TASTE&FLAIR DECEMBER 2020 CHRISTMAS EDITION

ISSUE 135 DISTRIBUTED WITH THE MALTA INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

DECEMBER 2020

Make it a Christmas to remember, in a year to forget.

Joinwell Mill Street, Qormi +356 2278 2000 info@joinwell.com.mt

www.joinwell.com.mt

T&F EDITORIAL

DECEMBER 2020

Welcome C

hristmas will be smaller and quieter this year, yet there’s joy to be had in the simplest of pleasures: a gift chosen with care, a meal prepared with love, a virtual drink shared with friends near and far. Food and drink have an almost magical ability to soothe and comfort, connecting us to absent others and to a time and place of belonging whether we’re dining at a restaurant infused with memories or preparing a home-cooked meal steeped in nostalgia. However you will spend your days, Taste&Flair’s Christmas issue has something for you: slow-cooked meals, perfect for a lazy lunch or long evening, warming drinks for a cosy night in, and the seasonal warmth baked into traditional Tuscan sweets and a medley of matcha-flavoured cakes and bakes. Read about the gradual transformation of a centuries-old house into a contemporary home with a feel for the past, the art and natural materials in a stylish interior, the millennia of history behind a perennially popular board game, and an artist’s tribute to the pursuit of truth.

To all our contributors, readers, and supporters: thank you for being with us all year. We wish you a peaceful and pleasant season.

If you missed any issue of Taste&Flair and want a copy, we may be able to help so please do get in touch with us by email, Messenger, or on Instagram.

Corinne

Michael Diacono’s Christmas Cake.

See feature starting on page 16. Photograph: Brian Grech

ISSUE 135 DISTRIBUTED WITH THE MALTA INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

Publisher The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation 56 Melita Street, Valletta VLT1122, Malta Editorial Board Paul Caruana Galizia Andrew Caruana Galizia Matthew Caruana Galizia Executive Editor Corinne Vella Editorial Assistants Megan Mallia • Amy Mallia Art Director Ramon Micallef +356 9949 1418 ram@box-design.net Advertising Manager & Editorial Contributor Sean Ellul +356 7921 0705 or 21 345 888 ext 123 sellul@independent.com.mt Advertising Assistant Christine Mifsud +356 21 345 888 ext 138 cmifsud@independent.com.mt Production Manager André Camilleri Production Assistant Conrad Bondin Prepress & Printing Print It All communication about Taste&Flair magazine should be directed to Corinne Vella at corinne.vella@gmail.com No part of any issue of Taste&Flair may be reproduced without the written prior agreement of the publisher.

Distributed with The Malta Independent on Sunday*.

The Malta Independent on Sunday is published by Standard Publications Ltd - Tel +356 21 345 888 *The surcharge on The Malta Independent on Sunday, or any charge for this magazine is retained by Standard Publications Ltd.

Gentile da Fabriano’s “Adoration of the Magi, was commissioned by Palla Strozzi for the family chapel in the church of Santa Trinita. The altarpiece, signed and dated 1423, is now in the collection of Florence’s Uffizzi Gallery.

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ISSUE 135 DECEMBER 2020

Follow Taste&Flair on

Joinwell Mill Street, Qormi +356 2278 2000 info@joinwell.com.mt www.joinwell.com.mt

T&F CONTENTS

p16

p36

CONTENTS

16

74

32

76

The night before Xmas Michael Diacono’s homemade gifts

Wines for special times Andrew Azzopardi’s seasonal selection

35 p48

Divine double chocolate Amy Mallia’s melt-in-themouth, moreish biscuits

36

Cold comfort Mandy Mallia’s drinks for cold nights

48

Chasing truth Ann Dingli on Gattaldo’s latest work

Palazzino on the piazza A centuries-old house brought back to life

88

City heights Colourful art and natural materials in a stunning interior

96

A look back in time Megan Mallia on an enduring pastime

Winter warmers Homely food for mellow evenings

63

Green goodness Claire Borg’s matcha bakes

p76 p63 6

ISSUE 135 DECEMBER 2020

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T&F DESIGN

New Bontempi Imperial Table. Defined by its statement base, the Imperial Table features an intertwining upper bracelet and lower bracelet frame which can also come in different finishes to create contrasts within the table. The table can be designed with an elliptical, barrel-shaped or rectangular top as well as with or without extensions.

The top is available in a range of veneer woods, edges, glass, and marble, as well as in SuperCeramic and SuperMarble. Elegant clean lines and timeless pieces are the signature of this high-end contemporary design house, and proudly showcased

by Joinwell in their Qormi showroom.

When designing the Fidelio series, Roberto Lazzeroni opted for a deliberately clean design combined with precious materials: formal simplicity and sophisticated finishes for a versatile collection that is easy to combine with all other Poltrona Frau furnishings. The collection ranges from drinks cabinets, to multimedia cabinets, side tables, consoles, sideboards and units for any room in the house. Available exclusively from Satariano, 122 Valley Road, Birkirkara. T.21492149.

Taking Centre Stage – New Gregory Collection by Flexform.

The Gregory sofa’s bold personality and exquisite proportions reveal sophisticated construction details that place it firmly centre stage in any living space. The Gregory seating system is perfectly poised between classicism and modernity and, thanks to its modular agility, sparks creativity in countless arrangements that can furnish the most diverse settings with style and elegance.

Available exclusively from Satariano, Valley Road, Birkirkara, T. 2149 2149.

Coco by LEDS C4, an organic piece with a light structure and warm glow, comes from a classic spherical lighting design gently moulded through gravity. The collection comprises a single pendant, a double pendant, and a chandelier with a metal structure and different globes in perfect harmony. Elegant, compositional and asymmetrical, Coco adapts to any space providing personality and a subtle sensation of weightlessness.

Available at Elektra Ltd. Qormi.

Silestone Seaport is one of the colours in the new Loft Collection. It reminds us of the small seaside district in southeastern Manhattan, where the past coexists peacefully alongside docks, restaurants and shops.

Exposed bricks, worn concrete and characteristic wood from the docks form a chromatic range that has inspired this colour. Thanks to the effect of its colour and shades, Seaport is very similar to dark, worn cement, and its striking white shades blend in perfectly with the background.

This colour is simply breathtaking.

Available from Halmann Vella. www.halmannvella.com

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T&F GIFTS

DELECTABLE

GIFTS Choosing gifts is as much fun as receiving them.

Here are some inspiring ideas for every budget.

Add a touch of Bohemian glamour to your space with this Cactus Lamp from Cosecasa. Brass colour paired with a silky white lampshade, this divine fixture will give your interior instant personality and an artistic flair. Shop directly from our website www.cosecasa.com or visit our shop: Cosecasa, 77 Three Churches Street, Balzan to discover more.

Côte Noire is a brand of beautiful life-like flowers, infused with luxurious scents of perfume. All scented flowers are intricately hand crafted and each flower arrangement comes with its own spray that mimics the scent of the flower itself, making it not only realistic to the eyes, but to your other senses as well. Côte Noire flowers are all wrapped up and prepared in a gorgeous gift box too. Shop online: https://www.greyandadler.com/cotenoire or visit Grey & Adler at their boutique in Naxxar.

Meridiana Wine Estate’s Nexus DOK Malta is a premium red wine made exclusively from hand-picked locally grown Merlot grapes. Nexus has a clear, deep, purplered colour; intense, ripe, cherry-plum aromas; and rich, well-structured, fruit flavours with soft tannins and a long finish.

For more information about Meridiana’s complete range of wines please visit www.meridiana.com.mt or you may also find us on Facebook.

Trade enquiries: S Rausi Trading, Stadium Street, Gzira. www.srausi.com

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Looking for a quick meal while shopping this Christmas? The Plaza Foodhall, which opened in 2019 in the belly of The Plaza shopping Centre, was designed to allow outlets and their chefs to showcase their unique or concept cuisines in the heart of busy Sliema without needing a fully-fledged restaurant. The Food hall currently hosts chefs cooking up dishes from all around the world including Peruvian, Asian, Hawaiian, Indian, Italian, Venezuelan, and more. We are always looking for fresh new ideas to join the family.

GIFTS T&F

Check out Cosecasa’s gift sets for coffee and tea lovers with a unique sense of style. Shop directly from our website www.cosecasa.com or visit our shop: Cosecasa, 77 Three Churches Street, Balzan to discover more.

This Christmas, gift your loved ones a fine wine that best suits their personality.

Ta’ Betta offers three wines, each uniquely inspired by Malta’s rich history and carefully crafted to express its own unique character.

Ta’ Betta also offers wine tasting vouchers, perfect for anyone who would like to enjoy the full experience of the estate.

Ta’ Betta wines are available to purchase directly from the winery and from a number of outlets and bottle shops. www.tabetta.com

Who doesn’t love picture frames? To us they’re the perfect way to showcase your favorite photos and - why not? - also your favorite quotes. They add dimension and layers to a space. You don’t need to fill every surface with picture frames, just display your cherished memories. Shop online: https://www.greyandadler.com/pictureframes or visit Grey & Adler at their boutique in Naxxar.

Apart from myriad exclusive foods and confectionery, Dical House, of Triq San Anton Abbati, Mosta, also boasts one of the best stocked wine and spirits cellars across the island with various quality labels and rare ones brought together in one precious space. One can decide to combine gifts according to taste and budget and also have these exclusive gifts delivered in Malta. Corporate clients can request a personalised meeting via email on foods@dicalgroup.com. A visit to the website www.dicalhouse.com will also help you gain insight to some of the festive items on offer. For the real deal, a visit to the flagship Store is a must. T.2142 4600/1. Covid-19 measures in place.

Sometimes, giving someone the perfect gift is all about adding a personal touch.

Tettiera have created numerous gift packs for this season and all year long and most of them can be customised to your wishes. Create your own gift packs by choosing from a wide selection of loose leaf teas, spices, herbs, botanicals, sparkling teas, tea accessories, various delicacies and tea infused beauty items. This holiday season, remind your loved ones how much you appreciate them with the gift of tea. Visit www.tettiera.com.

GRAN CAVALIER DOUBLE MAGNUM “OMG” is the spontaneous reaction to the unveiling of the majestic bottle that is Delicata’s double magnum (3 litres) of the winery’s Riżerva Gran Cavalier – Syrah, DOK Malta Superior, 2017. To emphasise the sheer quality and timelessness of this vintage, this limited edition release not only bears the signature of the winery’s patriarch V. George Delicata, but each bottle is also individually numbered, wax-sealed by hand, and presented in a bespoke wooden box, making it a true collector’s piece. Exclusively available online from www.delicata.com

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T&F GIFTS

Who doesn’t love a good throw blanket? When the cold weather hits, there’s just about nothing cosier than a thick knit throw draped across every corner of your home. This blanket from Cosecasa features a thick twisted knit that makes the overall blanket super plush while also contrasting nicely with the thinner edges. Shop directly from our website www.cosecasa.com or visit our shop: Cosecasa, 77 Three Churches Street, Balzan to discover more.

Valet Trays. A perfect catchall tray for any gentlemen’s accessories, trinkets and coins. Made from the finest of leathers, each valet tray is smart enough to be displayed or would make a perfect drawer organiser. Shop online: https://www.greyandadler. com/jewellerycases or visit Grey & Adler at their boutique in Naxxar.

2015 Tenuta di Trinoro ‘Campo di Magnacosta’ Toscana IGT The gorgeous 2015 Tenuta di Trinoro pours into the glass with dark, inky richness that is beautiful to behold. This wine is made primarily with Cabernet Franc but has some Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot mixed in as well. The warm growing season has conspired to create a rich and textured red wine with aromas of blackberry preserves, cherry confit and subtle baking spice. This is a charming and exuberant creation that is open and loud even at this very young stage in its long and promising lifespan. 2015 is one of the great vintages of Tenuta di Trinoro.

