Author: Asmita Das

An Honest Chat With The Founders of Sorshia & Co. Cafe From Kohima, Nagaland

Published by Asmita Das

A cafe filled with love for culture, food and design, the founders Arinaro and Wungchipem are here to talk about their cafe Sorshia & Co. Located in the beautiful and silent hills of Kohima, Nagaland, this cafe has a very distinct “Kohima feels” and their taste of design can be seen in the interiors of the cafe. We are also excited about the prospect of the cafe culture picking up in Kohima as it exists in Dimapur – which is the current hub of cafes and lounges in Nagaland. Here’s a brief chat with the owners – Arinaro and Wungchipem to tell us the story behind Sorshia & Co. and what to expect from the cafe. Please introduce yourself and your latest venture together 🙂 Wungchipem : Sorshia & Co. is co-owned by the two of us, and we both live in Kohima. Ari and I come from very different backgrounds in terms of our education, influences, interests and our line of work but our love for food, designs and cafés motivated us to start this project …

Recreating Nostalgia and Happy Corners using Small Things | Maya Talks about Her Hobby “Knick Knacks”

Published by Asmita Das

We have often heard the say which goes like “Small things matter the most.” Maya Kumar shares her story with our Roots and Leisure Team about her love affair with arranging small things perfectly – in the most surprising nooks and corners. Here’s a quick chat about Maya’s love interest called Knick Knacks “I’m a mom of two boys, twelve and eight, married to a globetrotting Robotic Engineer. I have always been interested in design, having my Master’s Degree in Communication and having worked as a Copywriter with a couple of leading advertising agencies, before quitting just before my older son was born, enjoying the joys of both motherhood and travel. I still freelance when possible. We’ve travelled and lived around the world – Taiwan for a short spell, then Bangalore; Singapore was home for about five years and now Michigan is our base.” Tell us about “Knick Knacks” and how have your roots and upbringing inspired this hobby of yours? It’s just a happy little hobby that I indulge in whenever I get the time or …

Rootsandleisure_littlesunshine_cafe Thailand

A Chat With Utchi, Founder of Little Sunshine Cafe in Thailand

Published by Asmita Das

As we continue to explore local cultures around the world to grow this community, one of our friends from Chiang Mai introduced us to this charming cafe in Bangkok and recommended it as a must-visit on a trip to Thailand. This cafe called ‘Little Sunshine Cafe’ and managed by its founder Utchima Sriprachya or Utchi, is known among the locals for its menu full of Healthy and Delectable dishes. And not just the food, this cafe is also loved for its warm homely environment – an important USP of ‘Little Sunshine’ Cafe. “We want our customers to feel like they are at their friend’s place, having home-cooked food – creating a familiar warm ambiance that is hard to find in a restaurant.” ~Utchi, Founder, Sunshine Cafe We chat with the founder Utchi to know more about her journey, her food philosophy, inspiration behind her cafe, and more. Hi Utchi, so nice to be having this chat with you! Please introduce yourself. I’m Utchi, founder of Little Sunshine Café. I’m actually a dietitian, graduated from the …

“My Art Helps Me Explore the Unventured Territories” Meet the Miniaturist Shirali Patel from Ahmedabad

Published by Asmita Das

Miniature is a thing that is much smaller than normal, especially a small replica of a particular thing. Introducing the Miniature Artist Shirali Patel from Ahmedabad, who is amazingly fascinated and bitten by the miniature art bug, since she was a child. A self-taught and a self-mastered artist, Shirali shares her story with Roots and Leisure on how the culture of India has become her inspiration towards the creation of her artwork Small Idea. Share a little details about yourself and what you have been up to? Hi I’m Shirali, a Bio-Chemist turned Fashion Designer turned Miniaturist. After working for over a decade in Retail Industry, I left my corporate job and pursued my passion for creating miniature. I am a self-taught and I have mastered this art after many years of mistakes and experimentation. “It’s been 8 years now that I’m sculpting miniatures and my quirky little utility and collectable products bring smile on many faces.” What initially sparked your interest in this field? I just love miniatures. Miniatures fascinated me as a child …

A Chat With A Designer Cake Artist of Culinart – Shwethaprajwala from Bangalore

Published by Asmita Das

They say, “If you have creativity in you and haven’t realized it yet, no matter wherever you are, whatever you are doing, creativity is bound to hit you.” Being a Commerce student and an MBA in Human Resources, she found her calling for baking cakes with utmost creativity and love after experimenting on being a Graphic Designer. Today, we got a chance to strike up a conversation with a Designer Cake Artist Shwethaprajwala from Bangalore who shares on how she got hooked onto baking fondant cakes with her Designer Cake Boutique – Culinart. Hey Shwetha, share a brief about yourself I’m Swethaprajwala, the Chief Designer of Culinart. Like most modern Indian women wear many hats, I’m a proud Bengalurean, a Homemaker and a Cake Artist working out of home. Tell us about your venture – Culinart. What’s so special about it? Culinart is a Designer Cake Boutique, started in 2012, specializing in creating designer cakes. Our cakes are usually ordered for special ceremonies, occasions for family, friends and significant others. My creations are homemade, customized, and based …

