the foodie - Issue 24 (Nov-Dec '13)

the foodie

Issue No: 24

Nov - Dec 2013

Come & Visit Our Christmas Collection

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Level 2 | Arkadia Commercial Centre | Victoria, Gozo | T: 2210 3320

the foodie November - December 2013 exciting issue for exciting times

Behold our latest issue where Claire Borg has put together another marvellous set of recipes and photos. Make sure you take up on Claire’s party food suggestions for those Christmas time house warming. Baking mixes in jars has become a very popular trend and is certainly a nice way to put in some heart and effort in preparing a gift for close family and friends. Last and not least we can’t forget sweet mincemeat pies. A must for Christmas time pastries.

introducing waitrose

This issue of the foodie coincides with the introduction of Waitrose products to Arkadia Foodstore.

For those who don’t know much about Waitrose, it is proudly Britain’s favourite grocer as well as being the official grocery chain of H.E. the Queen! Apart from this though, Waitrose will bring to Arkadia Foodstore customers a whole new selection of fantastic products from their exclusive product ranges. Watch out for the essential Waitrose range which will deliver everyday value.

Other exciting ranges one must mention are Duchy Originals, Waitrose Organic, Heston, Love Life, Cooks’ Ingredients, and last but not least Seriously. For more info we suggest you read the advertorial placed at the centre of this issue.

get the carving board ready

We hope you find the time to discover the many different types of meats and game available from our butcher counters. From

whole turkey to pheasant, from lamb originating from down under to quality beefs from the South American continent.

Please ask our butchers for further information. We are sure that they are more than ready to share their own culinary passion to ensure you make your own Christmas carvery feast a success.

porchetta tasting session

This Christmas we are organising a porchetta tasting in both our foodstores in Portomaso and Gozo. Porchetta is a very popular delicacy in Italy. For example a porchetta sandwich is a must from Piazza Navona in Rome for any visitors this Christmas. We will put in that extra effort to bring the porchetta experience to our foodstore customers. To make things even more interesting, we plan to pair in some tasing of Waitrose condiments. Follow our website or facebook page to find out the confirmed dates and times.

christmas hamper selection

We would like to remind our customers that Arkadia Foodstore is once again offering a handpicked selection of Christmas hampers for pre-order and delivery. Just enquire with one of our staff and they can promptly show you the catalogue.

Pre-orders for hampers can be accepted by not later than Friday, 20th December, 2013. Customers can also enquire by e-mail at delivery@arkadiafoodstore.com.

our best wishes

Last and not least we would like to send our best wishes to our customers and readers for a

wonderful festive season. We hope you all find the time to enjoy and share the joy, peace and love of Christmas. In the meantime we are already looking forward for 2014!

opening hours Gozo MON-SUN: 8am-8pm (including Public Holidays) Tel: 2210 3335 Portomaso MON - SUN: 8am - 9pm (including Public Holidays) Tel: 2210 3350 Sign up to e-mail updates from Arkadia Foodstore by e-mailing to info@thefoodie.com.mt Published by: Arkadia Marketing Ltd. Fortunato Mizzi Street, Victoria, Gozo Tel: 2210 3000 | E-mail: info@thefoodie.com.mt Contributors to this issue: George Larry Zammit Claire Borg Carla Vella To advertise please contact : George Larry Zammit Tel: 2210 3207 E: gzammit@arkadia.com.mt

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Serious Party Food How many parties have we all gone to and had to endure the same old boring bits? The usual sausage roll, the dried out sandwich, the greasy pizza, the oily dip, the rubbery angel on horseback! Well, it isn’t going to happen this year!

Simple, homemade, tasty bits that will keep them coming for more!