Abraham’s Supplies Co. Ltd. T. +356 2156 3231 viniecapricci@abrahams.com.mt www.viniecapricci.com

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If you’re on the hunt for bespoke personalised gifts and hampers filled with unusual premium quality and artisan products that truly stand out, then the Dical House flagship Store in Triq San Anton Abbati, Mosta is the place to visit. The outlet is open all day, every day during the festive season (half days on particular days like Christmas) and can also be easily found by means of google maps. Suggested hampers can be seen on the website www.dicalhouse.com but each one can be customised according to your taste and budget. Dical House hampers can also be delivered anywhere in Malta. Just be sure to think ahead to avoid disappointment as certain items will be gone by Christmas week. Contact details: T.21424600/1 foods@dicalgroup.com

Riviera Maison Room 48 Stool.

The Room 48 Stool is a seat and a pouf. On top of everything else it is a gorgeous piece of furniture to complement the living room.

Upholstered in handwoven Fine Tweed, a soft, velvet-like fabric with a tweed texture in a grey colour known as Pebbles, it has a metal frame with contrasting showing base which also includes RM’s brand plate. This 48cm by 48cm stool is also available in espresso colour. The Riviera Maison Room 48 Stool can be viewed at Joinwell’s Showroom in Qormi.

Treat yourself and your loved ones this Christmas season with the Bosch MES4000 Juicer – a high quality, heavy duty juicer that will preserve the vitamins in your fruit and vegetables while making the finest of juices. This is the perfect way to keep yourself healthy and keep up your New Year’s resolution to stay healthy. Visit Oxford House, Triq l-Imdina, Birkirkara from Monday to Friday from 9am-7pm or Saturday from 9am-1pm, or visit us online at www.oxfordhouse.com.mt

GIFTS T&F

Villeroy&Boch’s “Christmas Toys Memory” collection is designed to rekindle our childhood’s Christmas memories. This handpainted Santa enhances the mood by creating a festive feel with a tealight and adds to the cheer by playing “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”. This is a great way to complete any Christmas decoration. Discover Christmas through the eyes of a child and visit Joinwell Christmas shop this year.

The Red October Hamper Collection has a wide assortment of quality wines, premium spirits, scrumptious chocolates, mince pies and biscuits, and other savoury treats to choose from. Red October also offers bespoke hampers, individually gift-wrapped products and elegant wine boxes. They even have a Gourmet Hamper Collection consisting of an exclusive selection of premium wines and spirits, and a luxurious mix of sweet and savoury indulgences. Every hamper is wonderfully crafted, gift-packed and inclusive of delivery. A thoughtful and appetising gift that would certainly be appreciated and enjoyed long after it is received. The Red October Hamper Collection can be viewed and ordered online at www.redoctoberstore.com. For any further information contact Red October on 21470400 or info@redoct.net or via Facebook: facebook.com/RedOctoberMalta

If you’re looking for a special Whiskey gift set, Cosecasa is the right place. Bohemia Royal Crystal Whiskey 7-piece Set will impress any whiskey lover with its sophisticated and elegant design.

Shop directly from our website www.cosecasa.com or visit our shop: Cosecasa, 77 Three Churches Street, Balzan to discover more.

We at Strand Palace Agencies Ltd. can create the most delicious tailor-made hampers one could ask for, ranging from wines, biscuits, and chocolate, to meats, cheeses, and yummy treats. We will deliver straight to your door or, on your behalf, directly to someone special. Orders can be placed from the comfort of your own home. Order your hamper by visiting our Facebook page, calling Zoe Calleja on 21441768 or email zoe@strand.com.mt

Modern black & white wall clock from Cosecasa featuring a sleek touch of gold that exudes style and elegance. Shop directly from our website www.cosecasa.com or visit our shop: Cosecasa, 77 Three Churches Street, Balzan to discover more.

Located a few steps away from the magnificent St John’s Co-Cathedral, Cumberland Boutique Hotel places you right in the middle of Christmas. This gem allows you to retreat to your own private oasis surrounded by luxury and beauty. With rooms starting at €75.00 per night on B&B basis, enjoy this festive season in the capital city. Visit www.cumberlandhotel.com to discover more rooms and offers.

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PROMOTION T&F

Celebrate the Festive Season

the Grana Way There’s one thing that we can still enjoy this Christmas season – and that is great food, in a convivial and safe environment. Grana by The Neu Collective is offering all this, and more, with its signature Italian dishes, prepared the genuine way by a fantastic chef, Marco Lo Cascio, who stays true to his Italian roots while adding his own personal and delicious twist.

Enter Grana’s Party Meny, which can be enjoyed at our restaurant (with all the appropriate COVID-19 measures to set your mind at ease) or even ordered for delivery or pick-up. To make it superconvenient for you to enjoy our special menu wherever you are, we will also deliver to alternative venues such as offices.

At Grana, we pride ourselves on being Italian, authentic and friendly, so let the celebrations begin with a Festive Collection menu that you can build as you please. Choose from delectable savoury canapés, canap s, such as classic arancini, mini burgers, torta salata, bruschetta, pizzette and more.

As you can see, we stay true to the great Italian tradition, with a Christmas twist. Your reception will end in style with a selection of petits fours, such as the well-loved mille foglie, cannoli, bignet and other delectable choices. No matter where you choose to enjoy these offerings, a joyous festive spirit is guaranteed.

Grana is also offering special menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Once again, the focus is on true Italian flavours that will add an extra touch to any celebration, while satisfying even the most demanding of tastebuds.

For more information visit www.granamalta.com or call on 2016 5109.

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T&F CHRISTMAS

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CHRISTMAS T&F

The Night Before Christmas All the seasonal warmth you could want is baked into these sweets. Make a few to give away as Christmas gifts, or to share with family and friends at home.

Sweets by Michael Diacono, chef patron, Giuseppi’s Bar and Bistro Styling and photography: Brian Grech Wine recommendation: Andrew Azzopardi

“Every year, I prepare small bakes as gifts for family and close friends while my wife Janine seeks out pretty ribbons and eco-friendly paper and adornments with which to wrap and decorate these offerings.

Our dining table is usually transformed into a mini gift-wrapping service station, which gave me the idea for this Christmas feature. Let’s all remember that this season is going to be very hard for many and that a little something made with love and given as a personal thought may make all the difference to somebody.

Janine, myself and the boys wish you all the very best for Christmas, and pray for a much better year in 2021.”

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T&F CHRISTMAS

Panettone

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CHRISTMAS T&F

M

aking your own panettone is quite daunting and is a 2 to 3 day operation, but all home bakers should try this at least once. And what a gift to give - home baked panettone. The process comes in 5 long stages and needs to be staggered. Time is dictated by the panettone itself and how quickly or slowly the dough rises. A proving temperature of 27°C is ideal, but no one has a proving cupboard at home, so patience is one of the key ingredients in this recipe. This also makes us appreciate why artisanal panettone is sold at premium prices. Home baked panettone do not keep for long and should be eaten fresh. They may be heated up before serving. You will also need 2 panettone paper baking cases which you can find in good baking shops. A cooking probe thermometer would also be useful.

Makes 2 panettone • Preparation, proving and cooling: 2-3 days Recommended wine: Moscato D’Asti, It’s no wonder a bottle of Moscato d’Asti is often sold together with Panettone. It truly is a great a match.

Stage 1

Stage 3

Stage 5

20g strong bread flour 20g natural yeast 9g water

80g strong bread flour 80g natural yeast 34g water

Mix all the ingredients together in an electric mixer using the dough hook for 7 minutes. Leave the mixture to rise and triple in size. At 27°C this should take 3 hours but it will take longer at a lower temperature (up to 6 hours).

Repeat as above and leave the mixture to rise again till tripled in size.

100g strong bread flour 35g caster sugar 60g egg yolks 16g Maltese honey ½ a vanilla pod, seeds scraped out zest of ½ a Maltese orange zest of ½ a Maltese lemon 12g salt 60g butter, softened but not melted 200g candied citrus peel, chopped into small cubes 200g raisins

YOU WILL NEED:

Stage 2

YOU WILL NEED:

40g strong bread flour 40g natural yeast 17g water

When the first stage mixture has tripled in size, add the second stage ingredients to it.

Mix with the dough hook for 7 minutes, then leave it to rise again till tripled in volume. Again at 27°C this will take 3 hours, and longer at a lower temperature.

YOU WILL NEED:

Stage 4

YOU WILL NEED:

175g caster sugar 150g water 400g strong bread flour 200g egg yolks 190g of the stage-3 proved dough (mother dough) 170g butter, softened but not melted

1. Place the water and sugar

into a pot. Warm it to 28°C and stir it to dissolve the sugar. Add the flour and 100g of the egg yolks.

Transfer the mixture to a mixer and use the dough hook to knead it gently until it is smooth and elastic.

2. Add the 190g of mother

dough and the remaining 100g of egg yolk and mix everything until just combined. Next, add the soft butter slowly. Ideally the dough should be kept at 26°C to rise for 12 hours till tripled in size.

It will take much longer at lower temperatures.

YOU WILL NEED:

1. Add the flour to the risen

dough and use the dough hook to knead for 15 minutes. Add the sugar and egg yolks in three batches.

Make sure they are mixed in well before adding a batch.

2. Add the honey, vanilla, orange and lemon peel till well incorporated then add the salt and mix for 3 minutes.

3. Add the butter a teaspoon at a time and knead the dough slowly till it is elastic and shiny. Mix the candied peel and raisins together then tip them into the dough. Knead just to incorporate the ingredients then rest the dough for one hour, ideally at 27°C. At a lower temperature, let it rest for two hours.

4. Divide the dough into 2. Roll it just to shape it and then place it into the 2 panettone cases. Leave it to prove for another 6 hours at around 27°C. 5. Preheat the oven to

170°C / gas mark 4.

6. Bake the panettone for

approximately 50 mins to 1 hour till risen well and browned, but use a probe thermometer to check that the core has reached 94°C. The panettone needs to be hung upside down now and left to cool, as otherwise it will sink miserably.

7. Insert 2 knitting needles into the base and suspend the panettone between 2 chair backs.

Leave the panettone to cool completely.

ICING

40g ground almonds 40g ground hazelnuts 120g caster sugar 9g flour 2 teaspoons cocoa powder 2 teaspoons cornflour 50g egg white Almonds to top

Mix the icing ingredients together very well and lightly glaze the tops of the panettone.

Top with almonds.

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T&F CHRISTMAS

Spongata di Natale T

hese are an Italian version of the English mince pie - very fragrant and full of Christmas spices. If vacuum sealed, they will keep for months.

Makes approximately 8 pies Steeping time: 5 days Preparation and cooking: 5 hours Recommended wine: The honeyed, nutty and dried fruit flavours of Malvasia are a delightful pairing with rich, sticky-sweet Spongata.

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CHRISTMAS T&F

FILLING

250g toasted and peeled hazelnuts, chopped 100g lightly baked peeled almonds, chopped 50g walnut kernels, chopped 50g cashew nuts, chopped 50g pistachio nuts, chopped 100g fresh breadcrumbs 100g raisins dry white wine, just enough to cover raisins 500g honey 75g pine nuts 50g candied orange or lemon peel, chopped ½ teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1 pinch of salt PASTRY

1kg plain flour 400g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (very important) 400g sugar 200ml dry white wine 1 pinch of salt

1. Place the raisins into a small pot and add

just enough white wine to cover them.

Bring the pot to the boil then turn it off at once and let it stand for 1 hour.

2. Heat the oven to 180°C / gas mark 4. Spread

the breadcrumbs evenly over a large sheet pan and bake them till they are golden brown. Be careful to toss them occasionally so that they toast evenly and do not burn. This should take about 20 minutes. Set them aside to cool.

3. Place the honey into a pot and heat it up till just warm.

4. Put all the chopped nuts into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled breadcrumbs and mix them together thoroughly.

