Cibus (February 2017)

issue â„–

51

February 2017

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the ultimate food platform

editorial

I can safely chalk this issue up as the strangest, most sleepdeprived start to the New Year yet. I cannot deliver on clever musings or wistful promises. I can talk about food, or at least talk about how we talk about food.

This issue of Cibus cooks up a few timely February features, and a cursory look at comforting foods and warm drinks to keep our Maltese vulnerability to chills well-guarded. We also report on events and launch armchair investigations into the history of ingredients we enjoy. You will also enjoy little tips from a Terry Pratchett fan on how to enjoy one of the Mediterranean’s simplest and cheapest meals after a season of feasts, parties and expensive gifts.

In this issue, you can also read musings on the joys of dining alone and how to navigate the protocols, pitfalls and benefits of dining with others. Try your hand at recipes inspired by fiction and read about the first meals any of us ever have, or even just share our love for ingredients with us.

Or you can just start leafing through the pages, not caring about much at all but then, at the proverbial dessert stage, find that you do really care.What’s certain is that it was a rollercoaster, from start to finish, and we at Cibus hope you find something you like.

competition Question: how many restaurants can one find in palazzo castelletti?

To simply answer the question above.

Send your answer together with your name, address and mobile number to paula.ferriggi@timesofmalta.com or Cibus competition, Allied Newspapers Ltd., 341, St Paul’s Street, Valletta VLT 1211 by not later than Friday, February 17, 2017 The winner of the Prime/Cibus competition of the December issue is Claudine Xuereb residing in St Julian’s and the winner for the San Andrea restaurant competition of last December is Gabriel Bonanno from Zejtun THIS PUBLICATION IS BEING DISTRIBUTED AS PART OF:

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

Executive editor Jamie Iain Genovese (cibus@timesofmalta.com) Publisher Allied Newspapers Ltd. Printing Progress Press Co. Ltd. Production Allied Newspapers Ltd. Design Krista Aquilina Advertising Sales Paula Ferriggi (tel: 2559 4708; paula.ferriggi@timesofmalta.com)

4. WHAT WE MISSED: GASTROGRAFIJA.

The season couldn’t be passed without acknowledging Sean Mallia’s exhibition featuring his food photography, so we spoke

10. FICTIONALIST’S GUIDE: RECIPE – HARRY to him.

POTTER’S BUTTERBEER.

The first of many: The Fictionalist’s Guide will be taking a look at some of our favourite recipes from books, film, video games, and television, and will take a crack at recreating them. Jamie Iain

12. DIPLOMACY AT THE DINNER TABLE – Genovese finds out

HOW TO ORDER TOGETHER.

Doing her best to lift the fog of war, Alina Anisimova talks to us about navigating the dinner table and managing expectations

14. HOT DRINKS ‘THROUGH THICK AND THIN’ to let both parties enjoy the most of their meals.

– FROM HOT CHOCOLATE TO HERB INFUSIONS.

Thick, gooey hot chocolates or light and soothing herbal teas,

20. MAPPING THE INGREDIENT: PASS THE SALT. a cursory look at what we can enjoy. By Rob Golfeo

The first of a long series, Mapping the Ingredient takes on one of

22. INGREDIENT OF THE MONTH.

humanity’s biggest economic movers: Salt. By Jamie Iain Genovese

24. APHRODISIAC’S GUIDE TO FOOD.

Lots of foods have been long-touted as ‘aphrodisiac’, we took a look at some, said what other people said, and had Mathias Mallia share his thoughts on whether it’s worth the effort. With a feature illustration by cover artist Kriss Zammit Endrich.

(Editor’s note: I do not, personally, recommend asparagus)

27. RECIPE – BOOZY WHITE CHOCOLATE.

Booze, white chocolate, pumpkin spice, caramel. Served hot.

32. ONE DAY A WEEK – HELPING YOUR BUDGET Repeatedly. All winter. Recipe by Rob Golfeo

RECOVER FROM THE HOLIDAYS.

Overspending in the holidays can give us one heck of a financial hangover. Aglio e oglio is the cure. Danny Coleiro tells us about

28. TABLE FOR ONE – HOW TO DINE ON YOUR OWN.

his least favourite month: January.

A good way to guarantee odd looks, at least around these parts,

34. FOOD FOR THOUGHT – CARITAS AND THE but definitely worth trying. By Ghost Writer

FELLOWSHIP DINNER.

If films like Babette’s Feast or Eat Drink Man Woman, if the Bible could teach us anything, it’s that the dinner table is a great way to build bonds, and has been since ancient times. Victoria Galea talks about what good the Caritas Christmas dinner for those

37. COMFORT FOODS – RECIPE FOR MACARONI alone on Christmas could do.

AND CHEESE.

Mac ‘n’ cheese, the oven kind. Another comfort food for the winter months that is dear to many, and has been cannibalised in

40. BABY FOOD – THE FIRST SUPPER.

the United States. Recipe by Jamie Iain Genovese

Quite possibly our first introduction to food: Charmaine Gauci

42. MALTA’S FIRST SMOKEHOUSE. shows u the ropes.

Any push into new territory is worth covering, especially in the arts: culinary or otherwise. Fat Louie’s is one such exploration.

Jamie Iain Genovese finds out.

LOCAL

a j fi a r g o r t s a G Sean Mallia

PHOTOS BY WORDS AND

enovese Jamie iain G

4 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

the holi in d e s s i m e w What

days

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5

LOCAL

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LOCAL

T

he last time i interviewed sean was a while ago for a different publication, focusing on his architectural photography and his process. Recently, however, he’s been marking territory with his food photography. over the holidays, he’s launched an exhibition with two major showings (and a third, a closing finale, planned for the immediate future), and glowing reviews. i met him at the venue itself after the doors closed so we wouldn’t disturb other patrons. i found two rooms, one with prints in black frames, and the other a room with prints in white frames. i dissected prints of strewn mushrooms on streaky marble, alienesque crustaceans on marble surfaces, or backlit portraits of crabs that looked like a football stadium, ingredients of singular colours on matching backdrops, diptychs of packaged food in a pristine state as well as bust open with their contents strewn apart. oh, and a red print, with a fish wrapped in a newspaper sporting a headline of drowned migrants. now, how’d that happen? “i was approached a year ago [by de mondion], actually, but what happened is that i went to Rome and ended up postponing, postponing, postponing, but it was always on my mind in the past year and when i came back i said okay, let me choose a month to start, and i started shooting.” a lot of that time was spent with the ideas rolling around sean’s head, i asked him to level and tell me how long the body of work took to complete, really. “it took like four sessions to do everything, and then i did one last session at the very end during the weekend before the exhibition came out to add prints that i thought would […] make it whole. For example, the lobster and crab were the initial idea, but then i saw it would be a much better idea to add the xkala. That made it so much better as a set, it’s a bit symmetrical, in a triangle, and makes it so much more powerful visually.”

photographer, with an academic background in architecture, would start from the ground up, marble, in this case.

Curious, i asked if he felt nervous handling the lobsters. “i got the chef to remove the rubber band himself because i was scared it was going to snap, but then i noticed it was going to be quite tame.” i asked him what everything after the shoots was like, the setting up, the curating, the planning. The venue itself provides a flexible and adjustable railing system with lighting suited to showing off prints. as for the actual organising of the prints within the space: “What i did first was sketch a rough plan of how i should - but then when i came here i changed everything.

“You start saying ‘these three fit here’, the whole idea of the black frames and white frames in different rooms, that was thought of before, but then to put these two here to put these two here, and that one there, and three here. it all made sense when you’re in the space. i think it works.”

This worked, I think. People liked it. It was an experiment, I thought it was going to be a flop. I thought it would be cliché, I didn’t feel confident about it until I finished, when I finished I said ‘okay, it works’

He then explained to me how most of the work was developed experimentally, while shooting at de Mondion, and how the concept developed after, really. “Which is the other way around of how it should be, really.” so how does that work? “What i did was give a list of cool looking food interesting looking food and we placed them all in the same room and just started you know? and i based everything on foreground and background, started with the background which is another thing done in reverse, starting with the background first and then the background. We started with marble, supplied the marble myself, from a local architect and supplier: Lautier, and also wood, and coloured paper.” in a way, it makes sense that an architectural

since the launch of the exhibition, a new interest in similar projects have sprung forward, featuring cultural items on relevant textures. it’s a good schtick.

i asked him what’s next, for him personally, “[my] next self-initiative project will be different, will be either architecture or hopefully involving people, i liked looking at nude photography and i appreciate the form of the human body and that might mix that with styling or even food. Going back to food but a completely new element. even architecture, nude and architecture, food and architecture, so these combos might work. and they’re all experimental and the good thing about experimental is that you never know what comes out of it.”

How did he feel, though, now that it’s almost over?