Recipes & Photography by Claire Borg

olive all’ascolana

cajun chicken wings

Ingredients 400 Grams Large Pitted Green Olives 150 Grams Very Finely Ground Beef (Minced 4 Times) 4 Tbsp Breadcrumbs 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Egg Extra Bread Crumbs for Coating A Little Flour for Coating

Ingredients 600 Grams of Chicken Wings 1 Orange - Juiced 1 Glass of Red Wine 2 Tbsp of Chopped Garlic 1 Tbsp of Wholegrain Mustard 2 Tbsp Worchester Sauce ½ Glass of BBQ Sauce Some Chicken or Vegetable Stock 1 Tbsp Garlic Granules 4 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning Spice Mix

Method If the olives are too salty, just give them a quick rinse in some cold water and then drain properly. Mix the ground beef with4 tbsp of breadcrumbs and olive oil then fill the olives. Roll them all in flour, then dip them in beaten egg and finally in breadcrumbs. Ideally, these should be fried in a deep fat fryer. If you don’t have one, just heat up enough oil in a pan, until it is very hot, then fry the olives until golden. Pat dry the olives on some paper towel before serving.

pastrami crostini Ingredients Baguette Type Bread Slices of Pastrami (available from Arkadia Foodstore’s delicatessen) Some Butter Gherkins Shredded Cheddar Method Toast your sliced baguette and apply a thin helping of butter. Any other crusty bread shall do the job as long as cut into small bite size pieces. Arrange the pastrami, cheese and gherkin on top.

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Method If you want to save some time, ask your butcher to remove and discard the tips, and then cut the chicken wings in half.

Place the wings into a large bowl and sprinkle 1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning, the mustard and the chopped garlic.

Mix, cover and leave in fridge for an hour. Transfer to pot, and add the orange juice, red wine, Worchester sauce, BBQ sauce and enough stock to cover it all up.

Bring to a steady boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Scoop out the chicken wings, reserving some of the cooking juices. If you are preparing ahead, the wings can be kept in the fridge and continued later.

To finish them off, toss the cooked wings in the 3 tbsp Cajun Seasoning and a tbsp. of garlic granules. If you want them extra spicy add some cayenne pepper. Place on a baking tray, add some of the cooking liquid that was reserved from the pot and bake in a hot oven set on 200 degrees Celsius until golden.

olives all'ascolana

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If you want something more consistent, replace the wings with chicken drumsticks. Allow more cooking time when boiling.

baby potatoes in bacon Ingredients Baby Potatoes Streaky Bacon – Thinly Sliced Butter and Olive Oil Method Wash and scrub the baby potatoes. Rinse well and place in a pot of salted water. Cook, with skins on, until they are done. Drain and set aside. Trim the bacon. Remove any cartilage (hard white bits). Roll each potato with a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Repeat until all the potatoes are wrapped.

In a large pan, heat up some butter and olive oil, then cook the potatoes until he bacon is nice and golden on all sides. Alternatively, they can also be baked in a hot oven. pastrami crostini

cajun chicken wings

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baby potatoes in bacon

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Come & Discover The Wa Waitrose believes that few things in life are more important than the food we buy for ourselves and our family.

Waitrose offer a wide range of products across all categories and manage a number of subbrands each with their own personality.

while helping to preserve British food heritage and support charities all over the world. Duchy Originals is an exciting and ground-breaking partnership which cements its position as the United Kingdom’s leading organic food brands.

Waitrose carries over 1,600 products many of which are Fairtrade ensuring that the producers

Waitrose buyers are experts in their own fields and spend much of their time with farmers, growers and suppliers, building relationships based on trust and respect with the people who produce the high quality food and ingredients customers enjoy.

The essential Waitrose brand acts as the entry level tier - a collection of everyday products across all categories. The brand’s promise is to deliver quality and value you can trust. We think everyone should be able to enjoy really good quality, affordable food. At the heart of our essential range is the belief that you shouldn’t have to compromise your standards, even on the everyday items you depend on.

Waitrose Bus.indd 1

Enjoy delicious, great quality organic food and drink, including everything from tea to biscuits to condiments,

NOW EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE

in some of the world’s poorest countries are given a fair deal. The Waitrose Foundation was set up in 2005 to help improve the lives of South African farm workers who help supply fruit such as oranges, grapes, nectarines and plums among others. These carry the Waitrose Foundation logo.

A wide selection of Waitrose products are now exclus

aitrose Product Difference Following a successful c o l l a b o ra t i o n as a Waitrose ambassador, Heston Blumenthal has worked with our product development team, to bring his unique and creative approach to develop ‘Heston from Waitrose’ which was launched in

foods answering a demand from Waitrose customers to help them include a wider range of wholefood ingredients and avoid saturated fats in their diets. The range includes nutritious meals, snacks, drinks and groceries that taste great and should be enjoyed. The foods have been developed with the expertise and knowledge of our in-house nutritionists and the creativity and flair of our awardwinning chefs.

