Cibus (September 2017)

issue â„–

57

the ultimate food platform

september 2017

editorial

There’s something lazy about September, your gut clenches thinking of the back-to-school procedures, the weather becomes all kinds of gross and weird, with the odd graceful night breeze, and we start thinking of the holiday (expenses) season to come.

There would, for most people, be little else to do but savour what’s left of our summer season, and the little things we tend to like from it. But we cannot let ourselves get lazy Wake up with a fresh cup of java as James Camilleri walks us through his growing love for coffee and the French press. Then be slightly puzzled by Fran Borg Costanzi’s espousal of the onion (though, by the end of it I suspect you might find yourself in agreement with her).

Danny Coleiro walks us through a ‘waste-not-want-not’ mantrafuelled risotto recipe, and the disaster that preceded it. I’d rather not spoil the story, and let you read it like I did.

Mantas Sakas Stočkus writes about his venture into Valletta again, sharing his perspective on a local establishment; this time detailing a venture into Cafe Society. It’s what you will want to read if you’d love for something moody and gonzo.

Bailey Lalonde has once again graced us with tales from her travels, of both to a hobby farm-to-table destination in Greece as well as of her time studying some kitchen practices with a Nonna in Sardinia. To say it’s the stuff envy is made of would be an understatement.

But besides that, we here at Cibus have taken a look at a retail caterer, places like St. Paul’s Bay’s Pash & Jimmy and the catering service Fifth Flavour, we have received a written report from the wonderful Aġenzija Sapport and their service: Sharing Lives, through which they had a most auspicious day, and we interviewed the minds behind The Definitively Good Guide, in which they make a call to all to partake in their survey to deliver the most accurate guide they can.

All in all, not bad for September.

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

Contents 32

40

FEATURES 4 THE RISOTTO OF RESISTENTIALISM 10 FRENCHING IT 16 WORTH THE TEARS 32 NUMBERS, FOOD AND YOU 26 GOLDEN SANDS OF CHANGE 28 NONNA’S KITCHEN 32 BLACK BUN BURGER 32 NUMBERS, FOOD AND YOU 36 HELPING PEOPLE 38 THE WRONG PLACE FOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE 40 GREEK HOBBY FARM GOURMET 43 LAST OF THE SUMMER FUN 2 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

14

4

10 16

19

RECIPES 9 VEAL T-BONE STEAK SOUS-VIDE STYLE 14 FIFTH FLAVOUR 19 TIRAMISU 37 PIZZA CONES

COMPETITION WINNER

Last months winner of a Ducale 2ltr Tub Sammontana was Helenia Sammut

FEATURE

THE RISOTTO OF

RESISTENTIALISM WORDS BY

danny coleiro

“i

’ve been sorting out our bank accounts...” says my wife cheerfully, walking into the kitchen where i’m building myself a sandwich of proportions so ridiculously epic that i’m going to need scaffolding, “...and the good news is that we have quite a bit extra this month, so i was thinking we could mmph mmph what the mmph...?”

That last part, in case you’re wondering, was a result of me clamping my hand over her mouth and dragging her bodily out into the backyard. i carefully peer through the window at the now deserted kitchen before turning to my wife and slowly removing my hand to reveal pursed lips and a thin line of disapproval.

“What”, she wants to know, “was that all about?”

“Ssh! not too loud - we don’t want them to hear you.” i quickly glance back into the kitchen. To my dismay, i notice that, on the counter, my sandwich has quietly folded in on itself and is bleeding mayonnaise.

“it’s called resistentialism”, i explain helpfully. and it is. resistentialism is the belief that inanimate objects are spiteful and mean and at war with humans - a war that they fight by being monumental pains in the backside at every available opportunity. and, as far as i’m concerned, household appliances are the worst of the lot. They’re in league with each other, and they know things. They know, for example, when you’re doing quite well for yourself. They know when you’ve managed, somehow, to hold on to that little bit extra that might just pay for that weekend break that you so richly deserve...

“Hell with that!” exclaims the microwave oven, and blows itself up. you might try to fix it yourself. you might even succeed. and that will give you a couple of days to feel all handy and manly until it blows up again, this time taking the oven and half the kitchen tiles with it. Just because it can.

“They are evil”, i conclude ominously.

“Them? Who? The kids?”

“you”, says my wife flatly, “are an idiot”.

“The furniture. The appliances. you know... the things.”

“She’s right”, says the sun umbrella, “that’s just crazy.”

We have a small table in the backyard, with a sun umbrella sticking out of it, and at this point my wife is slowly sidling sideways in order to put it between us, presumably to serve as protection against whichever body-snatching whack-job has apparently replaced her husband.

i look knowingly at my wife.

4 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

“Les choses sont contre nous”, i say darkly.

