The Calentita Press 2018

The

Issue #10 - JUNE 2018

Press

Calentita | 1

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A Cultural Melting Pot

by Steven Walker

As we go out to celebrate a local tradition, called the calentita night, to try every calentita dish made, to judge who makes it best.

We come across many other cultures and foods, as I stand and look around, I see so many different faces, so many different religions, and people from different countries.

Everyone trying each other’s traditional dishes, everyone enjoying each other’s company.

With no cultural differences, no religious differences, no colour to separate us, none superior, and none less important, we go out and celebrate our local tradition, the calentita night, a cultural melting pot where we are all one.

Calentita | 1

This year, for the first time ever, Calentita has attracted attention from international chefs. Traveling all the way from Malta Chef Alan Warren Cefai (whom some of you will remember from the GBC television series Inspired By) will be running the Maltese stall. He will be cooking up a traditional Maltese stew accompanied by arancini.

Not satisfied with traveling alone from one jewel of the Mediterranean to another – Alan is bringing a large number of the ingredients for his dish with him – so short of travelling to Malta itself, this really is a rare opportunity to taste a truly authentic dish, cooked up by one of the island’s most accomplished chefs.

Also joining us at Calentita is London based “wilder chef ” Richard Mclellan. The holder of a coveted Michelin Star whilst chef at Alyn Williams, Richard specialises in seeking out wild ingredients to compliment his dishes. He will be adding his own exciting London twist to a fish dish that, in its ordinary incarnation, is familiar to many of us - Marinated Boquerones in apple and elderflower, served on a crisp poppy seed flatbread, with kelp emulsion, with radishes and wild herbs and flowers. Wow! Famous London cocktail bar Nine Lives, will be taking over our now annual cocktail terrace via their head mixologist, officially one of the best in the world, Cosmin Tigroso.

Apart from the staples – Cosmin will be mixing up a unique Calentita inspired cocktail.

We’ve also started a brand new event, hosted by the Mayor and proudly supported by the Parasol Foundation. Dinner & Dialogue will bring together a diverse cross section of our community to share and discuss ideas. Acting like a mini-Calentita we hope that the event will promote multicultural values and strengthen community bonds.

Last, but certainly not least, Calentita has gone plastic free, finally taking the step of banning single use disposable plastic from the event. This builds on years of putting in place environmental policies to reduce waste and encouraging people to bring their own plates and cutlery.

We are grateful to our plastic free partner Jyske Bank, and long term partner Newton Store, in helping this happen.

We started Calentita in 2007 to celebrate Gibraltar’s multicultural identity, and it is a celebration that Gibraltar has truly taken to its heart. This is the twelfth year that Calentita takes place. It is thanks to the hard work of stall holders, support of the Ministry of Culture and Gibraltar Cultural Services, all of our sponsors and partners and not least the support of all attendees that Calentita goes from strength to strength.

I hope you have a very enjoyable Calentita!

Owen Smith WOMCP | Organisers of Calentita 2 | Calentita

As the Minster for Culture, I am very honoured to once again be able to write a few words on another edition of the ever popular “Calentita” Gibraltar’s Gastronomical Festival programme.

Food forms a major part in our day to day culture. Gibraltar’s food culture is part of our diverse multi-cultural, multi-religious society that we should all be proud of. The variety of dishes that have Influences that come from Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Mediterranean in general, as well as Moroccan, Jewish and the Indian subcontinent.

This annual Gastronomical/Food Festival is now a well cemented event in our social calendar. The HM Government of Gibraltar will continue to support this event for many years to come.

Thirty five stalls are expected to take part in this year’s Calentita event, together with dancing, spoken words, cooking demonstrations and live performances. I am also very pleased to see that this year Calentita will be a “plastic free” event, banning the use of plastic cutlery and crockery throughout. This new innovation is something that we as a Government welcomes and fully supports since all the GOG departments Authorities and Agencies are engaged in looking after our environment.

I would like to publicly thank Word of Mouth and their hard working team for organising this event for the Ministry of Culture, the staff at Gibraltar Cultural Services for the support they give, the many volunteers, participants and the general public for their support year after year.

The Hon Steven Linares MP Minister for Culture

Producer: Owen Smith Editor: Carolina Llamusi-Silbermann Graphic Design: Vicky Alvarez Campos Sub-editor and proof reader: Catherine Walsh Partners: The Parasol Foundation, Jyske Bank, Gibtelecom, Petroil, Giboil, Argus Insurance, SFA Homes, SFA General Construction, Gib Scaffolding, Newton Store and The Rock Hotel.

With special thanks to all the talented individuals that make the Calentita Press possible.

Contents JUNE 2018

P.08

P.32

P.20

COMMUNITY p.08 | Gib 50 Photo Project p.27 | Local Food Heroes p.30 | Deliciously Out of Shape p.34 | Baking a Life p.39 | Food Routes

P.16

p.40 | Midnight in Calle Comedia

P.22

p.43 | Treasures & Trinkets FOOD AND HEALTH p.05 | What We Eat p.06 | Calentita Across the Straits p.16 | Food for Thought p.28 | Most Important Meal of the Day? p.32 | A Matter of Taste p.36 | Tea in Tokyo p.42 | Esto que es healthy?

GOING GREEN p.14 | Slow Food

P.06

P.27

Calentita goes International Alan Warren Cefai (Head chef at San Giovanni Restaurant in Malta) and Cosmin Tigroso (Award winning mixologist from London) are joining us amongst other renowned International Chefs in this 2018 edition of Calentita..

p.19 | Grow your Own in Tiny Spaces p.30 | Deliciously Out of Shape FESTIVAL p.13 | Dinner & Dialogue p.20 | 2018 Food Stall Participants p.22 | Calentita Kitchen Live

Calentita | 3

Have you ever really been awake?

The kind where your eyes begin to hear, And your ears start to see, The things you never considered.

We are kept attentive by moments that make us receptive.

Like the cold that burns your knuckles, Or the warmth that feels like home.

The hairs that stand on end, Or the deep sigh that follows your disappointment.

When your hiccups stop, but you need to sneeze.

When your foot is itchy, but you’ve just put on boots.

When your mind is tired but your eyes won’t sleep.

These are moments, Segments, That remind you that you’re here.

You’re alive.

Illustration by Prema Ward 4 | Calentita

A year in food – looking at the different foods that punctuate our cultural calendar and play a big part in shaping our Llanito identity.

The year starts with grapes. Not quite as healthy as it sounds – our New Year grapes would have been steeped in anis for many months, and as a child, I remember furtively sucking on these, much as I would with glazed fruits a week later. Glazed tangerines and chestnuts were a family favourite for celebrating the Epiphany, Los Reyes, as was the Rosca de Reyes, also festooned with candied fruit and which hid within it a figurine of the Baby Jesus bringing good luck to whoever found it in their slice.

If the year starts with feasting, so it seems to continue in Gibraltar, where sharing meals is an important part of family life. By midFebruary, we are enjoying flipping pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. For some, fish is eaten on Fridays throughout Lent, with a traditional ensaladilla de pescado for Good Friday.

Easter weekend is a time to enjoy food with family, with Torta de Acelga alongside roast lamb in homage to British influence. It is also a weekend where snails cooked with spices and wine are a popular local dish.

And Easter teatime is rounded off with delicious Easter cakes, the Hornazos, made with aniseed.

Summer is punctuated with the smells of fried fish by the seaside, a lunchtime gazpacho is regularly called upon for a cool nutritious meal, and after a day splashing

Illustrations by Patrizia Imossi.

in the waves at the local beaches, a snack of saladitos and pipitas is much enjoyed. In late August, the scent of spicy pinchitos at the annual Gibraltar Fair is a call to make the most of the last, long days of the holidays.

As the weather cools, we resort to the comfort of a variety of potajes – stews of all sorts, de carne, de coles, de garbanzos, de callos…the variety is as infinite as your imagination. All Souls’ Day is marked by the Rosario - a string of sweets shaped into the form of a Rosary, with glazed fruits and beads of crema de huevo strung together with cidra endulzada. And of course, havas aliñadas – unless this was a tradition unique to my great grandmother, who used to make this broad bean salad for All Souls’ and tell us that for every bean we ate, a soul was released from purgatory.

And so we head for the gastronomic delights of Christmas, so heavily influenced these days by the cuisines of the rest of the world that I will only mention turrón, polvorones, rosquitos de vino and alfajores, without which, wherever a Gibraltarian is in the world, Christmas simply wouldn’t be the same.

by Jackie Anderson.

Calentita | 5

Photo by Elena Gil | Illustration by Patrizia Imossi 6 | Calentita

CALENTITA ACROSS THE STRAITS Shining a light on the origins of our treasured chickpea delicacy and the enduring calentita street trade thriving across the Straits.

Many of us will be familiar with one of Gibraltar’s legends, Paloma. He is remembered as the last calentita street vendor in Gibraltar, known for his extra thick glasses and his ability to balance trays of the hot chickpea delicacy on his head. While older Gibraltarians reminisce nostalgically about Paloma and rue the demise of the calentita street trade, across the Straits in Tangier and, indeed in other Mediterranean port cities of the Maghreb, the trade is still very much alive.