Delicious cakes, desserts and biscuits made from natural and simple ingredients that taste homemade.

Only the crunchiest biscuits, tastiest cakes, most luxurious desserts and gooiest dipping sauces make it into our Seriously range. The Seriously range will take desserts to a new level of indulgence unparalleled by other supermarkets.

PORTOMASO

ST. JULIAN’S VICTORIA

GOZO

October 2010. An exclusive range of gourmet food that combines Heston Blumenthal’s magic with Waitrose quality. Together Heston and Waitrose have created some iconic “must-have” seasonal product.

LOVE Life is a range of delicious and nutritionally balanced

If you’re a masterchef or a culinery novice, our range of Cooks’ Ingredients provide everything you’ll need to create some meal time magic.

sively available in Malta & Gozo at Arkadia Foodstore

Merry-Merry Mince Pies Christmas and sweet mincemeat do go hand in hand. We enjoy these wonderful mince pies thanks to the British influence that was passed onto us. Nothing beats homemade mincemeat, however, good quality readymade mincemeat is easily found at all Arkadia Foodstore. So, let’s spice up those mince pies and take it a step further this Christmas! Ho Ho Ho…… Merry Mince Pies! mincemeat chelsea buns

on a lined (with baking paper) baking tray. Cover and leave to rest for about 30-40 min (until they double in size). Brush gently with some milk and bake in a hot oven set on 200°C for about 35 minutes.

Ingredients 500 Grams Strong Flour 1 Pinch of Salt 1 Tbsp Sugar 150ml Warm Milk 1 Egg 100ml Warm Water 1 Knob of Soft Butter 1 Sachet Instant Yeast (11 Grams) 1 Tbsp Caraway Seeds mincemeat chelsea buns

Method Mix the flour, salt, yeast and caraway seeds together, add the yeast and mix. Mix together the egg, water and milk and stir into the flour. Add the knob of butter and mix everything together. Turn onto a clean floured surface and bring dough together and knead for ten minutes until he dough is soft and stretchy. Place in a clean bowl, and cover with tea towel. Rest until it doubles in size (about 11/2 hrs).

Knock down, stand for a few minutes and roll open into a large rectangle. Spread a jar of mincemeat over it and roll. Cut the roll into 12 even pieces and place

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Make a sugar wash, by boiling 4 tbsp of sugar and 4 tbsp of water together. Take the bread out of oven after 35 minutes, brush and bake for another 10 minutes.

mincemeat and guinness biscuits Ingredients 200 Grams Plain Flour 100 Grams Ground Almonds 1 Egg 5 Tbsp of Guinness 3 Tbsp of Ginger Preserve ½ Tsp of Mixed Spice 1 Tsp of Bicarbonate Of Soda Some Orange Zest

Method Sieve flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl, add the ground almonds and mixed spice and mix well. Add about 1 teaspoon of grated orange zest.

Make a well in the centre and add the Guinness, ginger preserve and egg. Bring the biscuit dough together. Divide the mix into even amounts and roll each biscuit into a ball, then flatten it and make a dent in the centre. Place onto a lined baking tray and scoop a small teaspoon of mincemeat into the centre of each biscuit. Bake in a hot oven set on 180°C, until the base of the biscuits are golden brown (about 15 -20 minutes).

classic spiced meringue mince pies Ingredients 200 Grams Plain Flour 50 Grams Ground Almonds 100 Grams Light Brown Sugar 100 Grams Butter 2 Small Eggs Some Lemon Juice

mincemeat and guinness biscuits

Method Rub in the butter into the flour. Add the sugar and the ground almonds. Add the egg and enough lemon juice (if needed) to bring dough together. Wrap in cling film and rest in fridge for at least 30 min.

Roll out and cut into discs and line a lightly floured muffin tray. Fill with mincemeat and bake in a hot oven for around 25 min (check that the base of mince pies is golden). Remove from tin and cool. To make the meringue, beat 3 egg whites and ¼ tsp cream of tartare until they are nearly soft peaks, add 180grams of light brown sugar (gradually) and ½ tsp of mixed spice and continue to beat until glossy, firm peaks.

Using a clean piping bag, pipe the meringue onto each mince pie. Using a pastry blow torch, ‘burn’ the meringues until evenly golden.

