the foodie
Issue No: 15
May - Jun 2012
the foodie May - June 2012
10 REASONS
why shopping at Arkadia Foodstore is convenient and rewarding We pride ourselves in promising a convenient and rewarding experience at Arkadia Foodstore. We know for quite a few this might seem like the normal corporate mumbo jumbo. But we truly believe in walking our talk. Following find 10 reasons stating our case.
1.convenient: we open all day Yes. We don’t close in the afternoons. But we actually open even longer than the normal 7PM. In Gozo we stay open up to 8PM, while in Portomaso we open up to 9PM from Monday to Saturday and up to 8PM on Sundays. Therefore take it easy... relax... we will be open any time of the day to be of service to you.
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2. convenient: we open on sundays Yes. We open every day of the week including Sundays. No day of the week is different to us as we promise to be of service to you every day, all day. We know you have a tight schedule. But be it a Monday afternoon, a Friday evening, or Sunday morning, rest assured we are ready to be of service. Unexpectedly organising a Sunday evening barbecue? Keep calm... we will be there to serve you.
3. convenient: we open on public holidays Yes. We open on nearly all public holidays. Rest assured that this June, on Thursday 7th and Friday 29th, we will be open as usual
throughout the whole day.
4. convenient: all in one place Yes. You will find it all in one place when shopping at Arkadia Foodstore. At both our foodstores in Gozo and Portomaso, customers enjoy a complete range of fresh produce from our butcher, delicatessen, fishmonger, and fruit & veg section. Therefore why continue running around? Keep it quick and short. At Arkadia you will find it all. One stop. One purchase. Life is too short... keep your shopping time shorter.
5.convenient: we deliver to you Yes. We deliver all around Malta & Gozo. Such a shame that many customer don’t know that we
provide a home delivery service. This summer we will also be providing a delivery service to marinas for boat owners as well. Just give us a call (Gozo: 2210 3335 | Portomaso: 2210 3350) and we will take care of the rest. Minimum purchase of €70 or more for FREE delivery.
6. convenient: parking, parking, parking Yes. Parking is an essential part of your shopping experience. That is why our customers in Portomaso are entitled to 2 hours of free parking with €15 of shopping or more. Whilst in Gozo we just recently agreed with the Girls’ Secondary School next door to leave the school parking open after school hours. This way we have doubled if not tripled the parking slot available near Arkadia Foodstore in Gozo.
7. rewarding: prima points Our foodstore customers get a PRIMA point for every €5 of shopping. With just 150 points Arkadia Foodstore customers are entitled to a €30 shopping voucher to use at selected fashion and home outlets. Need to update your wardrobe for summer? Considering a new barbecue for the outdoors? Believe us that Arkadia Foodstore customers can get it for free when redeeming their PRIMA points.
8. rewarding: extraordinary offers Maybe you haven’t noticed but from time to time Arkadia Foodstore launches extraordinary offers. We don’t believe much
in minimal offers on selected products. We believe in real extra value as a reward for our customers shopping. This year we offered free BREAKFAST2GO and PICNIC2GO packs. Just now we are launching a fantastic MEAL2GO pack where customers gets free products to prepare a 4 course meal for 6 persons. And look out for our BBQ2GO pack in July. With these packs we reward our customers with lots and lots of basic and essential grocery items.
9. rewarding: our regular customers are extra special Our regular customers are special to us. From time to time we send them special offers through their post box to redeem on their next food shopping visit. They deserve that little bit extra.
10. rewarding: christmas hamper We will soon be half way through the year. But our top customers already know that at the end of the year they receive a fabulous Christmas hamper as a reward for their regular custom. They simply deserve it. Our small way of thanking them for another great year of quality, choice & value.. There you have it. We hope we rest our case. But not the least we still want to know more about what you think about Arkadia Foodstore. What are your thoughts on your own shopping experience at Arkadia Foodstore? Send us an e-mail at customercare@arkadia. com.mt. We really look forward for your feedback.
