Cibus (November 2017)

issuE â„–

59

the ultimate food platform

NOVEMBER 2017

WHAT'S INSIDE: lunchbox trends, mushrooms and their gifts, weird dishes from around the world and mashy potatoes.

I want it back the way it was.

Not a rare sentiment, we often want to control our situations, our environments, and turn the clock back a bit, maybe slow it down completely.

It’s hard to not feel that way lately. This season always reminds me of my upcoming birthday, of the upcoming holiday rush and the rollercoaster within; the eagerness of my youth blended with the reluctance of today. I understand this comes across as bleak; given our current circumstances; the balance between anathema and anaesthesia; action, inaction, or reaction; and my own multiple viewings of Bladerunner 2049 after its release, it might be somewhat inevitable.

This, of course, does run somewhat contrary to editing a food magazine. Food is such a central part of our lives, we buy it prepared and unprepared, it meets both needs and wants, and can feel both trivial as well as vital. Food, and its presentation, might not be useful like an abundance of money or a Leatherman multitool or flashlight might be, but it will always have a purpose. Cibus is an exploration of that, I hope, a way to see food not as a commercial distraction but something you can learn about, relate to, and choose: how you make it, how you eat it, with whom you share it.

This is why James Camilleri can write about the stranger foods he’s eaten on trips abroad, why Bailey Lalonde talk about her journey from hating to loving mushrooms, why Mantas Stočkus shares his experience in a laid back bar-restaurant that serves his favourite red curry Thai food, why Danny Coleiro cheers for buttermilk and made falafel and labneh to share with his family, why Alison Cilia Werdmölder can find amusement and enjoyment in the phonetic thread between cereal, serials, and serial killers, why I wrote about the idea of eating purely for sustenance and pushing the limits of what we can derive from an extremely limited food group, why we published stories about the history of food, the explorations of a chef’s new journey, and of course a few recipes for you to try, for what would a food magazine be without them?

Something to have, something to share, something to enjoy all in the meanwhile: food’s a way of being in time, and a way to wind it back – nostalgic and immediate all at once. How fitting, I think, for November, the month when we celebrate All-Souls, when we recognised those that have passed as both with us and without.

THIS PUBLICATION IS BEING DISTRIBUTED AS PART OF:

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole, or in part, is strictly prohibited without written permission. Opinions expressed in Cibus are not necessarily those of the editor-in-chief or publisher. All reasonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the editor-in-chief and publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in articles, advertising, photographs or illustrations. The editor-in-chief is not responsible for material submitted for consideration.

Executive editor Jamie Iain Genovese (cibus@timesofmalta.com) Publisher Allied Newspapers Ltd. Printing Progress Press Co. Ltd. Production Allied Newspapers Ltd. Design Krista Bugeja Advertising Sales Marisa Schembri (tel: 2276 4337; marisa.schembri@timesofmalta.com)

C on t

ten s

10

26

30

6

FEATURES 6 CEREALS A SERIAL AND SERIAL KILLERS 13 NEW LOOK, NEW JOURNEY, NEW CHEF 16 WHAT’S FOR DINNER, DINNER, DINNER? 20 A CONVERTED MUSHROOM LOVER 26 THINKING INSIDE THE LUNCH BOX 30 THINGS I ATE ON HOLIDAY 36 HAVE YOU EATEN RICE YET? 38 HISTORY WEEK 2017 2

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

19

40

RECIPES 10 GUATEMALAN - SWEETCORNA ND MILK DRINK 19 GARLIC BUTTER & ROASTED POTATOES 40 BLACK SPAGHETTI WITH SQUID

COVER

THE PINNACLE OF LUXURY: INTRODUCING CHIVAS REGAL THE ICON

Born of craftsmanship…

Icons aren’t made, they’re born. A blend of some of the rarest and oldest whiskies available to Chivas Regal, Chivas Regal The Icon is the pinnacle of the range. To taste Chivas Regal The Icon is to savour the finest craftsmanship that has gone into each and every bottle created.

Chivas Regal The Icon is the embodiment of craftsmanship and tradition married with the unparalleled expertise of Chivas Regal’s Master Blender Colin Scott. This ultra-prestige Scotch whisky is an exceptionally smooth blend of much sought after whiskies from more than 20 distilleries across Scotland, including some rare whiskies from distilleries now lost forever.

Chivas Regal The Icon is the perfect balance of old and new, with each distillery imparting its own unique characteristics. At its heart lie the rarest malts from Strathisla, the spiritual home of Chivas Regal, and the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Accented with hand-selected single malts from Longmorn and Glen Keith, Chivas Regal The Icon is a bold, balanced and unforgettable blend specifically developed with discerning whisky connoisseurs in mind.

Each year, the Master Blender will produce a limited number of bottles of this luxurious Scotch whisky, making it a must have product for whisky adorers and collectors alike.

4

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

Handcrafted and exquisitely finished…

Befitting of the luxury liquid within, each bottle of Chivas Regal The Icon is presented in a handblown crystal decanter created by expert craftsmen at Dartington Crystal. The glass is delicately etched and finished with precision crafted metalwork and presented in sublime green glassware in homage to the original green Chivas Regal bottle that captured the world’s attention in 1909. Adorned with a signature luckenbooth stopper, a traditional Celtic symbol of love, the distinctive bottle is certain to be adored by whisky enthusiasts around the world.

Tasting notes A celebration of craftsmanship and excellence, Chivas Regal The Icon is Chivas Regal at its very best. With exceptional character and an incredibly long and luscious finish, rich notes of honey, vanilla and dark chocolate are balanced by subtle hazelnut influences from the cask, delivering a long and luxurious finish in the smooth Chivas house style.

Colin Scott, Chivas Regal’s Master Blender, commented: “Chivas Regal The Icon is a truly exquisite blend – perfectly smooth with an intense concentration of sumptuous flavours that develop into an exceptionally long, lingering finish. I am proud to present this luxurious expression of the Chivas Regal house style to you.” This luxury Scotch whisky will then be available globally at 40% ABV in 70cl bottles. Chivas Regal The Icon is availablie in Malta in limited amounts.

Chivas Regal is marketed and distributed by Farsons Beverage Imports. Co. Ltd. Trade Enquiry 2381 4400

FEATURE

6

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

FEATURE

Cereals a Serial and Serial Killers WORDS BY

Alison CiliA Werdmölder

Below is the result: “don’t you think the intro is subliminally trying to make you murder someone?”

“Frosties or Cornflakes says a lot about who a person is.”

“He looks like a creep. He doesn’t mind the hair in his eyes, only creeps don’t mind hair in their eyes.”

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 7

FEATURE

“The maple syrup porridge is amazing but the fruity one tastes, like, fake.”

“You want truffles, you gotta’ get in the dirt with the pigs.”

“Porridge is like a super boring person. Not saying boring people eat it just that it tastes boring and the texture is boring you always need to add stuff to make it fun.”

