A letter about Harry Potter's birthday, homegrown coffee and beauty superfoods.

With Harry Potter's birthday just two weeks away, I must confess to two things: one, I am a huge Potterhead and two, I am probably more excited about this fictional character's birthday than that of my friends'. I found that joy resurfacing when reading about the ever-so-famous Butterbeer from Three Broomsticks in Senior Digital Writer Devika Manghnani's homage to foods we've seen on screen. The fond memory of Potter's messy 11th birthday cake and the glorious feasts at Hogwarts came rushing back. Read her piece to find out all about pop-culture food references like milkshakes from Pop's Chock'lit, Ross's Moistmaker and other such reel foods that we'd like on our table right about now.

Recently, our Food Editor Suman Quazi put us all through a unique challenge of thinking up the best dish we had eaten last month. Which can be difficult, given that as food writers, each month, we all end up spending a considerable amount of time—between writing pitches, researching stories, ideating and backspacing emails—actually eating some of the best food items available. But it made sense to put it all in one place, just in case you're looking for a recommendation. I will admit, my recco reached last because how can I pick just one?

I think our writer Manal Doshi went through a similar quandary. Currently working from her hometown in Vadodara, she was surprised to find that the sev usal and bhakarwadis had been replaced by babka and burgers and so she wrote a piece on the best new places that now dot her city's foodscape.

Our in-house Digital Writer, who also doubles up as a beauty writer, Tarini Sood tells you how to eat your way to glowing skin. With tips from Delhi-based Dr Kiran Sethi, Sood guides you towards eating antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, cooking with healthy oils like coconut or flaxseed and using natural ingredients like coconut water and nuts.

She also capped off the Pride Month with a story featuring industry experts Keshav Suri, Ami Shroff, Ritu Dalmia and Suvir Saran, who as queer professionals in the F&B industry, confided in Sood about the insurmountable work that still needs to be done to ensure an equitable workspace for the LGBTQIA community.

Now, I know Monday is a weekend away, but we've thought ahead and listed some ace coffee brands that need to find a space in your pantry. Manghnani, our in-house caffeine addict has gone through the painstaking task of listing down some of the best homegrown coffee brands available in the market today, so you don't have to. We are positive that it will help you rise and shine next week, because we have lots more coming up for you.

Until next week,
Sonal