the foodie - Issue No. 13 by Arkadia

the foodie

Issue No: 13

Jan - Feb 2012

REDIRECTION OF TRAFFIC DUE TO ROAD WORKS VICTORIA – GOZO

VILLA RUNDLE

STR

BOR G

REP UBL IC

CE S T R

GIOR GIO

U PA

ER S T

Boys Secondary School

P O LI V

L E A S TR SANT A

EUROPE STREET

TR ACE S TRU P P PIE

FORTUNA TO MI ZZI S TR

MAR TA ST

BISHO ARCH

CIL S

COU N

SITAS S TR UNIVER

Girls Secondary School

uare

MI ZZ

Hospita l

UN AT O

To Gozo General

FO RT

STR

VIA

IETR

P P

Sir M.A. Refalo School

ARC HBI SHO PP

dy Sq Kenne

LU G A

K AR

GOZO GENERAL HOSPITAL

Xaghra/Nadur

Xewkija

2 - the foodie

R U MA N

ICI P

MU N

STR CREM O NA

NIN U

TR IS

the foodie January - February 2012 13 is our lucky number Some consider the number 13 to be unlucky however we believe otherwise. On this 13th issue we welcome our third year of producing ‘the foodie’. Coveted by our avid customers and having received such positive feedback so far, we are adamant to continue our bi-monthly publication, so keep tuned!

Our New Year Resolution With this new issue we also start off the New Year. Many of us consider making wishful New Year’s resolutions. Our resolution and promise is to provide maximum convenience to our customers. Therefore after the positive response of our customers in Gozo due to our extended opening hours last November and December, we have decided to retain our opening hours for this whole year. This means that our foodstore in Gozo is now opening all day from Monday to Sunday from 8AM to 8PM. It is that simple because we know that convenience is essential for our customers.

The Year of the Dragon With New Year’s celebrations far behind us we now welcome the Chinese New Year. It’s the year of the dragon and to commemorate

this event we have put together an enticing stir-fry feature to exhibit the simplicity of experiencing the taste of Asia from your kitchen. All fruits and vegetables used can easily be purchased from any of our foodstores. Also look out for the fantastic offers on Asian products by Amoy and Blue Dragon.

For the love of food With Valentine’s approaching we felt it fitting to put together a suggested brunch for two. What better way can you express your feelings to your loved one than by putting in your heart into preparing a meal for two? Breakfast in bed might just be passé. We suggest that you get a bit lazy and go for a fruitful brunch.

More to come With the New Year we promise to offer once again more and more exciting offers to our customers. For Carnival you can expect a second run of our Breakfast2Go. And rest assured that after that we will launch something else fantastic for Easter. To stay updated on what we are up to we suggest that you subscribe to our mailing list to receive regular e-mail updates. Just pop-in an e-mail to thefoodie@arkadia. com.mt and we will take care of the rest.

opening hours Gozo Mon-Sun: 8am-8pm (including Public Holidays) Tel: 2210 3316 Portomaso Mon-Sat: 8am-9pm (including Public Holidays) Sun: 8am-8pm Tel: 2138 2333

Cover Photo: Mandarin, Strawberry & Goat’s Cheese Salad – recipe on page 10 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

the foodie - 3

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Celebrate the Year of Dragon Chinese New Year will be celebrated on 23 January this year. Last year it was the year of the rabbit. But this year the lunar calendar is pointing to the dragon, the most auspicious animal in the Chinese zodiac. To join in the celebrations consider trying one or all of the suggested stir-fry recipes. Recipes & Photography by Claire Borg

Method Dice the chicken and marinate in a little soya sauce and some salt.

pineapple fried rice with pine nuts and chicken Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 4 Cups Cooked Rice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; drained & totally cooled 1 Pineapple 6 Tbsp Soya Sauce & extra for Chicken 3 Sticks of Fresh Garlic - peeled 6 Sticks Spring Onions 100 Grams Pine Nuts 4 Eggs 1 Small Container Baby Corn 1 Small Container Mange Tout (Sweet Peas) 300 Grams Chicken Breast A Few Drops Sesame Seed Oil Onion Salt (or Chicken Stock Granules) Pepper Oil for Cooking

4 - the foodie

Wash and cut the mange tout in halves. Wash and cut the baby corn in quarters. Chop the garlic. Chop the spring onions. Cut the pineapple in half (vertically) and scoop out the insides of it. Discard the hard bits and finely chop the pulp. In a hot wok, add some oil, heat and toast the pine nuts. Remove and set aside. Add some more oil and cook the diced chicken, then set aside. Beat the eggs. Heat up some more oil, add a tsp of fresh garlic and the eggs and cook, stirring, until cooked (scrambled) and set aside. Heat some more oil, add the spring onions, cook very quickly, add the garlic, the mange tout and baby corn and keep cooking and stirring. Then, add the chicken, toasted pine nuts and pineapple. Toss together, add rice and soya sauce. Stir and cook until it heats through. Add the egg. Sprinkle with onion salt and pepper, mix and season further if needed. Scoop into the pineapple halves and serve.