Every evening as the sun begins to set, the Grand Socco and the entrance to the medina, Bab al-Fahs in Tangier, come to life with street vendors selling affordable and tasty snacks which entice both the hungry and the post-dinner strollers. A firm favourite situated in one corner of the Socco sells caracoles in a spiced, herby broth. There’s nothing like buying a small bowl and standing amongst others pricking out the flesh of the snails with safety pins sanitised in lemon, or tucking in to just a cup of the broth. Another vendor stands in the centre selling paper cones of boiled chickpeas or broad beans which he artfully coats in cumin, chilli and salt with a single toss. Further along is a stall selling boiled potato and egg sandwiches,

popular amongst those looking for something cheap but filling. For those with a sweet tooth there is the elderly man shooing away the wasps from his wide range of sweet meats which he will dose liberally with orange blossom water upon request.

Next to him, however, is one of the most popular of the evening’s treats – a vendor with a stack of around 5 or 6 trays of calentita. As he stands over the partially uncovered top tray, the slightly caramelised top of the chickpea flan tantalisingly revealed, young boys, men and women come to buy their wedge which he masterfully slices off with a spatula and places on a piece of brown paper, sprinkling it with cumin and black pepper. The size and shape of the slice depends on the number of coins placed in the vendor’s hand.

For 1DH (just under 10p) a healthy portion is slapped on to the piece of paper.

The origins of calentita are most likely in the Ligurian Sea coast, where it is known as farinata by the Genoese and socca by the French, yet it is possible that it entered North Africa via Gibraltar. Further east across the border in the port cities of Oran and Algiers the dish has taken on the status of a street favourite. Here in Algeria, the local

name karantita alludes to the accepted provenance of the dish from across the sea, the Spanish ‘calentita’.

In a number of Arabic language documentaries online, including an Al Jazeera feature on karantita vendors in Oran, a middle-aged man queuing for his share, passionately tells the camera that the dish originates in Gibraltar.

The Maghrebis’ love for the dish extends to the diaspora as well where Algerian cafes across France sell the dish. In London’s Finsbury Park area on Blackstock Road, a street lined with Algerian butchers and grocery shops, a number of cafes prepare karantita every weekend for their loyal clientele. Here, instead of it being served with just black pepper as we do, the portion is cut from the tray, placed on an open baguette and topped with spicy harissa. On one visit the owner was clearly excited that I, a non-Algerian, ordered the special sandwich. “Where are you from?” he asked. “Gibraltar” I replied.

“Ah, Jebel Tariq! No wonder you know karantita! This is the dish of the Mediterranean.” The simple but magic combination of chickpea flour, olive oil and water briefly, and nostalgically uniting us, miles away from our shared and beloved sea.

Stefan Williamson-Fa Calentita | 7

GIB 50 PHOTO PROJECT CALENTITA PRESS TALKS TO LUMINOUS PHOTOJOURNALIST IGGY SMALLS ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE PHOTO PROJECT ‘GIB 50’ SHOT ON MEDIUM FORMAT FILM

8 | Calentita

Where did the idea for this project come from?

My idea of going to Gibraltar was first sparked by the June 2016 Brexit referendum and the outcome of the UK voting to leave the EU. However, Gibraltar had voted overwhelmingly to remain, so I asked myself what would the consequences of this look like for the locals? And how would the subsequent governments of the UK and Spain navigate this?

Then there was the celebration of National Day and 50th anniversary of the Referendum taking place on September 10th 2017, which made me decide to visit during that particular time. It also became apparent that no other photo essays were touching on this significant story, which made it even more important for me to document. In the future, I plan to keep returning to build on this project as the Brexit process unfolds.

Could you tell us a bit more about the project?

This body of work focuses on the fashion worn on National Day and the dramatic landscape of the territory as a way to reflect the feeling of Gibraltarian national identity and

what it could be about. This, national identity and patriotism, seems like an everlasting but increasingly intense subject in Gibraltar after Brexit and also in general, all over the world.

Some final thoughts from the experience? What have you learnt? Ultimately, I was taken aback by how dramatic the landscape really is. No photos - including my own - can really portray it fully. I was also struck by the difference between Gibraltar and its neighbouring town, La Linea visually, culturally and economically. I also learnt that there is a kind of symbiosis happening between both communities.

Both are keen to maintain a smooth border flow during and after Brexit, so it will be very interesting to see how this continues unfold. Also, I had not predicted the ‘love-hate’ relationship between the neighbouring cities, so when I go back I would like to try to dig deeper into this story and explore how separated or united these different groups of people really feel.

To enjoy the project in its entirety, please visit: www.iggysmalls.com Calentita | 9

A taste of Denmark Gibraltar has calentita – Denmark has the special Danish hot dog.

A classic Danish snack which has been sold in the streets from iconic hot dog stands since 1920.

Now you have the chance of a taste of Denmark: we serve Danish hot dogs in our tent at the Calentita Festival – and show you what it’s like to be a client with a Danish bank.

JYSKE BANK (GIBRALTAR) LTD. • 76, Main Street • P.O. Box 143 • Gibraltar Tel. +350 606 33322 • Fax +350 200 76782 • info@jyskebank.gi • www.jyskebank.gi Jyske Bank (Gibraltar) Ltd. is licensed by the Financial Services Commission, Licence No. FSC 001 00B. Services and products are not available to everybody, for instance not to residents of the US. 10 | Calentita

We Didn’t Start the Fire Elena Scialtiel

Rosto, panisa, calentita, Fideos, gambas, serranito, Pastel acelga, torta patata, Unas albondigas en fritada, Tuna stuffed calabacin, Almond saffron al tajine!

We didn’t start the fire, It was there burning Since the microwave’s turning.

We didn’t start the fire, No we didn’t bake it, But, oh, yes we ate it...

We didn’t start the fire, No we didn’t bake it, But when the last petit chou’s gone The party’s still on and on and on...

Pan pelayo, garlic con tomate, Churros, papas y chocolate, Fry-up, scrambled eggs on toast, Scones and jam we like the most.

Baked beans, avocado on rye?

Treat yourself to banoffee pie!

We didn’t start the fire, It was there burning Since the microwave’s turning.

We didn’t start the fire, No we didn’t bake it, But, oh, yes we ate it...

We didn’t start the fire, No we didn’t bake it, But when the last petit chou’s gone The party’s still on and on and on...

Potaje, callos, almejas, pinchitos, Merengue, caracoles, coquitos, Menestra, lentils, quiche Lorraine, Dessert of Bienmesabe huele bien, Stilton, Gouda, Edam y manchego, Un bollo, quick, y hasta luego!

We didn’t start the fire, It was there burning, Since the microwave’s turning.

We didn’t start the fire, No we didn’t bake it, But yes we ate it...

We didn’t start the fire, No we didn’t bake it, But when the last petit chou’s gone The party’s still on and on...

11 | Calentita

| Illustration by Prema Calentita Ward

11

Ruth Parasol and the Parasol Foundation proudly supports the “Dinner & Dialogue” community dinner that forms part of the Calentita Food Festival Weekend.

The Parasol Foundation Trust focuses on 7 main areas of giving :

The Parasol Foundation Trust (formerly The Bonita Trust) is a philanthropic trust that was established in 2004 in Gibraltar, and is overseen by its principal benefactress, Ruth Parasol.

To date, the Trust has committed over £20,000,000 on various projects worldwide, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Gibraltar, Spain, Israel, India, Poland, Afghanistan, Haiti and more.

The Trust has focused on both local and cross-border projects in the areas of education, health, female enrichment, medical research, culture and heritage and disaster relief.

1.

Female Enrichment – Throughout all the major areas of giving of the Trust, female entrepreneurship is a focus in all projects.

Our aim is to enrich women and equip them with the tools necessary to advance in their respective fields.

2. Education – The Trust strives to extend to underprivileged populations access to education at all levels through specially designed scholarships and programs with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

3. Technology – We believe that cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions can greatly benefit both individuals and communities. The Trust’s goal is to address social, medical and cultural challenges, as well as support, inspire and encourage young people to make a difference through technology.

4. Health & Medical Research – The Trust is a part of many healthcare projects that drastically improve services provided to the public. In addition, we support medical research programs that we believe will reach new heights in the scientific and clinical world.

5. Community Service – The Trust supports organizations and entire communities in helping them address the critical challenges facing disadvantaged and underprivileged populations.

6. Culture & Heritage – By supporting both local and national institutions and organizations, the Trust helps to preserve iconic and timeless treasures for enthusiasts and scholars worldwide.

7. Disaster Relief – In recent decades, disasters have been occurring more and more often, affecting thousands of people around the world. The Trust recognizes the need for immediate emergency relief and collaborates with various organizations to provide assistance to affected communities.

Mission & Vision For over 10 years the Trust has been dedicated to helping communities worldwide make a change and solve some of the difficult challenges facing them.

Ruth Parasol, the principal benefactor of the Trust says: “Our mission is to enable change through supporting talented individuals and entire communities in order to create a better future for the next generation. Through education, cutting-edge technologies, advanced medical treatments and culture preservation, we hope to build a better and brighter future.”

