Bidding adieu to 2021 with NYE party starters and a need for a desi taco bar

With the days zooming by and the new year just around the corner, hitting the proverbial pause button to unwind is all that most of us want to do. And while at it, we took a jog down the memory lane for some of the best foods that Team IFN ate in 2021. From pani puri to lobster, nihari, sambhar and thali, we pretty much covered it all.

If you're hosting an NYE party, this list curated by editorial intern Samanaz Bhot—featuring bite-sized foods, has all the inspo you need. While at it, also check out our nifty desi taco bar and paneer enchilada videos because there's nothing like a modern Indian spread.

For those of you who binged on Netflix's Emily in Paris Season 2 (+1) and drifted off into a Parisian world filled with fashion, gossip and macarons, we summed up a list of restaurants, where you can relive the magic, albeit vicariously.

This is also that time of the year when the heart wants a mug of hot chocolate over a glass of margarita. To sort that out, here's a list that has all the restaurants and cafes in Mumbai serving that cup of comfort.

Sweater weather also means the availability of fresh bounty in the form of carrots, peas and spinach. The last of which has been put to excellent use by our back-kitchen team, via this cool savoury crepe that has garlic, soy and spinach, all wrapped in the earthy warmth of the winter green. For meat lovers, there's a version of the Dec-Jan classic: a mutton paya soup that looks too good to pass.

Last week, India celebrated the noteworthy Farmers' Day. For which our Food Editor Suman Quazi spoke to the internationally acclaimed, single-origin spice brand, Diaspora's founder Sana Javeri Kadri. Here, she explains how with the help of social media and skill-and-knowledge sharing, she managed to build a business that was as good for the farmers, as it was for profit.

With that, I end my last letter of 2021. Let the good times roll.