The stylish shots of K-Pop Star Ningning holding Versace’s new Kleio bag taken by photographer Mok Jung Wook. We’re swooning.
Singapore Design Week is coming up (26 Sept - 6 Oct) and we’re loving Gabriel Tan’s Good Gourd lights which give traditional crafts a fresh spin.
It’s Video Game Day tomorrow so we’re reading about these black game developers who shaped the history of gaming.
Jessica Alba building a new home for her parents with her bestie Lizzy Mathis. Get your tissues out for this beautiful video 🥹
Considering getting in some quiet time and thinking about booking a silent retreat (literally 10 days with no talking) 🤫
Working on our brain health to improve our memory.
OTT remote role alert: This job vacancy at Shift. If you like creating content and travelling, this remote job is for you: US$10k to travel over a 30 day period 😮
Consider a second citizenship in Africa: Learn from high net worth individuals who are increasingly looking for a second citizenship. And no, it’s not just for tax breaks or visa-free travel but for standard of living reasons according to the World Citizenship Report 2024. Here is a list of the top 10 African countries for second citizenship.
Post summer nail care: If your nails are tired of all the summer nail art madness, we have just the remedy. Strip your nails of all the gel, acrylic etc and go for two swipes of Manicurist’s Active range. Jelly like polishes in different shades with fruit extracts, AHAs and sweet almond oil, they help you revive and care for your nails while still giving you a finished look. “I’m Fitzpatrick phototype 5 and the Raspberry shade looked great on my hands and I’m looking forward to trying Blueberry next” 🫐 - TBS team
Monsoon Haircare: It’s rainy AF in West Africa & South Asia so we want to bring you tips and the two products we can’t live without. When stepping out in the rain, use a scarf, hat, or an umbrella to protect your hair from getting wet. Rainwater can be acidic and damage your hair, leading to more frizz and dryness. “In our opinion, Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask is a game-changer for frizz-prone hair (it works for all hair types & textures) and the portable hairbrush in Ice Cream Swirl shade by Tangle Teezer not only detangles hair smoothly on-the-go but also adds a vibrant pop of color to your dressing table. Brigeo is a black-owned brand, founded by Nancy Twine whose business story is such an inspiring listen.” - TBS team
Happy Onam 2024🌽
We’re all about sourcing authentic recipes for you. This light vegan dish is called olan and is the perfect Wednesday pick me up with a spicy kick. Perfect with hot rice or any other grain. It’s inspired by the Onam festival that’s currently on in Kerala and comes straight from Girish Saklani, the Head Chef of the stunning Mulberry Shades Hotel in Bangalore at the foot of the Nandi Hills.
What is onam? A a 10-day harvest festival in Kerala, India. In Malayalam, there's a saying, "Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam," which means you should enjoy the Onam feast even if you have to sell your home to do so. And honestly, who wouldn’t? The mouthwatering array of dishes served on a banana leaf during the Onam Sadhya is so delicious, it’s worth every bit of that hypothetical property sale 😂
The ayurvedic benefits of ash gourd: Ash gourd (also called winter melon or ash pumpkin) is known as a powerhouse in ayurvedic cooking. It’s a veg with cooling qualities and a glass of ash gourd juice every morning can help with balancing excess body heat.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 sprigs curry leaves
6–7 green chilies, slit
300 grams ash gourd/ white pumpkin
1/4 cup black eyed peas cooked
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup light/second pressed coconut milk
½ cup thick/first pressed coconut milk
Method
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and slit green chillies. Let the green chillies blister a little.
Clean and dice the ash gourd. Discard the seeds and the skin. Add in the diced ash gourd to the pan.
Add in a cup of second pressed coconut milk (light milk). Add in the salt. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Add in the boiled and drained black-eyed peas.
Add in half a cup of first pressed coconut milk. After adding the milk, simmer for just a minute. Do not simmer for long after adding the first pressed coconut milk (thick milk).
✨ TBS Tip: You may notice the recipe above refers to first and second-pressed coconut milk. In South Asia, coconut milk is freshly squeezed so thick milk means the milk from the first pressing of the coconut and light milk is usually from the second pressing of the fresh coconut. If you live in a place without fresh coconut then here is how you can make the same from a tin or coconut cream bar. Just mix ½ cup coconut milk or ¼ of the cream bar with enough hot water to make 1 cup of light coconut milk. For thick coconut milk, you can use 1 cup of coconut milk straight from the can or mix ½ of the cream bar with ½ cup hot water.
✨ Another TBS Tip: This recipe from Suguna from Kannama Cooks has step by step pictures and also gives you a good idea of how the end product should look.