Drain the raisins, squeeze out any extra moisture, then add them to the nuts.

5. Now, start adding the rest of the ingredients,

mixing everything well after every addition: honey, pine nuts, candied peel, spices and salt. The final mixture will be thick and sticky.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it steep at room temperature for 5 days.

6. To prepare the pastry, sift the flour into your

electric mixing bowl to which you have attached the dough hook. Add the sugar and salt. With the mixer set to a low speed, add the softened butter and work it in. When the butter and flour are well amalgamated, slowly pour in the wine. Work the dough till it comes together.

Wrap it in cling film and let it rest for 1 hour.

7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of approximately 2mm and cut out 15cm circles. Top a pastry circle with the filling, leaving a 1cm edge all around, then cover it with another circle of dough.

Very gently use a rolling pin to flatten the pie slightly and remove any air bubbles, then press down all around the edge of the pastry and use the tines of a fork to seal it properly.

8. Preheat the oven to 200°C / gas mark 5.

9. Transfer the pies to flat baking sheets lined

with baking paper and bake them until they are a light golden colour. Depending on your oven, this will take 15-20 minutes. Transfer the pies to wire racks to cool down, and dust them with icing sugar before serving or wrapping.

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T&F CHRISTMAS

YOU WILL NEED:

450g whole glacé cherries 100g mixed, chopped candied peel 150ml cognac 150g dried apricots, halved 150g dried figs, roughly chopped 100g dried dates, roughly chopped 100g raisins 50g dried cranberries 225g whole blanched almonds 225g walnut kernels 60g shelled pistachio nuts 40g pine nuts 2 teaspoons butter, melted zest of 1 Maltese lemon zest of 1 Maltese orange 225g sifted plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 8 eggs, lightly beaten 100ml cognac or whisky to soak the cake after baking

1. The day before baking place the

whole glacé cherries and candied peel into a glass bowl. Add the cognac, stir, cover with cling film then leave in the fridge for 24 hours.

2. The next day prepare a large mixing bowl and add the steeped fruits with the liquor to it. Then simply start adding the rest of the ingredients, mixing as you go along till everything is well amalgamated.

3. Prepare two 23cm cake tins. I use cooking non-stick spray then I line the tins with baking paper. Heat the oven to 180°C / gas mark 4.

4. Fill the tins with the cake mixture.

Flatten the tops and cover them with baking paper. Bake for 30 minutes then remove the paper and cook for a further 30 minutes.

5. Test the cakes with a skewer.

When done, remove the cakes from the oven and pour 50ml cognac over each one while still hot. Let the cakes cool down before removing them from the tins.

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My Christmas Cake A

must-bake for us at Christmas and eagerly awaited by my father-in-law, Joe. It is extremely rich and bursting with fruits and nuts.

Makes two 23cm cakes Preparation and cooking: 120 minutes + 24hrs steeping time Recommended wine: A dark, intensely sweet Oloroso Sherry. I call this sherry wine ‘Christmas in a glass’ – what better pairing than with Christmas cake?

CHRISTMAS T&F

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T&F CHRISTMAS

Ricciarelli D

elicious and sweet almond cookies, so easy to make and sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. They will keep well in air tight containers for two weeks.

Makes approximately 20 biscuits Preparation and cooking 60 minutes + overnight resting time Recommended wine: Drink alongside a glass of Vin Santo and occasionally dip the ‘Ricciarelli’ into your glass for extra oomph.

YOU WILL NEED:

2 egg whites 1 teaspoon lemon juice 200g sifted icing sugar 200g finely and freshly ground peeled almonds pure extract of bitter almond 1 teaspoon pure extract of vanilla zest of 1 Maltese orange rice paper sheets icing sugar to dust

1. Whisk the egg whites with the

lemon juice till stiff, then very gently fold in the icing sugar and ground almonds by hand. Add a dash of almond extract (be careful when adding this as some extracts are quite strong, so use yours judiciously), the vanilla and the zest. Fold just enough to mix all the ingredients together.

Cover the bowl with cling film then leave it in the fridge for 24 hours.

2. The next day preheat oven to 160°C / gas mark 3.

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3. With slightly damp hands, form small balls out of the set dough then slightly flatten them into oval shapes. Place the shaped dough onto baking sheets lined with rice paper. Leave some space between them as they will expand. Dust well with icing sugar then bake for just 18 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before removing from the baking sheet as they will be very soft and only firm up after cooling. Remove any extra rice paper.

5. Dust with icing sugar before wrapping.

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T&F CHRISTMAS

Cavallucci di Siena T

hese small, chewy walnut biscuits may be wrapped up in little boxes as the perfect gift.

You will need a sugar thermometer for this recipe.

Makes approximately 20 cavallucci Preparation and cooking time: 60 minutes Recommended wine: Passito di Pantelleria, the more common Passito from Pantelleria bursting with Apricot and candied fruit flavour.

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CHRISTMAS T&F

YOU WILL NEED:

250g flour 00 ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1 pinch of salt 100g walnut kernels, chopped 100g candied orange peel ½ teaspoon anise seeds ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder 100ml water 150g caster sugar 50g flour + 50g icing sugar sifted together

1. Sift the 250g of flour, baking

powder and salt into a mixing bowl.

Add the walnuts, candied peel, seeds and cinnamon. Mix well.

2. Place the water into a pot and add the sugar. Set the pot on the heat and bring it to the boil. Keep heating the mixture till it reaches 120°C on your thermometer, then pour it at once over the flour mix and stir it in using a wooden spoon. (Be very careful with the syrup – hot sugar is very hot).

3. Let the mixture cool until it’s comfortable to handle, then knead it on a flat surface to bring the mixture all together.

4. Heat the oven to 150°C and line some sheet pans with baking paper.

5. Cut off small balls of dough and

form them into little cylinders.

Run them through the sifted flour and icing sugar mixture, then place them on the lined baking sheet. Pinch each piece with 2 fingers to form small indentations.

Leave some space between them as they will grow while baking.

6. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

The exact time will differ slightly from oven to oven.

7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and put the biscuits on a wire rack to cool completely before storing them in airtight containers. Give them a light dusting of icing sugar before wrapping or serving them.

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T&F CHRISTMAS

Sapori Cake

I

had first made this Christmas classic with my sister, Anna, many years ago. I will always miss her friendly and cheeky teasing and will never forget the day she poured a whole bowl of vanilla custard over my head as a form of payback for saying her cake was dry.

Makes two 20cm cakes • Preparation and cooking: 90 minutes Recommended wine: The honeyed notes from the Malvasia di Pantelleria should be perfectly match for the Sapori cake.

YOU WILL NEED:

225g plain flour 225g sugar 225g mixed candied peel 200g whole peeled almonds 25g shelled pistachio nuts 2 teaspoons mixed spice 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 heaped tablespoons honey Rice paper or two 20cm paper parchment baking cases 1 tablespoon icing sugar sifted with ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder to dust

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1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl

and add the sugar and candied peel. Mix, then add the almonds, pistachios and mixed spice and mix again. Finally, add the eggs and honey and stir them in well.

The mixture will be quite dense.

2. Oil two 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins and line them with rice paper, or use baking parchment cases which you simply fill.

3. Preheat the oven to 170°C / gas mark 3 4. Fill the tins or paper cases with the cake mixture and smoothen the surface.

Bake the cakes for 40 minutes until they turn golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out dry.

5. Let the cakes cool completely on a

wire rack then dust them with the sifted icing sugar and cinnamon. Store them in airtight containers till needed.

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T&F CHRISTMAS

Panpepato S

picy, peppery, nutty, citrussy, chocolatey and sweet – this is the whole festive season in one cake. Make at least two of these because you will surely want to keep one (or both) for yourself.

If well sealed, the cake will keep for up to a month.

Makes one 20 cm cake Preparation and cooking: 60 minutes Recommended wine: Barolo Chinato. A red sweet wine.

A beautiful combination of spicy sweetness and tannin will bring out the beautiful flavours Panpepato.

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YOU WILL NEED:

rice paper • 50g plain flour 40g dark unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon ground mace 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoon crushed pink pepper corns 200g candied orange peel, chopped 80g roasted almonds, chopped 80g roasted and peeled hazelnuts, chopped 80g walnut kernels, chopped 150g caster sugar • 150g honey TOPPING

100g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa content, as topping dried citrus fruit pink peppercorns

1. Oil a 20cm cake tin and line it with

baking paper, then with rice paper.

2. Preheat oven to 150°C / gas mark 2 3. Sift the flour and cocoa into a large mixing bowl. Add the spices, candied orange peel and nuts, and mix well.

4. Place the sugar, honey and 2 tablespoons of water into a saucepan and heat them up, stirring only until the sugar has dissolved.

Let the mixture boil until it reaches 120°C on your sugar thermometer, then immediately pour it over the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to quickly work it in.

5. Use an oiled spatula to transfer the

mixture into your cake tin and smoothen the surface. Bake the cake for 20 minutes then remove from the oven. It will still be soft but will firm up as it cools.

6. Melt the chocolate over a bain marie

and use to cover your cake. Decorate with some dried citrus and pink peppercorns before the chocolate sets.

T&F WINE

WINES FOR SPECIAL TIMES Christmas 2020 will be one to remember, with less socialising and fewer parties, but more time to remember what we are commemorating – the rebirth of joy and hope. Andrew Azzopardi on choosing a memorable bottle of wine as a gift or simply to celebrate at home.

T

he whole home-schooling, working-from-home scenario is hard. Just the notion of having to look after two incredibly active toddlers for a just a couple of days gives me palpitations, so when the proverbial hits the fan and the scenario turns to reality, like everyone else, I rolled up my sleeves and adapted. After learning how to deal with the embarrassing toddler-antics during one zoom meeting after another, and the difficulty of multi-tasking stressful business calls with emptying the dishwasher, I’m slowly getting used the new normal though I’m not sure I’ve really improved at multi-tasking.

Even though my routine has changed, it’s not all for the worse. I habitually keep up with the family through phone calls and messages and I find that I often speak to them more than I used to. Best of all, I get to spend more time with my wife and kids, and I’m loving it. Now with Christmas just around the corner and the reality that it will different to any I’ve ever experienced, I’m hellbent on making it as enjoyable as possible. We won’t be having parties and we won’t be travelling. Like so many, I’m planning a small immediate-family Christmas lunch with specially chosen wines that represent meaning and sentimental value. If I can’t travel to experience the world, I’m bringing the world to my dining room. But with so much to choose from, where do you begin to look for that special bottle?

Good quality wine is often considered to be the best expression of the land. Napa Valley wines have richness and warmth reminiscent of those Californian sunsets, while Champagne is evocative of crisp, yet heart-warming golden mornings.

California holds that special place in my heart.

I’ve already wiped the dust off of a bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon my wife and I brought down with us from our honeymoon. The Cabernet

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Sauvignon from particular wine cellars founded in 1970, is the one that put California on the wine map, and is an elegant representation of what made Napa Valley synonymous with great wines. The 1973 Stag’s Leap vintage went on to beat some of the most famous Bordeaux reds including Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion at the 1976 Judgement of Paris and should be the perfect highlight to open at our family lunch.

It’s not necessarily the country of origin that is central to choosing that special bottle. We often remember specific years in our life as truly memorable years - the year we turned 18, the year we graduated from university, got married, or possibly the year our children were born. I’ve already bought two premium bottles from 2016 and 2018 representing the birth of both my boys, but being way too young to drink, I’m saving these bottles to drink with each of them on their 18th birthdays. With a bit of skill and some luck, the value of the wine should appreciate tremendously.

That’s not the ultimate goal, but the moment of sharing a special bottle of wine from their birth year will be truly special.