“This worked, i think. People liked it. it was an experiment, i thought it was going to be a flop. i thought it would be cliché, i didn’t feel confident about it until i finished, when i finished i said ‘okay, it works’. i didn’t think i was going to sell any of them. Cause who’s going to buy prints of food? surprisingly i sold almost thirty now.” not bad, sean. if you think you’d like to see more of his work, try and catch it at Palazzo de Piro before 5pm, maybe while having a coffee.

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7

Strand Palace MeatS ltd.

Beef flank

a.k.a ‘tagliata’

INGREDIENTS 1kg Uruguay Black Angus grain fed f lap meat Rock salt Ground pepper Basso extra virgin olive oil Sage Thyme Rosemary Beefsteak tomatoes (2/3 whole pcs) Fresh wild asparagus (8 pcs) Wild mushrooms (3 pcs)

METHOD On a hot grilling pan, sprinkle rock salt and crushed pepper, lay the f lank on one side adding thyme, rosemary and sage to the pan, f lavouring the beef with all the aromas for about three minutes.

Once this side is cooked, turn the f lank on its other side and with a sharp knife slice beef into strips of about two to three centimetres wide.

Once cooked to liking, remove from pan onto a tray and lay to rest covered in foil for about five to eight minutes. This is highly important for the muscle and juices to spread evenly.

This dish is best cooked rare or medium.

While the beef is resting, in the same pan add tomatoes cut in half, wild mushrooms and also wild asparagus. Do not overcook; vegetables are best left with their natural crunch.

Preferably on a wooden board, lay beef and decorate with cooked vegetable, drizzle, extra virgin olive and present to table.

chef danilo Miceli is one of those kitchen hounds that has tread his fair share of kitchen floors, and is now at the helm of the kitchen at Keops, a Valletta restaurant, next to the Waterfront. Strand Palace Meats, sibling to Strand Palace agencies ltd, gives that service and assurance of providing him with the heart of this shared recipe, this beefy secret: the meat. as for the recipe, it’s a dish of beef flank, known as tagliata, that takes about 15 minutes to prep, and 10 to cook, and is fit to share with three to four people.

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9

RECIPE

10 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

HARRY POTTER’S

BUTTERBEER WORDS AND PHOTO BY

jamie iain genovese

F

ictions have been surrounding us in numbers that are growing astoundingly fast. The amount of media we consume, unthinkingly and unflinchingly, is trebling like an ill-forgotten slice of forest fruit cheesecake in the back of the fridge. We consume so blindly, sometimes deeply desensitised by the now-towering levels of experience we’ve had exposing ourselves to the stories ex-av club nerds and the more pageprone, introverted, intelligentsia worked on every night that they weren’t having fun, that images tend to flicker over our faces without much effort at all.

i do it too, often to marinade my mind in the mise-en-scène, to, for a little while, embed myself in that world, the interesting one that must be so much better than mine. it’s ridiculous, of course, but also very true. it’s all fleeting, anyway, narratives to enjoy that you ultimately might not think about too much. But, sometimes, you’re watching a film, or reading a book, and you get this little itch — a probing in the back of your mind — that you cannot easily ignore. an idea: i could make this real.

There are their limitations, of course. You seldom could, or should even want to, make a piece of fiction real. i loved Harry Potter books when i was growing up, but i’m fine without the terrifically-perilous magic and wizarding world actually existing. i did, however, always wonder what butterbeer, the warm and creamy ale-like drink enjoyed in the later novels, tasted like.

Luckily, i totally can.

This should hopefully be the first of many itch-scratches, the first of many attempts at pulling food out of the pages and off the silver/small screen. Better that than turning to buying a full-size, cinema-grade spider-man costume and taking an unhealthy interest in parkour.

so, without further delay, one of the recipes i managed to find, and what i thought about it:

MAKING THE BUTTERBEER INGREDIENTS 3.5 tbsp sugar 2 egg yolks 1 pint ginger beer or light ale 1/2 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp butter METHOD In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and yolks until pale.

Add beer to saucepan over low heat, and whisk in ginger and nutmeg.

Once the beer mixture has warmed, stir in sugar and yolks. It will combine to form a creamish color. (Let steam, but do not boil, or the yolks will harden.)

Remove from heat when the mixture has thickened. Stir in butter until it has melted completely.

Enjoy hot or ice cold.

The butterbeer itself was rather lovely, creamy, beerish, with a bit of a kick. Definitely a soothing drink. I wouldn’t advise making too much though, it’s rich and you shan’t be having more than a pint or two. I do recommend, however, you share this with a friend or two.

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FEATURE

Diplomacy at the

dinner table WORDS BY

AlinA AnisimovA

he question is how close do you want to get to another person when it comes to something as personal and intimate as food? some split everything in two ways, others prefer to stick to the ‘what’s mine is mine’ strategy. sharing is a generous act, that’s why it’s part of the joy to share our food. According to a research study done at the University of Chicago, sharing food builds trust, co-operation and improves your social standing. The gesture is reserved for the people we love and care about.

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Although, many of us just don’t have to feed people to demonstrate our commitment to care for someone. We want to have our own food on our own plate, and we guard it with fork and knife. in these days of allergies and picky eating, it seems like the perfect solution, or would we be missing out on an important element of sharing a meal?

Picture the scene, if you will. Two people came to a restaurant to enjoy fantastic cuisine. one person orders lamb chops and crispy french fries, the other one garden salad. The fries look delicious, so the salad-eater asks for a taste, ending up eating half of the meal.

FEATURE

Anyone who has ever seen the Friends series — knows exactly what happens next. Joey doesn’t share food. He is being clear: «That’s the way to loose some fingers». To be fair, Joey does have a point. salad? seriously? suddenly being territorial with your food doesn’t feel like a bad idea, or is it too much to ask when it comes to table for two? imagine if you’ve ordered the fish but the mouth-watering rib eye steak on the other side of the table looks mighty good too, is it acceptable to ask your dining partner for a teeny tiny taste? Well, it’s a two way street. limiting your boundaries means missing out on tasting and enjoying more of the menu. sometimes it’s not about having it all. it’s about having fun.

As it turns out, there is an answer — smaller snacks on a side to share might be the first step for those who prefer food monogamy.

This way, you don’t have to give away something delicious.

Recently, there has been an explosion of a more free-form, shared plate concept in restaurants. many of us choose multicourse servings of small plates rather than a traditional full course dinner. And it’s not just the fact that meals taste all the better if they’re shared with another person. some of us just want to enjoy more dishes. And, as we all know, the more the merrier.

Eating is the kind of experience that tells you a lot about people. There is more than just food being shared, after all

Having four or so shared plates on the table at the same time means that you are not limited to just one dish. The meal becomes an informal version of a tasting menu. instead of just one you get to sample many dishes, and without the hideous price. now how can that be wrong?

Eating is the kind of experience that tells you a lot about people.

There is more than just food being shared, after all. Choosing your dinner partner requires a serious approach — the dinner can be ruined if the person doesn’t suit you perfectly. imagine if you have ordered the out-of-this-world prawn cocktail to share, but your fellow diner prefers to share a meal with the whole world. so he fusses over the exact positioning of five prawns for half an hour before the perfectly framed instagram shot is ready. The system of trading is never going to work between you two. it’s an eternal debate about whether to have a three-course meal including a damn fine cup of coffee just for you, sample freely from the table or just share a desert with someone. it’s your choice.

Just don’t forget to enjoy your dinner.

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DRINKS

thick

thin

WORDS BY

14 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

Rob Golfeo

INTRODUCTION BY THE EDITOR

HERBS And dEpRESSIon?

Here is some interesting information about some herbs which can maybe help get us through rough times! We always take them for granted and look over their health benefits they can provide us. for some people herbs are just there to make food great (which is completely true) I myself agree with this 101 per cent. but let’s look through another important aspect of it — tea.

As we know, a vast range of herbs and spices are used for teas and medicines giving us natural remedies for coughs and other illnesses but not really marketed as help for anti -depression.

Here is a list and set of information of those herbs.

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DRINKS

Cinnamon

Saffron Saffron: The aroma of saffron alone can take you away to a much better place. It is the most expensive spice, and imitations are many, but if you can acquire saffron you should definitely try it. In traditional eastern medicine it is considered to be the spice of happiness and for good reason: A 2015 Iranian study found that saffron may even have the very same effects as a prescription anti-depressant.

Saffron has a long tradition of being quite valuable, and intensely aromatic. The smell alone is enough to snuff you into a better place, and traditional eastern Medicine esteems it as a ‘spice of happiness’. So much so that a study was carried out in Iran to test this out, but they found that it was not medically significant, though further studies were recommended (Sahraian A et al, 2015). Unfortunate, perhaps, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give it a shot if you’re having a bad day.