“Saying it in French doesn’t make it any less stupid”, says my wife.

FEATURE

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

5

FEATURE

“Just you wait and see”, I tell her.

And although all of the above is nothing more than a literary device which never actually happened, approximately one week after us not having that conversation, the fridge freezer stopped working forever.

“Told you so”, I say, because I wasn’t going to let a little thing like having completely made up a story stop me from being right.

Of all the things that could possibly break down or blow up in a household, the fridge freezer is the one guaranteed to give you the biggest headache. This is mainly because almost any other appliance works by having stuff put into it, and then taken out again when the job is done. Washing machines and clothes dryers, dishwashers and electric kettles, toasters and microwave ovens... it doesn’t work, you don’t use it. Get it fixed.

Throw it out and buy a new one. No big deal. There are alternatives; dishes in the sink, toast under the grill, clothes on the line, and Bob is, most likely, your uncle, and isn’t in the mood for toast anyway.

When the fridge freezer decides to call it a day, however, there are no convenient alternatives.

You’ve got a month’s worth of food piled up on every available kitchen counter, the family-sized tub of strawberry ice-cream you bought that morning is slowly melting all over your pork sausages, the fridge is leaking some foul liquid all over the kitchen floor... and the only Bob you know is your grandfather’s second cousin, twice removed, and you only met him once and didn’t much like him anyway.

And it’s the middle of the hottest August since a decade ago, halfway through a heatwave nicknamed ‘Lucifer’, and it’s Saturday evening. Tuesday’s a public holiday, which basically means, for many companies, to hell with Monday... and my fridge has just handed in its two minutes notice, and quit.

Long story short, breakfasts and brunch consisted of sandwiches, which took care of most of the cold cuts and dairy, and those slightly soggy sausages

“Delivery on Wednesday”, says my wife of our new fridge freezer, which cost an extortionate amount of money for what is, essentially, a cupboard with gas.

“Told you so”, I say.

“You really didn’t”, she reminds me. “You completely made that conversation up too. Anyway, you’re the chef. You need to use up everything we had in the fridge and freezer in the next three and a half days, before it goes bad.”

6 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

“Shouldn’t be too hard”, I say, making myself a ham, cheddar, salami, luncheon meat, hard-boiled egg, cream cheese, bacon and lettuce, tomato and cucumber sandwich of ridiculously epic proportions.

Long story short, breakfasts and brunch consisted of sandwiches, which took care of most of the cold cuts and dairy, and those slightly soggy sausages. Pasta played a big part too, because pretty much anything in the universe can be made into a pasta sauce when push comes to shove.

By Tuesday evening, we were doing quite well, if you overlook the fact that we’d all put on about six kilos and hadn’t stopped chewing for seventytwo hours.

Eventually, all that was left was a bag of frozen broccoli, a chocolate coated ice-lolly, a Maltese sausage of dubious origin, and an ice-cube tray with a couple of ‘basil in olive oil’ cubes in it, which I’d seen in some online ‘kitchen hack’ video and thought was a good idea at the time.

Basically, it was a risotto waiting to happen.

FEATURE I’d like to say that I scraped the chocolate off the ice-lolly and somehow used it to make a sweet basil cream sauce, using the stick as a stirrer... but I didn’t, mainly because I’m not a TV chef who needs to impress people with his quirky yet brilliant inventiveness.

I did, however, eat the ice-lolly while trying to figure out the rest.

stirring gently until most of the wine has been absorbed into the rice, and then add a ladle or two of chicken stock. Stir gently until it reduces, then add more, and keep doing so until you taste-test the rice and it’s pretty much cooked through. When that happens, cover the pot, and turn off the heat.

And the rest goes something like this...

Get the broccoli, garlic and the pine-nuts out of the oven, because nothing would please it more than you forgetting all about them until you smell the smoke, and toss half the florets, half the pine nuts, and all the garlic into a blender. Add a little olive oil and blend it all into a paste. Add half a cup of grated cheese and mix it in gently, then spoon everything into your rice mixture and stir it in. Grab some feta cheese and crumble it over everything before folding it in, and finally grind some black pepper over the lot.

Pre-heat your oven to about 200 degrees. Grab three cloves of garlic and put them, unpeeled, on to a baking tray with a handful of pine nuts and the broccoli florets, and drizzle basil-infused olive oil over the lot before chucking it into the oven for about twenty minutes.

While the oven does what it does, get started on the risotto. A classic risotto starts off with frying chopped onions, but I decided not to do this because I had bigger plans that were anything but classic and... er... I didn’t have onions. Instead, I sliced the Maltese sausage, and fried it off in a pot, in a small splash of the oil. When it was cooked, I added the last blob of butter left in the house, and a cup of short grain rice. A cup is enough for four slightly peckish people, or two hungry people, or one large man who really, really likes risotto and hasn’t eaten since April.

