Editorial desk

Outspoken Digest Food Desk

Cooking, ingredients, restaurants and the economics of what ends up on the table.

Stories by Outspoken Digest Food Desk

Recipes

Knafeh Lebanese Cheese Pastry: Crispy and Syrupy

Golden shredded phyllo cradles melting cheese and is soaked in aromatic orange blossom syrup. A legendary Lebanese dessert for special occasions.

Jun 12, 2026/4 min read

A golden knafeh dessert with melting cheese visible at the edges and crushed pistachios on top

Recipes

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives

Braised chicken infused with saffron, cumin, ginger, and the distinctive tang of preserved lemon. Green olives and a rich sauce make this North African classic worthy of the finest occasions.

Jun 5, 2026/3 min read

Traditional Moroccan chicken tagine with tender chicken, preserved lemon, green olives, and aromatic spices served over fluffy couscous

Travel

Plant-Based Dining Across the Smaller Gulf: Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman

A vegan bakery in Janabiyah, a Four Seasons tasting menu backed by a Saudi prince, and Muscat's coconut-bowl breakfast spot: the region's quieter vegan scene.

May 27, 2026/4 min read

A vegan bakery display case with sourdough pastries and cakes beside a smoothie bowl served in a coconut shell

Recipes

Vegan Chocolate Mousse: Aquafaba Whipped, Silky

Chickpea brine whips into peaks, then folds into dark chocolate for dessert that's airy and rich. No eggs, no dairy, entirely plant-based.

Mar 18, 2026/3 min read

A tall glass of silky dark chocolate mousse topped with fresh raspberries and cocoa powder

Travel

Beirut and Lebanon's Vegan and Plant-Forward Tables

Centuries of fasting cuisine gave Lebanon a plant-based head start. Here is where that history shows up on menus across Beirut today.

Mar 5, 2026/4 min read

A colorful plant-based mezze spread on a wooden table inside a Beirut neighborhood cafe

Recipes

Lasagna al Forno: Northern Italian Baked Pasta

Italy's northern masterpiece: thin pasta layers with slow-cooked ragù and creamy béchamel, baked until bubbling and golden.

Feb 20, 2026/4 min read

Baked lasagna al forno with golden top showing layers of pasta, ragù, and béchamel

Latest Trends

Whatever Happened to Tanghulu, the Candied Fruit Craze?

Sugar-glazed fruit skewers turned into a shop-opening frenzy across Korea in 2023, then collapsed almost as fast as the chains had multiplied.

Feb 5, 2026/4 min read

A row of glossy, sugar-glazed candied strawberry skewers with a hard, cracked candy shell, tanghulu style

Travel

Qatar's Plant-Based Dining Scene: Where to Eat Vegan in Doha

From a museum-attached vegan kitchen to a Pearl Qatar juice bar chain, Doha's plant-based restaurants are small in number but sharp in ambition.

Dec 18, 2025/5 min read

A bright vegan cafe interior on the Pearl Qatar with a granola bowl and smoothie on the counter

Latest Trends

Cottage Cheese Is Back, and It's All About Protein Now

The dairy aisle's most unfashionable tub has become a wellness staple, driven by TikTok recipes and America's ongoing protein obsession.

Nov 12, 2025/3 min read

A bowl of creamy cottage cheese with visible curds, topped with berries and a drizzle of honey

Recipes

Overnight Oats Three Ways: Breakfast Ready While You Sleep

No-cook breakfast where rolled oats soak overnight in plant milk. Three flavor profiles, infinite variations, ready to eat.

Oct 12, 2025/3 min read

Three clear jars of overnight oats with different toppings: berries with almonds, tropical fruit with coconut, and apples with granola

Latest Trends

Why There's Suddenly Not Enough Matcha to Go Around

A global cafe boom collided with a limited Japanese harvest, and now matcha lattes are getting rationed, waitlisted, and quietly more expensive.

Oct 8, 2025/4 min read

A pale jade green matcha latte being poured into a white ceramic cup on a cafe counter beside a bamboo whisk and tin of matcha powder

Travel

Where to Eat Vegan in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh and Jeddah

Cold-pressed juice bars, Armenian-Lebanese plant plates, and a vegan bakery in Ar Rawdah: how Riyadh and Jeddah are building a real vegan dining map.

Oct 2, 2025/4 min read

A colorful vegan brunch spread with acai bowls, granola, and fresh juice on a light wooden table

Latest Trends

Dubai Chocolate: The Viral Bar That Emptied the World's Pistachios

A home cooking experiment in a Dubai kitchen turned into a global chocolate craze, a pistachio shortage, and a wave of copycats chasing the same viral bite.

Sep 10, 2025/5 min read

A thick chocolate bar broken in half revealing a gooey green pistachio cream filling laced with golden toasted kataifi pastry strands

Travel

Where to Eat Plant-Based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

A Michelin-starred vegetarian tasting menu, a food court burger stand, and the cafes in between: plant-based dining across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Aug 14, 2025/4 min read

A softly lit plant-based restaurant interior with greenery and a plated tasting-menu dish on a wooden table

Recipes

Vegan Banana Bread: Moist, No Eggs, No Dairy

Ripe bananas naturally replace eggs in this tender loaf. No specialized binders needed, just fruit, flour, and warmth.

Jul 25, 2025/3 min read

A thick slice of golden vegan banana bread with a moist crumb, served on a plate with a knife

Latest Trends

The Pistachio Economy Dubai Chocolate Built (and Broke)

One viral chocolate bar turned pistachios into the food world's hottest commodity, and the ripple effects have reached lattes, croissants, and ice cream.

May 14, 2025/4 min read

A pile of shelled green pistachios beside a jar of thick pistachio cream paste with a spoon resting in it

Latest Trends

How the Middle East Became Specialty Coffee's Next Big Market

Dubai and Riyadh are hosting barista championships and single-origin tastings as third-wave coffee culture reshapes a region long defined by cardamom-spiced brews.

May 5, 2025/4 min read

A barista pouring latte art at a specialty coffee counter in a modern Gulf cafe, with bags of single-origin beans on the shelf behind

Recipes

Chicken Shawarma: Oven-Roasted Spiced Chicken at Home

Without the rotating spit, home cooks still achieve restaurant-quality shawarma through high-heat roasting and a broil finish. Marinated, caramelized, and sliceable, it's worthy of your best pita.

Apr 20, 2025/3 min read

Sliced oven-roasted chicken shawarma with crispy caramelized edges, served in warm pita with tahini sauce and fresh vegetables

Recipes

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili: Hearty, One-Pot

A warming chili where sweet potato and black beans do all the work. Spiced simply, it feeds a crowd and freezes beautifully.

Apr 20, 2025/3 min read

A steaming bowl of black bean sweet potato chili topped with sliced avocado, cilantro, and diced red onion

Recipes

Ratatouille Confit Byaldi: Elegant Vegetable Tian

Thomas Keller's refined ratatouille: precision-sliced vegetables arranged accordion-style and baked slowly until they confit together in perfect harmony.

Apr 15, 2025/3 min read

Arranged accordion-style ratatouille vegetables baked golden with tomato piperade