“They’re like his parents asking ‘so what do you think about the area?’ When they clearly know the answer - it’s cute.”

“Puffed rice cereal makes me think of listening to the crackling sounds with my mum when I was little.”

“8 nurses in one go? That’s not as satisfying as one by one, I thought he had a nurse thing.”

On chocolate cereal with strawberry milk: “They’re going to have to amputate my leg.”, “Wait you’re diabetic?” “I am now.”

“If I saw him in the street would I know he was insane?”

“There’s so much sugar in this almond milk it makes the pomegranate porridge taste of calpol.”

“I feel like psychopaths aren’t as much to blame since they don’t feel like it’s a bad thing. It’s a bad act but is it also a bad person?”

“Cereal? It’s always a good idea. Almond milk on the other hand?

Not so much.”

“Beat the flim flam out of us.”

“Who are you the f*ing thought police?”

ORGRAN is one of the few production plants in the world strictly dedicated to gluten free & allergy friendly foods and continues to be the Total ‘Free From’ Solution, for over 30 years.

The 8 most common food allergies in the world are; milk, eggs, nuts, wheat, sesame, soy, shellfish and fish. ORGRAN is proud to produce an extensive range of products that avoid the most common food allergies, and more.

All ORGRAN products are gluten free, wheat free, egg free, dairy free, yeast free, nut free, soy free*, vegan and kosher*. * A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are recommended for good health

RECIPE

10 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

RECIPE

GUATEMALAN

Sweetcorn and milk drink (ATOL DE ELOTE)

INGREDIENTS 3 cobs fresh corn 2 cups whole milk 1⁄2 cup raw turbinado sugar 1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon, or more to taste 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt METHOD Cut the kernels from the corn cobs, reserving the kernels (about 2 cups) and their juices (discard the cobs). Set a few kernels aside for garnish if desired.

Transfer to a high-powered blender and blend brief ly until coarsely ground. Add 2 cups water, the milk, sugar, and cinnamon, and blend until smooth.

In a medium pot over medium-low heat, add the corn mixture; bring to a low boil, about 20 minutes. Stir in the salt and let the mixture boil until thickened, about 15 minutes more.

Ladle the atol into cups and serve warm, garnished with any reserved cooked corn kernels if desired.

ALPRO ALMOND UNROASTED UNSWEETENED A beautiful fresh nut taste combined with a delicate floral aroma, it's seriously delicious!

This drink is easy like a summer breeze. Thanks to its fresh almond taste, Alpro Almond Unsweetened Unroasted is great as a drink or on its own, but also perfect on your cereal or oats, giving them something a little bit extra.

BENEFITS: 100% plant-based, sugar free, 13 kcal per 100ml, low in fat, source of vitamin E and antioxidants* * A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are recommended for good health

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 11

Experience quality at the newly refurbished Menhir Restaurant!

Exquisite Sunday Buffet Lunch €29.00 Adult €15.00 Child (5-11yrs)

Unlimited local wine, beer, soft drinks, water, tea and coffee.

Opening hours: 12:30 -14:30

Dolmen Resort Hotel, St Paul’s Bay SPB 2402. Tel: 2355 2355

new chef

PROMO

NEW LOOK, NEW JOURNEY,

AT THE DOLMEN WORDS BY

jamie iain genovese

which was one of the best a la carte restaurants, if not one of the better restaurants, period, at the time; or so i’m told.

Keith left there as chef de partie, within a couple of years: in other words, he progressed rather quickly. “it was a good experience because we were serving really good food – classical food, new, modern food, there was silver service, gueridon service, flambé.” a fertile ground for the growth of a young chef, to be sure.

“Then i started doing some extra jobs at the Corinthia and later on at the Westin, which are five-star hotels, and i liked the feeling of these hotels. so, when the opportunity came and the Hilton was opening i applied for a job there.”

onsider this article to mark a new stage for chef Keith vassallo, a local industry veteran when it comes to hotel kitchen. We spoke to Keith about his journey to where he is today: executive Head Chef at the Dolmen Hotel. Keith loves classical cooking, French cuisine and the like, but is looking forward, embracing new techniques and looking to bring wind to the sails at the kitchen he’s now heading.

Keith started out many years ago at iTs. not drawn to the kitchen in particular, but rather the service aspect of hospitality, until slowly he was pulled in by that energy. By the end of school, he landed jobs at establishments like the Suncrest, at the Coral Reef,

He did so looking forward, “[…] i took a step back to my career, but knowing that i would learn more and have better experience at a five-star hotel of this standard.” a year later he went from demi chef de partie to chef de partie once again, having learned more than he knew the first-time round. it looked like he made the right choice, having access to what at the time was some of the best resources, be it produce or equipment, at the time. at his time of leaving, he was Head Chef, assisting the executive Chef, largely overlooking the responsibilities held by the chef, and he served as second-in-command for a number of years. “Hilton was a very good experience for me, i gained a lot, i had the opportunity to attend courses abroad, i worked for a small period in Belgium to gain some experience in an a la carte restaurant there.” not to mention courses and training in order to keep, pardon the pun, his edge. so, what would drive a Head Chef from working at a five-star hotel to a four-star hotel?

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 13

PROMO “The idea of Dolmen, being executive Head Chef now, not being second in command but actually being the number one, to bring up my ideas and implementing new things intrigued me a lot.

When talking to Mr Pace [GM at the Dolmen] and seeing the vision he had of upgrading the product and directing the hotel into different market segments specialising in the mice sector. I saw an opportunity, both for the hotel and for myself, to be able to get a good product, and improve it further. We’re already thinking of some changes we can do, and changing some methods of work and now what I have in mind is to actually be there to show and teach – people that things can be done differently.”

This of course, is to be expected of a hotel that’s set its sights on not simply refurbishing (not that refurbishing could ever be simple) but also upgrading their product in the service industry.

Keith is another faucet in their growth as an establishment, an institution, and his vision for his kitchen is an extension of that.

What does that mean for food?

He has a love for French cuisine, the classical stuff, but that might not be enough for him. “Nowadays there are different techniques which maybe I took some time to embrace, like sous-vide cooking and things like that, but when you actually start using these techniques you acknowledge the benefits of them. It takes time, to master the techniques, to use them, because they’re quite different, but when you start understanding how they work you gain the benefits from them.”

Also at the forefront of his mind is the need to pay attention to health concerns: “I try to go more on the healthier side, taste and health. We hear so many problems and sickness nowadays, mainly from the type of food we eat. I think, knowing what you’re eating, is important nowadays so you try to keep it simple and be as healthy as possible as you can, but obviously having the best taste.”

How does that square with the butter heavy aspects of classical French cuisine?

“Unfortunately, that’s the French classical way but like I said nowadays there are new techniques which you can explore, 14 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

slowly, slowly, and we’re trying to implement these techniques.

Slow roasting, for example.”