opening hours Gozo Mon-Sun: 8am-8pm (including Public Holidays) Tel: 2210 3316 Portomaso Mon-Sat: 8am-9pm Sun: 8am-8pm (including Public Holidays) Tel: 2138 2333
Sign up to e-mail updates from Arkadia Foodstore by e-mailing to thefoodie@arkadia.com.mt
Cover Photo: rabbit with mustard sauce – recipe on page 5 Published by: Arkadia Marketing Ltd. Fortunato Mizzi Street, Victoria, Gozo Tel: 2210 3000 | E-mail: thefoodie@arkadia.com.mt Contributors to this issue: Claire Borg, Sarah Borg Abela, George Larry Zammit To advertise please contact : Valerio Hili | Tel: 2210 3213 E-mail: vhili@arkadia.com.mt
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Once a reserved pleasure of the Knights 3 different methods to cook local rabbit Recipes & Photography by Claire Borg
Malta’s love of rabbit goes back to the times of the Knights of Malta. Once a reserved pleasure of the Knights, the Maltese were allowed to hunt and eat wild rabbit every year on June 29 for the feast of L-Imnarja. The tradition holds and the 29th of June is considered a public holiday. L-Imnarja has become a celebration of food, religion and culture. The cooking of rabbit is a must. Traditional methods vary from frying with white wine and garlic to a slow cooking stew. But here we have decided to go against the norm and prepare 3 alternative ways of cooking our favourite rabbit.
rabbit with mustard sauce Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 1 Rabbit Cut in Pieces 2 Onions – Peeled & Finely Chopped 3 Tbsp Chopped Garlic 3 Bay Leaves 1 Tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves Salt &d Pepper Cooking Oil 6 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard 2 Glasses of White Wine 2 Shots of Brandy 200 ml Fresh Cream
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Method Ask the butcher to cut the rabbit in pieces for you. Cook the rabbit in a little oil, with the garlic and herbs for about 3 minutes on each side. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mustard and wine, and then season with salt and pepper. Cover and leave to simmer for 45 minutes on low heat. Add the brandy, bring up the heat and cook for 5 minutes, then add the cream, lower the heat again, add the cream, stir well, then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes.
deboned rabbit stuffed with orange prunes and pork Ingredients Yield: Serves 6 1 Deboned Rabbit 10 Orange Prunes Deboned 2 Tbsp Chopped Garlic 150 Grams Finely Minced Pork ½ Tsp Rabbit Seasoning (for the pork mince) 1 Glass of Wine Bay Leaves Fresh Thyme Salt & Pepper
traditional garlic & parsley salted cod
rabbit with mustard sauce
Method Ask your butcher to debone and stuff the rabbit for you. You need to provide him with the seasoning for the pork, the chopped garlic, thyme and prunes. The garlic and thyme are sprinkled first, then the seasoned pork and then the prunes on top. The rabbit is then rolled and closed with string. In a large pan, heat some oil and seal the rabbit roll. Add some garlic and a spring of thyme, and then the wine and heat until the wine starts to bubble. Transfer everything into a baking tin, cover and cook in a hot oven set on medium for about 35 minutes. Remove tin lid or foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.
deboned rabbit stuffed with orange prunes and pork
Deboned Rabbit Available Get it from our butcher You can purchase fresh deboned rabbit from both butchers at Arkadia Foodstore in Victoria, Gozo and Portomaso, St. Julian’s. Most of the time deboned rabbit is available. But to ensure availability we recommend you pre-order by calling our butchers directly. (Gozo: 2210 3228 | Portomaso: 2210 3350)
Serve with mashed, sautĂŠed or boiled potatoes.
