Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 36 ℃ | Low: 26 ℃ | Mostly sunny for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The wholesale vegetable market at Kotwal Chavadi in George Town was closed and shifted to Koyambedu in 1996.
🍽️ Sweet in savoury
Chennai chefs are redefining savoury dishes by infusing fruits.
What’s it about? Restaurants and hotels are now experimenting, using fruits in savoury dishes to offer something new. Fruits offer varied taste profiles, from sweet to acidic. The spices and herbs used also influence which fruit can be used.
- At the ITC Grand Chola, the executive chef explains that certain herbs with sweet aromas, like sage, pair well with acidic fruits like green apples. Sweet fruits pair well with fragrant herbs like mint and basil.
- To balance the flavours, umami-rich components harmonise fruits and savoury flavours. Diners have also capitalised on this trend by offering fruit-based tapas and appetisers.
Balance: Balancing the sweetness of fruits with the savoury elements is crucial. Using certain spices and herbs in the right mix can bridge the gap between sweetness and savoury elements.
🌳 A green sanctuary
In the heart of the city, a green sanctuary is a testament to one man’s love for the environment.
What’s it about? In Nallapa Street in Nehru Nagar, M Sreedhar’s house is a modest 2,100 square feet structure. Surrounding it is a green abode thanks to his love for nature, which began as a small garden. He launched ‘Vidiyal’, a community-focused movement to increase the green cover of the neighbourhood.
- The journey began in 1988 when his father bought a plot of land and planted eight trees. In the years ahead, Sridhar nurtured the garden to what it is today, with 28 mature trees.
- The community movement has led to over 100 trees on the street, including native and rare species like lemon, pomegranate, amla, and custard apples.
Expanding: His organisation has planted about 82,000 tree saplings in surrounding villages, school campuses, and public spaces.
🎶 Philadelphia Boys Choir in Chennai
The award-winning Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale (PBCC) will have its debut concert in the city.
What’s it about? Chennai will host the Emmy Award-winning and Grammy-nominated PBCC for their debut concert here. Titled, “Music Across Boundaries”, the concert will also feature performances by the Madras Musical Association Choir (MMA) and the Madras MBS Choir.
- The 65-member choir will be under the direction of maestro Jeffrey R Smith. The curated programme will include classical compositions and popular hits.
- The event is also a collaboration between the PBCC and the Chennai Children’s Choir, part of the NalandaWay Organisation.
Cultural exchange: This is the first time the PBCC is visiting India and collaborating with the MMA choir to blend musical genres and styles.
🅿️ Unauthorised “No Parking”
.jpeg){kind=link}
The Madras High Court has asked the police and the civic body to remove unauthorised no-parking boards.
What’s it about? A Chennai resident from Dharmapuri filed a public interest litigation petition on unauthorised no-parking boards and restricting the use of public spaces by residential associations and bungalow owners. The court asked the police and the Chennai Corporation to act.
- The litigant argued that people with more than one car park them on the road. He said the police hasn’t done enough to prevent illegal parking on roads.
- He alleged that this unauthorised blocking of public space is done with help from the police and civic officials by owners. Public spaces are being misused by blatantly placing no-parking signs.
Locations: Among the localities where this issue is most prevalent are Adyar, T Nagar, Mylapore, Mandaveli, Mambalam, and Ashok Nagar.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Would dedicated cycle lanes work in Chennai?
- Dedicated cycle lanes would work in Chennai.
- Dedicated cycle lanes wouldn’t work in Chennai.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s the most memorable gift you’ve ever received?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The Union government has approved Chennai Metro’s purchase of additional six-coach trains.
- The rent collection drive in commercial hubs by the Chennai Corporation has picked up with over ₹21 lakh collected.
- Despite NGT’s notice, debris continues to be dumped on the Perumbakkam marshland.
- A double-elevated depot to maintain driverless trains for the metro’s phase 2 will come up at Nookampalayam near OMR.
- ‘Entwined’ by Apparao Galleries showcases long-lost techniques.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!