How do you eat your eggs in the morning? If the answer to that one isn’t “with plenty of pesto”, then clearly you’re not on TikTok.
Following from the internet sensation that was baked feta pasta, the latest food trend to go viral is pesto eggs.
Like all the best ideas, there's a simple genius to peggsto (see what they did there?), whereby the butter or oil that you'd usually fry your eggs in is replaced with pesto – for a delicious salty, cheesy, umami-rich effect.
The TikTok responsible for sending pesto sales soaring and pushing previous breakfast trend pancake cereal out of the spotlight, was uploaded by home cook and registered dietitian Amy Wilichowski, who begins her 25-second recipe video saying: "I swear your life will be changed."
A bold statement, but one that might just be warranted given that the post has been viewed more than 10.9 million times. The pesto egg tag, meanwhile, has amassed about 90 million TikTok likes. Yes, 90 million.
Restaurants that serve pesto eggs
There's something about eggs and pesto that undoubtedly works, as evidenced by the fact at least two of the UAE's most loved breakfast spots already offer riffs on the combination.
Jones the Grocer's Hey Pesto dish is all about on-trend ingredients, featuring everyone's favourite smashed avocados spread on multigrain toast topped with a tangle of fresh herbs, perfectly poached eggs and an all-important drizzle of fresh basil pesto.
The pesto and scrambled egg toastie served up at Tania’s Teahouse in Dubai, meanwhile, brings us a winning mix of soft scrambled eggs, melted cheese and home-made pesto, proving that it’s not just the interiors that are Instagram-worthy at this home-grown hotspot.
Anna Malla, manager at Tania’s Teahouse, says that while the pesto toastie has always been popular, recently there has been a noticeable spike in the number of people not just ordering the dish, but taking photos of it before tucking in.
Pesto eggs recipe and tips
Wilichowski finishes her dish by spreading toast with ricotta and mashed avocado, quickly followed by those pesto eggs, a little honey and a scattering of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
In a bid to not just jump on the bandwagon, but direct it in a slightly new direction, we introduced some regional flavour when we tried our own version. The ricotta was swapped for thick creamy labneh, zaatar replaced the red pepper flakes, and peppery rocket added a slight bitterness, which was countered by a drizzle of Omani honey. The results were, if we do say so ourselves, mighty fine.
Of course, the beauty of this dish is the scope it offers for variation and customisation – so feel free to take the base idea and make it your own.
Before you do so, though, keep a few things in mind. The higher quality the pesto, the better-tasting the end result, so it might well be worth paying the extra for a fresh version or making your own. If you do opt for home-made, add a splash more olive oil than usual.
To help prevent the yolks from overcooking as you battle to set the whites, start with eggs that are as fresh as possible and at room temperature. For perfect sunny side-up eggs, the heat should be medium-low – you don’t want the pesto to catch and burn or the eggs to sizzle violently.
Swirl your pesto over the base of the pan and wait for some of the oil to be released before cracking in the eggs and frying for two to three minutes or until done to your liking. It’s as simple as that.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%203%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Einer%20Rubio%20(COL)%20Movistar%20Team%20-%204h51%E2%80%9924%E2%80%9D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%20-%2014%22%3Cbr%3E3.%20Adam%20Yates%20(GBR)%20UAE%20Team%20Emirates%20-%2015%22%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeneral%20classifications%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lucas%20Plapp%20(AUS)%20Ineos%20Grenaders)%20-%207%22%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pello%20Bilbao%20(ESP)%20Bahrain%20Victorious%20-%2011%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
World Cup warm-up fixtures
Friday, May 24:
- Pakistan v Afghanistan (Bristol)
- Sri Lanka v South Africa (Cardiff)
Saturday, May 25
- England v Australia (Southampton)
- India v New Zealand (The Oval, London)
Sunday, May 26
- South Africa v West Indies (Bristol)
- Pakistan v Bangladesh (Cardiff)
Monday, May 27
- Australia v Sri Lanka (Southampton)
- England v Afghanistan (The Oval, London)
Tuesday, May 28
- West Indies v New Zealand (Bristol)
- Bangladesh v India (Cardiff)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