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salted cod stew with cherry tomatoes
jacqueline's rabbit terrine Ingredients Yield: Serves 6-8 1 Chopped Deboned Rabbit (keep the bones to make the gelatine) 12-15 Rashes of Streaky Bacon ½ Tbsp Gelatin Granules 4 Egg Yolks 3 Whole Slices of Local Hobza Bread 1 Glass of Milk 400 Grams Pork Minced Meat – Minces Three Times Salt, Pepper, Thyme & Bay Leaves ½ a Bottle Port Method Season the Rabbit with a little salt, pepper, a tsp of thyme and 4 bay leaves and let it soak overnight in the port. In about a litre of water, boil the rabbit bones for an hour and a half. Remove bones and leave the broth to the side. In a large bowl, soak the bread in milk until soft, then squeeze out access liquid and combine the bread, egg yolks and minced pork together until evenly combined. In a terrine dish with lid, lay the strips of bacon on the bottom and sides. Remove the rabbit from the port marinade (keeping the marinade on the side – and remove also the bay leaves) and place a layer of chopped rabbit at the bottom over the bacon. On top, place a layer of minced pork, then another layer of Rabbit, then minced pork again and then finish off with a layer of rabbit and finally close with bacon on top. Pour about 4 tbsp of the port marinade and about 8 tbsp of rabbit stock on top and place the bay leaves on top too. Keep the rest of the port marinade and rabbit stock. Cover with foil and the terrine lid and place it in a larger tray filled with water (bain marie) and bake in a hot oven set on 220 degrees Celsius for half an hour. Then remove from the dish of water, lower the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for 2 hours (covered). Remove lid and foil and cook for a further 30 minutes. Once ready, let the terrine cool down.
jacqueline's rabbit terrine
Heat the rest of the port and the rabbit stock and measure about ¾ of a cup. Add the gelatin granules to it and stir until dissolved (do not cook the liquid once the gelatin is in it). Cover the terrine with it and put in fridge to set. The terrine ideally needs to rest for 2 days before it is cut to serve. It will keep well in the fridge for 12 days. Serve with toasted local bread, rucola salad and pickled gherkins and onions.
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WIDE SELECTION OF OUTDOOR FURNITURE NOW AVAILABLE
BARBECUES RATTAN & TEAK FURNITURE SETS PLASTIC OUTDOOR TABLEWARE UMBRELLAS
Available for viewing MONDAY to SUNDAY 9AM - 8PM
LEVEL
& MUCH MORE...
Arkadia Commercial Centre, Victoria, Gozo | T: 2210 3320
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It’s Time to Rub It In May the barbecue season begin!
The barbecue season is here. Everybody has their own way of preparing their favourite cut for a hot grill. Following we are providing a few dry-rub suggestions instead of the more popular loose marinades.
Recipes below are per approximate 400g of meat or fish. You can make larger quantities and store in labeled jars for future use. But please note when making rubs with grated zest, just add the zest before use. chicken rub
salmon rub
salmon rub Ingredients ½ Tsp Sweet Paprika ½ Tsp Brown Sugar ½ Tsp Grated Orange Zest ¼ Tsp Cinnamon ¼ Tsp Thyme ¼ Tsp Pepper ¼ Tsp Salt 1 Tsp Sesame Seeds
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pork/spare rib rub
pork/spare rib rub
chicken rub
Ingredients ¼ Tsp Cumin ¼ Tsp Ground Coriander ¼ Tsp Garlic Granules ¼ Tsp Pepper ½ Tsp Onion Salt ½ Tsp Sweet Paprika
Ingredients ¼ Tsp Garlic Granules ½ Tsp Onion Salt ½ Tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning ½ Tsp Thyme ½ Tsp Rosemary ½ Tsp Sweet Paprika
COMING SOON!
Every summer customers of Arkadia Foodstore are rewarded for their shopping with a fantastic BBQ2GO pack. This summer is no different as we will soon prepare to launch our 2012 edition. More information to follow as we continue to guarantee a convenient and rewarding shopping experience at Arkadia Foodstore.
beef rub
How do you like your meat? Here are some guidelines on the time it takes to reach the desired meat texture. Rare Three minutes a side (internal temperature 60C); rest for seven minutes Medium - Rare Four minutes a side (internal temperature 64C); rest for six minutes Medium - Well Six minutes a side (internal temperature 70C); rest for five minutes
beef rub Ingredients ¼ Tsp Salt ¼ Tsp Pepper ¼ Tsp Mustard Powder ¼ Tsp Garlic Powder ¼ Tsp Onion Salt ½ Tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning ½ Tsp Brown Sugar
Well - Done Seven minutes a side (internal temperature 78C); rest for five minutes
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It’s Party Time!
home-made paprika chips
A house party is always a good excuse to meet up with friends. Knowing there is a big event live on TV makes things even more inviting. This month TV time is even more attractive with the UEFA Champions League Final (Saturday 19th) and the Eurovision Song Contest Final (Saturday 26th). Also let us not forget the Euro Championship next month! So why not put up a party for friends? Following are some quick and easy suggestions to make the right impression and still enjoy your time in front of the telly!
home-made paprika chips To make a large bowl you will need 2 large potatoes. Wash and scrub well the potatoes. Using a potato peeler cut all the potatoes into thin shavings. In a deep fat fryer containing hot oil, cook the potato shavings in batches, until golden. Drain well, pat dry with plenty of kitchen paper, then sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and paprika.
