FOODIST JULY 2016 ISSUE 2

July 2016 / Issue 02

Cheers for cocktails / Summer recipes / Tasting Tokyo / Street Food

MALTA’S NEW SHOPPING

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WELCOME

And here’s the second course

OUR first issue of Foodist had everything that a good starter

should have: the openness to engage in pleasant conversation with your appetite, well-sourced and fresh ingredients, and plenty of packed goodness which left you hungry for more.

And so, here is the second course: the second issue of Foodist continues where we left off in the last issue, with plenty of travel, testing and tasting.

In this issue of Foodist, Jamie Iain Genovese drives around Malta, chasing some of the best food trucks on the island. He especially enjoys a pulled beef sandwich from Eat, the taco thrills of Solo Taco and the oriental tastes from Eat Street.

From street food, we upgrade to Michelin-star fare, as we interview Philippe Braun, the Joel Robuchon protégé who is now cooking at his own restaurant, Chez Fifi in Toulouse.

You can never know everything about food – every dish always takes you on a journey of discovery. In this issue of Foodist, we

report on a very interesting tasting which combined burgers with

wine. Sounds strange, but it’s actually delicious.

We were also present at the Park Towers and Fifth Flavour Catering cooking classes, which laid a delicious Indian spread.

Learn how to make onion bhaji, a beef, chickpea and spinach curry, cucumber raita and fragrant pilau rice.

That’s not our only Indian offering in this issue as Trevor Dianco writes about the health, and taste, benefits of turmeric.

If you’re in the mood to cook – you always are – then enjoy our full menu of delicious recipes, from lamb kofta and Moroccan chicken burger to orange, passion fruit and chocolate.

READ ON AND ENJOY

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Editor Anthony P. Bernard anthony@becommunications.com Design & Art Direction Peresso Design Studio www.peresso.webflow.io / m. 9925 8825 Printing Print It

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Foodist is published by Be Communications Ltd, No. 81, Howard Street, Sliema, Malta SLM 1754 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission. Opinions expressed in Money are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

All reasonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the editor and publishers cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in articles, advertising, photographs or illustrations.

Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome but cannot be returned without a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The editor is not responsible for material submitted for consideration.

Cover photo Jamie Iain Genovese Shot on location at Electro Lobster Project

CONTENTS

Eat religiously

July 2016 / Issue 02

08 Tasty Tokyo

12 The colours Braun

16 Taste overtake

21 Match winners

26 The science of food

33 Cook on the bright side

35 Find your favourite Frostino

37 Sweets for my sweet

38 Taste ahoy

40 Stand up for this sit down feast

42 It takes three summer dishes to tango

45 Cheese & onion tartlets

46 A touch of glass

50 India calling

58 Labelling art

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TRAVEL

Tasty Tokyo

Alex Mattei takes a foodie tour of Tokyo.

ALEX MATTEI

Cherry blossom in Tokyo

Ginza - Downtown shopping district

Celebrating the Spring festival

The legendary Shibuya crossroads

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Sakura Sakura Restaurant

A fabulous little restaurant with a great chef who is proud of his dishes and has a great depth of understanding.

2 -20-10, Akasaka Minato-Ku, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan

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+81 3-3583-3132 Sashimi on ice

2

La Bombance

LA Bombance, a Michelin star restaurant that showcases Japanese-French fusion. The tasting menus are accompanied by sake pairing. Be prepared for a food adventure.

3

Tsujiki Fish Market

TSUJIKI Fish Market. Worth the early morning wake

2 Chome-26-21 Nishiazabu, Minato, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan

up call for the busy, bustling market. Be respectful when walking around as this is a busy work place. A wonderful place to see all sort of seafood and the care given to it.

Spend time in the surrounding area where you can shop and have lunch. The market is due to move to another area so check the new location before your trip.

+81 3-5778-6511 www.bombance.com

4

Supermarkets

VISIT any upmarket supermarket, many of which are underground near the entrance and exit of tube stations, and discover thousands of new ingredients.

Maltese tuna

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TRAVEL 6

YakitoriMeo GRILLED CHICKEN RESTAURANT

THIS particular place is extremely popular. Yakitori restaurants serve chicken and every part of it in a variety of ways. This place is particularly good.

3-8-12 Roppongi, Minato, Japan

5

Traditional Noodle Bar

+81 50-5590-1705

A noodle bar with a queue and you’ll probably find great noodles. There are many of these, all busy making fresh noodle from scratch.

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Code Name Mixology

THEY have an excellent selection of flavour themed cocktails, along with talented mixologists who will take what flavours you like and create a custom cocktail.

107-0052 Tokyo, Minato, Japan +81 3-6459-1129

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Kappabashi

VISIT Kappabashi, which literally means cooking town. This is a street full of cooking shops. Invest in some Japanese knives.

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Ginzafujita Restaurant

SUSHI and tempura served in a series of courses.

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Tea Shops

BUY some Japanese teas. There a several types including the famous matcha green tea.

8-8-7 Ginza ChuoTokyo, Japan +81 3-3572-5601 goo.gl/tbWA3C

INTERVIEW

The The colours colours Braun Braun Mona Farrugia travels to Toulouse

Mona travels to to meetFarrugia chef Philippe Braun.

Toulouse to meet chef Philippe Braun.

PHILIPPE BRAUN

ON social media, in the press, and on television, chefs have become

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celebrities. There is a much higher chance of ‘knowing’ people like Gordon Ramsay than having ever tried one of his dishes. People like Heston Blumenthal, Marco Pierre White and Adriano Zumbo court publicity and are a constant promotional presence on international food programs on the Food Network and on Masterchef Australia.

They certainly do not hide away in a relatively tiny restaurant in the pink French city of Toulouse. They do not have €49 threecourse menus and their wife does not run the front of house.

And yet that is what Philippe Braun is doing.

Philippe’s story is absolutely fascinating for its lack of knownname factor. Out of France, only people who are really in the know are aware of what he ‘used to do’. In Paris, Philippe’s name may be a little more diffused and his personal mobile number is on many a billionaire’s favourites list. In Toulouse, when I asked the hotel receptionist if she knew who was cooking around the corner, she stared at me as if I had just told her I saw Barack Obama in a backstreet kitchen.

Philippe is mostly known because of whose right hand he is: Joel Robuchon, the French chef with 25 Michelin stars under his apron and who in 1989, was titled ‘Chef of the Century’ by the guide Gault Millau.

Philippe’s story is beyond fascinating. Originally from Alsace, home of too many Michelin stars to mention, he attended the Ecole Hotelier de Nice and was chucked out after two years because “he would be no good”.

“I was good at school,” he tells me, “but I was a constant clown. I’d pick up my towel from the locker and go “I’m off to the beach!” Or I would constantly play table soccer and Atari games. This did not go down well. Catering schools were extremely strict.”

He started in the business because his uncle and aunt were restaurant people, eventually owning Le Crocodile, a large brasserie in Alsace. His uncle had one Michelin star and Philippe was unleashed on the front of house and the pastry section.

“The kitchens at the time were absolutely wild. Chefs would kick you, burn you, attack you with knives. Pastry was more civilised.”

“In 1978, I went to work in Burgundy at La Rotisserie des Chambertain in Gervais and the chef was Celine Meneveau, a rare one-star woman chef. She’d stand there making sauces with a burning cigarette hanging out of the corner of her mouth. Different times.

“In the 1980s I did more front of house jobs, then decided I wanted to go to Dusseldorf and my aunt and uncle found me a job in a one-star family restaurant at the Hotel Glottertal. We would

Ingredients

grow berries and grapes and raise pigs - we did everything from picking the fruit to slaughtering the animals and curing the meat.