pineapple fried rice with pine nuts and chicken

the foodie - 5

noodles with beef, broccoli & cashew nuts Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 200 Grams Cashew Nuts 1 Small Broccoli – cut into florettes 6 Sticks Spring Onions – washed & finely chopped 4 Sticks Fresh Garlic – peeled & finely chopped 300 Grams Very Thinly Sliced Beef Cut in Thin Strips Cooking Oil Garlic Infused Soya Sauce 3 Tsp Chinese 5 Spice Onion Salt (or Chicken Stock Granules) Pepper 400 Grams Egg Noodles Method Marinate the strips of beef in garlic infused soya sauce. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain, rinse, cool and set aside. In a wok, heat some oil, add the cashew nuts, toast and set aside. Then add some more oil, some of the chopped garlic and the beef and cook lightly until the beef just turns brown. Set aside. Add some oil if needed, add the spring onions, lightly cook, add the garlic and broccoli and half a cup of water, cover until the water evaporates and the broccoli is lightly cooked.

noodles with beef, broccoli & cashew nuts

6 - the foodie

Remove cover, add the beef, nuts and the cooked noodles. Add some more soya sauce and Chinese 5 spice, season with onion salt and pepper. Toss and cook until the noodles heat through. Serve immediately.

chinese greens with prawns garlic & chilli Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 1 Puk Choi 6 Sticks Fresh Garlic 1 Chilli 400 Grams Frozen Prawns Cooking Oil Onion Salt (or Chicken Stock Granules) Method Wash and cut the puk choi into strips. Peel and chop the garlic. Chop the chilli. Thaw the prawns and rinse. In a hot wok very quickly cook the greens, garlic and chillies. If they start to stick add a few drops of water. Season and add prawns. Cook through until the greens are done but still crisp. Serve immediately.

chinese greens with prawns garlic & chilli

the foodie - 7

Coming to G

Arkadia Commercial Centre, Fortunato Mizzi Street, Victoria VCT 2574, Gozo, Malta

8 - the foodie

menswear

Gozo this Spring!

SEARCH:

ARKADIA GOZO

SEARCH:

ARKADIA COMMERCIAL CENTRE

the foodie - 9

Food for love… Valentine’s is inching closer…They say the stomach is the key to a man’s heart. Whether this is true or not, this issue proffers interesting food compositions both for the veterans of this art and for those who are simply novice . Consider giving breakfast in bed a miss and go for our suggested romantic brunch for two. Recipes & Photography by Claire Borg

raspberry frappe Ingredients Yield: makes 2 glasses 400 Grams Frozen Raspberries 250 ml Apple juice

dragon fruit, mango & cherry fruit cups

Method

Ingredients 1 Dragon Fruit 1 Mango 250 Grams Cherries

In a liquidizer, blend the ingredients together, using pulse action. If the mix is too thick, add some more apple juice. Frappe can be sweetened with some honey according to taste. Alternatively, instead of apple juice you can add milk to have a creams frappe or even ice cream!

Method Wash, peel and cut fruits accordingly. Dice the mango and dragon fruit. Remove pips from cherries and mix the fruits together. Serve.

vanilla french toast with blackberries

mandarin, strawberry & goat’s cheese salad

Ingredients Yield: serves 2 4 Slices Local Bread 2 Eggs Half a Vanilla Pod 4 Tbsp Milk Some Butter for Cooking Icing Sugar Black Berries

Ingredients Yield: serves 2 100 Grams of Soft Goat Cheese 1 Mandarin 8 Strawberries Salad Leaves (Baby Rocket & Watercress) Olive Oil Balsamic Glaze

Method Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla (scraped vanilla pod – beans only). Dip the slices of bread into the egg wash. In a pan, melt the butter, and quickly fry the bread until golden on each side. Place on plate, sprinkle with icing sugar and black berries. Serve warm.

Method Wash the greens, drip well and pat dry. Wash the strawberries, remove tops and quarter. Peel the mandarin and cut each segment in two, to remove the pips. Put together the salad by placing greens, the fruits, crumbling the cheese a bit all over, then drizzle with oil and a little balsamic glaze to finish it off. Serve with warm crusty bread.