Alternatively, bake for 10 min in a hot oven set on 160°C.

classic spiced meringue mince pies

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fairy oat biscuits

A Jar Full of

Goodness!

A prettily layered, colourful, interesting, delicious, sweet Christmas gift. How wonderful! A simple sweet thought to give to your loved ones this festive season. All they have to do is add the few extra ingredients, mix well, pour into a baking tin (or cups! or form into cookies!) and bake. The kitchen shall be filled with that ‘just baked’ aroma! Make sure you stick a label on with instructions on what needs to go in!

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white chocolate, coconut and cranberry cake

tripe chocolate and marshmallow cupcakes

white chocolate, coconut and cranberry cake

120 Grams Milk Chocolate – Chunks 75 Grams Mini Marshmallows

IN THE JAR 200 Grams Self Raising Flour 1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda 100 Grams Coconut 200 Grams Sugar 35 Grams Poppy Seeds 150 Grams Dried Cranberries 200 Grams White Chocolate - Into Chunks ON THE LABEL 2 Eggs Some Grated Lemon Zest 150ml Milk 150ml Melted Butter Mix wet ingredients into the dry until evenly combined. Pour into a lined cake tin and bake for 55 minutes or until metal skewer comes out clean, in a hot oven set on 180°C.

tripe chocolate and marshmallow cupcakes IN THE JAR 200g Self Raising Flour 100g Cocoa Powder 1 Tsp Bicarb of Soda 200g Dark Brown Sugar 120 Grams Dark Chocolate – Chunks

ON THE LABEL 2 Eggs 150ml Vegetable Oil 120ml Milk Mix wet ingredients into the dry until evenly combined. Pour into a lined cupcake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until metal skewer comes out clean, in a hot oven set on 180°C.

fairy oat biscuits IN THE JAR 75 Grams Rolled Oats 130 Grams Brown Sugar 200 Grams Plain Flour 1 Tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda 40 Grams Sprinkles (Coloured Hundreds & Thousands) 115 Grams Smarties (3 Tubs) ON THE LABEL 100g Soft Butter Few Drops of Vanilla Essence 2 Eggs Mix wet ingredients into the dry until evenly combined.

Spoon even amounts into a lined baking tray and bake for 13-16 minutes in a hot oven set on 180°C.

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Surviving

the holiday season The holiday season is soon among us. Soon we will be running from one Christmas party to the next. Without knowing it will be January and your clothes will be tighter and you will be looking for latest fad diet to help you get back into shape.

Why not do it differently this year and be a bit more proactive when it comes to your eating habits over the Christmas season?

By Carla Vella

Here are a couple of tips to help you make sure that you don't go on that binge diet in 2014 1 Finger food You can't always control what you are given to eat at a party but do your utmost to avoid starchy carbohydrate and fried foods. Always opt for cleaner options and there are always cleaner options. A sandwich is better than a mini pizza!

If you are hosting a party, think of clean options like chicken skewers, vegetable dippers, hummus, wholemeal wraps, etc..

2 Moderation If you know you are going to be eating a lot of unclean food be sure to treat that meal as cheat meal.

Remember that finger food can trick you into eating more. So watch how many portions you are eating and don’t overdo it. Do you need 5 sausage rolls, 3 mini pizza and 2 pastizzi? Also keep in mind that just because you paid for a 7 course buffet you do not need to overload you plate and eat until you feel like a stuffed pig. Eat and enjoy the food in moderation!

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3 Keep up the exercise During the winter months it is always more tempting to curl up on the sofa and watch TV than go for a walk or to the gym, and this becomes progressively worse during the Christmas period.

Make a plan to keep up your exercise during the Christmas period. Pencil in the parties you plan to attend and work your exercise routine around these events. Make time for yourself and your body will thank you later.

4 Alcohol Drinking during the holiday period is almost a given, but alcohol is full of calories. So as good as those coctails taste, keep in mind that they are full of sugar and are probably worth a full meal in terms of your daily calorie count. Have one or two and put it down to a cheat meal.

Be a foodie.

And a healthie.

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PORTOMASO

ST. JULIAN’S VICTORIA

GOZO the foodie - 15

Introducing

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PORTOMASO

ST. JULIAN’S VICTORIA

GOZO