Gia Dubai's Amalfi Coast kit contains all the ingredients needed to make pizza at home. Courtesy Gia Dubai
Gia Dubai's Amalfi Coast kit contains all the ingredients needed to make pizza at home. Courtesy Gia Dubai
Gia Dubai's Amalfi Coast kit contains all the ingredients needed to make pizza at home. Courtesy Gia Dubai
Gia Dubai's Amalfi Coast kit contains all the ingredients needed to make pizza at home. Courtesy Gia Dubai

5 ways to become a top chef at home: The most creative cooking kits available for delivery in the UAE


Janice Rodrigues
  • English
  • Arabic

No matter how much we’ve loved getting our hands messy in the kitchen these past few months, all the weighing out can get tiring. But instead of just wishing ingredients would magically appear on the doorstep, prepped and packaged, the dream is now a reality.

Over the past few months, a number of UAE restaurants have released cooking kits that do all the heavy lifting for you. Here’s a look at some ingenious boxes that will help you whip up a gourmet meal … without needing to step foot out the door.

1. Roberto’s at Home

Home-grown restaurant Roberto's has launched an at-home dining experience. Supplied
Home-grown restaurant Roberto's has launched an at-home dining experience. Supplied

Home-grown Italian restaurant Roberto’s is giving Dubai residents a taste of la dolce vita with its At Home experience, with 22 dishes available for delivery.

To ensure the food is as fresh as can be, it is pre-cooked and vacuum packed, with customers required to execute the final touches at home – a process that should take approximately 10 minutes. Once the order is placed, customers will received a QR code with a tutorial video from the chef talking them through those last steps.

The At Home box will also contain a recipe card detailing the final touches, and instructions on how to recreate the meal from scratch should they wish to ever make it again.

Some dishes available as part of the experience include Bomba Roberto's pizza and fettuccine Roberto's with Canadian lobster.

The meal, which comes within a marble-patterned box, includes focaccia bread, artisanal oil and balsamic vinegar. Customers will also receive a QR code so they can access Roberto’s Spotify playlist, compiled by one of the restaurant's resident DJs, and turn dinner at home into a fine-dining experience.

Delivery is available throughout Dubai, within one hour of placing the order. Prices start at Dh255 for a three-course meal, including a starter, pizza or pasta and dessert. For details, call 050 514 355.

2. Gia Dubai's Summer in Italy experience

Gia launched its Summer in Italy experience to help customers "bring Italy home". It has two packages, including the Amalfi Coast pizza kit, which allows diners to choose between two flavours – the meaty diavola and veggie pizza primavera. The second is the Roman Holiday pasta kit, which gives customers the chance to make either the penne al ragu di pollo e funghi, with chicken and mushroom, or the casarecce pesto.

In both cases, all the ingredients – from the pizza dough to the toppings and garnishes – are included within the kit, measured out and accompanied by recipe cards.

Both kits serve two. The Amalfi Coast Pizza Kit is Dh79 and the Roman Holiday Pasta Kit is Dh139. Delivery is made across the UAE and orders can be placed by calling 056 699 6544.

3. Folly by Nick and Scott’s recipe boxes

The chefs behind Folly by Nick and Scott have started weekly recipe boxes that can be delivered to your doorstep. Supplied
The chefs behind Folly by Nick and Scott have started weekly recipe boxes that can be delivered to your doorstep. Supplied

Those missing the taste of Nick Alvis and Scott Price’s dishes can simply order their recipe boxes and recreate the magic at home. The chefs behind Folly by Nick and Scott have created weekly recipe boxes with a new dish available for delivery every Thursday.

Each box comes with pre-weighed ingredients, a step-by-step recipe card and a QR code which links through to ‘how-to’ videos, with novice chefs advised to watch this before cooking the meal. Recipes coming up soon include roasted ribeye of beef with red cabbage and wholegrain mustard slaw, and paprika-marinated salmon with summer salad and sour cream.

Customers can post pictures of their efforts on Instagram, tagging @follydubai and @nickandscott for a chance to win the following week's recipe box for free.

The box is Dh100, serves two, and can be delivered to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Orders need to be placed by 12pm on Tuesday for Thursday delivery. For more information, WhatsApp 050 553 4168.

4. Go! Cook

Go! Cook, a DIY cooking kit, can be ordered through Deliveroo. Courtesy Go! Cook
Go! Cook, a DIY cooking kit, can be ordered through Deliveroo. Courtesy Go! Cook

Chances are you’ve heard about Cloud Restaurants, the home-grown concept that only does deliveries through Deliveroo, with branches including Go! Pasta, Go! Greek and Go! Healthy.

Now, the platform has added Go! Cook to the roster. Available exclusively through Deliveroo, customers can have measured ingredients delivered to their doorsteps so they can make restaurant-quality dishes in under 15 minutes. On the menu are pastas, sauces, marinated chicken and frozen starters. Ingredients are accompanied by nutritional labels and instructions so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body.

Delivery can be made throughout Dubai. A meal for two costs roughly Dh50.

5. Rise and Dawn's sourdough starter

Baking bread has been a popular pastime for many who've been staying at home – but anyone who has given it a go knows that creating that perfect sourdough is no mean feat. Rise and Dawn, the bakery created by the team behind Tom & Serg, know this, which is why they have launched a Sourdough Kit, with every box containing what you need to make two 720-gram loaves.

Rise and Dawn’s sourdough starter is available for next day delivery for orders placed before 5pm, with a pick-up option available from The Sum of Us (orders must be placed before 5pm for the pick-up the following day).

The sourdough kit is Dh85. For details, call 056 445 7526.

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket
MATCH INFO

Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)

TV: Abu Dhabi Sports

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
SHAITTAN
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVikas%20Bahl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAjay%20Devgn%2C%20R.%20Madhavan%2C%20Jyothika%2C%20Janaki%20Bodiwala%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Super 30

Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5

Where to buy

Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Full Party in the Park line-up

2pm – Andreah

3pm – Supernovas

4.30pm – The Boxtones

5.30pm – Lighthouse Family

7pm – Step On DJs

8pm – Richard Ashcroft

9.30pm – Chris Wright

10pm – Fatboy Slim

11pm – Hollaphonic

 

Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars

Traits of Chinese zodiac animals

Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent   

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Brief scoreline:

Liverpool 2

Keita 5', Firmino 26'

Porto 0

ALL THE RESULTS

Bantamweight

Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.

Lightweight

Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.

Catch 74kg

Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.

Strawweight (Female)

Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.

Featherweight

Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.

Lightweight

Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.

Welterweight

Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.

Bantamweight

Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.

Lightweight

Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.

Lightweight

Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.

Welterweight

Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.

Featherweight title bout

Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Related
The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Director: Sharat Katariya

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav

3.5/5

The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km

Price: from Dh547,600

On sale: now 

ENGLAND%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EFor%20Euro%202024%20qualifers%20away%20to%20Malta%20on%20June%2016%20and%20at%20home%20to%20North%20Macedonia%20on%20June%2019%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGoalkeepers%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Johnstone%2C%20Pickford%2C%20Ramsdale.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDefenders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alexander-Arnold%2C%20Dunk%2C%20Guehi%2C%20Maguire%2C%20%20Mings%2C%20Shaw%2C%20Stones%2C%20Trippier%2C%20Walker.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMidfielders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bellingham%2C%20Eze%2C%20Gallagher%2C%20Henderson%2C%20%20Maddison%2C%20Phillips%2C%20Rice.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EForwards%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFoden%2C%20Grealish%2C%20Kane%2C%20Rashford%2C%20Saka%2C%20Wilson.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A