“The Essence of Travel is to Experience a Destination in its Organic Form” – Meet The Founders of Madventures From Bangalore

Published by Asmita Das

Today, we have Pranav Mutalik and Shreyas Bhat, the busy young entrepreneurs with us who have come up with their Eco Tourism Agency – Madventures on nothing but one of their college trips. Aged around 26, the founders believe that experiencing the place and its people is devoid of the distraction the modern tourism industry offers. To be able to see, feel and experience a destination in its most organic form, is the essence of travel; same goes for hikes. Here’s a conversation with Shreyas, one of the Founders, who tell us how Madventures was born. Share a brief about the Founder of the venture We, Pranav (Mutalik) and I (Shreyas Bhat), have ardent love for traveling and hiking. We have always enjoyed being outdoors and amidst nature and this drove us to get into the hiking and trekking business. In fact, the idea of starting Madventures took shape on one of our trips in college; however, the company means much more to us now. Tell us something about Madventures. What is it all about? Madventures …

“My Art Is My Way To Connect With The World” – Meet Erika Bonezzi, a Concept Artist from Italy

Published by Asmita Das

A highly passionate and an immensely motivated Freelance Artist and Architecture Postgraduate, Erika got herself hooked on to Concept Art – a form of illustration used to convey an idea for films, video games, animation, comic books, or other media before it is put into the final outcome. Here we have a conversation with Erika Bonezzi who squeezed in sometime from her busy schedule for Roots and Leisure Share a little detail about yourself and what you have been up to? Hi! My name is Erika Bonezzi and I’m Italian. I graduated in Architecture in 2017 however, during the last years of studies I got more and more passionate about art, character design and concept art. After graduation, I chose to take a concept art course in my city and now I’m about to finish my studies and hopefully become a Professional Concept Artist. What initially sparked your interest in this field? I’ve always loved art since I was small; creating something from zero. Being able to communicate and share emotions with the world is something that …

#Recipe | Boroila Fish Cooked With Khutora Xaak And Cherry Tomatoes

Published by Asmita Das

Today we have a refreshing and light fish curry from one of our favorite Recipe Contributors Geeta. The small fresh water Boroila fish when cooked with khutora xaak, a variety of Amaranthus and tangy cherry tomatoes, tastes the best when the weather becomes all dry. Cooking time: 20-25 minutes Ingredients: 250 grams of Boroila fish 250 grams of khutora xaak or green amaranthus 1 cup of cherry tomatoes 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds 6 garlic pods 1 tsp of mustard oil 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder 2 cups of water Salt to taste Method: Roughly chop the khutora leaves and keep it aside Heat a tsp of mustard oil in a wok, add half tsp of fenugreek seeds or methi seeds to it and let it splutter Add a few pods of garlic, add the khutora leaves and sauté it Add turmeric and salt to taste Add the cherry tomatoes and sauté for around 5 minutes. Smash the tomatoes with a spatula during this process Now add 2 cups of water and let it boil Lastly, add Boroila fish to the …

I Love Clicking Moments When People Live And Laugh – Meet Siddharth Sharma From Bangalore

Published by Asmita Das

They say if you really want something in your life, you should work hard for it and earn it; not just think about it. Today we have Siddharth Sharma – A Software Engineer by profession and a Photographer by passion from Bangalore. He believes that life is a race and you should give your best and try to reach a level where you can stand on your own with pride. Here’s an honest conversation with the man behind the lens who loves capturing people’s memories and present them. Share a little detail about yourself and what you have been up to? I’m Siddharth Sharma – a Software Professional working in Bangalore and originally from Bhilwara, Rajasthan. With 4 siblings in house and my father being the only source of income, we never had a thought of having a hobby to pursue. I was inclined towards photography since childhood but could not afford it; even after my job. It was my wife Swati Sharma who realized my love for photography and gifted me a smartphone. That’s when …

Learn The Art Of Sketching Faces From Daksha Salam

Published by Asmita Das

A journey of art to profession. A journey of realization of how art has transformed him to be passionate about sketching faces of people. Today we present to you a soft conversation with Daksha Salam (@dksha__) – a Textile Student from National Institute of Design who believes change is natural. Share a little detail about yourself and what you have been up to? My name is Daksha Salam and I’m 22 years old – a student of Textiles from the National Institute of Design. I am a Meitei, born in Imphal and grew up in Assam and I love cats. What initially sparked your interest in this field? I’ve always loved to create, since I was a child. I remember when I would get bored of using fabrics, I would use scraps like old tires and balloons and make dresses and garments for the Barbie dolls. This helped me to extend my imagination of playing with dolls to another new level. I slowly branched out into other forms of creating art as I grew older – …