Saturday Feeling: It’s ice-cream season and these are our 25 favourite scoops

Even in a world where sugar is the big villain in the struggle for good health, it’s easy to make a case for ice cream. You could be at a table full of people who each have a different dietary preference just to drive the host mad—greens only, protein only, fruit only, eggs only, fish only, and everyone supposedly “off sugar”—but they will all sneak a spoonful if a dish of ice cream arrives. And so, this week, when the heat had made all of us feel somewhat lethargic, we decided to treat ourselves to ice cream. We’ve picked our favourite ice creams from across the country—some of them are regional specialities, some old favourites, a few strangely inventive but all of them satisfying, cooling and delicious. For those who prefer churning their ice cream and earning it, we have a selection of recipes, accessories and gadgets to make ice cream at home.

We also find out why Gujarat is ice-cream mad. It is India’s unofficial ice cream capital, where people line up for an ice cream or three every day, no matter the season, and is home to some of India’s most recognizable brands. And once you’ve ordered your favourite flavour, settle down with it and our recommendations for what to watch, listen to, eat and read.

On a dessert trail with Janice Wong

Chef Janice Wong is a trailblazer in Singapore’s modern dessert scene, and is known for her inventive plated creations that blur the line between pastry and edible art. She helms the 60-seater 2am: dessertbar, a restaurant devoted entirely to desserts. Wong has trained under some of the world’s most celebrated chefs, including Thomas Keller and chocolatier Pierre Hermé, and is renowned for her chocolate fondant tarts and tiramisu. In an interview with Rituparna Roy, she talks about her favourite places to get sweet treats in Singapore.

‘Chasing like Dhoni’: The hopes of aspiring cricketers

A prodigy like 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is no longer a rarity in Indian cricket as opposed to just two decades ago when most players were from conventional centres like Mumbai and Delhi. What triggered this change primarily is M.S. Dhoni, who learnt his cricket in Ranchi, played a trademark “helicopter” shot, captained the country and inspired several to believe that it’s possible. In their book, Chasing like Dhoni, Aayush Puthran and Samod explore stories of toil, poverty, rejection, politics, casteism and luck behind the glamour of a career in cricket, writes Arun Janardhan.

Where to find the quirky on the internet

Once upon a time, the internet was a place of endless possibilities—one could use it to broaden one’s horizons, do deep research, or just revel in the fun things one stumbled upon. In these days of tight corporate control over content, the all-seeing algorithm feeding you predictability, and AI slop threatening to deaden your senses, the internet can feel a lot less joyful. However, as Shalaka Kulkarni writes, the internet still is full of the quirky and the wonderful. It is still home to the best of human imagination and ingenuity—if only one can find it. And an increasing number of people are using specialist sites and apps to defeat the endless scroll.

How to make the most of reverse curls

The reverse curl is one of the few exercises that works the forearms as well as the biceps. But arm exercises can be tricky when it comes to form and technique because you need to protect the back while lifting heavy weights. Extending the back can cause injuries so there’s a ceiling to how much one can curl. While doing reverse curls, one needs to pay attention to the grip to avoid a wrist collapse. In fact, the type of grip will dictate the efficacy of any arm exercise. Pulasta Dhar decodes the small changes that make a big difference while doing this exercise.