Saffron is often used in Indian cuisine, as well as in the many variants of Spanish paella. It has even been used to spice milk, though like any spice it should be taken in moderation during pregnancy and breastfeeding periods, if at all. If you want to make a saffron tea Put the saffron in a cup with a little warm water and leave for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, pour boiling water over it and add a little honey to taste. Simple!

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Cinnamon: It’s the kind of spice we all know and love for Christmas time, we put it in hot drinks, in desserts, even in certain foods. We often link it with ‘sweet’, even though it doesn’t taste or smell sweet, in fact you only need to recall the cinnamon challenge craze from 2013 to know that cinnamon doesn’t taste or smell sweet at all. It’s fairly easy to make a cinnamon tea, you only need to boil and steep the cinnamon for about 8 minutes, and drain if you used cinnamon sticks. feel free to add honey, or a slice of orange, and enjoy!

Turmeric Turmeric: This yellow spice looks bright and attractive stored as is in a mason jar on any kitchen shelf. It is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, and doesn’t taste bad at all. bring four cups of water to a boil.

To brew yourself some turmeric tea, add one teaspoon of ground turmeric to boiling water and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the tea through a fine sieve or strainer into a teacup then, much like other herbal teas in the list add good honey and/or lemon to taste. feel free to add a pinch of black pepper to increase absorption.

DRINKS

Rosemary: It isn’t just a delicious addition to many Mediterranean dishes – it’s also full of calcium and vitamin B6.

Part of the mint Lamiaceae family, it’s easy to make, steep for five minutes, or longer if you like a strong brew, and add honey, or any other herb, to change it up. What’s good about Rosemary is how well it plays with other teas and herbs in hot water, not to mention that this brew itself can complement the dishes you would normally add rosemary to. But do not take too strong a dose, especially if you are pregnant. Just in case.

Rosemary Thyme Thyme: We can go down two routes for thyme tea, using fresh leaves or dried. Two tablespoons for fresh, one for dried, added to a cup, and with boiling water added, steeped for 10 minutes or so, then add lemon to taste. This is always lovely to have if you have a sore throat, although the editor has told me that he goes for garlic tea himself, but I don’t know if it’s worth the bad breath.

Hot chocolate: Some of us, I admit, might have a bit more of a sweet-tooth, herbal tea might not sound too nice. It might be very tempting to buy ready-made mixes of hot chocolate, the kind you can make with some milk and a microwave, or a kettle. (In which case, please, add the powder to milk in the cup or mug before you add the hot water. It becomes so much frothier and lovely that way).

Still, there are better way to go about this. My suggestion would be to get some extremely dark chocolate, the darker the better, the kind with cocoa butter as a main ingredient. Take that, melt it in a pot or a microwave, and add milk, some cinnamon, even a bit of cayenne pepper. From there add water to thin the creamy drink to your taste.

The good thing here is that there’s a lot we can work with here. You can even get your favourite chocolate and dump it in the mug before we add the hot water. It’s like a little surprise at the end, a bit like the little piece of bubble gum at the bottom of some ice cream cones. Just something different you can end the drink on.

So, no worries, for what is left of winter we have a lot of options for hot, non-alcoholic drinks to help you enjoy the day a little more. Not long until the season changes, so we should try and make the most of it, and experiment a little.

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Strand Palace agencieS ltd.

chocolate cheesecake MCVITIES DIGESTIVE BASE

MANGO ICE CREAM

MANGO PURÉE

McVities digestive biscuits

5 egg yolks

4 pcs fresh mango

170g butter

700ml full fat milk

100g sugar

700ml cream

1 to 2 tbsp water

Crush the digestive biscuits Melt the butter Mix both together until smooth and consistent Leave overnight, pressed in a tray

500g sugar 600ml mango puree juice of 1 lemon

WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE 600ml Bridel cream 400ml Galbani soft cheese 250g Topsy white chocolate 50g sugar Slowly melt the white chocolate Whip the cream and sugar Fold the soft cheese and white chocolate Leave to set for four hours

In a pan, put the milk, cream, and sugar and warm slowly until sugar dissolves Set the milk apart for five minutes In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and add the milk base, then mix slowly Add the mango purée and lemon juice to the mix, set some aside to present it on the plate Put the mix in the ice cream machine and churn for around, until smooth (around 40 min).

Once churned, leave in the freezer for six hours before serving

Peel and dice mango In a pan, put sugar and a touch of water, leave to melt Once the sugar has melted, put the diced mango in the pan When the mango is soft, put it in a food processor until smooth purée DECORATIONS Barbra Decor (Belgian Chocolate) from Strand Palace Agencies Ltd

to help us with a look at sweets is christian cardona. at a young 30 the chef has (since his first year in itS a dozen years ago,) learned his fair share of Mediterranean, French, italian and British cuisine as well as a six-week stint in Holland’s Pure c with Sergio Hermann, not to mention gordon ramsay’s Petrus in london. So, from the kitchens of the lord nelson, he shares the following recipe for a mango and white chocolate cheesecake, by walking us through the making of the base, the cream cheese, mango puree, and mango ice cream.

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LOCAL

Mapping the

ingredient An (extremely brief) history of salt.

WORDS AND PHOTO BY

20 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

Jamie iain Genovese

roads and highways during the snowier winters, just crunched up and thrown on the ground. But it hasn’t always been that way. i mean, it was abundant, sure, but it was expensive and needed intense labour to collect, either through mines or salt pans in the sunnier regions. as available as it may be, it certainly wasn’t a picnic to pick.

The Romans used to use it as pay (or use pay for it), the Jews used it in sacred covenants with God (as a sign of good faith, i suppose), and salt slabs were used as currency in abyssinia. This barely even scratches the surface of how important and valuable salt was, is even. The tradition of throwing salt over your shoulder stems from the belief that spilled salt was the work of the devil, and throwing salt over your shoulder was a good way of getting even with the devil himself.

But what, pray tell, made salt so special?

a

nd why not? salt has literally been part of civilisation along with civilisation. one of the oldest european cities, solnitsata in Bulgaria has been providing the nowBalkans with salt since 5400BC, the city’s name even means ‘salt works’. Five-thousand-four-hundred years before Christ, that means salt has been part of our lives since before the bronze age.

Let that sink in. and it’s everywhere. if all the salt in the oceans had to be stacked on earth it would form a cube roughly 280km long (2.3 x 1016 m3, in case you’re wondering). Let’s help you visualise that, you could stack 301 Burj Khalifas (the super tall building in Dubai) to reach the top of said salt-cube. mark Kurlansky wrote Salt: A World History (Penguin Books, 2003) and he admitted that he couldn’t write all of salt’s history because he’d have to be writing volumes, tomes, to cover it. still, he gets angry letters and e-mails to the tune of ‘Hey, we have a salt mine too, and you didn’t mention us in your little book.’ — i’m paraphrasing, slightly. i could, i suppose, just encourage you to buy the book and call it a day, but a little bit of free trivia never killed anyone, right? Just enough to pepper (hah!) through a conversation at the next party you get dragged to. salt’s abundant now, we’d casually flick it over our shoulder, or into a friend’s soft drink in a restaurant. We produce immensely vast quantities of it every year, over 200 million tonnes a year. We use it in every kind of processed food, refine it for pharmaceutical applications, and even use metric tonnes of the stuff to de-salt

Well, preserving food, for one. Being able to salt meat and fish to make it last longer is an economic game changer. sprinkles of salt essentially make food less scarce when food is, well, scarce, specifically during those pesky northern winters. But going beyond that basic, survivalistic interpretation salt can preserve goods that are perishable; goods that without salt would never make it through any trade route. in other words, salt helped keep food around, and helped move food around. That, alone, should make it clear what a huge economic factor salt was in the early days, and makes the thought that every major italian city was built close to salt easier to believe.

With our semi-academic obligations fulfilled, we may now try salting food for ourselves. say we want to preserve some meat, or maybe a nice cod or herring, you may do the following: 1. Rinse the meat well, in cold water.

2. Rub salt over the meat, every inch, generously. Feel free to add spice, but don’t skimp on salt, it’s what keeps bacteria from growing.

3. Hang the meat in a cool area for at least a month, covered in a cheesecloth to prevent bugs getting too friendly. after a month or so has passed, feel free to find the right occasion to rinse off the salt and cook.

Consider it a pet project for these wintery months, or just feel slightly amused before thumbing the page and reading our next article. either way, do so appreciating just how much salt has changed your life over the past 7,000 years or so.

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INGREDIENT

Chilli Pepper PHOTO BY

jamie iain genovese

A little pepper.

Red of green.

Make sure that after use, your hands are clean, for an errant touch, a careless scratching of your eye, will make you wish that you (my friend) would die.