Now, anyone that’s had to cook healthily for themselves knows just how hard that is, so what’s it like cooking for the kind of numbers a hotel like the Dolmen would see? In fact, it’s probably the biggest challenge he has to face after learning how to manage a kitchen staff of different cultures.

And how does one go about the kitchen staff? “I try to keep a balance, not being too strict; you can have a laugh, you can talk about your families and everything. It’s like being part of a family, if you respect your chefs, they will respect you.”

Which seems straightforward enough. Straightforward, but nonetheless a far cry from easy work. Heavy is the crown, and all that, so how does Keith vassallo relax? “I like to go cycling when I can, where I can. When I can, I go at six o’clock in the morning, I go for an hour and a half ride and I clear my mind. It’s not a lot, for people who cycle, but for me it’s good […] it clears my mind, it gets me the energy I need and still keeps me fit to keep through the day.” The hours, by the way, are long.

Asking how he manages to maintain a good family-work balance, he replies, “Thankfully I have a wife that quite understands me, the children start getting to the idea of the work I do. […]

Sometimes even though like you say ‘alright, that day is not busy, I may take that day off’ you get people phoning-in sick and you need to cover up. But my philosophy is that if you’re not there with your team people tend to, you know, slack a bit. If they see you there, working at their pace or even more, they try to match your pace.”

All in all, we can look forward to the work of a chef that knows his way around and respects his staff, that looks forward to the new while carrying a torch for the old, and we’ll carry on to see hundreds of faces walking in and out the doors of the Dolmen, tasting the food of their new executive Head Chef, Keith Vassallo.

LOCAL

WORDS BY

jamie iain genovese

WHAT’S FOR DINNER,

DINNER, DINNER?

16 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

LOCAL

microwave meals that were certainly more ubiquitous in the 90s – and could only exist in the 90s – as a food that was meant to resemble a better version of itself. In this case, it was these nuggetlike breaded chicken pieces that were entirely boneless but made to be shaped like a chicken leg, bulbous at one end and slimmed down at the other. The appeal, to me, was that it was a drumstick like the kind I would see on Tom & Jerry, taste was secondary, though perfectly suited to my tastes at the time (nuggets, chocolate eggs, and strawberry milkshakes; not much has changed, come to If there’s one thing that we must all do, it’s be the think of it). I was quite the picky child, in fact, Charles Bondin of food-eating and diet-keeping. ‘picky’ might be an understatement. One day I’m If we don’t vary our foods enough, if we don’t have foraging for peas in a mac ‘n’ cheese dish, the enough of vitamin this or amino acid that we could One day I’m foraging for next I’m cordoning them off on the plate like end up turning into a soupy mess ourselves. peas in a mac ‘n’ cheese they’ve contracted a particularly virile strain of dish, the next I’m smallpox. So, upon a decree issued from my But seriously, what if we had to only have one cordoning them off on child-sized seat, the number of meals to be had meal? What if we had to Mark Watney it and eat the plate like they’ve that featured the pseudo-chicken-drumstick just potatoes on Mars for a while? Well, in theory, contracted a particularly skyrocketed. I would heartily eat, probably to the we could. Potatoes, as starchy spuds, are virile strain of smallpox. joy of those around me. Then I’d get bored of it, surprisingly well rounded considering their lumpy probably to the dismay of those around me as I appearance. They have a bit of a bad reputation, shuffle a half-eaten nugget around on the plate. boring and mundane at best and only-edible-deepMind, I’d probably only have the same thing two fried at worst. Nonetheless, they’re practically a or three times in a particular week before getting bored of it, and staple in many a European dish, robust and diverse in application, my particular enthusiasm for a dish wouldn’t do much to dictate easy to flavour and easy to eat, you could easily eat potatoes every what did and didn’t get eaten. Waste not, want not, though there day for quite a while, as long as you keep the skins on. I find it were a few dishes that made a very permanent placement on the surprising and amusing that at this moment I am currently ‘never-again’ list. recalling all the many potato-spoon races I ran as a child at school sports days. Fitting, that the food I’d have to balance on a spoon After having these oddly-golden drumstick-shaped nuggets a few as I waddled to the finish line would also be a food that could times too close together, I wouldn’t be able to stomach them. It’s as if theoretically balance me to my finish line.

I would recall quite too clearly the taste and feel of the food. Like simply looking at it made me feel like I already ate it, cutting my Theory is all well and good, but when’s the last time good results appetite quite short. I wonder, how’d we adapt to that? Is there were prefaced with ‘It sounded good on paper”? something particularly beneficial to looking varying food, like an inbuilt diet-balancer? Is it an offshoot of our brain’s desire for novelty Right. in experience, like scrolling down newsfeeds or timelines, hitting refresh on reddit, buying scratcher cards or going to new restaurants So, how ‘on-paper-good’ is this? Would it be relegated to the and binging on new series? Maybe it’s something inside of us spurring pages of Weir’s The Martian, or could we actually pull this off? our desire for adventure and pioneering of new frontiers.

Thirty-six-year-old Andrew Taylor, from Australia, sought to Regardless, Andrew Taylor, from three paragraphs ago, made it a only eat potatoes for a year. A month in and he experienced, in its little past a month before uploading a picture of unfinished mashed full, ‘sensory-specific-satiety’. As a kid, I had taken an interest in potato onto his Facebook. Nonetheless, the guy lost about 10kg (his these battered ‘chicken drumsticks’. goal, but far too quick for my tastes) and it worked well for him in the short term, restoring his energy levels and handing at least (Note: Do skip this paragraph if indulgent self-reflection isn’t your thing). part of the reins over his health back into his own hands.

‘Chicken drumsticks, that came out of a box, were one of those The whole ‘part of a balanced diet’ spiel is what it is because we need a balanced diet. Some extra sodium on one side, not enough protein on the other, maybe a few grams of sugar and before you know it you barely recognise yourself in the mirror and your doctor ends most of his sentences with ‘I’m serious’ and you wake up tired and go to bed restless, and you never feel quite sated after meals. An imbalanced diet will have you tumbling over into Niagara Falls before you reach the other side.

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 17

LOCAL

Thing is, it wasn’t sustainable in the long term. Just potatoes means that you’re going to be lacking proteins which potatoes do provide, but simply not enough of. Just potatoes also means that you won’t be getting enough fat, and along with that not enough linolenic and linolenic acid, and you won’t be absorbing the right vitamins enough. Along with that, the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, or something, will be lacking too: and the only way you’ll get enough of that is oily fish.

But, push comes to shove, could you eat just potatoes?

No. Potatoes and butter, or whole milk? Significantly better, and can cover some of the gaps that eating only potatoes would leave you with. You could, through the complimenting nature of the two, eat only those two foods for a very long time. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Throw some oats or something in there, maybe an oily fish on special occasions, and you could probably sustain yourself almost indefinitely. The reason the oats are there is because oats are ridiculously abundant in molybdenum, without which you might eventually slip into a coma. Ouch.