12 | Calentita

Calentita 2018

Dinner & Dialogue

Talking with Kaiane Aldorino Lopez, Mayor of Gibraltar

“I have been a great supporter of Calentita since the start of the festival,” Mayor of Gibraltar, Kaiane Aldorino Lopez, confides, “Calentita is a wonderful event that brings the whole community together to socialise and celebrate each other through food and shared experiences, and the Dinner & Dialogue event is going to be a special way of rounding off the weekend.”

The Mayor will be hosting a dinner for members of the local community on Sunday 24th June, a conclusion to the Calentita Festival 2018, Gibraltar’s annual celebration of local food, and of food from all over the world, taking place throughout the evening of Saturday 23rd June.

“The Dinner will be a more formal way for members of the community to come together than the street festival,” she continues, “but it will still be a relaxed event and it will mirror the way that we love to come together – friends, families, neighbours - and chat over a meal.” Gibraltar’s exemplary mixed and multicultural community, she goes on to explain, readily permits this type of event to take place; another example of the way in which Gibraltar’s community continues to break down barriers and come to a deeper understanding of each group within the community.

“Gibraltar is a small place and we can sometimes believe that we know everyone and everything that is going on, when really we don’t,” she adds. With charming humility, she explains how, in her roles first as deputy Mayor and now Gibraltar’s Mayor, she has learned of just how many people are deeply involved in all sorts of initiatives that contribute to Gibraltar’s social cohesion, to the sense that we are part of an organic whole where each life matters as much as the next. The Dinner & Dialogue event, she explains with enthusiasm, will bring together people from all parts of our community, get to learn new things about each other, and possibly create new connections and new lasting friendships.

As we spoke, applications were already beginning to come in to her office, and it is the Mayor’s expectation that her guests will be a diverse group of people of all sorts of ages and backgrounds, ready to get to know each other and share their experiences and their opinions over dinner.

“It will be quite personal, one to one contact with people that may never have even heard of each other, let alone met.

We will probably arrange for people to swap places between courses so that they can meet even more people, keeping the conversation stimulated and flowing.” The event will mirror how family gatherings work, with people swapping seats while waiting for main or dessert and catching up with friends they may not have seen for a while.

An integral part of Gibraltar’s culture and the way that we socialise together, focus is going to be very much on the food.

“We have not settled the menu yet,” the Mayor smiles, “but in Gibraltar we have such a wonderful variety of food, and while we enjoy new flavours and recipes from across the world, we do love our traditional dishes.” We pause to contemplate the possibilities and to ponder on how social gatherings and food are such a vital part of how we live our day-to-day lives, from torta de patata on the beach to borrachuelos at teatime with our great aunties.

“Being the Mayor of Gibraltar has given me a wonderful opportunity to take an active role in the community, and to be able to contribute to the community at this level is a blessing to me,” she says. A proud Gibraltarian, who loves this bustling, busy city and its people, Mayor Kaiane Aldorino Lopez is looking forward to Dinner & Dialogue, to sharing a meal with friends old and new, to this special celebration of diversity and of the similarities that link us together as a community.

Calentita | 13

Slow Food

by Iain Triay-Clarence

Mass produced, highly processed, pre-cooked meals; links to obesity, carcinogens, high cholesterol and depression; ingredients that are high in fat, sugar, salt and calories with lower nutritional values than comparable foods; available in tens of thousands of locations, in over a hundred countries round the world.

Feeling hungry yet?

If you aren’t, then perhaps fast food isn’t for you.

So let’s bring it closer to home. Let’s keep things a little more old fashioned. Let’s slow things down.

It’s easy to see why fast food has had such huge appeal over the last 60 odd years, it feeds a very common sentiment that many of us have: ‘I want food, I want it now and I don’t want to pay much for it either.’ But it’s also easy to see why, perhaps, we shouldn’t be giving in to our desire for immediate gratification over longer-term priorities.

Slow Food is an organization which was founded in Italy in 1986. At a time when fast food expansion and marketing was at its most aggressive, Carlo Petrini protested against the opening of a new McDonalds near the Spanish Steps in Rome, with the plan to promote regional foods and traditional cooking in place of the copy-and-paste offerings of fast food chains.

Having since spread to 150 countries, Slow Food seeks to not only to celebrate local culinary traditions and the use of sustainable ingredients, but to educate people on what they consider the harm done by the globalization of agriculture and farming.

Indeed, it is an issue which has taken root in humanity’s collective conscience, and even the

14 | Calentita

biggest fast food chains in the world have seen the writing on the wall and, in some respects, begun to pull in the same direction as well. In recent years, McDonald’s have begun using locally sourced beef in many countries, including Spain and the UK. A step in the right direction, no doubt, but more needs to be done.

The deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest, the most prized jewel of the natural world, encapsulates all that is wrong with industrial-scale food production. Tens of millions of acres are cut down annually – a huge amount of which serves the purpose of creating new land for cattle ranches. And while some chains are responding to public pressure and cutting down on this practice, the destruction of the rainforest continues as local farmers continue to raze huge areas to grow crops which are then used to feed animals being reared across the world.

So, pick and choose from the list of reasons why you might want to take that extra time and care over your next meal – or support someone who does it for you. An increasing number of chefs and establishments around Gibraltar are using seasonal, regional ingredients in their work, with others more than happy to point you in the right direction.

“Let’s bring it closer to home...

Let’s keep things a little more old fashioned.

Let’s slow things down.”

Calentita | 15

Food For Thought by @theGibraltarVegan

Our three featured chefs all agree, cooking from scratch and adding the essential ingredient of love makes a huge difference to the food you cook and how much that food is enjoyed.

16 | Calentita

Claire Foster

Idan Greenberg

Vicky Garcia Bishop

Claire is the chef at The Kasbar.

She thinks it is important “to make a meal as authentic as possible and if all the ingredients used are made from scratch it is coming more from you as a person.”

Idan is the owner and chef of Verdi Verdi. He grew up in the era of TV dinners and when he discovered cooking from scratch he realised “it is more satisfying.”

Vicky is a health supportive chef and owner of Vicky’s Natural Kitchen Deli and catering outlet.

She believes that cooking from scratch is about “connecting with nature and your ingredients.”

She also believes that fresh food tastes better and has been making fresh food all her life, even making her own tomato ketchup from scratch when she was 15. “The food that I make is made that day and eaten that day. I feel that is how we should eat, because processed food is terrible for you.”

Food that is made with love tastes better is her ethos, “you can tell when a food is made with love, especially food from your mother or your grandmother.”

Claire believes that if you put all your positive energy into preparing a dish it will have a unique flavour.

“I always try to have positive thoughts, I feel the energy you have is transferred into your food. You are able to have more of a unique flavour as well.”

“By cooking from scratch you get to be at one with the ingredients, and you can always tell the difference.”

Idan is a firm believer in always having love in your food. “If you think of the typical food your grandmother made, who were from scratch cooks, and how much love she put into it. That is the epitome of cooking – putting love into it.”

“It doesn’t matter if you are making a cup of tea or a three course meal, if you put love into it, it tastes better.”

He also likes to add rhythm into his food, “you have to make it with passion.”

“If you listen to some music as you chop chop chop you are putting more life into it. It doesn’t matter what you eat, because sometimes you have something that tastes really bad, but as so much effort went into it, you really enjoy it,” he said giving the example of when a child cooks for you.

“For me it’s about getting inspiration from the vegetables and foods available to you; whatever is the natural source I am working with, and designing my menus and recipes around that.”

Her ethos is that you can cook intuitively when you cook from scratch with love and attention, building on the natural ingredients.

Vicky believes her nutritional qualifications make her much more aware of the contents of processed foods where salt, sugar and other additives are usually high on the list of ingredients.

For this chef, cooking from scratch gives you more “control” over your food and what exactly goes into it.

This gives it “higher nutritional value” which in turn allows for more respect for the food you are preparing and eating.

Calentita | 17

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18 | Calentita

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Postcard from Gibraltar, caught up with Andrew Abrines to discover all you need is a window sill, enthusiasm and some recycled containers to start growing your own edibles.

Illustration by Patrizia Imossi

GROW YOUR OWN IN TINY SPACES EVER FANCIED GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD, BUT THOUGHT YOU SIMPLY DIDN’T HAVE THE SPACE?

As most of the population of Gibraltar lives in apartments with little or no outside space, you would think that growing your own food here would be an unattainable goal - that simply isn’t the case. Crops of salad leaves, herbs, and even tomatoes and carrots can be grown in very small spaces like window sills, hanging baskets and small balcony pots.

Andrew Abrines explains: “herbs and salad leaves generally don’t have big root systems, so the plants don’t need big pots to grow”.

Popular kitchen staples like mint, basil, coriander, chives and parsley can all be grown from seeds or cuttings and are happy to reside in small pots. Tomatoes, however, need more space but there are trailing varieties available which do well in hanging baskets. “Radishes and kale also grow very well in pots”, says Andrew, and there are small round varieties of carrots which are suited to our climate and can be grown in small containers.