22 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

INGREDIENT

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FEATURE

The

Aphrodisiac Guide

nibble

WORDS BY

Mathias Mallia

ILLUSTRATION BY

10 WINE. at number 10 on this veritable list of supposedly

aphrodisiac ingestibles we, not all too surprisingly, have wine. Opinions seem to be split between the bubbly champagne and the classic glass of ruby red. it was said of the former - which let’s face it, isn’t really a staple unless on new Year’s eve, weddings, or when papa is having those foreign investors over for a semi-informal business dinner - that the carbonated nature of the sparkling wine helps foster inebriety quick enough to remove most inhibitions and get the hormonal juices flowing nicely after around three glasses in an average person. When it comes to red wine, the health benefits of one to two glasses a day are a perfect excuse for papa after opening the third bottle because hans is really close to closing that deal. it is said that red wine gives the heart a certain further spring in its step and, in the end, the increased blood flow does help sexual stimulation. not to mention the fact that who here can honestly say they’ve never found someone moderately more attractive after a few glasses of anything alcoholic?

9 ASPARAGUS. i was rather surprised to find it on the list seeing as i can’t imagine anyone being in any way enthused by this usually rather boring vegetable. apart from the phallic shape of the vegetable, which was mentioned too many times

24 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

mood...

kriss zaMMit endrich

to glaze over, asparagus has been held as an aphrodisiac since the 17th century by the French and then the tradition pilfered by the British in the 18th century. shocking. Much like parts of the language, the education system and the military tactics at the time, the British picked up where the French left off and modern science is ready to back up the historic claims. it contains Vitamin e which is essential for a healthy sex drive in both men and women, as well as it being a source of Vitamin B which increases hormone production and aids in the final spectacular release, so to speak, of the necessary hormones at the finish line of any successful romp.

8 WATERMELON. in summer 2008, a dr Bhimu Patil

(yes, i’m aware that his name is funny in Maltese, but let’s move past that) and the texas a&M’s Fruit and Vegetable improvement centre studied one of the watermelon’s phytonutrients called citrulline. Without going into too much boring detail, it was discovered that the watermelon has certain nutrients which act as a sort of natural stimulant.

But apart from the scientific study, which is all well and good, Beyoncé also mentioned watermelon in her song ‘drunk in love’ specifically for its arousing qualities. i rest my case. if Queen B said so, then it is so. it gives a new dimension to the fruit appearing at the end of every Maltese summer BBQ.

CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017 25

FEATURE 7 FIGS. there is a long-standing legend of questionable

origin that one of the world’s most erotic acts is to eat a fresh fig while naked in front of a woman. now i have my sincere doubts that that legend still holds true in the modern world because, let’s face it, speaking for myself i barely think that standing up naked is even slightly attractive anyway, but having me slurping a fresh fig with bits getting caught in the beard and everything just isn’t my idea of sexy. that being said, d.h. lawrence dedicated a poem entitled ‘Figs’ to the powerfully erotic fruit which is said to look like female genitalia once cut in half. its mentions go as far back as the Bible’s account of creation with many scholars positing that figs are the real forbidden fruit. On a biological level, figs are rich in iron and potassium minerals which give this historic fetish scientific backing.

6 CHILLI PEPPERS. the effects of this ingredient are

two-fold: on a biological level they release endorphins, which are the happy hormones in the brain; however the physical effects of red lips and cheeks, sweating and general heat also mimic sexual engorgement. also when one thinks of foods usually considered very spicy, it isn’t difficult to notice a correlation between heat and, well, heat. indians love making their food too spicy for us weak westerners to handle and just look at their population!

5 BANANA.

every single mention of this fruit in every single article on the internet mentions its phallic nature. so there, it looks like a penis. Granted in its natural form sans GMOs and other nasty acronyms, it would be a much less intimidating phallic symbol, but one nonetheless. any athlete will tell you that bananas are a great snack before training because the protein bromelain actually aids in testosterone production making people more adept at a number of strenuous physical activities, apparently not only limited to the stadium.

4 AVOCADO. in 200 Bc, the aztecs were so set on giving

an american advertising company had to deny its aphrodisiac properties just to get the more conservative public to indulge in the fruit. however in 2001, despite the previously successful anti-excitement campaign, it was still found that 63% of the public believe in the repressed fruit’s aphrodisiac qualities. its qualities which lend to lovemaking include beta carotene, magnesium, the previously mentioned vitamin e and more protein than a banana. there’s a moral in never doubting ancient wisdom, but then again nobody would buy avocados if they were still called testicles, i bet.

3 HONEY. in terms of hormonal qualities, this sticky sweet

substance is perfect for testosterone production in men and oestrogen production in women. a study found that a threeounce dose of honey also significantly increases the level of nitric oxide in the body which is a chemicals released during sexual arousal. turkey boasts a number of desserts which are honey-based, one of which referred to as turkish Viagra. the sugar rush which anyone gets from eating honey tends to also affect general arousal as well as an unfortunate increased risk of heart disease but, then again, i can’t think of a better way to go than mid-honey-induced-coitus.

2 OYSTERS.

this seafood is the frat boy of all sexual rumours; it holds a reputation for virility that almost surpasses all the substances advertised in our junk mail folders. that being said, on a personal note, there is nothing less sexy to me than slurping the mucus-like meat of raw oysters en masse. this casanova of the sea is rich in zinc, which has long been used to aid in erectile dysfunction and a host of other sexual shortcomings. speaking of casanova, it is rumoured that the fabled Venetian adventurer and womaniser used to eat fifty oysters a day.

1 CHOCOLATE. not surprisingly in the least, the one food

this hipster fruit a reputation for good sexy time that the avocado tree was actually named, ‘āhuacatl’; for those readers who don’t speak fluent aztec, that literally mean ‘testicle tree’. considering the fruit does grow in pairs and their appearance is rather scrotal, the ancient civilisation cannot be entirely faulted for their aptly descriptive name, however the fruit’s reputation backfired when in the 1920s

to top Oysters and the only substance which was mentioned on every single list in my extensive qualitative research was chocolate, the darker the better. after being termed the ‘food of the gods’ by the Greeks, it has also been found to release all the right kinds of hormones in the brain to spice up any love-life. chocolate also goes well with a host of other lesser aphrodisiacs such as strawberries and cherries; if finished off with some wine, in moderation of course, you won’t even need to call a taxi after the third date.

there we have it, a list of foods which are ready to sort out any dip in arousal or bedroom activities. Granted many of the foods enjoy nothing more than rumours and an unhealthy reputation but the joy is always in discovering what could be, perhaps it’s all one big placebo effect after all. there are biological reasons for the seeming spike in sexual productivity

in all the foods but there has never been any worldwide scientific agreement on a particular food or drink which directly links to better adult adventures. that being said, if you’re with the person who holds your heart and avocados, enjoying these foods would only be one part of a healthy and satisfying relationship.

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Greetings! I’m quite new to this magazine writing thing and this will be my first article (and hopefully not my last) Well, as you guys know… it’s winter. And what does winter entail? You’re right! Hot drinks! I present to you the pumpkin-spiced, white hot chocolate with boozy caramel sauce. And yes, you read that right, we’ve got the optional boozy caramel (I got you, fam).

Let’s just skip all these boring intros and

eo Rob golf e genoves in ia ie m ja

dive in to the greatness. What do we need?

WORDS BY PHOTO BY

INGREDIENTS 2.5 cups milk (I used 2% milk) 1/4 cup pumpkin purée 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (6g cinnamon and 4g of nutmeg) 1 ounce Kahlua (1/2 ounce bourbon) 200g granulated sugar 50g water 60g butter (cut in cubes, heavy cream) 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or chopped) Whipped cream and caramel for topping (optional) METHOD For the pumpkin puree: First of all, we need a blender of some sort, a hand blender will do. Take a rather small saucepan and put approx.

100g – 150g of pumpkin and fill it up with water until it covers the pumpkin. When the pumpkin is cooked, drain the excess liquid and blitz the pumpkin with some cinnamon and nutmeg (that’s your pumpkin spice, by the way) and its ready!

For the white chocolate base: Join the white chocolate and milk together in a small pot and make sure that all the chocolate has melted, then set aside.

For the boozy caramel sauce: (This is probably the hardest part of the recipe because you’re making caramel from scratch) So basically, you need to combine the sugar and the water together in a small saucepan and make sure that the sugar is well incorporated in the water. Put on high heat; and its very crucial that you don’t move it in any way. Let it boil until the colours change to amber – caramel. You can switch off the stove and slowly add the cubes of butter. After that put some heavy cream until you reach a consistency that is gooey. Add the booze to your heart’s/liver’s content.

Assembly: Reheat the white chocolate. Put at least a table spoon of the pumpkin puree in each serving then add the white hot chocolate.

Top it off with some whipped cream and that boozy caramel goodness.

Note(s) *if you don’t have bourbon or Kahlua, you can substitute that with brandy, rum, or whisky.

CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017 27

FEATURE

TABLE FOR

ONE Busting the myth of eating alone PHOTOS BY

Jamie iain Genovese

28 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

B

at the others, the ones who are doing justice to the maltese portion and polishing it off with bread. Can you hear what they’re saying to each other? no? of course not. That’s because they’re not even speaking. in Two for the Road (1967) audrey Hepburn, playing Joanna asks “What kind of people can sit there without a word to say to each other?” Her husband, mark (albert Finney) replies, quite sullenly, “married people!” it is one of those film sequences that i have carried with me since my teens. and one that rises to the surface of my recollective data bank each time i look around a restaurant and see those silent, rounded (of course) couples focusing intently on their plates, with equally inert gazing at their phones in between courses (and during), as they wait for the Likes and the “enjoy your meal, dear, God bless” replies to their Facebook upload of the rib-eye and chips phone photo. That film sequence is probably one of the major factors that make me forever desperate to fill the few seconds of silence in between mouthfuls.

Let it never be said that i am not a witty, entertaining dining companion. i will hype up the artificial brightness and dredge up the old joke repertoire. i will keep the conversation going with the regularity of chest-pumping CPR and intervene with the defibrillator of shocking quips to resuscitate waning chatter. i will be the ultimate dinner companion. it will be a lively and interesting dinner. it can also be exhausting, in a way that going solo isn’t.

ecause essentially, of course, we tend to look at food as a social experience as much as one of sustenance and necessity. Food is to be enjoyed in (good) company and digested with engaging conversation rather than the optimal twenty-four chews per mouthful. eating (and drinking) alone can be woefully lonely as an experience. Doing so at home is one That’s not to say i wasn’t reluctant to venture out alone. or that thing, with the option of companionship at one’s fingertip in the it wasn’t excruciatingly awkward that first time i found myself on shape of the remote control or tablet touch screen; Tv dinners in my own years ago on a work trip in Brussels and fell for the “oh single portions being now established as a fact of life as much as you must have the moules while you’re there” line. When you are taxes (and their evasion) are in the modern world. it is quite feeling conspicuous enough to start with and another thing, however, when you do so in a every mouthful seems to stretch itself into crowded restaurant, with waiters sending you eternity, finding a steaming pot of mussels looks that clearly transmit how much they whipped up with a flourish at your table just begrudge you taking up a table of four when makes the experience even more intense. you are so evidently not going to be joined by After all, look around you.

Plucking at mussel after mussel with no break anyone at any point this evening. and it takes Go on, I challenge you. from the rhythm, no side salad to distract, no the type of stomach that can handle reused Go to any restaurant and pasta to twirl, no fries to nibble on, nothing but frying oil to stare down whole families who are have a look at the diners shell after pointed shell while you are feeling too sending you curious and misplaced sympathy and their companions. self conscious even to spoon up the vibes even as they so easily ignore the howling Look at the couples cholesterolific sauce, does make for a rather bored kids at their own table who are uncomfortable dining out solo experience. as entertaining themselves making salt and pepper the happy chatter around you intensifies, the pot abstract art on the tablecloths and paper napkin takes on magical properties. The more shells slash soggy bread installations on the floor. you fish out, the more will peek out of the buttery liquid, until you’re beginning to wonder at the folly of and yet there are occasions when eating out with just one’s own overfishing (it’s Brussels; these issues matter) and, indeed, whether self as company are inevitable. after a few uneasy experiences, you will be presented with a bill for four at the end of this. You with the fits and starts of a learner on the first driving lesson, some study the menu. You memorise it. (it’s moules frites and variations have had to perfect the art of eating out alone in style. and have thereof. nothing challenging.) i couldn’t slip out fast enough. The come to enjoy it. next day, i opted for the nearest fast food outlet; here the loneliness of cities is so amply manifested that it at least becomes a communal after all, look around you. Go on, i challenge you. Go to any experience. The dismal looks on the faces of the employees as on restaurant and have a look at the diners and their companions. that of the diners, for want of a better word, made my own forlorn Look at the couples. Right, ignore the ones who are devouring but hungry self feel right at home. almost. each other while playing about with their food and, instead, look CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017 29

FEATURE

But that’s all right because you’re eating pastizzi and, you know, pastizzi are a national treasure

Because if I were home, of course, there would be no hope in hangover hell (don’t go there) that I could sit in an eatery for more than a few minutes without anyone familiar walking in. And the Ah yes. Table for one. The joys to be had and possibility, in any case, of my slipping into the joys to be missed. And the rules to make it a greasy joint would be even more remote, an enjoyable culinary experience nonetheless. though not unheard of. And if there’s anything And that, of course, was rule number one. And worse than eating alone, or in married-couple that is, that table for one does not translate silence, it’s having unwanted and unpleasant well culturally. The Maltese experience will company foisted upon you when you’d much rather be prove that. Time and chewing time again. If left alone to ungracefully chomp on the unwieldy ftira you’re out in Malta and you’re hungry but without anyone taking a closer look at the winding feeling unsociable, do yourself a favour. Buy a track of oily shimmer on your chin. “Oh, Hiiii,” you overemphasise through half gritted teeth, desperately pastizz (or six) and duck into an alley to stuff trying to hold on to the coleslaw strands that threaten your face and stave off the hunger pains. to jump ship out of the corner of your mouth as you You’re still likely to be spotted. But that’s all greet a former colleague/schoolmate/boss/spouse-of-aright because you’re eating pastizzi and, friend with overcompensating enthusiasm. Your you know, pastizzi are a national breathing is at one-fourth lung capacity as you try to treasure. You can eat them inhale the exhale, conscious of the full whiff of butter anywhere, any time. And you bean and garlic you must nonetheless be exuding. won’t be needing a table, for Why oh why did I look up just then? one or otherwise.

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LOCAL

One day a week WORDS BY

e

Danny Coleiro

ach month of the year seems to have its own distinct personality. i see February, for example, as the young bearded dreamy romantic in a cream-coloured polo-neck, sipping red wine in front of the fireplace while the wind howls outside. april is that ditzy girl in a summer dress running barefoot through a field with flowers in her hair and not a care in the world. and august... well, august is the guy with the tan and sunbleached hair who never buttons up his shirt and who owns a guitar that he brings to the beach every time, although he can only play a single tune on it, and badly... but nobody cares.

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The point is that poor old January comes directly after December, and December is the big, fat, jolly uncle who only visits once a year and is ‘so... much... fun!’ He comes bearing gifts for everyone, and plates laden with delicious treats, and he has all these wild ideas and crazy party games that you would never normally entertain for longer than 10 minutes... but December also comes bearing high spirits and good cheer, and it’s Christmas, and Christmas makes everything justifiable simply because it is what it is...

January doesn’t stand a chance.

LOCAL

as jolly old December is sung out of the house to the cheerfully drunken lines of Auld Lang Syne on the stroke of midnight, January is your world-weary, responsible parents, telling you to clear up the mess and go and brush your teeth, because it’s bedtime. January is to the year, basically, what Monday is to the week. and in the same way that it’s not Monday that we hate but the end of the weekend, it’s not that January is more ‘bleargh’ or, indeed, ‘meh’ than any other month, but that December is now over and we’re settling back down into the normalcy of life before the Christmas season distracted us away from it for a handful of happy weeks.

We can’t blame January for the fact that it’s a month in which we not only try but actually solemnly resolve, year after year, to eat less, spend less and use our time more efficiently. it’s December’s fault, because 31 days is ample time to get used to eating more, spending more, and having all day in which to do it. Christmas may make everything justifiable, but it’s January that has to pick up the bill and be responsible... at least until that dreamy, romantic February saunters in and we once again gear ourselves towards the strawberry, cream and heart-shaped chocolate extravaganza that is Valentine’s Day.

it doesn’t get much easier than spaghetti aglio e olio... it only needs six ingredients, and three of them are in the name. The other three are parsley, chilli and parmesan. i’m a big fan of minimal ingredients - not only because of the financial aspect but also because i walk more often than i drive, and therefore the less shopping i have to carry home, the better. as far as quantities are concerned, spaghetti aglio e olio is incredibly flexible. if you love garlic, then put as much as you fancy. if you like your food hot enough to blow the top of your head off, then add enough chopped chilli to do so. Partial to parsley? Go wild.

We’ve been working around the assumption that spending less, and eating less, and spending less time doing so, is a sad, bad and miserable thing

So yeah... nobody seems to like January very much.

But there is a bright side, because, with everything mentioned above we’ve been working around the assumption that spending less, and eating less, and spending less time doing so, is a sad, bad and miserable thing. and that is not necessarily true. There are many amazing dishes that don’t necessarily involve wrapping meat in a different meat, and then stuffing it with yet another different meat, before finally serving it in an ocean of gravy (which is, technically, even more meat, only in liquid form). There are a plethora of delicious meals to be made that involve very little preparation and even less cooking time, and that don’t require a bank loan in order to purchase the raw ingredients.

That said, here’s my current favourite...