Choosing a wine to save and drink in 18 years’ time is often costly, since a wine that ages gracefully for such a long time needs to be, at the very least, of extremely good quality and thus commanding higher prices. Sometimes we can get away with choosing lesser known producers, Châteaux or even premium wines from countries such as Chile or Argentina, which will be considerably less than say, Bordeaux or Tuscany. Occasionally, it’s possible to come across a bargain bottle that can really punch above its weight. Price is also dependent on the quality of the vintage year, especially for wines from Bordeaux or Burgundy where different vintages of the same wine can vary in price by hundreds or even thousands of euros.

WINE T&F

“If I can’t travel to experience the world, I’m bringing the world to my dining room” Finding and purchasing a specific vintage from yesteryear often requires some research. Firstly, the older the bottle, the higher the risk. If you’re looking to purchase a wine that is more than 15 or 20 years old, the risks are considerable. The risk increases exponentially when the conditions the wine was stored in are not guaranteed by the seller. It is never a good idea to buy that old, expensive bottle of wine from some random guy over the internet. It might have been stored in a kitchen cupboard next to the oven for the past thirty odd years.

For wines that are 30 or 40 years old or even older, residual sugar is your friend. Sauternes, Tokaji, Port, Passito or Sherry are exceptionally safe options. Sadly, vintage Port is only made in declared years, but a simple internet search should let you know if the vintage you want was a declared Port vintage. One of the great things about Port is that you don’t even need to drink the whole bottle on one or two nights but can often keep it for up to 3 or 4 days.

Past that, it doesn’t go bad, but it loses a lot of its bright and aromatic characters. Keep in mind that sweet wines are not necessarily only drunk with dessert but are equally delicious with savoury foods such as foie gras, blue cheeses, duck, veal and even oysters. One of my most memorable vintage Ports was a 1977 Ferreira vintage which I shared with my dad in front of the fireplace over a platter of leftover gammon and stilton from New Year’s Day. Oloroso or Pedro Ximenez Sherry is another of my favourite options when looking for an old vintage. Sadly, Sherry has the sad reputation that it all tastes of the dusty old bottled pale cream sherry you’ve had in your cupboard for years, that only your old aunty drinks once a year at Christmastime. Similar to Port, an opened bottle can last a few days, but I find a naturally sweet Pedro Ximenez is probably one of my go-to Christmas drinks, since I find the flavours of dates, walnuts, figs, and honey pair extremely well with dark chocolate. Together, you can expect a mouthful of rich, silky decadence. A half bottle of 1986 Pedro Ximenez is still quite

easily found at less than thirty euros a bottle and leaves you with the option of saving in the cellar for several years, or opening it now. Whichever option you choose, I’ll let you in on a little secret - it’s a delight poured over a simple bowl of vanilla ice-cream or drunk alongside. How’s that for value?

Indeed, choosing a special bottle of wine is a very personal choice. If you remember discovering that cheap bottle of wine on your honeymoon many years ago, it may well be the “special” wine to source for a perfect occasion with your loved one. If, on the other hand, you simply want a special bottle for the occasion, you can never go wrong with fizz, particularly Champagne. Synonymous with luxury since the 1800s and allegedly considered a “holy” wine used in the ceremony for the recently crowned King Clovis during his first Holy Communion back in the 5th century, Champagne is by far the single most chosen wine for celebration. It’s hard not to see why when it is visually and symbolically overflowing with abundance and joy. You can tell vintage champagne from the year of harvest which is always proudly exhibited on the label. Though this year might not be the opportune time to splurge a bit extra on vintage Champagne, the quality of Champagne in vintage bottles, which are only made in exceptional years, is nothing short of magnificent, but it’s an idea for better times. Younger vintages exude brilliance and freshness, whereas the older vintages radiate elegance and complexity like no other.

I think Christmas 2020 will be one to remember. A Christmas celebration with less socialising and fewer parties, but more time to remember what we are commemorating – the rebirth of joy and hope. Whether you are planning a zoom call with the extended family or meeting in small groups, it will be unique. What I am sure of is that what I will be saving on parties and drink, will be going towards that extra special wine I’m so excited to share with my family.

While wishing you and your families all the best for the festive season, do stay safe and drink responsibly. n

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We would like to wish our valued customers a joyful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Our head office and branches will be open throughout the festive season.

However we shall be closed on the following dates: 7th December, 24th December, 26th December all day & 31st December from 1:00pm - 5.15pm

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SWEET SNACKS T&F

DIVINE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE “We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams” Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Makes around 20 medium sized cookies Preparation and baking: 30 minutes YOU WILL NEED

300g sugar 225g unsalted butter, softened 2 large eggs 240g flour ¾ teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2/3 cup cocoa powder ¾ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 170g dark chocolate chunks

Cold spells call for baking, and more so when the Christmas season is tiptoeing ever closer. These cookies are fit for any occasion, even if it’s just a simple night in. Break them up and share them, or eat a whole disc of fudgy goodness yourself. But be warned: you’ll find yourself reaching for more. These heavenly chunky cookies just melt in the mouth. Savour them with tea or coffee or for extra-chocolatey goodness, with a mug of hot chocolate.

Baking: Amy Mallia • Photography: Megan Mallia

1. Preheat the oven to 177˚C /

gas mark 4 and line a couple of baking trays with baking paper.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and stir them together.

3. In another large bowl, beat the

butter and sugar until they are nicely light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs and vanilla and mix them in.

4. Now, add the dry mixture to the wet one, add the chocolate chunks, and stir everything together until all the ingredients are well combined.

5. Using two small spoons, scoop

up even dollops of cookie mixture and drop them onto the lined baking tray. Leave extra space around each one to allow the biscuit to spread while cooking.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for

around 10 minutes or until the dough sets. Remove the trays from the oven, allow the cookies to rest and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool down properly.

7. Store the biscuits in an airtight container, or serve them at once with your favourite drink.

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T&F DRINKS

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DRINKS T&F

Hot Drinks for Cold Nights

Warm up in cold weather with a hot drink or liquor, perfectly made for cosy nights in.

Drinks Mandy Mallia • Styling and photography Megan Mallia

Most of these drinks are made with alcohol. If you prefer sweet drinks, the pumpkin “latte” or hot choc shots can be enjoyed without any alcohol.

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For enquiries or to book your table please call 2157 4882 or email info@giuseppisrestaurant.com

80, South Street, Valletta 2124 2938

DRINKS T&F

Bay Leaf Liquor F

ragrant bay leaf liquor (“liquore all’alloro”) is Puglia’s equivalent of limoncello. I first came across a homemade version at one of our favourite little restaurants in Tuscany.

To make this this liquor, you will need fresh, young, vibrant green – and preferably still pliable - bay leaves.

The drier, more mature leaves will not render the colour, flavour, or aroma typical of this drink. The leaves need to be fresh. Prepacked, shop-bought leaves will not work at all.

Preparation of the liquor is quick.

The infusing and maturing processes take a little longer for the flavours to develop fully, but are well worth the wait. The liquor, once ready, may be stored at room temperature, but it is best served chilled, straight from the refrigerator or freezer.

You will need a leak-proof jar large enough to store the mixture in the first stage, and two flip-top one-litre bottles to hold the liquor as it matures.

Preparation and cooking: 1 hour 10 minutes + time to infuse and mature Yield: approximately two litres

INFUSION

700ml of unflavoured 100% grain alcohol, or a high-alcohol spirit like vodka 50-60 whole, fresh, young, organic bay leaves MATURATION

700ml water 560g sugar

1. Wash the freshly-cut, young

bay leaves well, and pat them dry with kitchen paper, leaving them whole. Squash each leaf gently in your hands, just enough to crush the leaf veins lightly to help the flavour seep into the alcohol.

2. Place the bay leaves into a large, clean jar, and pour in all the alcohol. Close the jar tightly, then shake it once or twice. Store the jar in a cool, dark place for 3-5 weeks, shaking it once daily.

3. After a few weeks, the alcohol will turn from golden to sage green colour , while the bay leaves will discolour. Wait at least three weeks before testing the infusion. When you are satisfied with the colour and the aroma, it’s time to add the syrup.

4. Put 560g of sugar into a large pot

and gradually add 700ml of water while stirring the mixture over a low heat until a runny syrup forms.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow the syrup to cool completely.

This should take around 30 minutes.

5. Using a fine mesh strainer lined

with a paper coffee filter, pour the alcohol into the cooled syrup and stir the mixture gently but well. Discard the leftover leaves.

6. Divide the mixture into two

one-litre flip-top bottles and store them upright in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks to allow the flavours to mature.

7. Before serving, lightly shake the bottle. Serve the liquor chilled, with or without ice.

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T&F DRINKS

Hot choc orange shots “If one swallows a cup of chocolate only three hours after a copious lunch, everything will be perfectly digested and there will still be room for dinner” Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Xocolātl “Chocolate” derives from Xocolātl, the term for cacao in Nahuatl, the lingua franca of central Mexico, where the cacao tree is native. The seeds were so valuable that the Aztecs used them as currency. In Mesoamerica, Xocolātl was served as a bitter drink flavoured with spices, several centuries BC. Around two thousand years later, Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a Spanish soldier under the command of the conquistador Hernán Cortés, described an encounter with the court of Montezuma: “From time to time they served him in cups of pure gold a certain drink made from cacao”.

T

his kind of rich hot chocolate takes me back a few decades to a family holiday in Italy, when we stopped at a lakeside café in Como for hot chocolate, a real treat at a time when chocolate imports were banned in Malta.

This version is rich enough for it to be enjoyed in small quantities, so it can be served in espresso cups. You could add a dash of chocolate liquor or whisky cream just before serving.

Preparation 10 minutes • Serves 3-4

YOU WILL NEED

250ml fresh single cream 75-100g dark chocolate, roughly grated zest of one Maltese orange chocolate liquor or whisky cream carob syrup (ġulepp tal-ħarrub - optional)

1. Pour the cream into a small

pan and stir in the orange zest.

Warm up the mixture over a low heat until it begins to boil, then remove the pan from the heat.

2. For a smoother drink, strain the boiling cream through a fine mesh sieve before adding the chocolate.

3. Add the grated chocolate to the warm cream. Keep stirring until the chocolate melts completely and the mixture begins to thicken slightly.

4. Add a splash of chocolate liquor or whisky cream, mix well and pour into espresso cups. Serve hot, with ġulepp tal-harrub as an optional sweetener.

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DRINKS T&F

Mulled Wine

If there is one warm drink that is synonymous with Christmastime, then it has got to be mulled wine. This is our version. The aquavit is optional.

Preparation: 15 minutes, plus infusion time Serves 8-10

Green cardamom Green cardamom is said to have grown in King Nebuchadnezzar’s Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It certainly is a spice fit for kings. After saffron and vanilla, cardamom is the third most costly spice in the world. Cardamom pods are the dried fruit of the perennial herb, Eletteria cardamomum, which grows in the rainforest of Southern India. The perfumed spice was first brought to Europe in the spice caravans from India, where it has grown for more than two millennia.

India is now the world’s largest producer of cardamom, which features widely in regional cuisine.

Cinnamon Cinnamon has been used since classical times for its perfuming quality. The spice is the inner bark of an evergreen laurel tree which is native to Sri Lanka. The stripped bark is left to dry in the sun, where it curls into the familiar quills. In his lost work, “On Drunkenness”, Aristotle said “Rhodian cups are made by boiling together myrrh, rushes, dill, saffron, balsam, cardamom, and cinnamom.

The liquor resulting form this is added to the wine and inhibits intoxication”.

YOU WILL NEED

700ml red wine 200ml Port 100ml aquavit (optional) 700ml water 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 Maltese orange, washed and sliced 3-4 whole cloves (or a pinch of ground cloves) 2 pinches of ground green cardamom 2 pinches of ground coriander ½ teaspoon ground fennel ½ teaspoon ground ginger

1. Put the spices, sugar,

water and sliced orange into a small pan over a low-to-medium heat.

Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat, and let the liquid simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Strain the liquid into a larger pot, discarding the residue and reserving the orange slices.

3. Add the red wine, Port and sugar to the liquid and heat it gently for 5 minutes without allowing it to boil. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

4. Remove the pan from heat.

If using aquavit, add it to the wine at this point, and stir.

5. Ladle the flavoured wine

into heatproof glasses and serve garnished with the reserved orange slices.

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T&F DRINKS

Spiced pomegranate punch

Rum Rum originated in the West Indies and was first recorded in Barbados in 1650. The liquor is distilled from molasses, the dense, fermentationready liquid residue left after sugar is crystallised from the juice of the sugarcane. Varying the type of yeast, the distillation method, and aging conditions, gives rum varieties their particular characteristics. Regular rations of rum were served to British sailors from the 18th century until 31 July 1970, when the three hundredyear-old tradition ended on what came to be known as “Black Tot Day.”

Illicium verum A compound embedded in the starlike fruit carpels of star anise is what gives the spice its warm aroma.

The Latin name, illicium verum, describes the spice beautifully: illicium means ‘allurement’. The evergreen star anise tree has been cultivated in Asia for more than 4,000 years, where it is widely used to add flavour to savoury dishes. In contrast, in Europe the spice is mostly used in drinks and confectionery.

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I

t takes little effort to prepare some warm, spiced pomegranate punch for cold winter evenings. Juice the pomegranates as you would an orange, using the back of a teaspoon to juice any stray arils.

Preparation: 15 minutes • Serves 3 YOU WILL NEED

250ml fresh pomegranate juice (approximately what you get from 1 large pomegranate) • 100ml rum 1 cinnamon stick • 1 star anise 2 teaspoons sugar • 250ml red wine

1. Put all the ingredients, bar the

rum, into a small pan. Set it on a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved completely.

2. Remove the pan from the heat, add the rum and stir. Wrap the pan in a clean dry cloth and let it stand for a minute or two for the flavours to infuse.

3. Remove and discard the star anise and the cinnamon stick.

Pour the warm punch into glasses and serve at once.

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T&F DRINKS

Pumpkin with Spices

Mystica fragrans Mystica fragrans (nutmeg) was brought to Europe by Arab merchants, who traded the spice throughout the Middle Ages. European aristocrats’ taste for luxury spurred demand for the rare spice and prompting a hunt for its origins and thereby control of the source of the lucrative trade. This led to bloody wars and enslavement of the native population of the Banda Islands of Maluku in Indonesia where mystica fragrans first grew. Nutmeg is now cultivated across the world from Indonesia to Grenada, where the national flag features a nutmeg at the hoist.

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W

hat better way to enjoy pumpkin on cold winter days than from a cup while curled up with a copy of Taste&Flair? This is our take on pumpkin spice latte – minus the coffee. You can enjoy this alcohol-free, or add a splash of coffee liquor just before serving.

Preparation: 15 minutes • Serves 2 YOU WILL NEED

1½ cups puréed cooked pumpkin 500ml fresh milk 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 pinches ground nutmeg 2 pinches ground cinnamon 2 pinches ground ginger 2 pinches ground cloves coffee liquor (optional) whipped cream for topping

1. Pour the milk into a pan and stir in

the puréed pumpkin. Add the sugar and spices and stir, warming the liquid over a low to medium heat until just before it starts to boil.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and let the liquid cool slightly.

3. Add a splash of coffee liquor and stir. Pour the warm liquid into cups, top with cream and serve at once.

ORDER ONLINE AT: PAOLA

www.piscopo.com.mt

Antonio Piscopo Wines & Spirits 117,Triq Haz-Zabbar, Paola Tel: 2169 7074

ST. PAUL’S BAY

Piscopo’s Cash and Carry Triq l-Erba’ Mwiezeb, St Paul’s Bay Tel: 2157 0375

Opening hours for December are as follows: Monday to Saturday: Sundays & Public Holidays: 8:00 am to 7:00 pm 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Email: cashandcarry@piscopo.com.mt

T&F COMFORT FOOD

Winter Warmers Amy and Mandy Mallia’s slow-cooked meals are perfect for a lazy Sunday lunch or a long evening at home.

Photography: Megan Mallia

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COMFORT FOOD T&F

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COMFORT FOOD T&F

Stuffed roast vegetables T

his is a slightly different take on the traditional stuffed marrows.

The vegetables can be cooked ahead and then heated for around ten minutes just before serving.

Preparation and cooking 2 hours 25 minutes Serves 3-4 YOU WILL NEED

3 large tomatoes 3 small zucchini 3 coloured bell peppers 250g minced pork 250g minced beef 2 medium red onions, peeled and grated 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped 150g Arborio rice, uncooked a splash of Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs 1 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons olive oil for the stuffing 3 tablespoons olive oil for basting 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 small lemon, juiced 200ml chicken stock salt and pepper, to taste

1. Grease a large oven dish and

preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Put the uncooked rice in a large bowl together with the minced pork and beef, grated onions, chopped garlic, paprika, fresh parsley, dried herbs, salt, pepper, a splash of Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well.

3. Wash the bell peppers, cut off their tops, and deseed them.

Remove any fleshy bits, and chop them up to add to the bowl of stuffing. Place the peppers in the greased oven dish, and set the pepper tops aside for now.

4. Wash the tomatoes, slice off their tops and set the trimmings aside.

Scoop out and chop the centre of the tomato flesh, reserving the resulting juice. Place half the tomato juice in a measuring jug and add the rest of the juice to the stuffing mix together with the chopped tomato flesh. Put the tomatoes in the oven dish with the bell peppers.

5. Wash the zucchini, trim the tops,

then, slicing lengthwise, remove a thin layer from each. Set the slices aside. Hollow out the zucchini with a teaspoon, finely chop the flesh and add it to the stuffing, mixing it in well. Put the hollowed-out zucchini in the oven dish with the rest of the vegetables.

6. Fill the vegetables evenly

with the stuffing mix and level it out. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt.

7. Add the lemon juice, melted butter, the remaining olive oil and the chicken stock to the jug of tomato juice. Mix lightly with a whisk, then pour the liquid over and around the prepared vegetables, and top with the reserved vegetable trimmings.

8. Roast the vegetables for 75-90

minutes, until they start to brown.

Turn the oven off and leave the vegetables inside for around 20 minutes before serving.

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COMFORT FOOD T&F

Beet greens risotto W

hen buying beetroots, choose ones with their large, luscious leaves attached. They’re edible and can be cooked into a risotto. The result’s delicious.

Preparation and cooking: 45 minutes Serves 4 YOU WILL NEED

1 bunch of fresh beet greens 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped a drizzle olive oil for frying a splash or two of water 500ml chicken stock 400g Arborio rice 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature 75g grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper, to taste TO GARNISH

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1. In a large pot, gently fry the

onion in a splash of olive oil.

2. Wash the beetroot leaves and stalks well. Set the stalks aside, then add the whole leaves and a splash of water to the pot with the onion and garlic.

3. Cover the pot, and cook the beetroot leaves for a few minutes until tender. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, remove the pot from heat, then purée the mixture using a stick blender.

4. Trim the washed stalks and chop them into 2cm pieces. Heat a tablespoon of butter in a pan together with a splash of olive oil, then add the chopped stalks and a splash of water. Cover the pan and let the beet stalks cook gently for a few minutes until tender. Season them with salt and pepper, reserve a couple of tablespoonfuls for the garnish and add the rest to the cooking pot.

5. Place the large pot back on the

heat, add a ladle of chicken stock to the beet green purée, mix well, then add the rice and mix again.

6. Bring the pot to the boil and then

turn down the heat just enough to keep the mixture simmering. When the liquid’s absorbed, add another ladleful of stock and stir. Keep cooking and stirring for around 20 minutes, adding the stock a ladleful at a time, allowing the mixture to absorb the liquid before adding more.

7. Once the rice has cooked, remove the pot from the heat, add the grated Parmesan cheese and a tablespoon of butter, and stir rapidly till the rice is well coated. Immediately spoon the risotto into four plates.

Serve garnished with cooked beet stalks and chopped, fresh parsley.

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T&F COMFORT FOOD

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COMFORT FOOD T&F

Roast beetroot and squash salad

FOR THE ROAST VEGETABLES AND GARNISH

6 fresh beetroots, washed, scrubbed, and trimmed of roots and shoots 1 medium-sized squash (roughly 700g) 2 oranges, peeled, segmented, and pith removed 75g feta cheese 12 walnut halves, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper, to taste FOR THE MARINATED ONION

T

his recipe uses fresh beetroots, but it will work equally well with pre-cooked, shop-bought beets.

The salad is best served warm, rather than hot. If you source your beetroots from a farmers’ market or from one of the roadside hawkers, buy them with their stems and leaves attached and reserve the stalks and leaves to use in the beet greens risotto” recipe.

Preparation and cooking: 1 hour 20 minutes, excluding cooling time.

Serves 4 as a light meal

1 small red onion, finely sliced 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon brown sugar FOR THE DRESSING

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped juice and grated zest of 1 orange 4 tablespoons of olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped parsley salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the sliced

onion in a small bowl with the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and mix them well. Set the bowl aside and let the mixture stand for 30 minutes while the vegetables cook.

2. On a baking sheet, place a piece of foil large enough to make a “parcel”. Place the prepared beetroots on the foil and sprinkle with a little water, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap up the foil into a “parcel”, and let the beetroots roast for about an hour.

3. While the beets are cooking, wash the squash, cut it into two along its length, then deseed and peel it. Next, cut the squash into slices around 1cm thick, and place them on a baking sheet greased with a little olive oil. Roast for 20-30 minutes until tender, the remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cooked squash to cool.

4. Once the beetroots are cool enough to handle, peel them, then cut each one into eight pieces.

5. Mix all the dressing ingredients together

and add the marinated onion to the mix.

6. Arrange the squash, beetroot and orange

segments on four plates, crumble feta cheese over each salad, top with chopped walnuts, and spoon over some of the marinated onion dressing mix.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

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T&F COMFORT FOOD

Bacon-stuffed eye round

T

his recipe is my father’s. The meat can be served cold, thinly-sliced with a salad or in sandwiches, which makes it perfect to prepare ahead for hectic days over Christmas. We served the meat warm, with roast baby potatoes and a mixture of roast parsnips, carrots and onions tossed in olive oil and herbs.

Preparation and cooking, 2 hours 10 minutes, excluding resting time Serves 4-6 YOU WILL NEED

1.5kg eye round beef 8 rashers of streaky bacon 8 cloves of garlic 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, and marjoram salt and pepper, to taste a drizzle of olive oil for greasing the pan

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1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 2. Wash the meat, then trim off any excess fat. Peel the garlic and chop each clove into around 3 or 4 pieces Remove the rind and any bones from the bacon, then cut each rasher into 3 pieces.

3. Prepare a piece of foil large

enough to then wrap the meat in a “parcel”. Place the foil in an ovenproof dish, grease the base area lightly with a drizzle of olive oil, then put in the beef.

4. With a sharp knife, make

random cuts of around 2-3cm deep all over the meat, taking care not to pierce the foil, and push in pieces of bacon and garlic.

5. Season the meat with salt, pepper and sprinkle with the mixed herbs.

6. Seal the foil around the meat

to form a loose parcel. Scrunch the edges together properly to trap the moisture inside.

7. Place the dish in the pre-heated oven. After 1 hour, lower the temperature to 150°C and cook the meat for another hour. Remove the dish from the oven and open up the foil to allow the steam to escape.

8. If serving the meat warm, let it

rest for at least 15 minutes before carving and serving. Alternatively, allow it to cool down then place it in the fridge until cold, and then cut it into thin slices before serving.