With the move away from plastic, Andrew recommends earthenware pots as they are more attractive, and their added weight can help prevent them being blown over by the wind on a balcony. Any recycled containers like food cartons and plastic bottles will also do, as long as drainage holes are added. The only equipment needed is a small watering can, a small trowel for handling the soil or compost and a pair of kitchen scissors for harvesting your crop.

Andrew’s tips for growing your own: “Many herbs like free-draining poor quality soil so don’t worry about top quality compost, beware of the sun and wind which can dry out the plants, but don’t over-water them”.

Many seeds and cuttings can be acquired locally. One salad crop - pea shoots - can even be grown on a window sill from a supermarket box of dried marrowfat peas. Simply soak the peas in water for 24 hours, then sow the peas on top of damp compost in a suitable container with drainage holes. Cover with a pea-sized layer of compost and keep the compost moist.

Within 2 - 3 weeks you can harvest the pea shoots for your next salad. @postcardfromgibraltar

Calentita | 19

Calentita Festival | 2018 Food Stalls WILDER X GIBRALTAR International Chef Richard Mcllelan from Rye London / Scout London is plating up Marinated Boquerones in apple and elderflower, served on a crisp poppy seed flatbread, kelp emulsion, radishes and wild herbs and flowers – “The wonderful thing about plants and fruits that are growing in the wild is that you really get to visually understand the product from shoot to flowering and how these change in flavour and texture through their life cycle”.

MALTA Chef Alllen Warren Cefai from Malta, presents a traditional Maltese dish with his own personal twist: Rabbit stew arancini with white bean, garlic and parsley puree drizzled with prickly pear sauce. All his ingredients, from the prickly pears to the spices, are sourced in Malta – a true taste of this beautiful island.

NINE LIVES COCKTAIL TAKE OVER Award winning mixologist Cosmin Tigroso (Diageo World Class Semi Finals) Is flying in from London cocktail bar Nine Lives, to take over the Calentita cocktail terrace and set your summer off on the right track.

ROCK THE BOOTH Take home a visual memory of the fun of the festival at the photo booth. Eat, drink, be merry and pose for a quick snap to remember the fun all year round!

20 | Calentita

DANISH

PICK ‘N’ MIX TREATS

Not content with helping Calentita go plastic free our amazing friends at Jyske Bank have truly raised the bar this year.

Serving up three especially imported foodie favourites – Danish hotdogs, Danish beer and Danish hotdogs (all of which go very well together our Danish friends tell us).

Don’t miss out!

“Gibraltar is great at celebrating its multicultural identity that’s why we are taking part” say 3rd Europa Scout Group, who will be serving an eclectic mix of delicious treats, including gaucho chicken wraps, croquettes, spinach pie and couscous.

GOURMET MEATS

“We love it! The mix of cultures, the ambiente of the crowds- It’s the perfect way to introduce a taste of Greece” says Bianca who runs Calentita’s Greek stall.

They’ll be serving a glorious blend of Mediterranean tastes with Middle Eastern influences; Greek cuisine shared with Gibraltar, with dishes that include moussaka, spanakotiropita, fasolakia and baklava.

A superb selection of gourmet dishes from cuts of fresh, certified traceable meat.

Try our Mr Muu’s mini Wagyu burgers, Galician ribeye and corn-fed chicken churrasco.

INDIAN “We love taking part in Calentita because it celebrates Gibraltar’s multicultural identity” says Parissa Kviani.

A Calentita perennial, the Hindu Community of Gibraltar brings to the festival some traditional fare: chicken biryani rice, crispy samosas and the chicken tikka roll (bollo tikka) – increasingly Gibraltar’s ‘go-to’ work day snack

VEGAN BAKES “After many years of enjoying the festival itself, last year we took part and it seriously good fun! The buzz of the people, the sun setting over the stalls, the smell of neighbouring stalls. What’s not to like! “ says Yessica Escoriza. For sweet treats with no trace of meat, enjoy sampling cakes, cookies, cupcakes and other delightful bakes.

GREEK

SUPER SALAD “Imagine trying all of the best food in Gibraltar in one single event, and then finding your new favourite local restaurant and your new favourite dish. That is what Calentita is, and can be for you.

Campbell our bartender spent a good hour last year trying to pair cocktails we were making with all of the stands next to ours. Cocktails and cupcakes, winning combination. “ Healthy options from Supernatural; find your new favourite flavour combination from their selection and try out Veggie Pad Thai, Vegan Burrito Bowl and Vegan Quinoa Salad among other dishes.

LOCAL FAVOURITES “Calentita is a great gathering of friends and family over some food and drink”. La Abuela brings you a selection of traditional Gibraltarian/Spanish favourite dishes: paella and lagrimas de pollo (chicken croquettes) among a range of local homemade meals.

CRAFT BEER “To have a laugh and expand your senses with the local multicultural community!” that’s what Calentita is all about says Steward who runs the Calentita Craft beer stall. Expand your senses and sample various beers from international craft breweries. Enjoy ‘Hell’s Lager’, from the Camden Brewery, or the subtle ‘Dark Arts’, a smooth stout from Magic Rook Brewery.

HEALTHY BAKERY “One year, we got to Calentita a bit too late and everyone had run out of all the best food. Definitely get there early if you want some choice!” advise the Muscle Bakery team. Healthy eating can also be tasty eating and the Muscle Bakery will be showcasing some of their favourite recipes including spinach pie, sweet potato ‘torta de patata’ and baked doughnuts.

HOTDOGS USA “Great food, great people most awsome atmosphere.” Says Richard who runs the hot dogs USA stand. They bring traditional US flavours all the way to Gibraltar in one of the festival’s most popular stalls, with hotdogs and corndogs to go!

FAIRGROUND SWEETS AND TREATS Enjoy traditional fairground favourites bringing to the festival the tantalizing scents and tastes of popcorn, candyfloss and waffles.

THAI FROZEN TREATS Try some fried ice cream rolls, a sensational Thai frozen dessert made by “cold frying” on a flat steel surface at -35°, then rolling up and garnishing with delicious toppings.

USA Instantly identifiable with the USA, a favourite snack from across the Atlantic served up by the incredibly talented Gibraltar Youth Choir.

GIBRALTARIAN Calentita, callos and albondigas: classic local dishes delicious at any time, any place, anywhere, and prepared by the Gibraltar Cheshire Homes Support Group.

VEGAN VENTURE

INDO-ORIENTAL FUSION

Conscious Eating demonstrate that food can be nutritious, delicious and free from animal products with their selection of vegan skewers and wraps.

For a contemporary culinary experience from the team at La Parrilla, dishes such as chicken makanwala, oyster beef fusion and sesame chicken fusion are an absolute must.

MOROCCAN The best pinchitos in town, harira soup, traditional couscous, mouth-watering cakes and sweets, and refreshing mint tea: the must-try festival staples from the Moroccan Community Association.

BRAZILIAN Bringing a touch of carnival fever to Gibraltar, sensational Brazilian flavours in dishes including white rice, black beans and empanadas will keep the party rolling!

BRATWURST Putting a special twist on their variety of hot dogs that include bratwurst dogs and vegan hot dogs, every meal sold will raise money to feed abandoned dogs at the Animals in Need shelter.

GOURMET BBQ What else on a summer evening but barbecued cuts of gourmet meats like secreto iberico, lagarto iberico and wagyu as well as mini burgers, all from the Gourmet Grill and Eclipse Lounge?

PHILIPPINES Philippine cuisine comes alive at Calentita with tastes to include spring rolls, Asian noodles, Shanghai rolls, BBQ bites and shiomay.

IBERICO Our friends at Beher are bringing to Calentita a selection of traditional Spanish snacks: baguettes with ham and cheese, cones of Spanish ham, chorizo, salsichon and salmorejo.

THAILAND For the feel of a few blissful moments in the Far East, try out the Thai treats on offer: Pad Thai, spring rolls and Thai curry and rice, among others.

CHINESE Familiar food enjoyed in Gibraltar and the world over, this selection of Chinese dishes will include egg-fried rice, sweet and sour chicken balls, fried noodles and spring rolls.

ITALIAN “Just like the Mama used to make”: a delicious range of pasta dishes including local favourites lasagna and cannelloni, pizzas, meatballs topped by unbeatable Italian desserts.

INDONESIAN Indulge in these flavoursome homemade dishes from Indonesia and Asia such as beef rendang, chicken satay, spring rolls, noodles and much more.

MONTADITOS A choice of montaditos with a variety of toppings – mojo picon, serranito, blue cheese, ajillo and BBQ – served by a great team from Morrison who are raising funds for Cancer Relief.

VEGAN VARIETY From The Kasbar, a selection of some of their popular vegan dishes: mini black bean and quinoa burgers, buffalo cauliflower and their very own, unique ‘kasballs’. These just have to be tasted!

CHINESE SIZZLERS Take your enjoyment of Chinese cooking a step further with this spicy selection of Singapore noodles, special fried rice, spring rolls and a variety of sizzling chicken dishes.

GINFUSION Add a twist to your G&T with Ginfusion’s creative combination of flavours: strawberry and vanilla to welcome the summer and citrus to refresh the palate are among the ‘ginfusions’ on offer.