The chef was German, always drunk and would sing Nazi songs to tease me. Of course, I am French.

“After that, I went back to my uncle at Le Crocodile. By now, the restaurant had three Michelin stars but I was called up for military service. In Nancy, I was assigned to training new recruits which was a crazy bureaucratic mistake. When they discovered what they had done, they moved me to cooking for the general as a private chef. We cooked for two people. Two! We spent the rest of the day playing tennis and having fun.

“I had already planned to go to England to learn English and the most Escoffier-like kitchen was, in 1993, at the Connaught with Michel Bordain, previously of Maxime’s in Paris. A hell of a lot of technical skill was required but we were 100 chefs for 80 seats and a 40-seat grill room. The wastage was incredible. We would clarify consommé with truffles. Anything the diner asked for, we would fly in from wherever. If we made a tiny mistake on 20 lobster, we’d throw the lot away. The chef would write new menus by hand daily. What we did not sell, the staff got or we threw away.

Imagine 30, 40 kilos of truffle – we would dice them, chop them and generally do crazy things, treat them like potato.

“After this, I had planned to join the three-star Maison Pic, run

by Anne Sophie’s father Jacques. Then my uncle suggested I join this new young chef called Joel Robuchon at Restaurant Jamin in Paris. Mr Robuchon (in spite of being his right arm for the best of 35 years, Braun still calls him ‘Mr Robuchon’) achieved three stars in three years and he had a five-year waiting list for trainees. I got in.

It was fantastic.

“Mr Robuchon’s standards and expectations of us were sky high.

It was the ultimate experience. We did not count hours. We did not even have a work schedule. We so wanted to learn we’d turn up at 6am. It was a perfect combination of competition and team work.

He was always human but expected so much.

“After a year and a half, I wanted to go to the US, so Mr Robuchon proposed me as the chef of Nico in Mexico City, where he had been head chef. Nico was a chain of high-end restaurants belonging to JAL – Japan Airlines.

“That’s where I met Alma. I was head chef and she was assistant to the HR director. There was no Michelin in Mexico so Nico had no stars. Obviously the standards were still high.”

In fact, Philippe and Alma have a very rare thing in the catering

1ltr of Mutti tomato polpa

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 red pepper

4 slices of bread

1/2 onion

salt and pepper

1 celery

Method Peel the garlic and onion. Blend all ingredients, except the bread and 1tb spoon of olive oil in a blender until smooth and creamy. Cut the bread slices into cubes and toast in a frying pan with a little olive oil and salt to taste. Serve into bowl and add the toasted bread cubes.

Sole Distributors: Carmelo Abela Marketing Ltd, Triq L-Intornjatur, Imriehel By-Pass, Birkirkara t. +356 2148 0201 | e. info@abelamkt.com

INTERVIEW

industry: a very long-standing marriage. As I talk to him, they still kiss and do silly teenage stuff without a speck of fakery.

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“We got married four years later and returned together to Paris. The plan was that we’d move to the country and I’d open a little restaurant there. However, Mr Robuchon gave me a reference for a head chef position at the Laurent, which belonged to Jimmy Goldsmith of Annabelle’s in London. I spent 10 years running that kitchen. It had two stars when I joined and I kept them for another 10 years.”

In 2000, Philippe started thinking about opening his own place.

“Not having enough funds, a customer wanted to back me. So we negotiated to and fro on a property we found but could not agree on a final price. We whittled the disagreement on a €2 million property to about a €75,000 difference until we made one final meeting to close the deal. That final meeting happened on September 11, 2001.

“That date was fateful. My financial supporter, and many other financial backers worldwide, were in a panic. He said he’d refer it to his bank and Benjamin de Rothschild, the bank’s owner but I wanted nothing to do with it. The deal fell through. So Mr Robuchon called me again. He had a proposition. It was l’Atelier.”

I have few claims to fame in my life although I have met some stratospherically famous people. I never gush and they fail to impress me most of the time. But the one time I did gush, goo and simper was when I met Joel Robuchon on a beach in Cannes for a conference.

“I’ve come up with this anti-Michelin idea for a restaurant,” he told me after I stopped whimpering and taking the equivalent of a 2002 selfie with him. “You must come. It will be open in a few months.

And when I went to Paris to eat at l’Atelier for the first time, it was Philippe who organised everything and welcomed me at the door. Philippe became the face of l’Atelier, travelling with Mr Robuchon, Eric le Cerf and Antoine Hernandez all over the world as they went from concept to execution in one year, a quarter of that taken to find the right location in Rue Montalembert, at the time a quiet, forgotten, posh Parisian suburb.

They opened l’Atelier in 2003, La Table in 2004, had their first star after a year (even though that was never the plan) and the second in 2006. In 2005 they opened L’Atelier Joel Robuchon Vegas, well before all the European big names swooped. In 2006 they opened in New York, in 2007 London and Hong Kong and in 2008, Taipei.

“I left in 2011. The way we work is that we don’t have an

organisational chart. We clean the toilets, manage the restaurants and write the recipes. We always treated it like a small family business –

we do what needs to be done. I was having a blast, an adventure, but after 10 years I felt I’d given the best of me and that I did not deserve all this money for a job which someone younger could invest more energy into.”

I found out he had opened Chez Fifi from the tweet of Gael Green, infamous American food writer and NYC restaurant critic: Joel Robuchon’s 26-year no#1 right hand, Philippe Braun leaves to open a mom-and-pop restaurant in Toulouse.

“Really?” Philippe asks me, four years later. “I’m not on Twitter, have no Facebook and do not even read Tripadvisor, ever. I came here for peace and quiet.”

So I flew up to try his food, expecting little, and he blew my mind.

The salmon tartare was packed with flavour and I want more, more and more, which would defy the whole purpose of a light starter.

It was topped with a melange of micro herbs and tiny matchsticks fashioned out of radish using particularly expensive Japanese knives.

A chestnut soup packed with textures – from velvet to crumble – followed and I wanted its recipe, its earthy sweetness repeated at home. Then the beef and Moroccan style carrots with orange, cinnamon and cumin arrived obviously with nobody asking how I want my meat.

Alma dashes up and down with perfect military precision in the dining room. The potato puree is the sublime, creamy recipe from l’Atelier. And yes, I ask Alma for more, only slightly embarrassed.

Philippe is lost in his kitchen, yet the biggest surprise, or maybe not, is that a year after opening Chez Fifi, Mr Robuchon, as reliably precise as ever with dates, called Philippe and asked him to start accompanying him a few times a year to the Ateliers, running Robuchon’s businesses around the world. So now he cooks, and periodically travels with the old team, doing what he has always done best.

I know Philippe always fronting l’Atelier. Always smart, always wonderfully helpful. Always professional, yet friendly, frankly, one of the best maitre d’s in the world, a rare feat for a chef with two Michelin stars.

When I go to the kitchen to kiss him goodbye after an amazing dinner, I hear a very clear, very strong “merde!” and it’s him.

Thankfully, he’s still a chef, a cook. Hidden away in a steaming little restaurant in Toulouse. But always a chef.

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STREETS

Taste overtake Jamie Iain Genovese gives the thumbs up to a fleet of street food trucks.

PHOTOS BY JAMIE IAIN GENOVESE

EAT

IN the last issue of Foodist, fellow writer Melanie Vella

began writing about the food trucks that have started to take to the Maltese roads. Now it’s my turn to cadge a tasty lift.

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Eat, found right at the entrance of Gnien tal-Gharusa, is thus far the only food truck I’m aware of that smokes food on location. I came across it once, making a mental note to come again, to eat there, and I did.