Top of my list of quick-fix recipes is the incredibly simple yet beautifully mouth-watering spaghetti aglio e olio. This is a dish that we have as often as once a week at home. My wife loves it, and the kids can’t get enough of it - and it’s a small miracle in itself to find a single dish that both a seven and a nine-year-old like and agree on, as anyone who has ever asked more than one child what they want for dinner is bound to know. Done right, it’s delicious, and is down-to-earth enough for a quick lunch on the run, yet classy enough to show up at a dinner party with a good wine as its plus one.

and of course, there’s always the mystery seventh ingredient, which is pretty much anything that you’ve got in the fridge that you’d like to add to the dish, be it pork, chicken, sausage, bacon, prawns, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli or six kilos of leftover Christmas turkey. The versatility of ‘spaghetti aglio e olio’ allows it to be very easily transformed into ‘spaghetti aglio e olio con ____’.

What i do, for the four of us, is bring a pot of water to boil and cook 500g of spaghetti. and that, plus an extra couple of minutes to toss it all together, is how long the dish takes to make. i chop five or six cloves of garlic and a single chilli, and then spend another minute on the parsley. as soon as the spaghetti is half-cooked - roughly four minutes in - i heat a third of a cup of olive oil in a frying-pan and cook the garlic until it starts to brown. The chilli goes in next, for about half a minute. and then it’s time for the important part.

Spoon a couple of ladlefuls of the pasta water into the garlic and chilli - carefully so as not to have hot oil splashing all over the shop - turn up the heat and let it fizzle away happily until the spaghetti is cooked. Drain the pasta, add it to the garlic sauce, lower the heat and mix it in until the water has been absorbed by the pasta. Toss in the parsley, and serve with parmesan. a bit of ground black pepper doesn’t do any harm either. and that’s it. Fifteen minutes from start to finish. Pop open a bottle of white, enjoy, and show January who’s boss. one last thing... do use decent olive oil and decent pasta. aglio e olio is so simple that any lousy ingredients will have nowhere to hide. nobody likes January very much, but it can always be a little less ‘bleargh’ and a lot less ‘meh’, i suppose. right. That’s me done. i’ve got to clear up this mess and go and brush my teeth. it’s bedtime.

CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017 33

Food thought LOCAL

for

34 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

WORDS BY

Victoria Galea

W

ith the christmas season, only a few weeks past, the memory of shared meals and an over-indulgence of food is rather fresh. For many this is usually a period packed with invitations to dine out, with clients, colleagues, businesses, friends and families. We take it for granted. We know it will happen. Some even struggle against and complain about how often they have to eat out at this time of the year. However, there is another, more sombre perspective. the aching loneliness experienced by those who do not have anyone to eat with.

Despite the complex cultural interpretation of sharing meals, few stop to think twice about it beyond the where, when, who, what of the happening. Yet there is so much more to it than that. So much, in fact, that sharing a meal is actually regarded as a powerful social means to alleviate loneliness and inject some joy into many people’s lives.

Breaking bread is the essence of the christian religious faith and rite. actually, the sharing of food is an important symbolic element in most religions. christian, Jewish and islamic texts are riddled with symbolic reference to food and the value of sharing with others. Practically all important triumphs, victories and successes, past and present, mythical or not, are celebrated with food and drink. Food sharing is rooted deeply in our culture.

However, we cannot ignore the fact that there is another facet to this and that all around us people of all ages feel isolated. loneliness is actually enhanced among those who do not have anyone in their lives to share a meal with. a growing sensitivity to this issue was evident as the year 2016 drew to a close and the theme of free meals for the homeless, the lonely and the needy was often a main source of news. local and foreign philanthropic organisations, restaurateurs, great chefs and golden-hearted volunteers did their utmost to bring people together and instil some cheer in the lives of those who most needed it at a time when they most needed. and this was done through the medium of food.

CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017 35

LOCAL Preparing a good meal and sharing it goes beyond the choice and quality of food or the matter of feeding the hungry. it is essentially a gesture that brings people together in a jovial manner. coming together over a meal goes a long way beyond the need for sustenance to become an important psychological factor in today’s society. the far-reaching impact of loneliness on society seems to be the source of much attention world-wide. Many of the solutions offered to ease this actually involves the provision of meals – whether it is the delivery of single meals to the needy or the hosting of large-scale events, the importance is to nourish the body while introducing a touch of warmth and an element of belonging.

Sharing a meal in the community is something that happens regularly in the town of Naxxar. although the primary aim is that of fund-raising, i have always believed that the many food-based activities organised by the parish transcend the original intent. i am convinced that these humble events are an excellent way of bringing together the community in a friendly atmosphere of belonging. Whether they are the newer, older, poorer or lonelier parishioners, these activities help many feel a part of the wider family especially at weekends, feast days and special occasions. it facilitates their integration, making them feel like an essential part of the community.

So, there you have it. Sharing, solidarity and communication seem to be the essential elements here, not consumption. there is much more to be said of the therapeutic powers of a shared meal.

Gathering around a table with friendly people to the sound of happy chatter and lively voices becomes more than a social occasion or a grand gesture. So little can make such a difference.

locally the story on the event hosted by caritas Malta on christmas day was given quite a bit of coverage. For the second consecutive year caritas organised christmas day lunch for all those who did not have anyone to share it with. it all started with an attempt to host some 20 or so homeless or needy individuals. Yet the response from people who just could not face another christmas alone was such that caritas had to change plans Gathering around a table and venue; ending up hosting 200 guests. this with friendly people to year attendance was even larger with the the sound of happy organisation hosting at least 320.

chatter and lively voices becomes more than a social occasion or a grand gesture

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Maybe the secret ingredient is not to be found in the quality of a meal but rather in the selfless sharing of our precious time with those who really need it. and the benefits are mutual! Food for thought indeed.

e s e e n t i Comfor ch RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY

Jamie iain Genovese

Comfort foods just so happen to make up an embarrassing lot

oven baked mac and cheese? The latter being an almost staple

of my cooking. Where I show discipline and restraint in some

around my childhood home and the former having been the

areas, I find myself loosening up a bit when cooking or myself.

article of small obsession since its feature as Peter Parker’s

Cheese, what with being in the same addiction scheduling as

favourite in the 1999 cartoon series Spider-man Unlimited,

cocaine (or so I’m told), is integral to comfort food. What better

understandable, considering how I can use almost any leftover

choice than the two juggernauts: the grilled cheese and the

(namely rotisserie chicken) in order to change things up a little.

WHIPPING UP MAC ‘N CHEESE INGREDIENTS Ground white pepper 150g tasty grated cheese 2-3 tbsp butter 2 tbsp f lour Finely chopped parsley (optional) Some additional shredded grana (or cheddar, for those who prefer it) 1 tin tuna 500g penne 400ml milk Fistful of frozen peas METHOD Bring a large pot of water to the boil and then cook the penne, al dente.

In the meantime, in a high thick-based pan, melt the butter and add in the f lour, sprinkling white pepper generously over the resulting roux.

Add in the milk gradually, using a hand whisk to stir to avoid any lumps forming. Once the mixture starts to boil and thicken, toss in the cheese and stir until this is dissolved. Next come the peas, tuna and hard-boiled eggs.

Drain the pasta and mix into the sauce.

Place in individual-sized earthenware oven to tableware and grate some additional grana padano or similar-tasting cheese on top. Pop under a hot grill for around 10 – 15 minutes, or until the cheese browns and the top layer of the pasta becomes crunchy.

Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley if this is to your taste.

CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017 37

GRILLED CHEESE INGREDIENTS Sliced bread, white.

Mature cheddar Optional: Worcestershire sauce and cheeses of your choice, really.

METHOD Take two pieces of white bread.

Butter them, I like to shave the butter, as thinly as possible, onto the bread.

Slice up some razor thin mature cheddar, and delicately lay to rest on the butter shavings.

Optional: add Worcestershire sauce if you want some more tang.

Add about a teaspoon of butter to a frying pan, medium heat.

Add the sandwich, and cover the frying pan.

Check your phone, brief ly.

Flip sandwich when golden brown, and not a moment sooner or later, or you’ll get disappointingly soft bread or soul-crushing, slightly carcinogenic burnt bread on your sandwich.

Then serve, in triangles because you aren’t a monster.

Repeat as necessary.

38 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

BABY FOOD

WORDS BY

Charmaine GauCi

exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond. “exclusive breastfeeding” is defined as giving no other food or drink, not even water, except breast milk.

m

any parents are concerned when it comes to feeding their baby. Today there is a lot of information from various sites but often parents get confused as there is conflicting advice. The World health Organisation provides advice which is best based on healthy eating according to the age of the child.

Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. if mothers are provided with accurate information, and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large, breastfeeding will be facilitated. at the end of pregnancy, a yellowish, sticky breast milk called colostrum is produced. it is recommended by WhO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth.