HERE’S JOHNNY! “It has such a great atmosphere, and people really enjoy themselves – we give some of our sales to charity” says Mark of Here’s Jonny. They’ll be serving super, soft, luscious summer ice cream and refreshingly icy slush puppies from Here’s Johnny at the ice cream van.

MACARON DELIGHTS The colourful temptations of macarons, accompanied by cinnamon buns, Nutella buns and doughnuts, are set to be utterly irresistible.

Calentita | 21

Calentita Kitchen Live

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1

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Timetable at a glance 22:00 hrs

Richard Mcllelan, Rye London & Scout, London (1)

21:30 hrs

Henrietta Inman, Pastry Chef, Author, Cookery Teacher (2)

21:00 hrs Alan Warren Cefai, Head Chef at San Giovanni, Malta (3) 22:30 hrs Vicky Bishop, Head Chef, Vicky’s Natural Kitchen, Gibraltar 20:30 hrs

Claire Foster, Head Chef, The Kasbar, Gibraltar (4)

20: 00 hrs Nico Fitzgerald – Head of Pastry, The Hinds Head, London (5) 19:30 hrs Vijay Vatvani Gibraltarian Chef and Restaurateur (times subject to change)

22 | Calentita

5

22:00hrs

Richard McLellan

21:30hrs

Henrietta Inman

Rye London, Scout London

Pastry Chef, Author, Cookery Teacher

Demonstration: Marinated Boqerones in Apple and elderflower.

Demonstration: Chunky buckwheat and triple nut brittle.

Visit his Calentita stall: Wilder X Gibraltar.

Dinner and Dialogue Chef.

“The wonderful thing about plants and fruits that are growing in the wild is that you really get to visually understand the product from shoot to flowering and how these change in flavour and texture through its life cycle”.

London-based chef, Richa rd McLellan, is talking to me about foraging for ingredients something many of us have done as children – picking brambles and crab apples in the hedgerows and trees in England around early Autumn. For me, having grown up in Gibraltar, it was mejillones from the rocks around Eastern Beach, and asparagus and wild garlic from the fields near my grandmother’s house in La Linea.

“Wild food opens your eyes to a wider range of ingredients and its vast array of flavours” Richard says. He explains how in recent years he has changed his focus from developing a dish around an item of protein - a cut of beef, for example – to making the starting point of a dish the vegetable.

“I grew up in Suffolk but have worked all my career in London,” says Richard. He tells me of how fortunate he feels having worked with some of the city’s top Michelin starred chefs such as Tom Aikens, Adam Byatt and Alyn Williams.

Richard’s Wilder x Gibraltar stall will present a dish that he has created for the occasion, using ingredients that also create a connection between Gibraltar and Richard’s home city of London.

Marinated Boqerones in Apple and elderflower, served on a crisp poppyseed flatbread, kelp emulsion, radishes and wild herbs and flowers.

“I’m over the moon and incredibly honoured to have been asked to cook at the Calentita community food festival’s Dinner and Dialogue event,” says Henrietta Inman.

Pastry chef, cookery teacher, and author, Henrietta specialises in cooking and baking with local, natural, seasonal ingredients.

“Having grown up in the countryside in Suffolk, cooking with produce around me has always been so important to me, not only for environmental reasons and to support the farmers, but also because of flavour and quality.”

Henrietta gained a distinction in the Professional Patisserie Scholarship at Westminster Kingsway College and worked in a number of award-winning kitchens, before going on to write two best-selling cookery books. She now lives in London and aims to bring some inspiration from the great chefs and restaurants there and her own style of cooking, adding to this inspiration from the Spanish, Italian, Moroccan, Jewish and Hindu communities of Gibraltar, using the best local and seasonal produce.

“Guests will be greeted with an abundant array of canapés as part of their starter: think pan con tomate with anchovies; calentita with pesto Genovese, grilled courgettes and Payoyo cheese; regaña with roast pumpkin, red onions, tahini and za’atar,” Henrietta tells us.

“To encourage the dinner guests to speak amongst themselves, promoting intercultural exchange and understanding, the main course will be made up of colourful and generous sharing platters, with dishes like braised Iberico pork with tomatoes, chorizo, thyme and black olives; aubergine shawarma and hummus masabacha, alongside colourful salads and side dishes inspired by Morocco, India and Italy and the delicious fresh local bread, pan de Pelayo. Fragrant flower waters will be part of dessert, with local fruits, honey and nuts. At the end of the meal guests will stand to drink tea and coffee and enjoy petits fours such as pistachio stuffed dates and baci di dama, allowing for some final last conversations and hopefully many happy faces.”

“Food is about love, sharing and a feeling of warmth - calentita,” Henrietta affirms, “food connects, and food in all its different forms, just like cultures, is something to truly celebrate; I hope that this diverse and varied meal will spark conversations that will continue to impact long after the last morsel is eaten.”

Illustration by Prema Warde Calentita | 23

21:00hrs

22:30hrs

Alan Warren Cefai

Vicky Bishop

Head chef, San Giovanni Restaurant, Malta.

Vicky’s Natural Kitchen

Demonstration: Maltese Rabbit Stew with Arancini.

Visit Alan at his Maltese Stall.

“In Malta we have a vast range of food,” says Alan, “and Maltese cuisine has many influences based on Sicilian and African cooking traditions, with touches of British food. During its long history, Malta was ruled by various cultures, like Arabs, Romans, Normans, French and British, all of which left their mark on our food history.”

At 39 years of age, Alan is an experienced chef, having begun his career at the tender age of 16 and studied in both Malta and UK. He has won numerous awards during his time as head chef in a number of restaurants, including a place in the top 30 restaurants in Malta and a topthree ‘Best Food’ placing for four consecutive years. Alan is currently the head chef and manages the San Giovanni Restaurant, situated in the piazza just outside St John’s Cathedral in Valetta, Malta’s capital and this year’s City of Culture.

His skills in high demand, Alan has cooked for the likes of Alan Sunderland, George Best, Stephen Spielberg, Russell Crow, the last three presidents of Malta, the President of Poland and has been personal chef to Malta’s Spanish Ambassador.

Alan is delighted to bring his samples of Maltese food to Gibraltar, territories whose people have such strong links.

“Perhaps the most popular dish in Malta is stuffat tal Fenek (rabbit stew), along with kawlata (vegetable soup with pork sausage), stuffed olives, white bean with garlic and parsley and ross i’ll forn (baked rice).

He plans to bring the best of Malta with him to Calentita, preparing a delicacy of rabbit stew arancini with white bean, garlic and parsley puree drizzled with prickly pear sauce. All his ingredients, from the prickly pears to the spices, will be sourced in Malta – a true taster of this beautiful island.

24 | Calentita

Demonstration: Spanish Almond, macadamia and fig cream, hot smoked seabream, roast figs, caramelised lemon, and my home grown Rose petals.

Our Local chef Vicky Bishop is back again this year with her own personal style of cooking. Best know for her TV programs Vicky’s Natural Kitchen and as a judge on Local TV program Rock Chef over the years.

Vicky is also member of the International Food Festival chef team and has represented our local cusine in Food Festivals in the Guernsey, Brighton, The Hague and Europe with guest dinners and cooking demonstrations.

She was also invited to participate at the Gothenburg Food Festival this year and represented Gibraltar fusing our own fresh, healthy style of cooking with their seasonal produce.

Vicky trained as a Health Supportive chef in NY, as a vegan chef and to teach Vegan Fusion Cusine under Mark Reinfeld. She currently runs courses in Catering for Health Needs at the university of Gibraltar as well as running her own local catering company of 22 years and a new Deli she has opened in town recently.

Her work has seen her catering for various members of the British and Emirate Royal families, the Gibraltarian government, as well as various celebrities at major events including the Gib Music festival VVIP lounge.

“I love cooking food simply and with health in mind. Big flavours, colour, local herbs and spices. My focus is always on delivering a delicious, healthy and balanced plate of food.

My dish this year will be the dish I prepared at the Gothenburg food festival but using locally sourced produce majoring on vegetables, including herbs, lemons and figs from my own garden. Also using spices from Morocco as I love big flavours.”

20:30hrs

Claire Louise Foster Head Chef, The Kasbar Demonstration: Walnut Pate.

Visit Claire at the Vegan Stall at Calentita.

Claire Foster, who has made a name for herself in Gibraltar as the chef at vegan restaurant The Kasbar, began cooking at an early age as a result of an illness, learning how to make nutritionally dense food. Later she turned professional working in the food industry for years. “I love cooking with fresh organic vegetables. I have many dishes that I love making, but right now I have really been enjoy putting together different types of burgers, working to perfect a vegan burger. I want to demonstrate to people that vegan food can be incredibly flavorful, help the environment and maybe even awaken ones third eye”. Apart from taking part in Calentita at the Vegan stall Claire will also be demonstrating her signature walnut pate in the Calentita kitchen “it’s a much healthier option than a liver pate and is perhaps more flavorful, people will have to try and judge for themselves. I am really looking forward to the the demo goes well and may use it as a platform to offer cooking classes in the future”.

20:00hrs

Cocktail Terrace Take Over by Nine Lives Cosmin Tigroso Award winning mixologist Cosmin Tigroso (Diageo World Class Semi Finals) is flying in from London cocktail bar Nine Lives, to take over the Calentita cocktail terrace and set your summer off on the right track. Don’t miss the amazing selection of drinks including a signature Calentita cocktail.