10 - the foodie

raspberry frappe

vanilla french toast with blackberries

What is Dragon Fruit? The Pitaya is more commonly referred to as the dragon fruit. It is an extremely beautiful fruit that has dazzling flowers and an intense shape and color. The dragon fruit is cultivated in tropical regions around the world. It flourishes in hot regions with a heavy rainfall. The dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out. Dragon fruit tastes wonderful! The fruit is sweet and crunchy, with a flavour that is like a cross between kiwi and pear. Dragon fruits are delicious chilled and can be served in fruit juices and fruit salads or made into jam. They can also be juiced and added to alcohol to make a very delicious drink. dragon fruit, mango & cherry fruit cups

Dragon fruit can be purchased from the Fruit &

dragon fruit, mango Vegcherry section ofcups Arkadia Foodstore. and fruit

the foodie - 11

rhubarb compote Ingredients 1 kg Rhubarb (About 8 to 9 Stalks) 300 Grams Brown Sugar Juice of 2 Local Oranges Method Wash and cut the rhubarb into chunks. In a heavy based pan, place the rhubarb and orange and start to cook gently. When it starts to gently simmer, add the sugar, mix well, bring to a boil and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool and serve with ice cream, on toast, on crumpets, and toasted fruit bread. Can be also used for tarts and crumbles and eaten as a side with cheese platters.

apple & rhubarb crumble Ingredients Yield: serves 6 Apple Filling 8 Apples - peeled, cored and chopped 1 Cup of Rhubarb Compote Crumble Mix 200 Grams Flour 100 Grams Oatmeal 150 Grams Butter 150 Grams Brown Sugar ½ Tsp Cinnamon ½ Tsp Ground Ginger

fresh rhubarb

Method To make the crumble mix, sieve flour into a large bowl. Add the oatmeal, sugar and spices and mix well. Rub the butter into it until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you are not using it straight away, the mix can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 10 days, and then used when needed. To make the apple mix, simply mix the compote and apples in a heatproof soufflé bowl or casserole. Top the apples with a layer of crumble mix (about an inch tick) and bake In a pre-heated oven (180 degrees Celsius) for about 45 min or until just golden.

12 - the foodie

apple & rhubarb crumble

Did you know? • Rhubarb can be boiled to make hair colouring. • Rhubarb can be used to clean burnt spots on pots and pans. • The word ruhubarb comes from the Latin rhabarbarum “root of the barbarians”. The Romans believed people who ate it to be barbaric in nature.

GET READY FOR THE GOZO CARNIVAL

Rhubarb can be purchased from the Fruit & Veg section of Arkadia Foodstore.

chocolate selection

[250gr]

Get a free bottle of sparkling wine with every

Fantastic Offer

Starting on Friday, 17 February 2012 Offer valid from Arkadia Foodstores in Portomaso, St. Julian’s & Victoria, Gozo. Valid until stock lasts.

And lots of product promotions in-store. More information to follow... the foodie - 13

War on your waistline The year seems to go by in a flash…and then it’s January. Boring, dull, cold January; where after all those glitzy celebrations and nights out everything seems dreary and bleak. After one too many glasses of Champagne, and yeah well, we can skip the part where we list our many festive food sins, all we want to do is go on a detox-diet.

The problem is that however much we try to stick to our New Year’s healthy resolutions the wishful thinking dies with us as soon as we’re faced with a scrumptious piece of {insert your food sin here}. Of course, we are not suggesting anyone goes to any drastic measures of cutting out any particular food choice rather we intend to state the opposite. As in everything in life, balance is key. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and

14 - the foodie

consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. A little research led us to the obvious. Here are 8 simple tips from the British Food Standards Agency towards a balanced diet. 1. Base meals on starchy food By starchy foods we mean bread, cereals, potatoes, maize and cornbread. These provide the body with

energy. For healthier options try choosing whole-grain and whole-meal varieties 2. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables We are all familiar with the 5-a-day rule; however whether we stick to it or not is another matter. Fortunately enough Arkadia Foodstore, stocks a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, ranging from gourmet and exotic produce to local everyday staples. 3. Eat more fish Protein is essential for growth and repair. Aim for at least two portions of fish each week. Consult with the fishmonger at Arkadia Foodstore about the latest and freshest catch. 4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugars Found in processed food such as pastries, sausages, and cakes. We all know what these bad foods are. So try to avoid them and replace them with healthier options such as low fat spreads, lean meats, and more natural produce.

5. Try to eat less salt – no more than 6g a day To keep blood pressure in check, always opt for reduced-salt options by checking nutrition labels on packaging. 6. Get active Needless to say, healthy eating has to be accompanied by a healthy lifestyle. So make it a point to dedicate a few hours a week and engage in a fun activity of your choice! 7. Drink plenty of water Water has many benefits. Some of the not so obvious are that it boosts your energy levels, speeds up recovery from injuries, boosts immune system and mental sharpness. 8. Don’t skip breakfast. It’s proven that people who have breakfast everyday tend to be healthier and slimmer. Try to make time for this meal. Also look out for our Breakfast2Go offer to be introduced during Carnival!

We’re celebrating

AustraliaDay

Thursday 26th January 2012

Fantastic offer on Australian wines for one DAy only!

exclusively from

www.arkadia.com.mt | www.thefoodie.com.mt

Portomaso, St. Julian's | Arkadia, Gozo

the foodie - 15

OPENING HOURS 2012

OPEN ALL DAY MONDAY TO SUNDAY

UP TO

FOODSTORE 8AM - 8PM

8PM FASHION + HOME 9AM - 8PM

COMMERCIAl CENTRE VICTORIA - gOZO