40 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

at the age of six months, infants should start receiving complementary foods in addition to breast milk. Food provided should be adequate to provide sufficient energy, protein and micronutrients to meet a growing child’s nutritional needs. This time is very important and parents need adequate guidance to ensure the right transition from the breastfeeding period to the full use of family foods. This is also a time which can be fun to explore new flavours and textures together. it is best to start offering foods slowly and increase, over time, the amount and variety of food your baby eats until they can eventually eat the same as the rest of the family, in smaller portions.

By the time a baby is six months old, the baby develops in such a way that they can begin eating solid foods. many babies at this age can start to sit and gradually hold their head steady. They can co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up, and put it in their mouth—without help.

BABY FOOD

another important development is the swallowing reflex whereby they can swallow food. Babies of this age learn about the world by exploring and hence let them explore food by letting them touch and hold food, allow the baby to feed themselves using their fingers or a spoon. Don’t make too much of a fuss if they get all messed up. it is part of the fun of having babies.

Your baby’s first foods can include mashed or soft cooked fruit and vegetables like parsnip, potato, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear; all cooled before eating. Soft fruits like peach or melon; along with baby rice or baby cereal, are other options.

Breastfeeding or infant formula should be continued.

Whole cows’ milk should not be given to babies until they are one year old of age. at this age, babies should be encouraged to start chewing by giving them food which has been cut up into pieces big enough for your baby to hold and chew. it is best to tart with soft foods such as banana.

Once the baby settles on these foods, you can start with soft cooked meat such as chicken, mashed fish, pasta, noodles, toast, lentils, rice, and mashed hard-boiled eggs. at this age, you can also provide the baby with full-fat dairy products such as yoghurt or custard. Best to choose products with no added sugar. at the age of six to eight months the baby should have two to three meals per day, plus frequent breastfeeds; depending on the child’s appetite one to two snacks may be offered. For each meal start with two to three tablespoons per feed, increasing gradually to ½ of a 250 ml cup.

Weaning on to solid foods may present some challenges. One common problem is that the baby keeps spitting out food. This happens as they have a reflex to thrust their tongue out every time the back of their throat is stimulated. This is known as the ‘tonguethrust reflex’ and it will diminish as your baby gets older.

Gagging is another issue, this is a normal reflex that prevents your baby from choking, so if it happens, try not to panic.

Check to see you are not giving too much food or the spoon is touching the back of the mouth

another commonly encountered situation is when the baby refuses a certain food. it would be best to leave some time and try again as baby may forget and may react differently next time. Perseverance is the key to this particular weaning issue. Gagging is another issue, this is a normal reflex that prevents your baby from choking, so if it happens, try not to panic. Check to see you are not giving too much food or the spoon is touching the back of the mouth. Best to give smaller amounts of food at a time. nutrition and nurturing during the first years of life are both crucial for life-long health and wellbeing. Seek support from professional people who will base their advice on evidence on what is best for baby.

at the age of eight months, the baby can gradually move towards eating three meals a day. Food at this age is a mixture of soft finger foods, and mashed or chopped foods. at this age, food needs to include a variety of the following food groups: fruit and vegetables; bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and other starchy foods; meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein; and milk and dairy products. By the age of 11 months the baby will have three to four meals per day, plus breastfeeds, depending on the child’s appetite, one to two snacks may be offered. each meal should be around ½ of a 250 ml cup/bowl. at the age of one year the baby will be eating three meals a day in the following portions: • three to four servings a day of starchy food such as potatoes, bread and rice • three to four servings a day of fruit and vegetables • two servings a day of meat, fish, eggs, pulses (beans and lentils) CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017 41

LOCAL

Fat Louie’s WORDS AND PHOTOS BY

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ne such story is that of Fat Louie’s, which launched during the penultimate December week. it is malta’s first smokehouse — a little temple of americana food and culture with affections of mediterranean and european cuisine— Fat Louie’s is nick Diacono’s culinary baby and Tommy Diacono’s marketing brain-child. if there’s one thing that i will always love to read and write about it would be the way different people distil their passions, and articulate them in a way they can share. From the way that Louis CK tells a joke to the way e.e. cummings uses parenthesis marks in poetry to the way George Biel organises the Hillstone Restaurant Group in the United states (and makes damned sure the brussels sprouts are not fried). so, as you can imagine, seeing the people behind New York Best (who ushered in pink burgers, the first i ever had in a local establishment, during my earlier university years) were now moving into smokehouse territory with a ‘no shortcuts’ menu, i was paying attention.

What is a smokehouse, though? Quite literally ‘where the food is smoked’, but suffice to say that Fat Louie’s is a foray into the world of smoke meats and barbecue food. Food is cooked through the smouldering of (most commonly) hardwoods, though this has been used for beers, cheeses, and whiskeys too. The kind of hardwood used varies, with northern europe traditionally using alder or oak, whereas in america variants such as hickory, mesquite, pecan, cherry, maple, and apple are also used. This smoking process cooks and preserves food, imbuing the food or drink with the flavour of that wood. This is, of course, not too familiar in malta. The closest thing we could think of, culturally, would be that of the majjalata, where we cook whole-pig. still, it is a completely different animal. metaphorically, of course.

The american south, in states like Texas, southern Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, illinois, missouri, and their ilk, are the kings 42 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

Jamie iain Genovese

of barbecue. Wide open plains, long country roads, deep woods, low buildings, and a little clearing with parked cars and open dining areas, with a shed streaming smoke out the chimney, and unmistakable variables of the southern drawl coming out of the mouths of patrons and cooks, serving plates of chop-pork, dry ribs (made by seasoning after cooking, not by rubbing beforehand), wet ribs (with their fiercely guarded secret sauces) and servings of slaw or potatoes. Tommy and nicky have cited these places as their source of inspiration, notably Franklyn BBQ Texas¸ but have even looked at London steakhouse establishments such as Fergus Henderson and Pitt Cue London, who serve only local Hereford and Longhorn, to guide them along the way. it is this standard and culture which nick Diacono and the staff at Fat Louie’s want to reach, but not without keeping the closer-to-home touches, a little bit of French (what with the pomme purée, canard grasse, and a few future additions in the pipeline we’ll get to later.

Before we get to the food, i just want to peek around a little, and ask the Diacono brothers about the run-up to the opening. one thing to note is that at its earliest rumblings the place was going to be an asian-food affair, a little joint named ‘Sensei Wok Bar’, until nicky explicitly changed tack.“We like this american [stuff], smoking is getting bigger, we’re testing smoking at home, let’s do a cool smokehouse.” Tommy was with his brother on this in seconds.

There’s been a bit of a long preamble to this, which isn’t really their style — what with opening four New York Best outlets in four years, starting with the university crowd then hitting the sliema offices followed up with a left jab to Paceville. “[T]hing is we had the space, we wanted to get it right, i wanted the place to look cool. The counter’s from Gozo, it’s like 200 years old. i wanted the right tiles, turquoise grouting and, frames and photos. We took our time to do it.”

This of course doesn’t touch on sourcing, which was a challenge in itself. in terms of both ingredients and equipment. if their requests for certain ingredients, such as briskets without the fat-cap trimmed off, don’t return blank faces then their needs for smokers and technicians certainly will.

CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017 43

LOCAL as is they’re getting into somehow training or finding someone to maintain and repair the smoking equipment if needs be, and looking into creating a viable offset-smoker for cooking. it’s an uphill battle, logistically, for sure.

With this in mind, we can jump into the menu. Before i met with the brothers i made sure to go and dine there first hand in order to get a carte blanche customer experience. i went with one friend on a rainy Tuesday and i can immediately tell you that you would rather book a large table, with a number of your friends, in order to taste a bit of everything on the largely unfamiliar menu. and this is important to note, just how different the menu is. it is distinctly focused on its market, and takes no shortcuts in giving you the food they know. Chips, for example, are thick, large even, and triple cooked – making them crispy on the outside, and fluffy-soft on the inside, ditto for the hash browns. They are not of the freezer-fare, and handmade; two days’ worth of chips means about one full day of prep. This kind of mettle goes into everything, from the bone marrow butter to the garlic confit, to the slaw, to the pickled onions, to the Suino Nero pulled pork. i myself made do with the meal i ordered, a main and a single side, and was sated, and long after my meal had ended i was still enjoying the afternotes, the flavour, of the food. This brings me to my next point.

chin. in the higher echelons of competitive barbecue (which is a thing) super tender, overcooked pork ribs are unseen. To really test a pork rib, you must be able to grab it, cut it, lift it, observe a good knife line, a smoke ring, and the meat doesn’t ‘fall’ off the bone until you bite it off. You need the balance between firmness and tenderness, and not a complete sway into either direction. if you think i’m mad, or asking too much, or completely misinformed and simply haven’t had good fall-of-the-bone, super sauce ribs, then it’s a good sign that we might not have much in common, just as i don’t have much in common with people who order burgers and steaks well done. i’m not the only one expecting a resistance in public opinion though, as Tommy had shared. “so, like we had with the pink burgers with New York Best we’re going to face the same challenges with pork ribs.

