looks like restaurants in Mumbai will now be forced to increase the price of dishes containing the near-quintessential ingredient. The vegetable, that was available at R20 per kilogram has today crossed R100 and looks set to continue to increase in price, due to unseasonable showers in October and November that destroyed crops across the country.
The decision comes after a meeting of the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) on Friday. The ingredient, which is used in all gravies (non-Jain), is also used in salads and as topping for free. So, the next time you're in the mood for kebabs, you'll have to pay extra for a side of onions. And be ready to shell out more for your raita that accompanies your biryani.
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