Since its debut six months ago, after about two years of prep work and restoration work on the truck David Gove bought on Maltapark, Eat’s Facebook page has reached just shy of 10,000 likes. The truck, which used to be a well-known pasta truck from Birkirkara, had spent 15 years in a garage, in a condition where by far the best part was the engine, which was still quite miraculously working. Being an original, BMC 2.2 engine means it’s quite the blessing. And now, there it sits with a valley view: coloured in a kind of pale turquoise, an almost steampunk looking smoker towed back, billowing away with its cherry, apple, or olive wood roasting in the interior

and decked out with spot-and-stainless steel interiors.

David used to run and manage the Kombi bar, a mobile and rentable bar experience that has serviced many events, from student parties to weddings. This means that while he doesn’t have a background in food service, he does possess a business and service acumen that is very self-evident in his current venture, which shall be expanding to consist of another truck.

The fact that he’s gotten this far (and cooked this well) by binge watching Food Network whenever he’s home is testament to the free-spirited nature of owning and running a food truck.

But then again, all the applications for and acquisitions of permits, months on end of time and money invested into bringing an ancient truck up to code, and dealing in the service industry kind of put a dampener on the whole thing. Still, it’s impressive.

Not that he does this alone. Besides

his employees, David Gove cites his wife Daphne as the biggest inspiration for what he does. They’re both self-taught, really, when it comes to food, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. People pulled off the main road as lunchtime approached, ordering various smoked meats, from beef to Italian sausage to what David calls Disney Turkey Legs, to be served in buns, ftajjar, or standalone. I ordered my pulled beef sandwich and sat down on the bench overlooking the valley.

What’s not to like?

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STREETS

SOLO TACO

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The next truck I checked out was Andrew McHarg’s Solo Taco which – if the name doesn’t give it away – sells Mexican food.

Much like David’s case, Andrew had an uphill battle of many months, over a year’s worth of prep work in order to get the truck, with redesigned stainless steel interiors, and business up and running.

He was originally meant to launch months ago, but due to a knee injury that required surgery, plans got pushed back a little bit. But he’s here now, running around and serving juicy and zesty flavoured taco-treats to whoever turns up, from his graffiti-laden truck, decked out by Danish street artist SeaPuppy.

Fundamentally, Andrew didn’t have a plan.

He’s worked at some restaurants, including the local establishment The Black Pig, but he knew he didn’t want to go into fine dining.

What he did know was that he wanted to run a food truck, but wasn’t particularly enamoured by or attached to any particular cuisine. In his head he played around with the idea of burgers or other good go-to ideas, but he felt that’s been done. Which, sure enough, he’s right about, so he looked at what isn’t quite there yet.

“People pulled off the main road as lunchtime approached, ordering various smoked meats”

Now, Andrew is quite aware he isn’t going to be the señor when it comes to Mexican food, he’s fully aware that he’s a young, halfMaltese-half-Scottish man with a truck, so there’s no haughty pretense of eating ‘real’ Mexican food. So it’s very much rooted in Mexican food, and the flavor profiles are definitely there, but there’s no strict canon on acceptable ingredients. I myself tried the duck confit taco. Now, I don’t think duck tacos are traditional, but it was tasty, served with spices and lime and a whole lot more. I quickly surrendered any expectations about canonical Mexican food and enjoyed what I

had, and I was all the more joyous for it.

But there are loads of foods and food-styles that aren’t really popular or overdone in Malta, so why tacos?

Well, the answer hit a little close to home. We both grew up on the foods depicted in the cartoons we watched.

Tacos, like pancakes, are a food I had long-imagined before ever tasting them myself. Andrew and I both agreed that they didn’t quite line up with expectations once we actually came into contact with them, somehow, but they were good nonetheless.

EAT STREET

The third truck I set out to see was Luke Coleiro’s Eat-Street, a bright orange street food truck generally found in the Ta’ Xbiex area. Fun factlet for you: Luke was supposed to buy the truck that Andrew McHarg ended up buying, and they were more or less going to launch at the same time. Of course, that didn’t happen, and Luke took on a discarded van that was previously used to transport people with mobility issues. Altered, of course, with a handmade wooden dashboard and updated cooking surfaces.

The story is that this all happened after Luke returned two years ago from a pretty long stint abroad, bouncing around different countries throughout the Pacific

and Indian Oceans, working odd jobs with chefs, picking up new tricks and skill in various parts of Asia and New Zealand and places in between.

The interesting thing about Eat Street is the dynamic menu. It changes: salads every two days during the summer months and hot meals every week or two weeks, and each time dishes originating from or based in different cultures such as dishes from the Phillipines, Vietnam, or even tuna poke salad from the US. Can’t say that that doesn’t keep things interesting.

While we might romanticise the idea of opening a food truck, living the life of an anti-establishment culinary artist on the road, not bound by restaurant owners or managers, unburdened to engage in the purest of pursuits for kitchenly passions, we should restrain ourselves. This isn’t quite like Jon Favreau 2014’s film Chef, which is more about movie studios than restaurants (although the analogy is sound). A lot of hard work, patience, and dedication goes directly into that truck, and it takes a lot of patience to see that kind of return.

But of course, we’re not bogged down with these concerns. Really, all we have to do is choose which one to go to first.

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Attard Food Ltd Tel: 21 23 Attard & Co. Food Ltd Tel: & 21Co. 237555 facebook.com/attardco facebook.com/attardcofood

TASTING

Match winners

PHOTOS BY TONIO LOMBARDI

Wine with burgers? Yes you can, as Foodist finds out.

THE idea of pairing wine with burgers

may sound strange at first. And yet, as a recent wine and burger pairing showed, it’s right on the taste buds.

The idea of this collaboration between Badass Burgers and Mirachem Marketing Limited was to pair two contrasting styles of gastronomy. The burger is going through a renaissance – from a cheap fast food option, burgers have achieved gourmet status, with various burger joints popping out of everywhere to compete with each other on who makes the best and more original burger.

Wine is also going through a renaissance. Whereas in the past, people who were into wine were considered wine snobs, with the rest drinking wine as a source of cheap alcohol, today the wine market changed completely. People

are appreciating good wine and the interest in learning more about wine is growing. Good wines are becoming more accessible, with people being introduced to good wines at a young age. Like burger joints, wine bars and restaurants are also on the increase.

So although contrasting, there are a lot of things in common between the burger and wine.

We chose five classic burgers: chicken, beef, lamb, salmon and vegan, each with different dressing and fillings. For wines, we had nine to choose from. These included three whites: a Vouvray from the Loire in France, a Puligny Montrachet from Burgundy in France, and a dry Riesling from Austria. The six reds included a Pinot Noir from Australia, a Malbec from Mendoza in Argentina, a Rioja

Reserva from Rioja in Spain, a Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany in Italy, a Cabernet Franc from the Stellenbosch region in South Africa and a Margaux Cru Bourgeois from Bordeaux in France.

We also needed a crew to decide which wines will pair best these burgers. We had Fabien Etienne, a professional sommelier for Iniala, with a vast experience having worked in top restaurants in London, Thailand and now working for Iniala in Malta. Matthew Ellul is a wine enthusiast and also a wine professional owning a popular wine and spirit shop and a boutique hotel in Valletta. Nicholai Grech is a wine importer, representing some of the best houses in the world – for Nicholai, wine is not only his passion but his job.

The wines for the tasting were from his portfolio at Mirachem Marketing Limited.

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TASTING TASTING

SACHA KINSER FOUNDER OF COLORMECASHMERE, ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE AT BE COMMUNICATIONS LTD.

Most memorable wine experience There are so many. For starters, I was in heaven when I got my first wine job at Vinoteca Wine Bar in Washington, DC where I had weeks of endless wine tasting and training. I would also have to say that passing the Court of Master Sommeliers Course with my boss and wine guru was an incredible experience as well.