But, given all this you could eat just potatoes and butter as long as you throw oats in there eventually. As far as the potatoes themselves go: keep an eye out for potatoes getting too green,

and make sure you don’t leave them in the sun, otherwise you might see potatoes rich in solanine, a type of glycoalkaloid poison. Not good.

So, let’s recoup a bit: what would it be like to eat the same meal for the foreseeable future; breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

It would be portions of potatoes and butter, enough for your daily intake of calories, and make sure you leave the skin on, or in the dish. This is more than doable. Make sure the potatoes aren’t green, or damaged, or you’ll get poisoned.

Throw in oats or an oily fish once in a while, as often as possible, to prevent slipping into a comatose state and maintaining your heart with omega-3. Try not to lose your mind after a month of eating the same meal every day as you live in a world that can probably offer you more gastronomical pleasures than you could ever afford, more than anyone in history has ever had.

In other words, you could walk the tightrope, but you probably wouldn’t even enjoy it. If you do think about trying this out, do consult a nutritionist, and maybe let friends and family talk you out of it. I heartily don’t recommend trying it. Oh, and for the love of all that is good, the image accompanying the article isn’t a suggestion of portion or preparation.

RECIPE

GARLIC BUTTER POTATOES METHOD Preheat oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make small slits in each potato, like an accordion, making sure not to cut all the way through. Place potatoes on a large sheet pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, olive oil and garlic. Brush mixture over potatoes then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, until the slits are starting to separate and the potatoes are beginning to turn golden.

Brush the potatoes with more of the melted butter mixture then sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan on top. Bake for another 23 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

INGREDIENTS 680g new or small potatoes 55g butter, melted 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 120g shredded mozzarella 50g freshly grated Parmesan 5g finely chopped parsley

BUTTER ROASTED POTATOES INGREDIENTS 1k potatoes (white or sweet or a combination) 1 tbsp butter 1 tbspextra virgin olive oil 1 tsp thyme (fresh, chopped) salt to taste black pepper to taste

METHOD Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel the potatoes and cut them into equally sized cubes, about 3/4 inches square.

As the oven is heating, put the butter in the center of a sheet pan and melt it in the oven for 2 minutes or until the butter is completely melted. Remove the pan from the oven.

In a bowl, toss the potatoes with olive oil and thyme. Add the potatoes to the pan, using a spatula to toss the potatoes and coat them evenly with the melted butter. Spread potatoes in an even layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook at 375°F for 30 to 45 minutes, turning the potatoes after about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender inside and their exterior is beginning to brown.

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 19

LOCAL

20 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

LOCAL

WORDS BY

Bailey lalonde

Going back as far as I can remember, I have always cringed at the thought of eating mushrooms. Although they are not the most rarely disdained food, I would say my sentiment against them has been particularly strong. According to my mother, when I was a baby I used to eat bowls of mushrooms, until I was convinced that they were some type of yucky mold. With zero memory of this shift, I have gone through life gagging at the sight or smell of them. In spite of how many times my mom and other people tried to tell me about their amazing nutritional properties, never did I predict that I may one day be an avid mushroom lover.

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 21

LOCAL

On my most recent trip to Paris, I was invited for lunch by a couple of old friends to their home for a vegan experience. The girlfriend, MJ, is a self-educated health and nutrition enthusiast; Matae, her boyfriend, is a classically trained French chef. When the couple got together, Matae also changed his diet to a primarily plant based diet. This is where the magic was born; the metamorphosis of French culinary into Contemporary Vegan French Cuisine. With MJ’s influence from Colombia and Barcelona, the food takes on a tapas style presentation: made with fresh, organic, clean and healthy ingredients.

Upon my arrival, the kitchen busied; we organized all of the fresh produce from the nearby specialized markets. As MJ prepared the salad, she asked if I like cilantro. I informed her that I like essentially everything vegetarian, except for mushrooms. Silence permeated the air, followed by a sigh which morphed into a chuckle. Matae then went to open the fridge, taking out three bags of some mystery ingredient. I couldn’t believe my eyes. They had gone to the market to buy all kinds of fresh produce, with a major emphasis on a variety of mushrooms. In the past years, I have really been working on opening my mind to foods which generally intimidate me, in order to expand my palate. Quickly, I told them about this and how this would be the perfect chance to try them.

Immediately pleased, Matae asked me if I trusted him, and away he went.

The salad was ready, full of fresh greens, a variety of seeds, some fruit, and sprouts, finished in a light olive oil and spice dressing.

Then came the large bowl of guacamole, followed by the sweet potato puree. We began to take these dishes up to the rooftop patio, as well as a whole picnic set up. Matae started with the courgettes, zucchini, eggplant and some other yellow round winter vegetable that looked like a lemon but was not. They mentioned that the key to sustaining and enjoying a diverse and delicious plant based diet is in the herbs and spices. “I could not believe the flavours and consistencies; the crunch.” Then… I was speechless.

Mushrooms started to make their way onto the veggie platter. At first sight, I was scared to try them and feel rude for refusing. The main thing I have always despised about mushrooms is the texture when biting into them, the sogginess of them, met by a strange crunch partway through. Matae informed me that this is what you experience when eating an old mushroom. Perhaps that had been

They cover a range of regulatory functions such as being high in antioxidants, excellent hormone balancers, anti-cancer properties, as well as effective weight regulators.

22 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

We offer various private venues and menus to accommodate groups of all sizes.

For reservations call 2147 0663/4.

Triq Idmejda, Balzan (next door to San Anton) info@melitagardens.com.mt www.facebook.com/melitagardens

20% discount

on all takeaway orders during November ALL DAY – MON. TO FRI.

GARDENS

LOCAL

the problem. He said that it is all in the flavouring and the way they are cooked. We brought the remaining platters up to the rooftop, and after taking a few photos of the beautiful, nutritious and delicious smorgasbord, we fixed our individual plates.

I could feel them observing me, watching carefully to see if I would reach for a mushroom.

After being reminded to taste the mushroom, I grabbed one and took a big bite of it. I was flabbergasted; it tasted exactly like steak; like one of the best steaks I had ever tried. From the consistency, to the texture, to the colour and fat, it looked and tasted like I was eating a delicious filet. Whatever he did, this experience was certainly unparalleled. Astonished by the degree to which I genuinely loved the mushrooms I had tried, I reached for one of the yellowish ones.

This one, consistency, flavour and all, tasted like Indian flavoured chicken. After both of these excellent new culinary experiences, I took quite a few mushrooms; they were hard to stop eating they were so delicious.

All of the fresh, vegan food paired with each other impeccably.