T&F COMFORT FOOD

Roast pork with fruit 58

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Prepare this the day before roasting for the flavours to develop fully. We served this with roast baby potatoes tossed in olive oil, parsley and garlic, and with a mix of roast carrot, parsnip and red onion wedges. The recipe calls for fresh herbs, but you can substitute them with dried herbs. Simply reduce the amounts you use.

COMFORT FOOD T&F

Preparation and cooking 3 hours 30 minutes Serves 6-8 YOU WILL NEED

1.75kg boneless pork loin 1 apple, cored and cut into 8 wedges 1 pear, cored and cut into 8 wedges 1 orange, peeled, segmented and pips removed 2 medium-sized red onions, sliced ½ cup wholegrain mustard 3 tablespoons orange marmalade 2 tablespoons butter a handful of fresh sage 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary salt and pepper, to taste FOR THE GRAVY

1 cup chicken stock ½ cup white wine 3 tablespoons butter

1. Using a stick blender, purée half

the chopped onion together with the mustard, marmalade, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of butter.

2. Grease a large oven dish. Put in the pork and use your hands to coat the meat well with the puréed mustard mix. Place the fruit pieces, the remaining chopped onion and the herbs on and around the pork.

3. Cover the oven dish with cling film, and allow the pork to marinate in the fridge for 8-10 hours or overnight.

4. Before cooking, preheat the oven to 190°C, remove the dish from the fridge and replace the cling film with foil and place in the preheated oven for 75 minutes.

5. Remove the foil, reduce the oven

temperature to 175°C, and return the dish to the oven until the meat is cooked right through. This should take a further 75 minutes.

6. Transfer the meat to a serving dish

and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving dressed with gravy.

TO MAKE THE GRAVY

1. Scrape the cooking juices into a pan

together with the cooked fruit, onions and sage leaves, discarding the rosemary sprigs.

2. Add the white wine and the chicken stock and bring to the boil on a medium heat.

3. Now, lower the heat slightly, then simmer the liquid until it has reduced by half, then turn the heat to the lowest setting and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.

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T&F COMFORT FOOD

Lamb Stew T

his fragrant lamb dish is quite simple to make.

It is best served hot, but is just as good when served at room temperature.

Preparation and cooking 3hours 30 minutes Serves 6 YOU WILL NEED

1.5kg boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of any fat, skin and sinew 14 medium-sized potatoes (about 1.5kg) 2 medium-sized red onions 6-8 large tomatoes a generous handful of fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds ½ cup olive oil ½ cup of water 2 tablespoons of butter salt and pepper, to taste a drizzle of olive oil for greasing the dish

1. Grease a large, deep oven dish

and preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Wash the lamb, cut it into cubes, then place it in the greased oven dish.

Wash, peel and dice the onions, then add them to the dish with the meat.

Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and add them to the dish.

3. Season the ingredients with salt and pepper, then sprinkle in the chopped parsley and the cumin seeds. Drizzle in ½ a cup of olive oil, then mix everything together very well with freshly-washed hands.

4. Wash the tomatoes (the amount

you need will depend on the size of your oven dish), and cut them

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into slices around ½ cm thick. Place the tomato slices in a single layer on top of the other ingredients, season them with a little bit of salt and dot them with the butter.

5. Pour ½ a cup of water into the dish

cover it tightly with foil. Bake it at 180°C for 2 hours shaking the dish occasionally to distribute the liquid evenly. When the two hours are up, remove the foil, then baste the food with the cooking juices, which will still be quite runny at this point.

6. Now, turn the oven temperature

up to 200°C, and bake for a further 45 minutes to an hour until the juices have reduced and the meat and potatoes are lightly browned.

Rich Pork Fillet 2 people I approx. 40 min. I medium • Pork fillet, 400g;

• Garlic, to taste;

• Red onions, 2;

• Salt;

• Deluxe Blue cheese with saffron, 80g;

• Pepper;

• Cream, 50g;

• Extra-virgin olive oil;

• Rosemary, to taste;

• Butter, one knob.

• Brown the pork fillet all over in a pan; • Add a knob of butter, a segment of garlic and some rosemary, then season with salt and pepper, and toss the fillet in the butter; • Chop the onion in half and place the two halves on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper; FROM MONDAY 7TH DEC

FROM OUR ASSORTMENT

• Place the browned pork fillets next to the onions, and cook in the oven at 160° for about 20 minutes, remove the fillet and leave the onions for another 20 minutes;

DELUXE

Pork Fillet

• Separately, prepare a mixture with the cream and blue cheese with saffron;

Blue Cheese with Saffron

Per kg/ 9.99€

• Slice the pork fillet evenly;

200g/ 2.49€

• Pour plenty of the fondue onto the centre of the plate, lay out the pork fillet slices and add the onions from the oven.

€ 12.45/kg

We Wish you a joyful Festive Season I www.lidl.com.mt

Prices valid save errors or omissions - Products available while stocks last.

www.lidl.com.mt

BAKING T&F

Matcha Bakes In the hands of a skilled baker, matcha powder is fairy dust, turning the ordinary into extraordinary. Claire Borg works her particular brand of magic. The photos are hers too.

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T&F BAKING

Mini matcha, poppy seed and lemon bundt cakes Makes 8 mini-cakes or 1 medium-sized cake YOU WILL NEED:

25g poppy seeds • 200g plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 200g white sugar 7g matcha powder • 2 eggs 1tablespoon white wine vinegar 150ml vegetable oil • 150ml milk FOR THE DRIZZLE:

100g white chocolate 1 teaspoon matcha powder TO DECORATE

Fresh cranberries tossed in sugar

1. Preheat your oven to

170°C, and coat your baking tin in butter and flour.

2. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients together and then fold in the dry ingredients.

3. Pour the cake batter into the small moulds or the medium-sized one and bake them in a preheated oven. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the cake.

Check the cakes regularly after 12-15 minutes. When they appear to be cooked, test them by pricking them with a skewer. If it comes out clean, the cakes are ready.

4. Let the cakes cool in the tray or tin for ten minutes, then remove them from the baking tin and transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

5. To make the matcha drizzle,

break up the white chocolate and melt it in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Meanwhile, toss the cranberries in sugar and set them aside.

6. When the chocolate has melted

completely, add the matcha powder and whisk it in well. Use a spoon to drizzle the matcha-chocolate immediately and decorate with some sugared cranberries.

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BAKING T&F

Matcha Amaretti Makes 30 small biscuits YOU WILL NEED:

200g pure ground almonds 200g castor sugar 7g matcha powder ¼ teaspoon fine salt 60g egg whites (from 2 eggs) ½ teaspoon lemon juice icing sugar for coating

1. Line a baking tray with

non-stick paper and preheat your oven to 150°C. 2. Beat the egg whites and

lemon until they form firm soft peaks. Now, add the sugar a spoon at a time, while beating the mixture. After the sugar is incorporated, continue beating the mixture for a minute more.

3. Mix the matcha and

ground almonds in a bowl, fold into the egg white mixture, and stir them together until you have a sticky dough.

4. Lightly wet your hands

and roll pieces of the dough into small balls. roll each ball into icing sugar and place on the baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes. They will puff up and crack slightly.

5. When done, transfer

the amaretti to a wire rack and let them cool completely. They will keep well in an airtight container for about 5 -7 days.

Matcha is made from green tea leaves which are shielded from direct sunlight in the last weeks before harvesting. This slows down growth and raises the levels of teanine and the alkaloid caffeine.

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T&F BAKING

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BAKING T&F

Fruit mince pies with a sprinkle of matcha The dough can be made ahead and frozen. For the filling I used a high quality organic apple, cider and walnut mincemeat, but home-made mincemeat or any other type will do.

Makes 10 FOR THE DOUGH:

500g plain flour • 250g sugar 50g lard • 200g salted butter zest of one small lemon • 1 egg 1 egg yolk • lemon juice, as needed

1. Using the paddle attachment of

your mixer, work the chopped butter, lard, sugar and flour together until the mixture resembles semolina.

2. Add the lemon zest and mix it in well. Next, add the egg and egg yolk.

Depending on the size of the egg, you might need a bit more liquid for the pastry to come together, so if it is too dry, add some lemon juice.

3. When the pastry just starts to come together, transfer it onto a clean worktop, and bring the dough together by hand. Shape it into a smooth ball, cover it in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour but preferably overnight.

4. Roll out the pastry, reserve one section for the pie tops and cut the rest into discs to line a cup-cake baking tin. Cut the reserved pastry into star and snowflake shapes.

5. Use a large tablespoon to

fill the raw pastry cases with mincemeat and place a pasty lid on top. Bake the pies until golden (mine took 15-20 minutes).

6. When done, transfer the pies

to a wire rack to cool down and sprinkle with icing sugar or matcha powder just before serving.

The vibrant green of matcha is mostly associated with Japan where tea culture is infused with green teas more than black or oolong tea. Yet, matcha originated in Song dynasty China and was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks.

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T&F BAKING

MARBLED BUNDT CAKE Makes 3 small or 2 medium-sized cakes FOR THE MATCHA MIX:

100g plain flour • 100g white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 egg 1 small teaspoon matcha powder 1teaspoon white wine vinegar 100ml vegetable oil • 100ml milk FOR THE VANILLA MIX:

100g plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 100g white sugar • ½ a vanilla pod 1 egg • 1teaspoon white wine vinegar 100ml vegetable oil • 100ml milk FOR THE CHOCOLATE MIX:

70g plain flour • 30g cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 100g white sugar 1 egg • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 100ml vegetable oil • 100ml milk

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C, and butter and flour your cake moulds.

2. Put the wet ingredients of each mixture into three separate bowls, and then fold in the dry ingredients.

3. Scoop spoonfuls of each mixture into the prepared baking tins until all the cake batter is divided evenly between all the moulds. Run a sharp knife through the prepared batter to create a marbling effect.

4. Bake the cakes for 20-30 minutes (this depends on the size of your cake moulds). Let the cakes cool in the tray or tin for ten minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

MATcHA ICED LATTE Makes 1 serving YOU WILL NEED:

½ teaspoon matcha powder 1 glass of milk of your choice 1 teaspoon honey (optional) 1 tablespoon hot water ice

1. Dissolve the matcha in the hot

water in a heat-proof glass.

2. Add a couple of tablespoons of milk to it and stir it together.

3. Fill a serving glass with ice and milk, then pour in the matcha mixture.

4. Sweeten the drink with honey, if desired.

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Matcha powder is made from the highest quality of steamed green tea, Gyokuro (“bead of dew”). Gyokuro is the first and only tea in Japan awarded the accolade “Intangible Cultural Heritage”. The stems and veins of the tea leaves are removed before the leaves are ground into fine matcha powder.

BAKING T&F

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T&F BAKING

Chocolate cake with chocolate and matcha buttercream

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BAKING T&F

Serves 16 YOU WILL NEED

475g plain flour 125g cocoa powder 6 teaspoons baking powder 600g sugar 6 eggs 300ml milk 40g vinegar 300ml vegetable oil 150ml hot strong coffee CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

300g unsalted butter 500g icing sugar 100g cocoa powder ¼ teaspoon fine table salt some milk, if needed MATCHA BUTTERCREAM

100g unsalted butter 200g icing sugar 1 pinch of fine table salt ½ a vanilla pod, scraped 1teaspoon matcha powder some milk, if needed

1. I baked this cake in six separate layers. Make sure you weigh the whole mix and divide it equally into six parts. I used three identical baking tins and baked the cakes in three batches of two. Make sure you cool the cakes completely before assembling them.

2. Preheat the oven to

170°C and coat the baking tins with butter and flour.

3. Pour the vinegar onto the

milk, let it stand and set it aside. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the eggs and oil to the milk and vinegar and mix well.

4. Pour the wet mix into the

dry mix and fold until well combined. Make the coffee and pour it into the cake batter while it still hot. Stir.

5. Divide the cake mixture into six equal parts by weight. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tins and bake until done.