Best wine ever tasted Well if I could remember I would tell you but instead I’ll just list a few of my sure favorites. For whites I would have to go with a fresh 2012 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling (Alsace, France) or for something a bit fuller, I love a rich and fruity 2014 Legado del Conde Albariño (Rias Baixas, Galicia, Spain). For reds, I’ll go for a plush, velvety 2010 Molly Dooker Carnival of Love Shiraz (McLaren Vale, Australia).

So ahead with the tasting.

The first burger on the table was a salmon burger with, avocado, rucola, honey and wholegrain mustard, lemon and lime zest, lettuce, cucumber and onion.

The ingredients on the burger immediately asked for a refreshing fruity wine. For this first pairing, we chose the Vouvray, Puligny Montrachet and the Riesling. Immediately it was a unanimous decision that the fresh fruity flavours of the Bougrier Vouvray matched perfectly this burger. The Pugliny Montrachet was a great wine however its strong flavours overpowered the burger. The Riesling, being high in acidity, clashed and was the worst match.

The second burger to be presented was the chicken burger, with Caesar sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and red onion.

We kept all the whites from the previous tasting and added the Australian pinot noir, since this usually matches very well with chicken dishes. Once again the Riesling’s high acidity made it a bad match. The challenge was between the Pinot Noir and the Pugliny Montrachet. The winner was the Albert Bichot Pugliny Montrachet, which is a 100 per cent chardonnay from Burgundy aged in oak.

The buttery element of the wine matched perfectly with the creamy texture in the dressing. The Pinot Noir will be a good option for someone who wants a red but it had a slight sweetness which lost its balance a little bit. The Caesar dressing was definitely

1 3

4 2

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an important factor to deciding the best wine to pair the burger.

The third burger was a vegan one made with a patty of beans, chickpeas, lentils, polenta and garlic. It was topped with Tofu, spicy tomatoes, chutney and red slaw.

The flavours of this burgers were stupendous. The sommelier recommended the Pinot Noir, Malbec, Rioja, Riesling and the Puligny Montrachet with this burger. All the reds were in good contention for the best match, however it was a tight match between the Pinot Noir and the Malbec. The elegant Bernard Magrez La Bienvenida Malbec had the right balance to make it the ideal match. The other wines were slightly overpowering or did not round our palates as good as the Malbec.

The fourth burger was the lamb burger, with tzatziki, rucola, lettuce, onion and tomato.

By now the effect of wine had started to kick on so we started to be a little more adventurous in our tasting. All the reds made it to the table. The tzatziki played an important part in our decision. It is a sauce made with yoghurt, garlic and cucumber, with goes perfectly well with lamb. The Chateau Angludet, a cru bourgeois from Margaux in Bordeaux, was an early contender, however it was quite neutral in taste. The Brunello di Montalcino was very powerful and did not go well with the

MATTHEW ELLUL DIRECTOR AT CASA ELLUL BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND ELLUL WINES SPIRITS CAFE

Most memorable wine experience Trip to Bordeaux 2014, where I visited some of best Chateaus in the region including Chateau Palmer, Chateau Figeac, Chateau Canon, Chateau Angludet, Chateau Lynch Bages.

Best wine ever tasted Chateau Margaux 1978, Margaux, Bordeaux.

tzatziki. The Rioja was also a decent match, however on tasting

5 6 1

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Hopler, Riesling, Burgenland, Austria

2. Famille Bougrier, Vouvray, Loire, France

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3. Albert Bichot, Puligny Montrachet, Burgundy, France

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4. Bernard Magrez ‘La Bienvenida’, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 5. Kwv ‘The Mentors’, Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch, South Africa 6. Tapanappa, Pinot Noir, Southern, Australia 7. Silvio Nardi, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy 8. Vina Salceda, Rioja Reserva, Rioja, Spain 9. Chateau Angludet, Margaux, Bordeaux, France 10 The Daddy, Beef Burger 11 Bean There, Ate That!, Vegan / Vegetarian Burger 12 The Bear Necessity, Salmon Burger 13 Caesar’s Chick, Chicken Burger

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14 Man The Lamb, Lamb Burger

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TASTING

FABIEN ETIENNE OPERATIONS MANAGER AND HEAD SOMMELIER AT INIALA

Most memorable wine experience Wine trip to Burgundy in 2010 where I had the chance to visit some of the best producers such as Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Domaine Bonneau du Martray, Prieure Roch, Armand Rousseau, Domaine Tollot-Beaut, Domaine MongeardMugneret.

Best wine ever tasted 1961 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux.

NICHOLAI GRECH WINE IMPORTER

Most memorable wine experience A private dinner at Chateau Palmer, where we had to opportunity to try some amazing wines.

Best wine ever tasted Chateau Palmer 1989.

24

the KWV The Mentors Cabernet Franc from South Africa, the vegetal, green pepper notes of the wine, was a perfect match.

The fifth and last burger, nicknamed ‘The Daddy’, was a beef burger with melted cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapenos, fresh pepper, BBQ sauce, crispy onion rings, lettuce and tomato. This was definitely the most flavoursome burger of the afternoon, yet also the toughest one the match. We had to try all the wine at our disposal to be able to come up with the best match. The jalapenos were proving to be the wine-killer, and one by one the wines which did not quite make it were removed, leaving us with the Cabernet Franc, Brunello di Montalcino, Rioja Reserva and the Pinot Noir to choose from. The opinions were quite mixed and we could not come to a mutual agreement, as had happened in the previous burgers. Some had the Cabernet Franc and the Brunello as their favourites, others the Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc.

However one wine which was common in all pairings was the Cabernet Franc. This was the only wine which managed to be the best choice for two burgers: the lamb and beef burgers. One has to also mention that after having tasted the burger, it was agreed that probably the best match for The Daddy would be a Syrah from the South of France. Which means that we have to go back with a bottle of wine and try it with another juicy burger.

THE SUMMER KITCHEN With exotic new menus featuring dishes from all the corners of the Mediterranean, enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks under the stars by our lush poolside gardens. Whether you fancy tossing the carbs with our mouth-watering salads or tucking into our traditionally stone baked pizzas, we look forward to welcoming you back.

Reservations required for tables of 12 guests and over.

Call The Summer Kitchen team on 21440301

CHEFS

The science of food Sergi Huerga Marin, executive chef and partner at Caviar & Bull and Buddhamann, puts molecular delight on a plate.

PHOTOS BY JAMIE IAIN GENOVESE

1

Steak tartare Made with black angus beef, black summer trues and foie gras snow, the steak tartare is semi-frozen on the outside with liquid nitrogen and covered with salted caramel.

26

Trained by Michelin star chefs, Sergi Huerga Marin, 25, is the executive chef and partner at Caviar & Bull and Buddhamann restaurants. Born in Barcelona, Sergi has worked in seven dierent Michelin star restaurants in Spain, including Mugaritz, El Bulli, Nerua, Aligue, Guggenheim and Tickets.

27 follow Foodist on Facebook to get these recipes fb.com/foodistmag

CHEFS

2

Rabbit cannelloni Rabbit confit wrapped in beetroot, rabbit glace, topped with rabbit kidney, rabbit brain and potato soue. This is plated on a pate made with rabbit liver and brandy.

28

3

Mango and white chocolate mousse ravioli Pistachio praline, pistachio sand, passion fruit coulis, raspberry and aged balsamic sorbet accompanied by a rose merengue.

29

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FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH

Cook on the bright side

TREVOR DIACONO

Trevor Diacono is a local entrepreneur and founder of Pure. Pure is a company that is dedicated to helping people achieve a healthy lifestyle. He is a food guru who creates dishes not only to tantalise your taste buds, but also fill your body with goodness.

Trevor Diacono adds spice to life: turmeric.