19:30hrs

Nico Fitzgerald

Vijay Vatvani

Head of Pastry, The Hinds Head, London.

Demonstration: Fresh tuna stroganoff.

Demonstration: Quail breast cooked on the crown with stuffed confit legs, roast cauliflower purée, roast carrot, parsnip crisps and a quail jus.

Passionate about food from a young age, Nico grew up knowing he wanted to be a chef one day. After a brief detour through University, Nico attended the world renowned Le Cordon Bleu in London, where he graduated with a Grand Diplôme de Cuisine et Pâtisserie. After completing a work placement at the 2 Michelinstarred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in Knightsbridge, Nico was offered a job at one of Heston’s other Michelinstarred restaurants, the Hind’s Head, where he now runs the pastry department.

With over 30 years in catering and with a reputation for inventive fusion dishes Vijay returns to the Calentita kitchen live. Preferring to source products locally or from the nearby area to ensure that only freshest produce is used. Vijay has participated in numerous television shows and has even won a competition against Spanish celebrity chef ( Todos Contra El Chef). Currently he is looking for new ventures in the local catering trade. Meanwhile he still enjoys cooking for friends and family, always looking to employ his creative flair.

Calentita | 25

BBQ and Live Music by the Pool Every Wednesday, starting 20th June at 9pm.

3 Europa Road, Gibraltar Events: +350 200 73000/events@rockhotel.gi www.rockhotelgibraltar.com

BBQ and Live Music by the Po

Every Wednesday, starting 20th June at 9pm

3 Europa Road, Gibraltar Events: +350 200 73000/events@rockhotel.gi www.rockhotelgibraltar.com

26 | Calentita

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Local Food Heroes

As adults we all have someone who has shaped our view of food, be it a parent, grandparent or a celebrity chef. We call these people food heroes, those who educate us about the food we don’t just eat for nourishment, but also enjoy and share with others.

Gibraltar’s children and students are lucky because, in addition to those aforementioned food heroes, two other food heroes are educating young people on how to grow food, create recipes and how food impacts our bodies and our environment. These two food heroes are Christine Gilder and Anne Coelho.

Not all heroes wear capes, some wear gardening gloves, as is the case with food hero and educator of children regarding urban farming, Christine Gilder from the Alameda gardens.

Christine holds weekly gardening clubs, camps during the holidays and visits Gibraltar’s schools teaching about urban farming. She firmly believes that, “we should all know where our food comes from.”

Urban farming could be vital to future generations due to “an ever-increasing population and less areas to grow what we eat.”

Children also like the fun factor of, “watching a seed sprout, roots forming and the growth of the plant showing us the circle of life” and then being able to eat it.

Urban farming is easy, she said, “anyone can grow salad greens, micro greens, peashoots to name but a few in the smallest of spaces. Even on a windowsill without using soil which is where hydroponics come in.” Hydroponics uses 70% less water than traditional gardening does.

Christine has been encouraging schools to grow food using hydroponics with systems purchased from Ikea.

“One of the schools has no outside space or natural light available to them therefore are growing hydroponics under lights.”

“I believe this is how we will be growing our food in the next 20 years and maybe one of the children we are working with today will start a hydroponics farm in the Rock!!!,” she said.

She would love to see community gardens in Gibraltar but with lack of space, salt water spray, intense heat, importation of soil and the cost of irrigation “hydroponics is the way forward.”

Anne Coelho is a Maths teacher at Westside and is a food hero because in her spare time she runs a gardening/ environmental club where students grow vegetables and learn about healthy food and the environment.

She also raises awareness about animal welfare issues. Anne became vegan six years ago “after learning about the

horrors of the food industry.”

“For me becoming vegan was like a moment of enlightenment and a realisation that we need to take active steps if we want to live in a more compassionate world.”

It is this compassionate world she brings to Westside, where she has successfully held five vegan food stalls.

“Because students are the future and I am in the lucky position of being able to create a space where these matters can be brought to light and discussed,” she said, “I feel I have a moral responsibility to try and encourage students to be well informed and to make ethical choices when consuming. This is essential if we want to strive towards a more humane world.”

Anne has noticed that the interest in veganism is increasing and is often asked questions by her students.

Sometimes they approach Anne to tell her something they have learned by themselves. She feels this is important as it allows them to “form their own conscious and informed opinions.” Her aim in teaching is for the students to learn kindness and consideration to all.

“If you care about others and by this I mean all fellow animals, you will inevitably care for the environment and your health too.”

Eyleen Sheil

Calentita | 27

Illustration by Patrizia Imossi 28 | Calentita

Most Important Meal of the Day? From an early age, we become accustomed to hearing how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But is this fact or fiction? In this piece, Ashleigh Vella helps dispel some of the myths behind our morning meal.

The Myth The idea comes from observational studies, where it’s been observed that people who eat breakfast seem to eat less calories later in the day and be at a lower risk of weight gain and its associated health risks. However, these things have merely been ‘observed’ together and do not necessarily cause one another.

So why might this be?

I’ve found that there are a few different types of people in the morning. The first is the early riser, up at the crack of dawn, pouring almond milk and berries into their Nutribullet to make that smoothie recipe they found on Pinterest. Another is the ‘haven’t got time for anything’ person, who rushes out of the house empty-handed, likely to grab a Costa coffee on their way.

Come mid-morning, the office biscuit tin is calling, and Susan’s brought in cakes because it was her Birthday yesterday.

The breakfast-skipper has been running on empty so far and their belly is calling out for a snack...You can put the rest together.

So eating breakfast can help stave off hunger in the morning and prevent us overindulging later in the day. But let’s stop and think before we grab that bowl of cereal or that bacon egg roll.

By eating breakfast, we are consuming calories. Weight gain occurs as a result of us taking in more energy (calories) than our bodies are currently burning off (i.e. being in a ‘calorie surplus’). So adding calories at breakfast, and still eating the same for the rest of the day would increase your overall energy intake and basically be counterproductive.

Someone who skips breakfast has more calories left to play with later in the day. So if they’re happy to wait until later on, what’s the problem? There is none, actually. The evidence shows that nutrient timing (i.e. when you eat) has no impact

on your weight or metabolism if daily calories are kept the same. So you can be any kind of morning person. It’s not about whether you eat breakfast or not, but rather how much you eat over the whole day.

What’s more, a lot of typical breakfasts are higher in calories than many realise. “What about some avocado toast, that’s super healthy right?” Avocados are very nutritious, but also high in fat and therefore calories. Add eggs, maybe even some hollandaise sauce, and that’s quite a chunk of your daily intake already. Even some of those “breakfast bars” can contain more calories than a chocolate bar (don’t start me on “breakfast biscuits”).

But hey, if you prefer to indulge at breakfast, then that’s cool too! You would just need to take that into consideration during the rest of your day.

So what are some good breakfast choices?

Basically, anything you enjoy. Pick something that makes you feel good and that fits into your daily intake, as well as your morning schedule. There are really no rules - breakfast norms are different all over the world.

No time to eat? No worries, eat later. Starving in the morning? (Me) Yep, eat something. Just bear it in mind when making choices later that day.

I’d just suggest including a good protein source as this helps with feeling satiated and many adults aren’t eating enough (it’s not just for bodybuilders, guys). I like to make porridge and add protein powder, along with berries and peanut butter (You can prepare overnight oats to save time in the morning).

On the weekends, when I have more time, I make poached eggs with wilted spinach on toast. Or as you’ll have seen if you follow my instagram, the occasional stack of protein pancakes.

A strong coffee is non-negotiable.

Ashleigh Vella

Calentita | 29

30 | Calentita

Deliciously Out Of Shape I walked into Morrisons the other day and saw a section called “Naturally Wonky”. Now, I’m not going to lie and tell you I never buy fruit and veg in Morrisons, because I do, so I walked right up to it, had a look and couldn’t find where these vegetables had gone wonky.

In my house we buy a lot of our fruit and veg in markets in Spain; it means that come the end of the month I’m in the green, both in my body and my bank account.

The reality is that buying fruit and veg in Gibraltar is pretty prohibitive, unless you buy in shops in town such as Fruteria David or the shop on Irish Town, close to the corner with Parliament Lane; even the market looks more and more like Morrisons’ fruit and veg section, Market Lane.

And it’s not only down to the price. Remember what tomatoes used to taste like? I feel like it’s something I hear older people say a lot, but I do remember a taste of tomato that is definitely extremely difficult to come by these days.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret, it’s called a farmer’s market. So whilst you commit to supporting farmers across the UK (supposedly) by buying from Morrisons’ “Naturally Wonky, Naturally Wonderful” section, but still end up spending thirty pounds on a small basket, here’s a plan you might prefer.