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chicken party bites with sweet onion relish
chicken party bites with sweet onion relish Cook the chicken bites according to packet instructions. Serve on a bed of green salad leaves with a side pot of Sweet onion Relish.
grilled prawns wrapped in prosciutto Wrap a slice of cured ham (Italian prosciutto or Spanish jamon) around a thawed shelled cooked prawn. Continue until you wrap all the prawns. Allow about 2 to 3 per person. On a hot griddle, grill for about 1 minute on each side. Serve warm.
grilled prawns wrapped in prosciutto
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cucumber & salmon canapĂŠs
cherry tomatoes stuffed with bigilla
cucumber & salmon canapĂŠs Wash and cut the cucumber into discs. Add a blob of salmon pate or if using a tubed pate, pipe some onto each disc and garnish with fresh herbs and a sliver of tomato.
sweet chilli cream cheese with water biscuits Turn out a whole 200 gram container of cream cheese onto a plate and scrape off some from the top to create a small crater. Fill with sweet chilli sauce and serve with any gallett of your liking.
cherry tomatoes stuffed with bigilla Wash the cherry tomatoes, cut and scoop out the insides. Fill with bigilla and garnish with fresh herbs of your liking.
Fresh Sushi Get it from our fishmonger Sushi could also be another interesting party item. You can purchase fresh sushi from Arkadia Foodstore in Gozo and Portomaso. Just ensure availability by simply preordering. We are just a call or e-mail away. (Gozo: 2210 3335 | Portomaso: 2210 3350 E: delivery@arkadiafoodstore.com)
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sweet chilli cream cheese with water biscuits
Make your own herb garden!
Potted
Herb plants available at our
fruit & veg section
GOZO | ST. JULIAN’S
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Red vs. White Much confusion arises when we are presented with the choice of red vs. white meats. Prepared by Sarah Borg Abela
Being not much of a red meat-lover myself, I tend to relate to studies that do not encourage eating red meat as this is a good excuse as any to get out of it. A recent Harvard School of Public Health study reported that eating red meat regularly increases dramatically the risk of heart disease and cancer.
red meats are high in saturated fats which raises blood cholesterol and inevitably increase the risk of heart disease and cancer. However, I wouldn’t give the issue much thought if you fall in the category of people who enjoy a juicy bite of steak on occasion. Eating in moderation has always been the key.
This was much debated by the meat industry and diehard carnivores. A contradicting report in Australia was issued a week later declaring the benefits of red meats, being high in iron and vitamin B12.
However if meat is a staple to your diet, including white meat will help balance things out. Our preoccupation with chicken is sometimes over-rated. Why not explore other just as delicious but underused options such as turkey, rabbit & veal? As you may have noticed in this issue of the foodie, there are various recipes with a twist for cooking rabbit which can also come useful when opting for low fat alternatives.
So‌What to make out of this endless debate? Of course as reason suggests, a diet rich in any one particular ingredient will be short in other areas. Some
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kids fashion SUMMER COLLECTION NOW IN-STORE
Naxxar Road
BIRKIRKARA
Main Street Complex
PAOLA
Arkadia
GOZO
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A T E G S R E M O T S U C R A L U G E R R U O
ING P P O H S D O O F IR E FROM TH COLLECT 1 POINT
with every €5 worth of shopping from Arkadia Foodstore.
100 Points = €15
150 Points = €30
Arkadia Foodstore Voucher
Arkadia Shopping Voucher*
That is a 3% discount off your purchases from Arkadia Foodstore.
That is a 4% discount off your purchases from Arkadia Foodstore.
*€30 Arkadia Shopping Vouchers are redeemable from Arkadia Department Store, the Waterfront Hotel, and from the following brands:
Victoria, GOZO | Portomaso, ST. JULIAN’S • www.arkadia.com.mt