That’s why we didn’t even bother yet, because we need to position ourselves in the market, and then slowly, slowly, introduce. and then they come and say, ‘Ara, my ribs aren’t drenched in sauce and falling off the bone’, which is a tragedy, not an achievement.” so, for now the only ribs we can order are beef. Pork ribs are going to be one of those things that we’ll see later on down the road Fat Louie’s is taking, along with maybe a gremolata, locally sourced and fresh maltese bread, smoked fish like cavalli, sott’olio that are abundant and not sold in malta (the list is long, sadly), unlike salmon, which is not abundant and sold. There’s even a promise of alcoholic milkshakes that are a doozy, and plans to occasionally trot out of the establishment to serve food at events. in other words, a whole lot of new.

Fat Louie’s, much like New York Best, does offer the option of stuffing oneself, but that is not their goal. i, personally, loathe the idea Chefs will always want to give of ‘stuffing’ myself, of barely being able to more to patrons, to push move after a meal. La Grande Bouffe always boundaries and break moulds, comes to mind when people begin to insist but not everyone is so open that eating out is only worth it if you suffer to new experience Chefs will always want to give more to a food coma. There are plenty of places for patrons, to push boundaries and break that, plenty of buffets and saver menus that moulds, but not everyone is so open to new we can talk about and go to, but it has never experience. This, sadly, is why i must somewhat eulogise the offal been my thing. When i want to sit down and eat somewhere, i tongue slider (burger, on the menu), that most people found too always want something enjoyable, or something i cannot get at ‘strange’, because ‘ew, tongue’. i was the first to order one, and home. Here, i was promised good food that strayed from the norm, knowing that i might not be able to very soon is a shame. not too that delved into americana and smokehouse and barbecue culture, long ago we so often ate tripe, made sausage at home, and wasted a and that’s what i got. whole lot less of our meats than we do today. if an even-textured, flavourful, tender piece of offal served with garlic confit and rocket But i do believe that the aforementioned logistical battle, as uphill in a bun isn’t well received, i do hope it’s only a temporary setback, as it may be, may be outmatched by the cultural one. There is and that future new options don’t fall victim to the same scepticism. already this entrenched expectation of what, for example, good pork Thankfully, alcoholic milkshakes sound safe enough; unless you’re ribs are in malta: drenched in sauce and so tender that the meat will lactose intolerant, that is. i’m safe, though, and i’ll probably be around fall off the bones before you could say ‘big bad wolf’. But that isn’t to try one. the pinnacle of the pork rib, not by the hairs on my chinny-chin44 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

SPOTS TETLEY SUPER GREEN TEAS

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Chocolate - a magic mix of oats, delicious chocolate pieces and crunchy hazelnuts. Fruit - a delicious mix of raisins, cranberries, apples, bananas and toasted coconut flakes. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and enjoy a bowl of Kellogg’s Crunchy Muesli giving you and your family a tasty and nutritional start to your morning. Add yogurt, fruits, milk to your Kellogg’s Crunchy Muesli or even try making a delicious smoothie with it!

46 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

Tetley’s four Super Green Teas are supported by European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) approved health claims, relating to supporting your immune system and helping reduce tiredness and fatigue.

Tetley’s Super Green Tea Immune which contains Vitamin C and comes in two delicious flavours tropical or lemon and honey support one’s immune system. Or for a healthy pick-me-up to reduce fatigue, Tetley Super Green Tea Boost with added vitamin B6 comes in berry burst and also lime flavours. In addition to the vitamin enhancement the new range delivers on taste too. The teas use premium natural flavours, which have been slow dried to lock in the flavour. This makes a real difference to the taste of the teas and overcomes the disappointment many consumers experience with the taste of green tea.

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The healthiest extra virgin olive oil in its category. Il Grezzo is naturally cloudy because it is bottled exactly as it originally comes from the mill after the olives are pressed. It is denser than the filtered extra virgin olive oil. Its consistency makes your dressing stick to the food rather than to the bottom of your dish. Scientific research shows that Il Grezzo is the healthiest choice as it contains at least 30% more polyphenols and vitamins than filtered extra virgin olive oils.

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants and, together with vitamins, protect the cells from free radicals aggression.

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SPOTS GOOD EARTH NATURAL FOODS

NEW PACKAGING FOR CHEF-WAY LONG-GRAIN RICE Chef-Way rice will be changing its iconic packaging over the next few weeks from it’s current design (right) to a new more modern design. (left) which was was done by local graphic designers, BloomCreative. Chef-Way long-grain rice is everything nature meant rice to be. Every grain is a perfect grain. It cooks up fluffy, without the stickiness you find in other rices. Best of all—it’s delicious!

Good Earth Natural Foods have a passion to provide their consumers with the highest quality food products, that are naturally sourced from across the five continents of the globe. The vast range of Good Earth products includes rice and grains, beans and lentils, nuts, dried fruit, oats, flours and flakes, herbs and spices and seeds. Good Earth takes pride in sourcing products from different parts of the world according to seasonality. The purchasing team goes to great lengths to get to know their suppliers better with the sole purpose of delivering genuine produce to your table and in so doing they always ensure that sustainability and ethical practices are respected and maintained. Look out for their new and improved packaging available in store now. For nutritional information and recipe ideas, check out their website www.goodearth.com.mt or like us on Facebook.

EVENTS

Chaîne des Rôtisseurs

Bailliage National de Malte NovembeR 12, 2016

F

WORDS BY

RamiRo Cali-CoRleo

or the first time since its foundation in 1980, the bailliage National de malte, under the leadership of bailli Délégué Dr Joseph Xuereb, has put on a prestigious culinary competition creating an event that the competing young chefs will never forget. The objective of this competition is to encourage and promote the expertise of young chefs in the finest traditions of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. in a competitive environment there is the opportunity for the young chefs to showcase their talent and creativity. Competitions can be held annually at bailliages around the world, leading to possible participation in the international Final. This year’s malta competition had two female and nine male competitors, eight from leading five star hotels and three from top restaurants. much time was spent by the organising committee lead by chargé de mission ian Collins to ensure competition logistics were followed according to Chaîne de Rôtisseurs regulations and standards

The competition started with a 9.30am briefing with the competing young chefs, allocation by ballot of the cooking stations and supply of the competition chef jackets. They were then given 10 minutes to set up their station and the competition started at 10am. The competition centres around a black box “mystery basket,” where the Jeunes Chefs remain unaware of its contents until the start of the competition. The requirement is to create a menu in 30 minutes, then to prepare and plate a threecourse meal for two people in three and a half hours. The chairman of the judges, Dr Paulino Schembri, who is also chairman of the institute of Tourism Studies where the competition was hosted, remarked that this competition requires creativity, ability to handle competitive stress, solid cooking skills, good sanitation practices, good organisational skills, and ability to work against the clock. The kitchen judges were marc besancon maitre Rotisseur and conseiller culinaire,chef Daniel Debattista and michelin Star chef Davide Pezzuto from D.one in montepagano, italy.

The black box was opened revealing that the mandatory ingredients were two whole quails and 250g of fresh white shrimps. The contestants had to use at least 50 per cent of each black box item, supplementing them with a large array of nonmandatory ingredients made available on the common table and 48 CIBUS | FEBRUARY 2017

fridge. The competitors had to present their first course between 1.15 and 1.30 pm with any delay resulting in forfeited points. The other courses followed, each with a 15minute time frame for delivery. The completed dishes were then transferred to the tasting room by Chaine volunteer ladies and placed in front the tasting judges who were chefs Paul borg, michael Cauchi, aaron Degabriele and noted culinary author Frances bissell.

after the finish of the competition, when the competitors had cleaned their work station, the kitchen and tasting judges gave the young chefs some general comments based on their observations and later provided a fair scoring which resulted in an overall winner’s award for Gabriel Caruana from the Hilton. The runner-up award went to Julian buttigieg from the excelsior.

Congratulations are also due to the other competitors Reuben borg, Joseph brincat, Paul buttigieg, Hezron attard Crocetta, brady Dalli, marlon Debono, Ryan Galea, Denise Pirotta and Rodianne Tonna who all presented restaurant quality dishes and showed excellent promise.

Such competitions rely on the expertise and dedication of the kitchen and tasting judges, all of whom were professional chefs. a big thank you goes to the judges for giving their time to this competition. The bailliage is very grateful to Jimmy vella Fruit & veg ltd; alf mizzi and Sons; D.one Restaurant; Corinthia St George; azzopardi Fisheries; valmor borg ltd and abrahams’ vini e Capricci for their generous sponsorship. a heartfelt thanks also goes out to all the Chaine ladies who assisted so ably on the day. The next competition is planned for 2018.