Give up on unhealthy ends to the week, for starters. Yes, I - like almost everybody else on this planet - love a good lie in on a Sunday. But move those to Saturday instead, trust me, and get some good rest so you can wake up early on the Sunday, ready to grab a bargain. Now I’m sure there are more options, but I know of two decent ones. Get yourself to the market in Sabinillas or the market in San Roque nice and early, and for the price of a basket with a couple of tomatoes and avocados in Morrisons you can get enough truly wonky fruit and veg to last a week or two, and to top it all off you get to see and talk to the farmer you’re supporting, who has probably woken up at four in the morning and driven for a couple of hours to bring you the freshest fruit and veg that still has dirt on it, sometimes looks nothing like what you think it’s meant to look like and tastes like nothing you’ve ever tasted before.

Stefano Blanca-Sciacaluga

Calentita | 31

A MATTER OF TASTE INTER-GENERATIONAL LOVE FOR A ‘CAFELITO’ AND THE NUANCES OF A LIFETIME IN ARTISAN COFFEE, WITH PATRICK SACARELLO.

32 | Calentita

Whether a cappuccino with brunch, an after-dinner decaf – or indeed the giant mug of kenco your bleary-eyed self reaches for, first thing in the morning – nothing quite matches the rich warmth of a good coffee when the situation demands it (and I don’t want to hear otherwise, tea-lovers!)

To many, coffee is primarily a functional drink; something to get the pistons firing in the morning, a midday pick-me-up and, at times, your only friend through the otherwise long and lonely night. To others, it’s a treat; a rich and nuanced delicacy to be savoured, with a complexity to its flavour comparable to that of wine. Whatever the case, and regardless of the degree of sophistication with which we enjoy it, there is one name in Gibraltar with which it is synonymous: Sacarello.

I recently met with Patrick, one half of the Sacarello’s operation, to hear his take on all things coffee-related.

While his brother, Richard, now holds the somewhat enviable title of ‘coffee roastmaster’, Patrick’s enthusiasm and knowledge on the subject go a long way to explaining the enduring success of a local business whose roots go back over a century.

Having read both Spanish and Latin American literature at university, and with his business interests originating across the pond, South America seemed a natural destination for Patrick, and in 1994 he set his sights on Colombia, arriving in Cartagena on the recommendation of longstanding business partners in the Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC). Having for so long been at the end of the production chain, he could now finally see where coffee came from, and trace the process back to the literal roots of a new coffee shrub.

It was the first of many trips, with that first visit igniting a love for the continent which he nurtured, feeding both his cultural curiosity as well as his desire to learn more about

coffee. But after speaking fondly of his appreciation for the spectacular scenery, the people and the knowledge he’s acquired in South America over the years, he turned his attention a little closer to home.

“Twenty years ago, you couldn’t find a good cup of coffee in England.

Then, fifteen years ago, there began something of a revolution, and these days there are many independent roasters, all of whom source their coffee from specific, independent suppliers from Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala... and the quality is magnificent. Not only that, in London there are now also many independent coffee producers; Monmouth, Union, then there’s Clifton in Bristol...”. His sincerity is plain to see as he urges anyone with an interest in coffee to attend the London Coffee Festival, which he had just returned from himself.

However, the incredible atmosphere he describes comes at a price, as is the customary blessing and curse of all things on which the public eye focuses too intently. “The sad thing is, it’s become too popular, and when something becomes so popular, it can lose its essence.

People come because of its fame... it becomes ‘just a thing to do’, the same sort of thing that happened with Covent Garden.’ ’

Sacarellos, but we still evolve; we have our local adaptation on their frappuccino: the fraparello!”

Clearly his love for coffee trumped any misgivings he may have about their work. On the other side of the table, Cristina Linares, director of Beher, interjected, pointing out that some of what Starbucks serves up is barely even coffee any more.

I was inclined to agree, but Patrick quickly pointed out that, as with so much else, there was no right or wrong here. And of course, he was right. Be it coffee or wine, in life and in love, there’s no accounting for taste, and it was refreshing to see someone with such a wealth of knowledge and experience in his field who maintains this perspective.

And so I come away from my meeting with Patrick a little wiser for the conversation, a little curious about the next time I’m presented with a dark roast and whether I can pick out some subtleties I now know to look for, yet also a little reassured that it’s ok to have a mug of instant with milk and two sugars now and then.

Iain Triay-Clarence Illustration by Patrizia Imossi

An inescapable reality perhaps, but it did provide a convenient segue to my next question for Patrick.

With all talk of commercialisation and over-popularity, I asked what he thought of the titanic force that is Starbucks. I imagined a connoisseur couldn’t help but be offended by the somewhat soulless approach such a huge corporation has to its products - many of which are a mile removed from a classic coffee - but I was wrong in my assumption.

“I think they’ve done a great job in popularising coffee, opening the eyes of the younger generation to it. We’re more traditional here in

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Baking A Life The birth of Amar’s Bakery and how our taste for fresh bakes has built a bridge between communities for almost two centuries.

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Photographs by Jade Picardo.

J.J.B Amar Limited, fondly known in the community as Amar’s bakery or simply, Amar’s, is a well-known and widely loved family business established almost two centuries ago, in 1820. At its inception, Amar’s was run by three siblings, Moses and Eliyahu Amar and Zahra Benzimra née Amar. The business remained under the management of the Amar/Benzimra family until 2009 when its goodwill was sold by Raphael and Sarah Benzimra to Mr Amram Cohen and his late wife Kelly (née Levy).

The latter also opened a café under the Amar name. Both the original bakery and the café have been managed by Mrs Ethy Bentata since 2014.

For almost two centuries Amar’s has been a prominent bakery in Gibraltar and is today the only bakery producing fresh bread every single day for the population of Gibraltar.

Like much of the cultural experience of British Gibraltar, Amar’s style of bread and cakes has enjoyed dual and probably more influences, with typical British loaves of Coburg as well as Spanish cakes being prepared there every day. These include the very famous ‘Japonesa’ cake, well known locally and remembered for its unique taste by everyone who has ever tried it. It has remained in service since its inception without interruption, even during World War Two when most of the civil population was evacuated.

Interestingly and rather unusually, the founders of the bakery decided to make the bakery compliant with both Jewish dietary rules and also British legal standards in order to be able to cater to the whole community. This ethos continues to this day.

It is interesting that the whole of Gibraltar has therefore been eating kosher food of the highest quality without necessarily paying attention to that fact. For example, Amar’s produces Pan Dulce, which is equally appreciated by the Christian community during Christmas time as it is by the Jewish community during the Jewish holidays.

Amar’s reputation for excellence has long been recognised, to the extent that when Queen Elizabeth II visited the Rock in 1954, it was from Amar’s bakery that bread and cakes were sourced for the visiting royal family.

Gibraltar is often praised for its tolerance and harmony and Amar’s decision to adapt itself to the different needs of Gibraltar’s multicultural community embodies that social harmony. And may it so continue for many years to come.

Joshua Lohte

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Photos by Denica Shute Illustration by Patrizia Imossi 36 | Calentita

by Denica Shute

Harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.

Insight into the art of the Japanese tea ceremony through the eyes of local writer and teacher, Denica Shute, currently living in Tokyo.

Trying not to fidget, I sit with my legs folded underneath me, ankles slightly numb, on the woven straw tatami mats. My students are rehearsing a ceremony they’ll be giving to the public this weekend. The role of tea maker, the most prestigious in the ceremony, is filled by one of my sixteen year old students. A little red faced, her hands flit nervously around the traditional tools. She knows she has to be exact and elegant in her actions.

Behind her, the sensei, a kindly old Japanese woman wearing a dark maroon kimono, hair coiffed into a grey swirl, watches her move-ments, whispering corrections occasionally.

The traditional ceremony room which all high schools in Japan seem to have, was specifically installed for hosting the tea club in the 60s. The tea maker and sensei sit around the iron boiler, set into the floor, while the rest of the students and myself line the walls, waiting with hands folded right over left. The tea maker’s assistant gives out sweets in the shape of the Ginko leaf, the symbol of Tokyo, and we wait patiently for everyone to receive one before eating them. A senior student, aiming to study in America, explains to me that the sweets must be eaten first to remove any bitter taste from the matcha. Although, she added, if it’s whisked properly it shouldn’t be bitter at all. When everyone is quietly nibbling the treats the assistant bows, nose to floor, fingertips on the tatami, and explains the

founding principles of the tea ceremony; wa, kei, sei, and jyaku. Translated, they are harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. The Japanese characters for these four qualities have been artfully painted by a master of calligraphy onto a wall scroll. It hangs in the Toko, the sacred alcove, over an arranged collection of this season’s flowers.

The tea maker completes her first cup and the assistant passes it to me, as I’m the customer of honour today. She twists the cup twice so that the engraving is facing me for me to admire, and after bowing to each other, I twist it twice again so as not to drink from that side. It’s smooth, with pin prick sized bubbles, a hallmark that it was mixed properly and won’t be bitter.

Looking around, I see the others students nervously sipping their tea as they wait for their turn to be tested by the sensei. Normally, the tea room is a place where all nationalities, creeds and religions can relax, talk and, ultimately, bring about world peace through conversation shared over tea. But today, everyone’s a little on edge. After we’ve finished, an excited first year asks me if Gibraltar has a similar tradition. Humming, I think back to Catalan Bay, when the sun would disappear behind the rock after 5 and my friend’s family would gather with coolers, tables and chairs under sombrillas to drink tea brought from canisters brought from home. ‘Sort of ’, I replied.