Although we finished a ton of food, between the three of us, we were left feeling completely satisfied with no sense of bloating. We all had immensely high energy levels throughout the day and we even, cooked more mushrooms, later on, with a variety of flavours and cooking methods. Delving into the health properties of mushrooms: “Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterolfree, gluten-free, and very low in sodium, yet they provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium (8%), riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D and more” (Duyff). For thousands of years, in cultures worldwide, namely Asian cultures have embraced mushrooms for their expansive variety of highly relevant nutritional benefits. They cover a range of regulatory functions such as being high in antioxidants, excellent hormone balancers, anti-cancer properties, as well as effective weight regulators.

Never did I think I would become a fan, let alone a mushroom spokeswoman. Opening my mind and approaching new culinary experiences in this way, enables me to conquer fears and take a chance to enjoy something I had previously been closed to. I am excited to dabble with the art of mushroom cooking as well as more plant based products. According to USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory, “mushrooms provide many of the nutritional attributes of produce, as well as attributes more commonly found in meat, beans or grains” (U.S. Department of Agriculture). In regards to cuisine, combining a passion for experiencing varied cultures, with the priority of leading a healthy lifestyle, heightens not only the senses, but also the nutritional value.

If mushrooms and vegan food can taste that rich and satisfying, as well as impacting health in such a notable way, why not explore new territories?

Bibliography Change R. Functional Properties of Edible Mushrooms. Nutrition Reviews. 1996; 54:91-93 Duyff, R. American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. Third Addition. Wiley & Sons. NJ. 2006.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory. 2009. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22. www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata.

24 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

STARE INTO

THE ABYSS

Everything we see, we see by light. The light around us is the world we see, so choosing the right lights is the best way to control the way spaces and places look. And yet, for many, lights seem to be an afterthought, or at the very best completely misunderstood. Every source of light has four things: brightness, size, temperature, and a place to be.

A lot of places are lit, far as can be told, as if all that matters is how many bulbs you have and how bright they are, which is why you’ll often see ceilings with rows of tiny spots, and everyone you look at is either a muddied mess or they look like they’re about to begin a round of interrogation. Or maybe mixed temperatures with some light ‘whiter’ than the rest, worse still when places have an officefluorescent-blue and it’s meant to be relaxing. It is, no doubt, the weirdest colour to see coming out of people’s kitchen or home windows; one could scarcely imagine a more efficient way of making a home or restaurant a place you don’t want to be.

So, what can you do? Consider the light you want for the space you need, for the feeling you need. If you want the lights in your home, chic café, bistro, gastropub, whatever, here are a few things you can keep in mind:

FEATURE Warm, matching temperatures. Bulbs of all kinds come with a temperature attached to them, measured in K, for Kelvin. This has less to do with actual heat, and more to do with how ‘orange’ or ‘blue’ the light is. Get bulbs in the same measured temperature, ideally at around 5800K or 6400K to get ‘warm’ light.

Larger light sources. It’s easy to see why people think spots work, they’re bright, high up, they should spread their light out evenly.

Thing is, small lights make for harsh and sharp shadows that can be distracting to the eye. The larger the light, the softer the shadows, the smoother the ambience.

Brightness. Luckily, we’re familiar with this. Just remember that contrast is a thing, keep things you want people to look at bright, keep things that aren’t important dark. There’s a reason why restaurants often used to keep little lamps or candles on a table: the light keeps the party at the table looking at each other.

Place. This is a pretty straightforward thing, where you place light dictates where the light will go. Ceiling lights are fine, but bringing some lights in a room to eye level helps direct an eye around a room, relaxing the gaze from wanting to look up all the time.

Lighting can be difficult, lighting can be easy, lighting can be cheap, lighting can be expensive. Lighting, however, is always important.

FEATURE

WORDS BY

26 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

Danny Coleiro

FEATURE

hat’s not to say that nothing else makes me happy, but in a world where I find myself becoming increasingly cynical about… well… almost everything, food makes me happy in the same way that, apparently, a kitten playing with a gherkin on YouTube makes everyone else happy.

I don’t even need to eat it – the food, that is, not the kitten. The other day the discovery of a carton of buttermilk hiding shyly on a shelf of my local supermarket made me punch the air and hiss out a triumphant ‘yesss’, causing a little old lady who was trying to figure out which milk was which to cast a suspicious look in my direction and quickly steer her trolley to the next aisle before she caught whatever it was that had evidently left me a couple of cheese sandwiches short of a picnic.

My, that was a long sentence. But as I said, I was excited.

The reason for my reaction was that I’d had no idea that buttermilk was even sold on the island, and its presence on the shelf meant that I could go home and make fried chicken the way fried chicken is truly meant to be made. Which I did. I didn’t even get to taste it myself - partly because I’d had a big lunch and wasn’t hungry, but mostly because my wife and kids came home as I was tonging it into a serving dish, and devoured the lot like cartoon sheep chomping their way through green fields. That made me happy too, because I like seeing people enjoy my cooking.

mundane and ‘really-couldn’t-be-bothered’ as a cheddar cheese sandwich, except, possibly, for a luncheon meat sandwich - a clear indication that all pretence of ‘healthy’ and ‘good for you’ has gone out the window, along with the pair of ‘bento boxes’ you ordered online back in August because you really thought that, this year, you’d be making kittens and cartoon sheep out of gherkins, peppercorns and hard-boiled eggs for your kids’ school lunches.

But no. Despite all your best intentions, luncheon meat sandwiches it is, with maybe a cherry tomato tossed in to upgrade from ‘bleh’ to ‘meh’.

The main reason for this lack of enthusiasm is the time of day at which the packed lunch is prepared. This is either first thing in the morning when there’s no time to waste fiddling about with carrot sticks and the like because you’re too busy screaming up the stairs at the kids to get dressed while they’re screaming down that they can’t find their socks, or the evening before when you’ve just finished cooking dinner and are simply not in the mood to do anything more than grab two slices of bread and stick whatever is closest to hand between them, edibility optional.

And that’s really not fair. Because… well… Singapore Maths.

Seriously. Find out all about it on YouTube, in between watching kitten and gherkin videos. It’s cruel and unusual punishment, and, after a morning of that, a luncheon meat sandwich could very well be the final straw.

It’s about school lunches.

So, to cut a long story… er… long, I resolved to make my kids the kind of school lunch that would make them punch the air and hiss ‘yesss’ and scare little old ladies with trolleys when they opened their lunch bags. I needed something that could survive a morning in a schoolbag. Something that could be eaten cold, and that wasn’t too messy. And something absolutely, mouth-wateringly delicious.

Summer is now well and truly over, and all the kids are settled back at school. My two trudge out of the house every morning at approximately seven thirty, dragging schoolbags twice their size and three times their weight behind them. Those bags are stuffed with everything you might imagine - books, stationery, more books - and quite a few things you might not. They have bags in their bags. Gym bags and ballet bags, music bags, science bags and bags of bags. And somewhere under it all, there are their lunch bags, because they’re off to spend half the day doing horrible and mind-numbing and soul-destroying things like Singapore Maths and the correct use of suffixation in English, and for those two alone they deserve to be fed. And hugged as often as possible.