PHOTOS BY JAMIE IAIN GENOVESE

TURMERIC is a lovely bright golden spice that

is mainly imported from India. It forms part of the ginger family and has been a staple in Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cooking for thousands of years Ayurvedic and Chinese medicines use turmeric to clear infections and inflammations on the inside and outside of the body. But beyond the holistic health community, western medical practitioners have only recently come on board in recognising the health benefits of this wonder spice.

IN ROOT HEALTH With its wonderfully earthy and exotic flavour, turmeric comes with many health benefits. It has strong antioxidant properties and is one of the most potent natural anti-inflammatories. It can also provides relief against headaches and helps with sprains, strains and other issues related to inflammation. Some studies suggest turmeric also helps prevent cancer.

You can find turmeric powder in most local supermarkets. However if you want to fully benefit from its amazing properties I suggest you to use fresh turmeric. You will find fresh turmeric in some leading supermarkets and vegetables stores. Be careful of where you store the turmeric – its colour is so strong that it can dye whatever in comes in contact with. So watch out for your clothes, dish towels, and even wooden spoons.

Curcumin, the component of turmeric, has been shown to be an extremely effective natural mood enhancer.

MAKE SURE YOU’RE USING THE RIGHT TURMERIC Impressed with this miracle root? From scrambled eggs and curry to dips and soups, this spice will add variety and flavour to your everyday cooking.

Turmeric and pistachio dip

METHOD Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend. If you’d like the dip to be sweeter, add a few pitted medjool dates. Plate and enjoy.

serves

x4

difficulty level

easy

15 min.

YOU NEED 1 knuckle of fresh

1tsp cumin

turmeric

1 to 2tsp tamari

4 tablespoons of hemp

¼ cup cherry tomatoes

seed or flaxseed oil

Juice of one lemon

½ cup pistachio nuts

Black pepper to taste

2 garlic cloves

1 handful fresh parsley

33

Trade enquiries: CKV Marketing Ltd | t. 2144 5023 | m. 9949 3884 | e. ckv@maltanet.net

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DESSERT FACE OFF

Sweets for my sweet Three chefs battle it out in a dessert storm.

Raw Caramel Slice

By Emmeline Schembri from Theobroma

Desserts: hot, cold or both?

Our desserts are mainly cold as all of them are raw, with the exception of a few that have roasted nuts. We do this mainly to preserve the ingredients’ nutritional value.

buckwheat, a caramel made with macadamia nuts and cacao butter and a chocolate ganache made from cashew nuts, raw cacao powder and extra virgin coconut oil.

What is your best dessert?

It’s hard to pick a best dessert, as all are so different and popular in their own way. I think I would have to say one of our best is the caramel slice.

Many would probably want to eat it on their own. We get many customers though, who buy a dessert each and share. The caramel slice in particular is really satisfying and probably the best dessert to share.

What does it include?

We give importance to the ingredients that we use and source various products that are high quality, natural and organic. All desserts are vegan and gluten free.

The caramel slice has a base that is made mainly from

Ferrero Rocher French toast

By Nicholas Diacono from New York Best

Desserts: hot, cold or both?

Both for sure. But since Malta enjoys 30 degrees and more for half the year, warm desserts can be a bit too, well, warm.

What is your best dessert?

The brand new Ferrero Richer French Toast served with our ice cream.

What does it include?

An inch-thick sourdough French toast, crushed Ferrero Rocher and lots of cheeky sauces.

Your best dessert: to share or enjoy on your own?

Share.

NICHOLAS DIACONO

What skills are necessary to make this dessert?

A very expensive ice cream machine and some creativity.

Your best dessert: to share or enjoy on your own?

What skills are necessary to make this dessert?

Experience in making chocolate would help. Both the caramel and the ganache, although raw, need to be treated delicately as they can be over processed.

Kinder Sorpresa pancakes

By Daniel Grech from Shoreditch

Desserts: hot, cold or both?

Both.

DANIEL GRECH

What is your best dessert?

Our Kinder Sorpresa pancakes.

What do they include?

Light and fluffy pancakes, our Shoreditch secret sauce, crushed Ferrero biscuits and a Kinder Sorpresa egg.

To share or enjoy on your own?

To share but some people love it so much they just want the whole dessert for their own.

What skills are necessary to make this dessert?

A perfect texture for the pancake and a good tempering for the chocolate.

37

RECIPES

Finding Flavour CHARLOT AGIUS

Fifth Flavour Catering executive chef Charlot Agius shows his skills in the kitchen.

PHOTOS BY JAMIE IAIN GENOVESE

Turmeric yogurt

Harissa yogurt

Humus

Yoghurt ice cream with bee pollen Lamb Kofte Chickpea, Sundried Tomatoes & Red Onion Salad

Cucumber raita yogurt

Tabbouleh

Chickpea, Sundried Tomatoes & Red Onion Salad METHOD Finely chop the red onion. Slice the sundried tomatoes and the yellow pepper. Mix all the ingredients together.

serves

x12

difficulty level

easy

15 min.

METHOD

Soak the bulgur wheat in cold water for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile chop the tomatoes into small cubes. Rinse the bulgur and mix with the tomatoes. Leave for 30 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients.

serves

x12

YOU NEED 38

Tabbouleh

difficulty level

medium

45 min.

YOU NEED

1kg chickpea

100g yellow pepper

360g medium bulgur

12 lemons

200g red onion

Parsley

1.5kg wheat

Spring onions

200g sundried tomatoes

Salt

5g tomatoes

Parsley

100ml sundried tomato oil

Pepper

2.5g cinnamon

Mint

3 all spice

Olive oil

Dips METHOD Mix all the ingredients together.

serves

x6

difficulty level

easy

05 min.

Lamb Kofte

Cucumber Raita Yogurt

METHOD

YOU NEED 50g cucumber pieces

2.5g ground cumin

100g yogurt

Pinch salt and pepper

Turmeric Yogurt YOU NEED 100g yogurt

Pinch salt and pepper

Toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, black peppercorns onion flakes and garlic flakes.

Blend in until you achieve a powder and mix into the turmeric. Place the minced lamb into a mixing bowl and add the spice mix, breadcrumbs, lemon juice and fresh herbs – mix all ingredients well. Portion into 50g balls and shape into nigiri/sausage like portions. Place on a tray with baking sheet and cover with cling film and freeze. Grill on the grill to give some griddle lines and parcook in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

5g turmeric serves

x6

Harissa Yogurt

difficulty level

medium

20 min.

YOU NEED

YOU NEED

1kg lamb mince

5g black pepper corns

30g cumin seeds

15g turmeric

15g coriander seeds

1/2 lemon juice

Hummus

5g cardamom pods

100g breadcrumbs

YOU NEED

5g cloves

60g parsley

100g yogurt

Pinch salt and pepper

10g harissa

500g chickpeas

1 tbsp cumin 15g

15g onion flakes

60g coriander

100g tahini paste

1 tsp coriander 5g

5g garlic flakes

2 eggs

1 clove of garlic

50ml oliver oil

5g salt

1 lemon’s juice and zest

Pinch of salt and pepper

Yoghurt ice cream with bee pollen METHOD Heat half the yoghurt. Add the Glucose and sugar till dissolved. Remove from heat and add the rest of the yoghurt. Churn in an ice cream maker until consistently frozen but soft.

serves

x12

difficulty level

easy

2-3 hours

39

YOU NEED 1kg fresh yoghurt

25g glucose

278g sugar

30g bee pollen

RECIPES

Stand up for this sit down feast

Chef Adrian Buttigieg from the Le Méridien St Julian’s Hotel & Spa is right on course with a special three-course dinner.