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Food Routes Gibraltar’s history has been anything but straightforward.

With a political presence that far outweighs what might reasonably be expected from the home of just a few tens of thousands, the relative calm of recent decades might seem the norm to those of us who have known nothing else; to our inexperienced eyes, the ugly, unprecedented possibilities of Brexit loom ominously over an uncertain future. But ask anyone over the age of 45; they’ll have a very different perspective on hardship. Ask a historian, and they’ll tell you that even in a worst-case scenario, it’s par for the course.

Between sieges, evacuations, border closures and everything in between, situations beyond their control have affected the people of Gibraltar time and again. But, while the history books’ main focus will be on the actions of the men in charge at each of these junctures – kings and generals, ministers and dictators – there was always also the underlying issue of day to day survival for locals to contend with. While we enjoy the luxury of choosing from thousands of products when we go to the supermarket this week, and from a huge variety

of cuisines when we visit the Calentita Festival, we would do well to think back to a time when Gibraltarians faced the very real struggle of there not being enough food to go around, or money to pay for the food that was available.

Throughout history, Gibraltar’s most logical trade partner has been its neighbour to the north, and by and large, we have enjoyed a mutually beneficial and stable relationship with our counterparts across the border. However, the same cannot be said for the country’s leaders, and as such, the British and Gibraltarian governments learnt the hard way to not rely exclusively on imports from Spain.

Mirroring events in the 18th century, when fallouts with Spain required Gibraltar to call upon Barbary merchants – with whom we had maintained a clandestine relationship – contingency plans were once again needed following the abrupt closure of the frontier in the summer of 1969. The years leading to the closure had already been strained, and the importation of poor quality and prohibitively expensive fresh produce was already one of the issues being tackled by the newly

formed Gibraltar Housewives Association - now the Gibraltar Women’s Association - in what was at the time dubbed, ‘The War of the Greens’.

Having turned to Morocco as an alternative exporter to Spain, the same problems unfortunately arose following the border closure. Profiteers and unscrupulous traders took advantage of Tangier now being the sole source of Gibraltar’s fresh goods; again, its women stepped up and, thanks in part to the pressure they exerted on the governments on both sides of the straits, helped lay the way for new importers - Tetouan, the Channel Islands and others - to stimulate the market and restore what normalcy was possible at the time.

And so, it is with a nod to the past that we should appreciate the quality of life and wealth of food we now take for granted.

Whatever the future may hold for us, it’s a storm that should be easily weathered if we are able to show a fraction of the grit and determination that our forefathers (and mothers!) have shown time and again on the road to making Gibraltar what it is today.

by Iain Triay-Clarence Illustration by Patrizia Imossi

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MIDNIGHT IN CALLE COMEDIA STEFANO BLANCA-SCIACALUGA TALKS LOCAL ARCHITECTURE AND THE BLEND OF PAST AND PRESENT THAT CHARACTERIZES MUCH OF OUR URBAN LANDSCAPE. Gil Pender’s time travels in the 2011 Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris showed us one thing, and that is that humans have a tendency to romanticise the past, feel nostalgia and at times look upon modernity with some reticence. We live in a city that for lack of space is having to look up to the sky; we have taken as much as we could from the sea and have finally got to a point in our growth where, like the 1988 Yazz hit says, the only way is up, baby!

I’m a fan of architecture. I don’t know much but I do enjoy looking at nice buildings and reading up about them, and of course as a photographer I also enjoy taking photos. I go to cities with tall buildings and look up in marvel until my neck hurts and then I spend hours upon hours on Wikipedia looking up lists of tallest buildings in the world, fascinated by their crazy shapes.

Architecturally, Gibraltar is an interesting place. With influences from the British, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and more, any street in Gibraltar can be a true feast for the eyes, for anybody architecturally inclined. What are you even doing if you’re not looking up whilst walking down Main Street? But we’re now in a situation where to accommodate a growing population in an area that just cannot expand anymore, we’re having to build upwards, a whole different ball game to the narrow, cramped streets of our old part of town.

I’m in my late twenties and grew up bang in the middle of the period of the reclamations of the 80s and 90s, but spending the first decade of my life within the city walls, a stone’s throw from Main Street, meant that my life was in the old town, where buildings rarely got higher than four or five storeys, far from the modern buildings and hustle

and bustle of the westside. Today I live in the area, I walk past Eurotowers and Europort all the time and there’s not a day where I don’t go out to my balcony and look at the old town with a longing for a Gibraltar that no longer exists, a Gibraltar that is rapidly changing.

It’s a fact that the old part of town that I grew up in and love has been left to decay, fall to the ground and been sold off to developers looking to make money. It’s as much of a fact that the modern buildings I now live around could also do with a little sprucing up. So here lies my predicament: I go to big cities and see huge shiny buildings which I like, and I go to small towns and see old, beautifully preserved buildings which I also like; and then of course there are places that harmoniously combine both. Which begs the question: which direction do we want to take, what do we want to be? My heart says we should have striven to preserve the small-town-on-the-Mediterranean look, for the benefit of our already large tourism industry, but my head says modernity is key.

We have already seen a good amount of excellent renovation and beautification happen in the old town, particularly in the Calle Comedia area, adding modern elements to older buildings. So is this harmonious combination of new and old the way forward for Gibraltarian architecture? It seems like perhaps our architecture hasn’t been given as much thought as it should have and we have been launched into suddenly going upwards, but seeing property owners make thoughtful and interesting renovations is refreshing.

So here’s to continuing this trend and hoping that in years to come our little city can be seen as an example of new and old, cohabiting harmoniously.

Stefano Blanca-Sciacaluga Calentita | 41

Esto que es healthy? by Elke Hurtado As owner of a bakery that sells healthified treats, the question I hear the most is ‘esto que es healthy? (is this healthy?) But, how can you answer that when healthy can mean so many things?

To this day, no matter how many times I’ve had to answer, I hate it. How do you explain an entire encyclopaedia in one single sentence? Yes, we use healthy ingredients, but are they devoid of calories? Of course not. Is it healthy if you binge eat twelve protein bars?

If your relationship with food is affected? If you view everything you eat negatively? NO. So, what exactly is healthy?

It’s relative to each person’s experiences; an anorexia sufferer will focus on mental health, an athlete on physical performance or someone with gut issues will want optimum health. Each of their ideals on health will differ, but so long as they feel good and happy that’s priority.

What we can all agree on is that ‘healthy’ should include balance, moderation and undoubtedly, happiness. If eating something makes you miserable, that alone is making it unhealthy. They’ve even coined a term ‘orthorexia’ for people obsessed with ‘healthy eating’ and ‘health foods’. Ironic isn’t it?

Everyone yearns for that balance between mental and physical health whether it be from the foods consumed, daily physical activities or their mindfulness in any given situation.

Enfin, next time someone asks ‘esto que es healthy’ I will say… depende what kind of healthy you’re looking for?

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Treasures and Trinkets at St.Andrew’s

by Lindsay Weston

Tucked away off Main Street in the historic Governor’s Square, lies St Andrew’s Church of Scotland. The church was built by Scottish soldiers stationed on the Rock over 150 years ago and has ministered to Scots and other nationalities from Gibraltar and the Campo ever since. The ageing building needs constant maintenance and, for the past nine years, one of the church’s regular fundraising events has been the monthly Craft and Collector’s Fair.

Eager bargain hunters queue up outside the front door whenever the fair is on, never knowing what gems might be waiting to be unearthed inside. “Bric-a-brac stalls aways turn up something interesting” says fair organiser, Vivien Dawson, “recent sales include everything from 50p thimbles to 2 Wedgwood Lustre bowls worth hundreds of pounds. People shop to add to their own collections, or for gifts, or just to treat themselves!”

A stalwart band of regular stall holders include Vivien herself with her silver jewellery. There are beautiful handmade greetings cards on offer, as well as crocheted shawls and adorable *amigurumi mice. The church has its own bric-abrac fundraising table, and there are 10 or more other stalls with knitted items, house plants, doll’s house furniture, model soldiers, books, jigsaws, medals, postcards and more.

Once shoppers have snapped up a bargain, the church’s lounge offers a range of refreshments including Sue’s famous bacon rolls. There’s also a delicious range of home-baked cakes and scones to go with a cup of tea or coffee as visitors peruse the second hand book shelves. The St Andrew’s Craft and Collectors Fair is definitely worth a visit; it offers a welcoming, friendly atmosphere, tasty snacks, plus you never know what treasures you might find! (*amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small stuffed toys)

The next Craft & Collector’s Fair after Calentita will be September 29th.

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You Are My Friend

by Gabrielle Llambias

You are my friend, I stand by you, And everything you say and do.

You have my trust, my soul, my heart, We’re always close both night and day.

We share the works, the towns, the laughs, And understand we’re equal halves.

You are my lover, the only one, To satisfy my need for fun.

You sacrificed a part of you, Because you said you loved me too.

But most of all ‘YOU ARE MY FRIEND’, A helping hand you always lend.

You’re there for me, for good and bad, A greater friend I’ve never had!

Illustration by Prema Ward 46 | Calentita