And so, I started with labneh, which is a soft, creamy cheese made from yoghurt. It does require some forward planning because it needs to hang around for twenty-four hours before it’s ready, but other than that you have nothing to worry about because it pretty much makes itself. All you need to do is tip two large pots of Greek yoghurt into a cheese cloth, pull up the four corners to make a bag out of it, and twist it around until it tightens around the yoghurt and wrings out the liquid. I put a thick elastic band around the corners to keep it closed, and suspended it over a bowl to drip its way dry through the night. And that was pretty much it. I did give it the occasional squeeze every now and then, but only because I was bored and there was nothing on telly.

The problem is that packed lunches for school are just so… schoolish and… er… packedy without being particularly… ah… lunchsome. Preparing packed lunches does not make me particularly happy, nor does it excite me, and that’s because there’s absolutely nothing to get excited about. There’s nothing quite as

Twenty-four hours later, I opened up the cloth, pulled off walnutsized pieces of the labneh and rolled them into balls. This can get a bit messy, but it’s a fun kind of messy. I put the balls on a tray in the fridge for a bit, and then rolled them around in a mixture of smoked paprika, chili flakes, dried oregano and ground pepper.

And all the above would lead very nicely into a recipe for said fried chicken, if that’s what this was about. But it’s not. It’s not about a kitten playing with a gherkin either.

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 27

FEATURE

The great thing about these yoghurt balls is that you can roll them around in pretty much any seasoning you fancy, or simply leave them plain. And once they were all nicely coated, I dropped them into a jar and poured in enough olive oil to cover them. Labneh… sorted.

Next, I made falafel. The golden rule of these little chickpea balls is that you shouldn’t use tinned chickpeas because they collapse into sludge when you fry them, mainly because they’re already cooked and the starch that would hold everything together has been removed. But using dried chickpeas requires forward planning too, and I had used up all of mine on the labneh, so I used tinned chickpeas anyway, and cheated a bit. I drained the chickpeas, patted them dry, and tossed in a teaspoon each of ground coriander, ground cumin, and garam masala. I added half a teaspoon of turmeric, salt, pepper and a fresh chopped chili, two crushed garlic cloves, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. And then, before blitzing the lot, I rolled them onto a baking tray and dried them out in a moderate oven for fifteen minutes. Then I blitzed them, added one slice of bread’s worth of breadcrumbs and a beaten egg, and mixed it all together. After that, I shaped them into balls, again the size of a walnut, and squashed them down slightly to form patties. About a minute on each side frying in a centimetre of very hot oil - and make sure

you give the oil time to get hot again between one batch and the other, or they will fall to pieces - and falafel… sorted.

And that was it. It’s incredible how versatile the combination of labneh and falafel can be. I made wraps with cucumber and slices of tomato. I made salads. I made buns and added meatballs to the mix for that extra bite. I made rolls and sandwiches, topped the falafel with labneh as a bite-sized snack, spread the labneh on crackers, dipped the falafel in a sweet chili sauce… and it was all absolutely, mouth-wateringly delicious.

To cut a long story… ah, whatever… I ate the lot.

Like I said, food makes me happy. It excites me. As for the kids, well… they actually quite like luncheon meat sandwiches. And Singapore Maths isn’t really that difficult after all, once you get your head around it. English suffixation is also easy to figure out with a bit more head-get-aroundedness. And I’ll make it up to them. Maybe I’ll buy some more buttermilk, and make some more fried chicken. Or maybe I’ll just show them that YouTube clip of the kitten with the gherkin…

That makes everyone happy.

TRAVEL

30 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

TRAVEL

WORDS BY

JAMeS CAMILLerI

te Things Ate hings I A T on Holiday on Holiday Strange meals from around the world.

“You ate what?!” I get that a lot. Sampling peculiar foodstuffs is one of my more esoteric hobbies, and it couples perfectly with my unconstrainable need to hop onto a plane and out of the country as often as my budget and perplexed employers will allow. It wasn’t always like this. As a child I couldn’t comprehend why anyone would want to consume anything other than pasta slathered in ungodly amounts of butter and washed down with a bar of chocolate. I was not an adventurous little boy. Or a healthy one. I’m glad to say that my tastes have since developed, although I still look at salads with deep suspicion.

With that gripping back story out of the way, I can proceed to spin you tales of strange and wondrous foodstuffs from around the globe. More specifically, some meaty morsels from far and further.

Apologies to the vegetarians out there, and while I thank you for reading this far, you may want to skip the remainder of this article as all the meals I’m about to describe were once moving/bouncing/thrashing about of their own accord. Of course, in the grander scale of things this food isn’t particularly terrifying – I have yet to try any roasted insects, though I would love to, and I still haven’t found anywhere that will serve me bat or snake. Nevertheless, I live in hope.

HORSE

Let’s start with the least weird thing on the list. Most people in Malta know where you can get a nice slab of horse meat to nibble on. Many have probably tried it too. Horse meat is full of flavour, somewhat aggressively so, as it can be quite rich when compared to a more standard beef steak. I’ve tasted some lovely horse dishes in Malta, but I’d like to talk about a horse-based dish I sampled while in the North Italian village of Parma. Somewhat popular over there is the pesto di cavallo, which is horse meat prepared as a tartare. (For those of you who do not adore tartare as I do, it is essentially a meal made out of raw ground meat, seasoned with herbs and held together by a raw egg yolk. Think of it as what a really hipster Neanderthal would have eaten.)

It was a chilly December night and we all jostled into a local osteria which my friend (whom we had come to visit) had been raving on about for months. The praise was certainly not unfounded, and sandwiched between a lovely local broth and a dessert-spread fit for a king, washed down with slightly concerning amounts of local Lambrusco, I had the delight of gorging on a plate of multiple different horse meat variations. None were cooked, although it probably wasn’t due to laziness or negligence. If it was, props to the chef, because it was magnificent.

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 31

TRAVEL

A couple of different horse meat carpaccios and a stupendous tartare made this the best thing I’ve seen done to horse meat by far.

FROGS’ LEGS

The de facto capital of Europe is immediately associated with a number of its local offerings: waffles and luxury chocolate to start, as well as mussels and French fries – a pairing I always found slightly awkward, perhaps due to the Mediterranean influences of the mother rock. This wasn’t the strangest thing I’d eaten in Brussels though, that award definitely goes to a delectable dish of frogs’ legs I had at a busy restaurant a few paces from the main town square.

Nature just stopped trying at a point. If you need 17 herbs and spices and a stint in a deep fryer to give something flavour maybe we should just stick to beef.

I am aware that this may be an unpopular opinion, but I can’t hear your disapproval over the sizzling of my Tomahawk steak, sorry. But I digress. The frogs’ legs were pleasantly tasty and acceptably meaty, so I must recommend you give them a shot, as least after you’ve had a couple of portions of mussels and fries. If they don’t tickle your fancy you can always override the flavour with a generous helping of Belgian chocolate. Some childhood habits die hard.