This will take about 15 minutes. Let the cakes cool slightly in their tins, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool down completely. Repeat with the rest of the cake batter.

6. To make the chocolate buttercream, beat all the ingredients (apart from the milk) together until light and fluffy. This will take about 10 minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of milk to adjust the consistency, if necessary.

7. Repeat the process

to make the matcha buttercream. Mix all the ingredients (except the milk) together until light and fluffy, and add some milk to “loosen” the consistency, if necessary.

8. Assemble the cake by coating each layer with buttercream, half with chocolate and half with matcha buttercream, and then stack the cakes on each other, alternating the matcha and chocolate laters.

9. Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream and place it in the fridge for an hour before applying the final coat of buttercream.

Finish off the final coat and decorate with some chocolate pralines coated in matcha powder, nuts, chocolate shavings or any other topping of your choice.

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T&F PROMOTION

The Importance of Having a

Well-Ventilated Kitchen When experts design kitchens, they need to take into account ergonomics, the availability of gas and electrical connections, the cost of different appliances, as well as the aesthetics of the overall installation.

But more importantly, they have to take into account kitchen ventilation. Why is ventilation so crucial?

Ventilation is vital to ensure a healthy cooking space Above all, ventilation is an essential way to avoid the inhalation of potentially harmful gases that are created during typical cooking processes.

When we cook proteins and carbohydrates, they can release molecules called aldehydes or alkanoic acids. These substances are known to cause respiratory problems, while other aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic substances may even be carcinogenic, so they need to be removed efficiently from kitchen environments.

Studies of cookery workers have found higher rates of pneumonia and bronchitis (probably caused by fatty molecules), and long-term exposure is associated with early mortality – so the ventilation of kitchens is a serious public health issue.

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PROMOTION T&F

Ensure that kitchen walls and ceilings remain spotless Secondly, good ventilation is a proven way to keep the paintwork or tiles of domestic kitchens cleaner, for longer.

When we cook, we tend to release grease molecules which attach to nearby surfaces. That’s why you’ll often see grimy deposits in between tiles or on the ceiling of poorly ventilated kitchens.

This is not just an aesthetic problem, although it can definitely lead to unnecessary clean-up costs. It’s also another public health concern, providing places for bacteria to thrive, and raising the risk of food poisoning.

Install a high-quality kitchen ventilation system from the right supplier Fo r t u n a t e l y, t h e r e i s a s i m p l e solution to these problems: Installing a silent ventilation system by Faber.

Manufacturing high-quality extraction hoods for domestic and commercial customers for generations, rest assured that these appliances will clean kitchen air as efficiently as possible. The Steam Off System injects accurately controlled, helical and variable geometry air jets into the hood. These jets create a vortex that accelerates the air upwards, increasing flow rate and the hood’s ability to capture cooking fumes and steam. This is complemented by other features like Zero Drip technology that will stop the build-up of condensation from dripping on your hood – along with a whole array of features available when buying Faber from Oxford House.

The result? No more condensation or grease under and inside the hood and a happier, healthier kitchen. So whether you are the Galileo (vented cook top) type, and want everything to be sleek and out of the way or want to make a statement with a unique design, Oxford House has the right kitchen ventilation system for you.

We offer a tailored approach to finding the right product to suit your needs and will ensure the selection of the correct technology for your home, making sure that you get the look, feel, features and after-sales service you deserve. n Visit www.oxfordhouse.com.mt or the showroom at Triq L-Imdina, Central Business District, Birkirkara between 09:00hrs and 19:00hrs and on Saturday, from 09:00hrs until 13:00hrs.

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T&F ART

Chasing Truth

G

Art is a dialogue between subject-matter and its audience, but it’s the conversation art sparks that makes it a lived experience. Gattaldo talks to Ann Dingli about his latest work.

attaldo is a multidisciplinary illustrator, art director, and designer, most recently foraying into children’s literature, writing and illustrating a book about his long-time friend and founder of Taste&Flair, Daphne Caruana Galizia. Fearless: The Story of Daphne Caruana Galizia was released

by Otter-Barry Books three years after her assassination, marking both a point of personal mourning and professional exploration for Gattaldo. His practice is varied – ranging from his early years as an art director in Milan, as a photography director in London, and finally as a freelancer based in London yet working within the remoteness of a Covid-19 world.

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Gattaldo - photo by Antonella Muscat

Currently, he is looking at expanding his work on children’s books, while simultaneously hoping a roaming exhibition of journalist portraits will someday soon see the light of an open gallery. All of this rests alongside, and in conjunction with, his internal and intellectual pursuit of transparency and veracity – a quest to make art an ambassador of truth in an age declared to be past it.

“Fearless coincided with this period of fake news and the post-truth era,” Gattaldo recalls, elaborating on this subject-matter over a patchy video call.

“Nowadays lies are not only accepted but almost encouraged or appreciated by people. It’s almost like – oh, he can lie. Oh, then he’s good at what he does.”

ART T&F

Both his Fearless project, as well as his latest series of illustrated postage stamps showing portraits of significant journalists, orbit around Gattaldo’s churning interrogation of truth’s role in today’s society. “I wanted to look into what journalists do and why it’s important. I soon realised, in a very simple way, that they represent us. They ask the questions for us. They safeguard us”.

Gattaldo’s preoccupation with truth has found ground in his representation of journalists, with his recent work allowing him to give figurative representation to his analysis – which is interchangeably objective and critical, and deeply selfreflective. He talks about a personal and collective guilt for having “left Daphne alone” for the majority of her career, working as a solitary soldier to seek out and vociferously vocalise the truth.

“I wanted to portray journalists as heroes or role models. Role models for children, but also for people. We all need to believe in truth, because many people nowadays say there’s no such thing as a verifiable reality.

You talk about facts and they will say – “yes, but I have an alternative fact”.

So, there ends up being no such thing as truth. But there is. Facts are facts. They go beyond the discussion about trying to be neutral”.

So where does art come in? For Gattaldo, art is a mechanism for dialogue. In his illustration for children’s books specifically, it is a way to radically clarify complex narratives that even adults struggle to unravel.

“When I was a child, I was terrible at studying because of my short attention span. What I used to do was to climb

up to the roof of my home and with a little blackboard I had I would pretend that I was explaining something to someone else, like a teacher. That was my way of learning. So to actually be able to communicate something now, to children in particular, I find it’s the same strategy of really simplifying a subject to get it back to its bare bones”.

Aside from the dialogue between the subject-matter and the audience, he also talks about the conversation art creates between people; how the discussions born from art can be a mutual learning experience when it comes to creating narratives experienced by both children and adults alike.

“It’s also about giving the opportunity to children and their accompanying adults to discuss difficult subjects; because ultimately, you cannot really ever put the whole message out there, that’s almost impossible. So it becomes about giving people the opportunity to talk about things”.

“With a work like Fearless, children ask loads and loads of questions, because there are lots of uncharted elements in it, such as themes of corruption. How do you explain corruption to a child? You have to introduce it to the conversation and then leave it to a parent or an educator to judge what the child can and cannot comprehend”.

Gattaldo’s work seems increasingly to be aimed at a multi-generational audience. He hopes his illustrated journalist stamps will not only materialise as an exhibition, but also as a coffee table book that can be leafed through by both adults and children. It will include portraits of influential figures including Anna Politkovskaya, Daphne Caruana

Galizia, Ida Bell Wells-Barnett, Joseph Pulitzer and Marie Colvin, among others.

He also runs fearlessdaphne.com, an online platform for learning more about journalism and its role. Following his work on Fearless, he plans to create a series of children’s books on journalists.

These projects are a collective tribute to truth-seekers – Gattaldo’s self-professed champions.

Through his work and through his own reckoning of what happened to Daphne Caruana Galizia, Gattaldo’s thoughts still percolate around feelings of uncertainty around whether he “gave back” enough to their relationship, which unfolded as letter writing over many years.

“I always felt like she was to a certain extent a mentor for me, and I sometimes felt like I didn’t give anything back. Then one day, while I was in the process of writing Fearless, and talking to Daphne’s family, her son mentioned things she had said about me in conversation, and then I realised that, no, it was somehow reciprocal”.

So dialogue remains central to both Gattaldo’s art practice, and as a crucial adhesive in his memories of a relationship cut short with a friend and mentor. These conversations, diverse and numerous as they are, each work in good faith and earnestness towards one goal – to pursue validity, reality, transparency, or anything that comes closest to truth.

You can explore more of Gattaldo’s work on his website at www.gattaldo.com. Fearless: The Story of Daphne Caruana Galizia is on sale at most bookshops in Malta, and from fearlessdaphne.com, an online platform for children to learn about journalism. n

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T&F TRANSFORMATION

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TRANSFORMATION T&F

PIAZZA

PALAZZINO Site sensitive renovation and regeneration in Bormla

Layers of history are built into this centuries-old house in one of Malta’s oldest walled cities. Ann Dingli traces its gradual transformation into a home.

Photography: Brian Grech, assisted by Stephen Azzopardi

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T&F TRANSFORMATION

“Bormla is quite different to most other towns around the harbour, because aside from the architecture, there’s so much greenery”

The living space is oriented towards the view of St Margaret church, one of the oldest buildings in the area.

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TRANSFORMATION T&F

u A decorative paint layer, discovered when the stairwell walls were being scraped down, has been left exposed, a tribute to the house’s multiple layers of history.

F

rom 2012 to 2018, Malta’s most prominent harbour city – Valletta – underwent rapid transformation in the run-up to its term as European Capital of Culture. With the capital’s property prices shooting up exponentially, home seekers who had either been priced out of the capital or alienated by its newfound gloss, turned their sights to the slower-paced improvement of the Three Cities. One was a young lawyer from Attard, on the search for a home within a harbour city.

“Up until then I had been in a mad rush to find a place in Valletta before the better properties were bought up.

I found a couple, but I was looking for a whole house, and available houses in Valletta at the time were mostly awkwardly shaped – eaten away over the years, where you end up with impractical layouts”.

A first-time buyer, Peter Grima would eventually secure part of a 17th century palazzino overlooking a quiet piazza, perched on the rise leading from Birgu to the outskirts of Bormla.

He came to the place by accident, as an outcome of lateral advertising.

“I began looking for a place firstly in Birgu, extending to Isla. But I couldn’t find a house with the dimensions I wanted. In the end, I found this property as a fluke – I wasn’t even looking in Bormla, but I spotted a townhouse listed on MaltaPark, marketed as a corner townhouse at the entrance of Birgu. It turned out to be in the Santa Margerita area, 100 metres away from where I now live, and I instantly fell in love with the area”.

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The house’s ownership history includes the custodianship of a pioneering 19th century photographer, Michele Zahra, who set up studio here for many years.

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rima’s wishlist for a home was short but lofty: spacious, beautiful proportions, and set firmly within the precincts of a walled city. So, impatient to wait in line as would-be buyers checked off similar specifications, he took his property search to the streets. The house he’d seen advertised hadn’t been right for him, but he was captivated by the potential of Bormla.

“I would walk around the streets alone, trying to find out who owned what – I made friends with one of the local grocers and my current neighbours, all the while asking if anyone knew of any properties for sale”.

Meanwhile, Grima got to know Bormla intimately, crystallising his understanding of the city’s patterns.

There was the oldest part of Bormla, the labyrinthine area in the lower part of the city on the Birgu side of the creek, along the Dock 1 area. There was the gridded zone, where the streets lined up and celebrated the rationality typical of the occupation of the Knights. There was the dockside area, reserved for Bormla’s fiercest regenerative attention; and finally, the youngest parts of Bormla, home to housing estates built after the war.

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The urban variety was not the only draw. Grima was also charmed by the city’s pockets of green. “Bormla is quite different to most other towns around the harbour, because aside from the architecture, there’s so much greenery and open spaces and quite uniquely, you still find several houses with mature gardens”.