PHOTOS BY JAMIE IAIN GENOVESE

Duo of Black an gus beef, variation s in vegetables, port wine jus

ADRIAN BUTTIGIEG

METHOD

serves

x2

difficulty level

hard

2-3 hours

YOU NEED 700g beef fillet

4 baby carrots

300g beef shin

8 baby asparagus

Mirepoix

2 cabbage leaves

300ml beef stock

1 egg

100ml port wine

Fluor

1 zucchini

Breadcrumbs

Beef fillet Cut into four portions, seal in a hot oiled non-stick pan, and finish off with a knob of butter. Cook to your liking in the oven and season to taste

Beef shin Pan-sear the beef shin in a hot oiled non-stick pan, add the mire poix, transfer into a dish with 500ml beef stock and 250ml red wine and roast for 3hours. When ready flake the beef, let it cool, and form into a ball shape. Pass through flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fry in hot oil or fryer Vegetables As per next to the ingredients Jus Reduce the Port wine by half, add the beef stock and re-reduce by half. After reducing the liquor, whilst boiling add cold butter knobs and whisk till desired consistency is achieved Garnish plate with some micro cress leaves and local extra virgin olive oil

Oran ge, passion fruit and chocolate, wild berries and carameliz ed haz elnuts serves

x2

difficulty level

hard

1-2 hours

YOU NEED

40

4 fresh oranges

150g dark chocolate

Icing sugar

110g unsalted butter

250g fresh cream

Olive oil

340g sugar

150g cream cheese

Hazelnuts

4 eggs

4 gelatine leaves

Sugar

100g orange juice

Sugar

Butter

50g passion fruit pulp

Strawberries

Pinch salt

Raspberries

Pan seared bass, local prawn, citrus and summer harvest salad 40 min.

serves

x2

difficulty level

medium

YOU NEED 1 sea bass

Mangetout

4 prawns

Pea shoots

1 orange

Silver onions

1 lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Peas

Rock salt

Radishes

METHOD Sea-bass Put a non-stick pan on low heat, and cook the fish on low heat.

When ready, season with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice and salt. Serve warm.

Prawns Heat a non-stick pan, put oil,

seal the prawns, and finish off with a knob of butter. Finish off with some extra virgin oil, fresh lemon juice and salt.

Vegetables and citrus Cut all according to preferred ways, and leave as much raw as possible. Marinade with seasoning and good olive oil.

METHOD Orange and passion fruit curd Remove the zest from the oranges with a vegetable peeler, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Add the sugar, passion fruit and pulse until the zest is very finely minced. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar/orange zest mixture and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the orange juice and salt.

Mix until combined. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. The orange curd will be ready when it coats a spoon, and it will register about 175 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Be careful not to overcook,

or it will curdle. Remove from the heat and let cool or refrigerate. Set the orange curd in a mould.

Chocolate cheese mousse Melt the chocolate on bain-marie. Whip the fresh cream, and when stiff bind in the cream cheese. Add the cooled down chocolate and the melted gelatine leaves.

Pour into desired moulds and leave them to set in a refrigerator.

Berries Pour olive oil in a warm pan, toss the berries and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Hazelnuts Make a caramel with some sugar, add the hazelnuts in the caramel, and add some butter knobs. Transfer on a baking sheet in an air tight container.

41

RECIPES

It takes three summer dishes to tango Chef Jonathan Zammit from the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa in Attard turns up the summer heat with a Moroccan chicken burger, a fresh salad and a knickerbocker glory.

JONATHAN ZAMMIT

PHOTOS BY JAMIE IAIN GENOVESE

Moroccan chicken bu rger, spicy serves

x4

sau ce and home-made crisps

difficulty level

hard

40 min.

YOU NEED For the burger patties

For the Vegetable crisps

454 gr ground chicken breast

200gr lotus

½ red onion finely chopped

200gr red beetroot

1 garlic clove finely chopped

200gr sweet potato

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

Salt

½ teaspoon cumin ground

For the Spicy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

¼ lebneh or Greek yoghurt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon lemon zest

Pinch nutmeg

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger

¼ smoked paprika

½ teaspoon lemon zest

¼ teaspoon sriracha sauce

1 teaspoon freshly chopped coriander

Salt and pepper more to taste

METHOD 42

In a large bowl combine the ground chicken with all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Form into four patties. If the chicken mixture is sticky, wet your hands before forming each patty. Grease the grill and heat to medium heat. Place the burgers onto the grill and cook for six to seven minutes on each side, or until fully cooked through. While grilling, whisk the sauce ingredients together. Assemble the burgers and serve immediately. For the crisps, preheat the oven to 180ºC. Using a mandolin, slice each of the vegetables, place them on a baking tray, and drizzle with olive oil, keeping them separate. Place in the oven for six to eight minutes until crispy. Season with salt and pepper.

Local F resh goat cheese with F reekeh salad, roasted honey and thyme heritage carrot serves

and preserved lemon dressing

For the preserved lemon dressing

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1 preserved lemon

1 spoon chopped parsley

7 table sppon extra virgin olive oil

2 heritage carrots

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 tbsp olive oil

½ teaspoon ground coriander

2 tbsp honey

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tbsp chopped thyme 4 fresh local goat cheese Pomegranate Water melon cut into cubes marinated with balsamic vinegar

Knickerbocker g lory

YOU NEED A variety of chopped fruit* Vanilla ice cream Fruit syrup Whipped cream

difficulty level

medium

60 min.

METHOD

YOU NEED 1 cup uncooked freekeh

x4

Cook the freekeh according to package directions. Set aside to cool to room temperature, or place in the fridge.

In a large bowl, combine the freekeh, lemon zest, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Trim the tops and ends of the carrots, peel and slice lengthwise. Spread carrots across baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, maple and sprinkle with chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 175ºC and roast the carrots for 45 to 50 minutes, until tender and caramelised. Rinse the preserved lemons in water, drain, and cut in half. Remove the seeds and flesh from half of the lemon and chop the rind into little pieces.

Remove the seeds from the remaining lemon half and add to the bowl of a food processor along with the olive oil, cumin, coriander, and pepper; process until pureed. If the dressing seems too thick, add water to reach desired consistency. Stir in the preserved rind. Plate including the local goat cheese, pomegranate and watermelon.

METHOD Get a tall glass, like the type traditionally used to serve milk shakes. Chop the fruit into small slices or pieces. Ideally use colourful fruits like peaches, grapes, strawberries, melon or banana. Place these in the base of the glass. Add the ice cream and drizzle with fruit sauce.

Top with thick whipped cream. Put a cherry on top and add an ice cream wafer. Other toppings could include nuts or more fruit sauce. Serve chilled.

Cherry compote Ice cream wafer Nuts (optional) * strawberries, bananas, melon, grapes and peaches

serves

x4

difficulty level

medium

20 min.

43

Welcome to Britain’s Favourite Cheese

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Cheese & Onion Tartlets serves

x4

difficulty level

medium

75 min.

YOU NEED 25g butter 2 red onions, thinly sliced 1 large white onion, finely chopped Salt and ground black pepper 375g pack ready rolled short crust pastry 330ml crème fraîche 3 medium eggs Pinch grated nutmeg 150g Cathedral City Cheddar, grated

METHOD Melt the butter in a large pan. Add all the onions and season, then cover and cook gently for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are very soft and starting to caramelise. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Unroll the pastry then roll out on a lightly floured surface and use to line 4-6 small tart cases. Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 10 minutes then lift out the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Place the crème fraîche, eggs and nutmeg in a large bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper and whisk together. Stir in the caramelised onions and half the cheese, and pour the mixture into the pastry case. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the surface is golden and the filling set, serve warm with a tomato salad.

45

COCKTAILS

A touch of glass Say cheers to ELP’s signature cocktails.