MOOSE

This I tasted in one of my favourite places in the world, (yes, I keep harping on about this place) Copenhagen. Specifically, on the banks of Nyhavn, or the New Harbour, a beautiful regenerated district packed to the brim with fancy restaurants and a couple of killer ice cream shops; and apparently the most beautiful public toilets in Copenhagen. (I wouldn’t know, I never needed to pay a visit. I shall next time I visit, just for sightseeing’s sake.) Of course, this is Copenhagen, and fancy comes with an (in)appropriately inflated price tag. I once paid €45 for a sandwich, a beer, dessert and coffee here. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lovely sandwich. But damn.

The memory is hazy, but I can still recall faint remnants of the flavour in my self-diagnosed old age. Brussels is a busy city, or at least it was that June day, and people spilled out into the streets from every restaurant in the main mussel-munching streets. We plopped down onto a table at a restaurant that seemed overcrowded and a bit hastily put together, something that sent my tourist-trap alarm into absolute overdrive.

I try to be agreeable sometimes however and shut my mouth, this time. (It’s not a frequent occurrence though, and don’t count on it if you ever end up trapped in a foreign country with me, especially if you try to walk into one of those barbaric places that put Comic Sans on the menu.) I was thankfully mistaken this one time though, and enjoyed my meal immensely. The frogs’ legs were surprisingly large at first glance, although the portion was still far below what Maltese grandmothers would consider enough for a growing lad. They were tender and tasty, with a slightly gummy texture. I’m reluctant to compare them to chicken, as many do, as chicken meat always makes me think that Mother 32 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

It was alongside this same harbour where I had a delectable couple of slices of moose meat. It was very specifically a couple of slices.

Also, I’m going to be totally honest, I don’t particularly remember what it tasted like, only that the whole meal cost more than a night in a hotel and my dad almost passed out and crushed the waiter when he was handed the bill. I do recommend you go to Nyhavn and try something out of the ordinary – I did enjoy the moose, though I don’t remember details – but make sure you’re in a position to slim your wallet a tad just after your meal.

TRAVEL OSTRICH

Ah, the largest bird on our planet. Also, unfortunately, one of the dumbest. And the meanest. Do not get pecked by an ostrich or any of its close kin, they can pack a punch. Thankfully, they make up for their nastiness by being very tasty. I first tried ostrich at the Reading music festival, of all places, in the form of a burger. It was a fine piece of cuisine (in comparison), bobbing its head up – as ostriches sometimes do – from a sea of chip stalls and suspicious greasy packages and an inexplicable ubiquity of Monster Energy drinks. A perfect precursor to an incomparable musical spectacle.

Despite the mud. And the Stephen King inspired toilets.

I also had another bite of ostrich in a more esoteric form earlier this year – as a kind of jerky in the famous food market of Barcelona. Barcelona is a city of sound and taste and sound (and sound) and it offers a huge variety of food and drink to feast and be merry on. Ostrich jerky is, despite its best intentions, still some perversion of dried meat, but it was not unpleasant. I would try get a slice of proper ostrich if you get the chance though – something I am still keeping an eye out for on my travels.

Northerners) prepared by the locals. Everyone in Malta has cousins in Australia, because when you’re Maltese and sick of life on a tiny, swelteringly hot, and practically unreachable island, the only logical conclusion is to cross the globe to settle on a larger, unimaginably hotter and even more remote island. Sometimes I wonder. The island in question is named “Rottnest”, thanks to the initial Dutch settlers who thought the adorable fluffy marsupials roaming the place were giant rats. (They weren’t. They’re actually called Quokkas and are endemic to the island and also the cutest things ever. Way too cute to eat, and I eat bunnies. It’s nice to find a local species that isn’t trying to stab, slash, or poison you.)

Kangaroo meat struck me as somewhat similar to beef, though slightly richer and with a slightly more intense flavour. Think of it as a sort of midpoint between horse and beef. I highly recommend it, especially if you get lost and end up in godforsaken Australia by accident. You can also find kangaroo meat locally, although I’ve never made the conscious decision to buy a slab and cook at it home. To be honest, I’m ever so slightly concerned about meat that’s had to cross the globe to reach me, especially considering the state I was in after the couple of light years I spent in a plane trying to get to Oz myself.

CROCODILE

KANGAROO

Ah yes, the bouncier rodent. Naturally, the best place to try a slice o’ roo would be way down under, where everything is out to kill you and you’d need a bit of protein to keep those leg muscles in shape. I actually tasted kangaroo on a small island off the coast of Australia, on a good old-fashioned barbie (barbecue for us 34 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

This is an interesting one. You’d sensibly presume that I also tasted crocodile once I went through the hassle of getting to Australia, but alas my plans were foiled by the draconian alcohol laws there.

Apparently, if you’re under the legal drinking in Australia (it’s been a while), you’re not allowed to enter a bar. At noon. To order a crocodile pizza. Heaven forbid the children get sloshed on pizza.

It would be a few years later until I could claim to have eaten crocodile, at an Australian bistro in… Berlin. I harbour no

TRAVEL

particular grudges against the Germans (just a few general ones) but their cuisine does have a tendency for blandness. There’s only so much sausage one can eat after all.

It was at this point of exasperation that I dragged my family into the Australian eatery with the explicit goal of finally tasting crocodile. I was not disappointed. It’s kind of like a very meaty fish. Or a very fishy meat.

Perhaps what the offspring of a pig and a swordfish would taste like. (I can’t even imagine how that would happen and I suggest you save yourself the trauma and avoid the thought experiment entirely.) Do try some next time you’re down under, or, you know, in Berlin. The restaurant is still there, at the centre of the Sony Centre complex, and the crocodile is still tasty, or at least it was in September. Besides, although I love animals of all shapes sizes and odours (honest), there’s something slightly satisfying about seeing a three-metre-long monster that would snap my spine and drown me without a second thought sitting on a plate, lightly seasoned and with a side of fries.

Travelling is a great way to find out interesting (or terrifying) things about the world – and yourself – and trying out local cuisine is a big part of that. Not only do you get to learn more about the country or city you’re in, its history and its culture, but you get lots of opportunities to surprise and bedazzle your own taste buds. So next time you land on foreign soil be a little bit daring. Pick the most peculiar looking thing on the menu – even better if it’s in a language you can barely decipher – and go for it. Remember, weird is good. Or at least that’s what I whisper into the mirror every morning.

FEATURE

HAVE YOU

EATEN RICE YET? WORDS BY

36 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

Mantas stockus

FEATURE

remember, on that day, it was pouring so much that streets were transformed into rivers suited more for luzzi than cars. My destination point was a small place with a modest courtyard in a side street off of the Gżira front. I was ten minutes away and could see the familiar corner of the place. Despite this, half an hour passed until I managed to reach it. as you all know, when it rains life in Malta becomes more chaotic than usual, and I hope this is not linked with peoples’ fear to grow taller if a raindrop touches them. Just kidding. the place I am speaking about is called Good Thaimes and the word Thaimes hides an obvious hint.