So it was within this varied and vastly overlooked walled city that Grima came to a property that had already lived a series of lives. His contract of sale dated back to the early-00s, missing centuries of the house’s ownership history, including the custodianship of a pioneering 19th century photographer, Michele Zahra, who set up studio here for many years.

As with many historic properties, the house needed thorough renovation, and although it did have the expansive proportions Grima had so eagerly pursued, its arrangement was peculiar: “The house had been mutilated over the years. There’s a part of it which is now a single-fronted townhouse.

There are also four other rooms on the ground floor that were eaten off over the years, together with the courtyard and cellar. Footprint-wise, the original house was probably two thirds larger than my home.”

p The traditional tile “carpet” in the hallway was salvaged from another old house. Recessed light fittings bounce light off the vaulted ceiling.

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The doorway to the traditional balcony was opened up, creating a larger combined space. The fitted kitchen is by Form.

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…an ambassador of a kind of slow, non-corrosive transformation that can bring new life to a place without killing its spirit.

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espite this spatial divorce, Grima’s approach to its renovation was tied firmly to authenticity. He worked closely with his architect to organise the home’s space into a layout that could address contemporary needs, all the while retaining what he found when he got there: “The existing layout didn’t entirely make sense because the original house was much larger – it was odd to have a large floor area divided between just three main rooms. But still, our intervention was minimal. We introduced a partition wall that would convert a disused space into a hallway and second bedroom, but even that didn’t extend up to the ceiling. We wanted to show that the additional space was carved out of a larger room.

“The only thing I was certain I wanted to alter, was to open up the doorway leading to the balcony. This would expose the unusually large Maltese balcony, allowing it to become part of the main sala nobile and form a larger kitchen area”.

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p Patches of frescolike paintings, once hidden beneath layers of old paint, have deliberately been left exposed. t The whitewashed walls and soaring ceiling lend a gallery-like atmosphere to the house. The colour scheme is neutral, with accents of forest green and sandy-yellow.

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he rest of the home’s contemporary intervention rests on re-orientation and rationalisation. Grima pivoted the axis of the main living and dining room to pull towards the views of the church on Santa Margerita square, as opposed to its former focus on the fireplace: “Typically, a room would be designed to centre around the fireplace. But the most beautiful thing about this house is the view of the church, so we positioned the living room to look out towards it. After that, designing the rest of the place became obvious. The kitchen had to utilise the balcony to gain a breakfast area, and the dining area had to go in front of the fireplace.”

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T&F TRANSFORMATION

t Detailed etchings were uncovered on the stairwell walls when they were scraped down. They remain visible as the walls have been left bare.

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rima’s insistence around preservation extended to the common areas of the house, where in its grandiose stairwell he’d discovered carvings of sea faring excursions. His assumption is that they had been etched out by photography subjects sitting on the steps that led into the light-filled studio while waiting their turn to have their picture taken.

Grima conserved the remnants of the stairway murals, as well as patches of other artwork he found on the walls inside his living space.

Elsewhere around the house, he fitted rooms with a mix of contemporary cabinetry and piecemeal antiques.

His curation of furniture and objects extends from his property search methodology. He hunts and gathers, attending auctions, flea markets and garden centres to fill up his home with authentic things. He moved into the house in 2020, almost five years after he first discovered it, embedding himself along the way into the diverse social weave of Bormla.

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“…when you commercialise a town or city, when people move out, the soul of the place risks dying”

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he regeneration of Malta’s Three Cities began in the early 2000s and has stretched over the two decades since then. The entire dockside was set to receive an urban upgrade, firstly with works on the Birgu waterfront and the removal of the dockyard; the introduction of continuous pedestrian access from Birgu’s Fort St Angelo to Isla’s Fort St Michael; and finally the connection of the Dock 1 area to the other promenades of Isla and Birgu through the introduction of public parks.

The connecting city of Bormla – one of Malta’s oldest harbour towns, as old as Birgu and inhabited centuries before Valletta or Senglea – would form part of this regeneration. In its former lives, both under the Knights’ and British occupation, Bormla was a bustling trading port and dockyard, until it eventually fell prey to the devastation of World War II. Its population subsequently shrank, rising again later only as a result of a social housing drive, yet still reaching less than 50% of its pre-war numbers.

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“So far, the regeneration here has been gradual. Valletta got to where it is very quickly, and that had a noticeable impact because buildings were renovated and became vibrant again – the city looks taken care of. But when you commercialise a town or city, when people move out, the soul of the place risks dying. You no longer have a community; you have a good-looking town, but you aren’t able to build a home.”

Less than ten years after its grand promise for reinvention, Bormla – as part of the Three Cities – is definitely a different place to what it once was, its complex reputation slowly being usurped by possibility. Its regeneration counters the fast-paced gentrification that has unfolded elsewhere on the islands, and Grima’s own renovation project stands as an ambassador of a kind of slow, non-corrosive transformation that can bring new life to a place without killing its spirit.

His home welcomes in the unedited sounds and sights of Bormla, echoing in the airy, abundance of its reawakened interiors. n

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The furniture and accessories are a mix of contemporary purchases, antiques, and curios and market finds.

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CITY HEIGHTS

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A collection of rich, natural materials and colourful art are brought together in this stunning interior.

Interior Design: ARRCC Architect: SAOTA Photography: Greg Cox Text: Tracy Lynn Chemaly

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n Cape Town’s mountainside stands a striking angular building. Complementing this terraced home, the interiors are a treasure trove of gemlike materials and custom furniture which pull together the client’s brief for ultimate comfort within highfunctioning entertainment zones.

A profusion of metallic surfaces is juxtaposed with warm wood and splashes of bright colour, invoking a sense of dynamic living.

Says ARRCC Designer Nina Sierra Rubia of the entrance hall: “The walnut paneling reflects the warmth seen throughout the rest of the home, while the metal fleck ceramic by Chantal Woodman for OKHA, standing on a suspended black swing server, tells you that there’s fun to be had inside.” The patterns in the marble-like flooring and custom designed geometric grey woollen rug are complemented by ceramic installation art by Hennie Meyer, each piece inviting closer inspection in its uniqueness.

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Such circular shapes come to play in the sculptural light, too.

Brass rings cast a halo over the table, an atmosphere that is mimicked in the lounge with its polygon‐shaped light.

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AOTA designed the house with all the guest bedrooms on the lower levels to elevate the main living area and master bedroom, providing the owner with a private penthouse.

“It’s on the middle storey, however, that the full effect of this entertainer’s paradise is appreciated,” says ARRCC Director Mark Rielly of the living area. Reached via a double-volumeglass stairwell that introduces mountainscape views, the living area is a riot of calculated contrast, where light-reflective metallics – polished, tarnished or patinated – hover above and surround precious marble and wooden surfaces.

This is evident in the pared-back kitchen, where a dark marble is inserted into a patinated brass countertop with granite work surface. Brightened up with an optically abstract painting by Andrzej Urbanski from Everard Read, this area also encompasses the dining suite. The walnut dining table was custom-made with a marble lazy Susan and is surrounded by chairs that complement the table’s rounded form.

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uch circular shapes come to play in the sculptural light, too. Brass rings cast a halo over the table, an atmosphere that is mimicked in the lounge with its polygon-shaped light.

Separated from the dining area by architecturally slatted walnut screens, the lounge continues the dialogue of fascinating form. Its custom sofa, with angled bend, allows for complete immersion, offering views of the ocean, courtyard and television, which also acts as a mirror, further enhancing the sense of space.

On either side of this mirror is a decorative acoustic fabric with brass detailing, cleverly concealing the speakers, while below the mirror stands a bio-fuel fireplace surrounded by Emperador marble. Such cosiness is best enjoyed while lazing on the reclining chair upholstered in a mustard felt.

Two purple chairs, on either side of a side table, introduce colour to this otherwise muted area. The custommade server and coffee-table cluster create interest in their unusual design, with the lamp acting as sideboard sculpture, maintaining the metallic pops of attraction around the home.

On the opposite end of this floor is the bar, a stylish nook for mixing drinks under hanging lights. It’s here that the combination of material and form is at its most condensed, with the slatted ceiling wrapping itself over the back wall, blurring into the wooden splashback that doubles up as illuminated shelving. The bar itself is a custom structure, fronted by Pietra Paesina Laminam slabs. Bar stools and side tables add vibrant colour and light reflection to this intimate hangout.

The living area is a riot of calculated contrast, where light�reflective metallics hover above and surround precious marble and wooden surfaces 94

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his entire living-area floor opens up to an enclosed terrace,” Mark explains, “which can be closed completely for weather protection.”

Here, Nina and the ARRCC team created two outdoor entertainment areas – one encompassing another lounge with custom furniture in neutral tones, reflecting the city’s beach lifestyle, and the other sporting a cantilevered biofuel fireplace for drying off after a swim in the infinity pool.

The top-storey master suite continues the home’s affinity for walnut, grey, mustard, and curvaceous forms, bringing these to play in a more masculine way, and then softening the aesthetic with linen effect curtains.

Another Andrzej Urbanski hangs over the bed, adding an interesting geometric language to the space. The wall on either side of this brings warmth through walnut slats with brass fittings that light up.

The limited edition Kaggen Side Table, by OKHA in collaboration with Atang Tshikare, and the marble-topped coffee table create visual texture in the lounge area, while a painting by Shany van den Berg on the entrance screen welcomes one to this bedroom floor, offering a taste of what’s to be found beyond – a space for full mental and physical immersion. “It’s a dynamic home,” says Mark. “One where unexpected materials combine to create a space that is as energetic as its owner.” n

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GOOD OLD-FASHIONED

BACKGAMMON

Backgammon and other board games were once a feature of lazy afternoons and languid evenings. Megan Mallia on a pre-internet pastime dating back millennia.

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urled up with a steaming hot drink, everyone is gently lazing or softly dozing after a hearty meal. Candles flicker as evening falls. The shiny decorations on the tree glitter and glow. And that’s when the board games once came out.

Backgammon was once a quintessential element of pre-internet winter evenings.

It’s a game that combines strategy and fortune. How well you do lies in the roll of the dice, but it’s also greatly dependent on thought and foresight.

Possibly one of the world’s oldest board games, backgammon’s known history is incomplete. The game played today is a pastiche of versions stretching back millennia.

The earliest of backgammon’s possible ancestors unearthed so far dates back five thousand years to the earliest known civilisation of Sumer in southern Mesopotamia, the region of present-day Iraq.

Game boards resembling contemporary backgammon are occasionally discovered in the historic region. Often several thousands of years old, they are made of hardwood such as ebony, some delicately embellished with mosaics of lapis lazuli, shell and bone, or accompanied by playing pieces fashioned from turquoise and agate.

Backgammon really was a game fit for a king (or queen) from its earliest known days. Plenty of archaeological evidence suggests that ancient Egypt delighted in a game not unlike the one played today. Game boards have been found in many ruins, physically or represented in wall art.

Although its ancestral roots go far back in time, backgammon as we know it is believed to have been developed in the tenth century, and hardly anything about the rules has changed since the 1740s, when Edward Hoyle published A Short Treatise on the Game of Back-Gammon.

The appeal of backgammon is that it is multifaceted. For one thing, it’s the sort of challenge that is perfect on a cosy night in. It charms good sports and those who don’t take losing easily, because the underdog could win in an unexpected spark of fortune – and then fate may turn again. The rules of backgammon can be learnt in half an hour, but the skill of the game takes practice and perseverance. But it’s a whole lot of enjoyment all the while. n

Philip Webb 1861 The Backgammon Players, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

We’ll be back in February 2021 with another issue of

distributed with The Malta Independent on Sunday

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Top: Jacob Ochtervelt 1667/69 The Backgammon Players oil on panel - Emil Bührle Collection, Zurich Above: Pieter Christoffel Wonder c. 1827 The backgammon game, The Hague Historic Museum.

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