PHOTOS BY JAMIE IAIN GENOVESE

Sorbet Rossini YOU NEED METHOD Add all ingredients in shaker with four to five ice cubes and shake until chilled. Strain into a champagne flute and top up with rose champagne.

½ scoop local strawberries sorbet * 10ml vermentino wine 20ml St Germain elderflower liqueur 10ml lime juice

Sorbets

Mango Bellini METHOD 46

Add all ingredients in shaker with four to five ice cubes and shake until chilled. Strain into a champagne flute and top up with rose champagne.

YOU NEED ½ scoop Malaysian mango sorbet * 10ml vermentino wine 15ml lychee liqueur 10ml lime juice

* made just with zucchero d’uva

Chili Flower METHOD Fill a large glass with ice cubes. Add all ingredients, except the dark rum, and top with prosecco. Slowly pour infused rum over the drink to make it float and garnish with a basil leaf.

YOU NEED

Funk

25ml chili and basil infused vodka 15ml Bajtra liqueur (prickly pear liqueur)

METHOD

10ml St Germain elderflower liqueur

Place the cucumber in a pre-chilled rock glass and muddle until it releases all juices. Add all ingredients and ice cubes and mix. Top with ginger ale and garnish with cucumber wheel.

10ml sweet and sour mix 45ml Prosecco Dark rum infused with rosemary

YOU NEED 35ml Irish whisky 15ml sweet and sour 25ml Bajtra liqueur 3-4 fresh cucumber wheels Ginger ale

ELP Signatures 47

COCKTAILS

Four gin & tonics 1

48

2

50ml Bulldog gin

50ml Hendrick’s gin

Liquorice bitters

Pink peppercorns

Cinnamon stick

Fresh cucumber

Thomas Henry Cherry Blossom tonic water

Original tonic water

3

4

50ml Silent Pool gin

50 Martin Miller’s gin

Dried hibiscus flowers

2 dashes tonic bitters

1 basil leaf

Lime wedge

2 dashes Tahitian vanilla infused gin

Orange peel

Thomas Henry elderflower tonic water

Thomas Henry Grape fruit lemonade

49

PROMO

India calling

ALEX MATTEI

CHARLO AGIUS

PHOTOS BY TONIO LOMBARDI

LAST April, Park Towers Supermarkets in collaboration with Fifth Flavour Catering, Marsovin Wines and Foodist offered customers free cooking classes on Indian food at their St Venera outlet.

Indian cuisine encompasses a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate, culture, ethnic group and occupations, these cuisines vary significantly from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits. Indian food is also heavily influenced by religious and cultural choices and traditions. There has also been Central Asian influence on North Indian cuisine from the years of Mughal rule.

Indian cuisine has been and is still evolving, as a result of the nation’s cultural interactions with other societies. Historical incidents such as foreign invasions, trade relations and colonialism have also played a role in introducing certain foods to India.

For instance, the potato, a staple of the Indian diet, arrived in India courtesy of the Portuguese, who also introduced chillies and breadfruit. Indian cuisine has also shaped the history of international relations: the spice trade between India and Europe is often cited by historians as the primary catalyst for Europe’s Age of Discovery. Spices were bought from India and traded around Europe and Asia. It has also influenced other cuisines across the world, especially those from Southeast Asia, the British Isles, Fiji and the Caribbean.

Wine specialist Mr. Bernard Muscat from Cassar Camilleri Ltd paired a selection of premium Marsovin wines with every dish.

Bernard Muscat, Cassar Camilleri Ltd

YOU NEED

onion bhaji

360g onion, thickly chopped

METHOD Prepare the batter by mixing all ingredients together. Add the batter to the remaining ingredients, mix and leave to rest overnight. Spoon the mixture into the fryer and fry until golden. Drain. Before serving, heat on a tray in a preheated oven at 180˚C for about seven minutes.

50g fresh coriander 15g nigella seeds For the batter 240g chickpea flower 2 whole eggs 5g ground cumin 8g salt 20g tandoori powder

50 serves

x8

difficulty level

medium

45 min.

75 to 125ml water 140g red onion puree

beef, chickpea and spinach curry METHOD Mix all the ingredients together and divide into two: half to marinate the beef and the other half to cook as the base of the curry. Marinate the beef with half of the spice mix for 24 hours. Heat the vegetable oil and sauté the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli until golden. Add the spice mix and cook for about three minutes. Add the meat and brown. Add the spinach, chickpeas and mix. Add the cloves, bay leaves and cardamom pods. Add the stock, bring to the boil, lower heat and simmer for three to four hours until beef is soft. To finish add coconut milk, bring to the boil and simmer slightly to thicken.

difficulty level

05 min.

difficulty level

40 min.

serves

x6

easy

YOU NEED 1.25kg stewing beef 125g canned chickpeas 10 cardamom pods 1ltr coconut milk 250g frozen spinach 100ml vegetable oil 200g red onion 120g garlic 100g ginger paste 30g green chilli 5g black pepper 10g salt 5g chilli powder 30g ground cumin 30g turmeric 30g sweet paprika 15g garam masala 15 cloves 6 bay leaves

fragrant pilau rice METHOD Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Rinse the rice well and drain.

In a large casserole melt two-thirds of the butter and sauté the onion for about five minutes. Add the rice, stir well, then add the herbs, whole spices and lemon zest and cook for one minute. Now pour in the boiling stock or water and mix into the rice, along with 1½ tsp sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Leave to stand for five minutes, then remove the lid and fork through the remaining butter until the rice is fluffy and separated.

serves

x6

easy

YOU NEED 500g basmati rice

2 cinnamon sticks

100g butter

8 cardamom pods, split open

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves

1 sprig fresh thyme

Lemon zest

2 bay leaves

1 litre chicken stock

51 51

PROMO

cucumber raita METHOD Wrap the grated cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze out any excess water. Mix together all the ingredients and serve chilled as an accompaniment to any curry or as a dip for poppadoms.

05 min.

serves

x6

difficulty level

easy

YOU NEED 250ml natural yoghurt

Salt

½ cucumber

1 green chilli

Handful mint leaves

NEXT

52

ICI LONDRES - Photographe : Elene Usdin

Butchery Class

Anthony Buttigieg from In House Butchers will be explaining the various cuts of meat and their respective uses whilst Chef Alex Mattei from Fifth Flavour will be discussing their respective culinary uses. Seating is on a first come basis and can be booked by calling Christine on 2737 8520 or email christine@myparktowers.com by July 25.

Park Towers Supemarket Psaila Str, Santa Venera

28 JULY

5:30PM

Encha nter la vie

T R E A T

A L C O H O L

R E S P O N S I B L Y

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T H I N K

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D R I N K

S E N S I B L Y

30/06/2016 16:25

Trade enquiries: CKV Marketing Ltd | t. 2144 5023 | m. 9949 3884 | e. ckv@maltanet.net

GADGETS

Kitchen confidential These gadgets will give you a helping hand in the kitchen.

WAKE UP AND SMELL… The six-cup Alessi Espresso Maker is

crafted from 18/10 mirror-polished stainless steel and is great for making delicious Italian coffee. Featuring a traditional design, it makes up to six cups of espresso-sized coffee at a time.

ICE, ICE BABY The Sage Smart Scoop ice cream maker comes with one important endorsement: that of Heston Blumenthal. Enough said.

Includes pre-set programme settings to make great sorbet, frozen yoghurt and ice cream.

PUMP UP THE JAM Kilner’s red enamel eight-litre jam pan is your perfect companion for making jams. It has an easy to carry handle and pouring lip which makes it easier to move a large batch of jam.