Riders on the storm Riders on the storm Jim greets me with a song which most of us know by heart. He couldn’t be more right. these few lines depicts the people outside struggling to find a way from point a to point B, navigate through passing cars, powerful wind and puddles the size of a dining table. the task gets tougher if you are wearing converse shoes. In my case, they were soaked and made a funny ‘squeak’ sound when I walked, even on my tiptoes, to the table with a coaster as a sign. on it was written a familiar name to me. there should be eight of us coming.

Into this house we’re born Into this world we’re thrown Like a dog without a bone An actor out on loan Riders on the storm another line from Jim echoes in my mind. sitting alone gave me some time to look around more attentively. to be honest, it wasn’t the first time that I came to Good Thaimes but this is why some places stands out from the others. they have this mysticism which, every time you come, shows a new card trick. In this case it was a clown statue. at Good Thaimes you have the entire world’s time.

Waiters are not in a rush. Why should they be when the concept lets them loosen up? First time you go, they can leave you with the impression of them being in their own world, similar to Jim’s one during The Doors concerts.

they reach the table. some rushed straight to the bar, while others searched for a waiter hoping to get a chance to see the menus. after some time, we had them in our hands. a4, laminated paper – that was it! to be fair they were a bit overused but, again, fitting to the environment. It was part of the schtick for the first-time clients.

Interestingly, the kitchen only opens after 7pm, before that you can get just beverages and in my opinion that is an excellent idea as the summer days in Malta are blazing. You are taught to enjoy a dish with the sweat dropping from your chin. at Good Thaimes it is very important to do exactly that, and enjoy one of the finest thai cuisines in the Island. soon, the place was full of squeaking shoes and lusty voices. a mixture of different people occupied everything you could sit on. the rest, with a beer in their hands, seized what was left and waited for their chance.

There’s a killer on the road His brain is squirmin’ like a toad Take a long holiday Let your children play If you give this man a ride Sweet family will die Killer on the road When a waiter appeared with a dish you could people leaned towards the plate. I was one of them. With every appearing dish I believed that this is it! I couldn’t wait for my favourite Red thai curry — vegetables cooked in a soft mixture of spices and oil. It is served with rice shaped into small and sometimes flattened balls.

Just be careful! If you ask for a spicy dish, it is truly spicy. advice: a cucumber is sometimes eaten to cool the mouth. according to the best chefs: paramount to thai cuisine is balance, detail and variety. Its food is known for its enthusiastic use of fresh herbs and spices. the cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. You should pay attention to intricacy, texture, appearance, colour, smell, taste and good flavour. simplicity is the key ingredient around which everything else spins.

Riders on the storm Riders on the storm

My strongest indicator is the feeling after dinner. I always ask myself, ‘How do you feel?’ In Good Thaimes the answer is ‘full of energy and contented’. this is the reason I come here thaime and thaime again to enjoy food and listen to Jim’s voice producing the dreaminess of a mystical incantation surrounded by the cowboy saloon decor.

With these words being on the tip of the tongue my friends start to gather. one after another with soaked shoes they squeak until

Riders on the storm Riders on the storm

advice: go straight to the bar if you are feeling thirsty. It will make life easier for both sides.

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 37

LOCAL

38 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017

LOCAL

ood forms the basis of the greatest social revolution in history, while laying down the foundations of those structures and institutions we today refer to as ‘civilisation’. Apart from its physiological importance, food is also a cultural phenomenon. According to Arjun Appadurai, food is ‘a highly condensed social fact’ and ‘a marvellous plastic kind of collective representation’. As a cultural object, food is a means through which humans communicate behaviours. It is a channel leading to understanding of self, of behaviours and of social interactions with others, providing for the study of the multifaceted material and symbolic meaning of food in history.

‘Food as Voice: Historical Perspectives’ is the theme chosen for the Malta Historical Society’s biennial History Week to be held in November 2017. MHS has been organising ‘History Week’ since 1979, providing an opportunity for academics, researchers and postgraduate students to converge and share their findings, research, knowledge and passion for the subject. This year’s theme has drawn wide attention not only from established and emerging Maltese

scholars, but also from a good number of researchers on Food History / experts and doctoral students alike, from Europe and beyond. The research topics / successful entries provide the perfect mélange befitting this theme. These range from agriculture to architecture, food in art, rituals and popular culture, trade routes and industrial aspects, medical elements of food, food and society, and food and religion. They also vary in historical moment while the geographic context has widened from the Maltese to the Mediterranean, continental and, in respect of twentieth-century history, the global, reflecting the universal nature of the history of Food.

The event already holds its own lustre. That it is going to be held in the most illustrious Aula Capitulare in Mdina adds to the prestige of this year’s History Week. Sessions will be held on 8th, 9th and 10th November from 6.30pm till 9pm and on the 11th from 9.30am till 12.30am. The general public is invited to attend, entrance to the fully accessible venue is free and no pre-booking is required.

This event is being held in close collaboration with Mgr. Anton Cassar, the Archpriest of the Cathedral, and the Metropolitan Chapter.

CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017 39

RECIPE METHOD

INGREDIENTS 500g black spaghetti 6 tender medium-sized squid 1 courgette 4 cloves of garlic Handful of Borges Nuts (almonds) 1 chilli pepper Borges extra-virgin olive oil Salt

Clean the squid, open and cut lengthways into strips as thinly as possible.

Use a spiraliser to make some courgette ribbons.

Boil the spaghetti in plenty of water, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cook the sliced garlic and chilli pepper in a frying pan with a good dash of olive oil over a very low heat.

When the garlic starts to change colour, add the strips of squid and cook for a couple of minutes over a medium heat. Add the courgette ribbons, toss a couples of times to cook lightly and add the freshly cooked spaghetti.

Finish off with the chopped almonds and season with salt and pepper to taste. Give all the ingredients one last blast over the heat, remove the chilli pepper and serve.

NUTRITIONAL TIPS Black spaghetti not only creates an impressive colour contrast, but also adds an extra f lavour. Don’t worry if you can’t find any, though, as you can easily use normal spaghetti instead.

If you want to add an extra dash of colour, put some carrots through the spiraliser too and add together with the courgette.

If you can’t find a spiraliser, simply dice the courgette and cook for a bit longer.

The combination of seafood, pasta and vegetables makes a great meal in one.

Serve with a fresh cheese salad on the side for a highly nutritious meal.

COU RG

BL AC ET TE R

ID, GARLIC, U Q S H IT W I D CHILLI P N TT A S E D EPP N H O G M ER L A A P , S S N K O B IB

40 CIBUS | NOVEMBER 2017