THE FIRST CUT

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The Global Sai three-piece starter knife set has a useful combination of a 7.5-inch santoku knife with a utility knife and a parer. Each knife has a supersharp and long-lasting blade with a core of Cromova 18 stainless steel clad with an extra layer of stainless steel on each side. Made in Japan, Global Sai cutlery has a lifetime warranty with normal use and proper care.

MAGIC LIQUID Delonghi’s chrome-finished Dedica is the perfect fit for your kitchen. At just 15cm wide, it’s one of the slimmest out there, taking up little space on the worktop, yet it still houses a Thermoblock heating system that heats water to exactly the right temperature for brewing coffee without scalding the grounds

BE SENSIBLE This sensor bin by Simplehuman has multi-sense technology that reacts and adapts to your behaviour so it won’t open unexpectedly or close before you’ve finished your task. The slim, space-saving shape makes the most of tight spaces and the butterfly lid design opens from the centre for maximum efficiency and clearance under low countertops.

TRUE BRIT Aspinal of London’s Brit classic hip flask is a classic must have for any outdoor pursuits.

SHAKE IT UP This beaten metal copper cocktail shaker

by Casa Couture is a great addition to any home. Become the mixologist you have always dreamed of and shake up your favourite cocktail in style.

A WAY WITH WINE The Le Creuset Wine Accessories Essentials Set is perfect for discerning wine lovers, to enjoy opening, serving and preserving wine at its best. The set includes corkscrew, matching foil cutter, wine aerator and pourer as well as a wine pump and three stoppers.

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FOODIST OUTLETS

Eat, drink and pick up a copy of Foodist magazine from these outlets.

FOOD FOR YOUR MOOD

A GREEN MENU

Giacomo’s Café Bistro, set in the heart of Sliema’s shopping district, brings together an interesting fusion of fresh Mediterranean food, international wines and signature drinks. With a flair for green living, Giacomo’s specialises in vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Giacomo’s Café Bistro, The Strand, Sliema. Tel: 2713 7407.

Café Jubilee is the place to eat and drink whatever the time of day and the mood you’re in. Gzira outlet is now offering takeaway delivery service also in the evenings from 6pm till 11pm, available in the localities of Gzira and surrounding areas.

A MATCH IN DELICIOUSNESS

Talbot & Bons offers a unique ambience in the Central part of Malta, at the Malta International Airport, SkyParks Business Centre. The wide variety of craft Italian beers, South Tyrol cider, organic soft drinks and juices as well as a varied food menu including salads, platters and their very well known burgers make this place ideal for business lunches, meeting friends as well as a relaxed dinner with your loved one!

A NATURAL APPROACH

At The Deli, ingredients are everything. The Deli stands behind sustainable and organic suppliers who are passionate about the quality of their products. The Deli grows its own organic ingredients at The Ladybird Farm in Dingli.

Every morning fresh produce is delivered to the store to ensure the freshest of food.

CHEERS TO A GREAT EXPERIENCE

The Master Cellar is determined to offer a bespoke and friendly experience within the pleasant interiors of their outlet, promising its patrons that feel good factor, whether buying a premium wine or a single malt, for the start to a great moment.

COOKED WITH PRIDE

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The Pulled Meat Company serves only the best slow cooked soul food from the heart of Valletta.

By soul food we mean food cooked with pride, using nothing but the best fresh ingredients.

Our menu will be updated daily with a variety of crunchy ftajjar, nutritious soups and fresh salads. Follow us on Facebook for updates where we would love to hear your feedback.

CHEERS TO FOOD AND WINE

Good wine deserves good food and at Sistina Wine & Co. you will find an extensive wine selection to pair with a small but diverse menu offering flavours from around the globe. Sistina Wine & Co. is now also offering a special lunch menu with a difference.

For more information visit www.sistinawineco.com.

BEAN THERE

ROCKSALT

The Rocksalt concept was developed by a mixed group of professionals that are also dedicated foodies and wine lovers. The concept is simple – top quality food, top quality wines and drinks, top quality service and top quality designed ambience with impeccable attention to detail.

REACH FOR THIS SHORE

Shoreditch Bar & Kitchen is situated in the heart of the Maltese nightlife. Shoreditch is the ideal place to have a great meal and enjoy a pint of lager.

Voted best coffee shop chain in Southern Europe at the Allegra European coffee awards, Costa Coffee is now offering its freshly ground Mocha Italia coffee in two two new, welcoming stores in Marsaxlokk and St Julian’s.

Follow Costa Coffee on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

MY WAY

Serving the best of New York Cities most recognised eats, without having to fly across the Atlantic! Pizza, burger, hot dogs and shakes, all made from scratch with exclusively procured ingredients. New York Best offers a cool alternative vibe and recently added cheeky cocktail menu!

Four locations to choose from.

Follow us on Facebook.

DAY AND NIGHT EXPERIENCE

C&S Wine Café is a chic café by day and wine bar by night. They also offer a tasty selection of healthy dishes and freshly made salads and their signature house specials and platters. Now open in Portomaso, the Malta Intl. Airport and the Vivaldi Hotel in St Julians.

HEALTHY LIFE

Pure brings you delicious and healthy raw cold pressed juices, super food smoothies, gluten and lactose free desserts, home made nut milks and other healthy foods.

Pure also specialises in juice cleanses.

Pure Living, Windsor Street, Sliema.

THE ART OF FINE DINING

Perched on Mdina’s centuries-old bastions, within the Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux, awarded the runner-up for the best boutique dining hotel in the world, the de Mondion offers a unique fine dining experience, enhanced by truly spectacular panoramic views, charming features and elegant surroundings. For bookings call 2145 0560 or e-mail info@xarapalace.com.mt. For more information visit www.xarapalace.com.mt.

ELECTRO LOBSTER PROJECT

Lobster is the specialty at Electro Lobster Project in Balluta Buildings, Sliema. The rest of the menu is classic Sicilian, with lots of fresh fish, quality meats, vegetarian and vegan options. Fresh smoothies and juices, a large selection of teas from RARE Tea Company, specialty coffees and daily changing desserts top the list of delights.

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ART

Labelling art Glenn Ellul

Andreas Azzopardi & Alisa Pavia

Six Maltese artists chosen to capture the art of Averna.

SIX Maltese artists were chosen to capture the Art of Averna in a campaign to promote the world-wide special edition release of Don Salvatore, an original recipe limited to only 1,868 bottles worldwide.

Young artists Nadine Noko, Glenn Ellul, Gulja Holland, Rebecca Bonaci and Alia Pavia and An-dreas Azzopardi, were each commissioned to produce an artwork in their style entitled The Art of Averna.

The rich story of Averna dates back to 1868, when Don Salvatore Averna, a successful textile merchant from Sicily, produced the first Amaro Averna for his household guests. The secret recipe of this herbal, alcoholic elixir was given to Don Salvatore by FrĂ Girolamo, a Benedictine friar, some years earlier.

A forgotten barrel of Amaro Averna crafted in its antique recipe with 34 per cent abv and laid for 21 months in oak has now been unveiled, limited to 1,868 individually numbered bottles world-wide.

Only 70 bottles of Don Salvatore are available for sale in Malta, giving only a few people the chance of a lifetime to taste the original recipe of their favourite digestivo.

Don Salvatore is available in Malta from Red October, Mdina Road, Qormi at â‚Ź70 per bottle. Only 70 bottles of limited edition Don Salvatore Averna are available in Malta.

Gulja Holland

Trade enquiries

2147 0400

redoctobermalta.com/averna-don-salvatore

fb.com/RedOctoberMalta

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Nadine Noko

Rebecca Bonaci

DICAL HOUSE • St. Anthony Street, Mosta • 2142 4601 • www.dicalhouse.com

EXPERIENCE LEISURE. PROPERLY.