Stir continuously until all the rice is covered in the oil and butter.

Then throw in half a cup of white wine - this is the best part because it sizzles and sounds a lot cooler than it actually is. Keep

Serve immediately, with the remaining broccoli florets, another chunk of crumbled feta, and the remaining pine nuts on top. And there you have it... a delicious and incredibly flavoursome yet remarkably light ‘Risotto Risotto Congelatore Rotto’. It takes some care and attention, like all risottos do, but it’s relatively simple to make, it tastes like something a quirky but brilliant TV chef would make, only without the ice-lolly aftertaste, and it doesn’t break the bank - unless, of course, you have to buy a new fridge to go with it.

I’m telling you... those things are evil. Just you wait and see.

StRaND PalaCE MEatS ltD.

VEAL T-BONE STEAK SOUS-VIDE STYLE INGREDIENTS 4 x 400g veal t-bone steaks, 150g white truff le butter 2 tbsp fresh chopped oregano, smoked sea salt white pepper and olive oil OPTIONAL: Sweet and smoky bacon chutney, 6 red onions, finely diced 200grms quality smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons 1 cloce crushed garlic, 70g castor sugar 50mls sherry vinegar,1 tbsp concentrated cherry tomato paste ¼ tsp smoked paprika METHOD This is the most tender and beautiful cut of meat, a real luxury Holding a Chef De Partie for any meal. The bacon Chutney adds a sweet and smoky position at ‘Sale Pepe’ taste.

Restaurant in Portomaso Season the veal on both sides with sea salt and white helped Chef Dario perfect pepper then dust with the chopped oregano. the technical part of his Place the veal into vacuum pouches and add professional cooking basics. an equal amount of the truff le butter to Having explored Michelin Star standards in the UK each pouch at the ‘Flitch of Bacon’, Seal the pouches and cook sous Essex which is the vide in a preheated water bath at sister restaurant of 55 degrees for 1½ hours Garnish the plate with two Michlen Star In a sauté pan add the lardons french fried onions on top of ‘Midsummer House’ in Cambridge, gave Chef Dario of bacon and cook until crisp, the steak and plate on a bed of the necessary tools to garnish and present food in a then add the finely chopped mixed farm mushrooms with sensory manner. Presently Chef Dario operates a onion and season with a little salt cream and spinach.

Professional Mobile Chef service in Malta which focuses Gently fry the onions and garlic on live cooking concepts and food entertainment for the until half cooked, add the sugar, domestic user, corporate, commercial establishments and vinegar, paprika and the tomato paste restaurants. Namely, the First Mobile Pasta Parmegiano Service and cook out for 20 minutes or until sticky in Malta, (a live cooking pasta concept cooked in a 24-month and chutney like old giant Parmigiano cheese wheel). Other cooking themes In a sauté pan add a little oil and the butter. Quickly fry the such as ‘Chef Dario Burger Me Concept’ which features a blend mushrooms and season to taste. Add a little of the juices from of prime quality chuck-roll and brisket from Strand Palace the veal pouches to enhance the f lavours Meats being minced and formed into burger patties on site and Take the veal from the pouches and pat dry. In a very hot in front of guests are also available. Contact Chef Dario on 7766 Cast iron pan, sear the veal t-bones from each side 7787 for your unique themed cooking night creation or Serve with any side and the optional smoky bacon jam. through Facebook by searching for Chef Dario.

CHEF’S TIP

CIBUS | SeptemBer 2017

9

FEATURE

FRENCHING IT WORDS BY

james camilleri

i

wasn’t always a coffee snob. Tea was always my beverage of choice. (To be completely honest with you, there was a dark period of my childhood where i wasn’t even a tea snob, but i try not to think about that unfortunate period of my existence.) i’d occasionally slurp down some awful instant-coffee-based concoction – only to keep me going through some horrific university assignment in the middle of the night – and that was pretty much it. This all changed after i spent a few months in one of my favourite cities in the world, copenhagen.

Now let me tell you something about the Danes. They are – statistically – the happiest people on earth. They are tall and fair and proud and beautiful. Their capital city is as close to a utopia as one will ever probably ever encounter. But beneath their sparkling exteriors lies a dark and terrible secret. Beneath the dazzling white burns an unimaginable, uncontainable, unfathomable darkness. For the Danes drink so much coffee they caffeinate the very air they breathe. so naturally, as a susceptible young adult with a fondness for food and beverages of myriad forms, it wasn’t long before the blackness consumed me too.

Before i could quite understand what had come over me, i found myself sitting at my desk, warily staring at the ominously compelling sealed box before me. i had bought a French press. since those fateful days in the land of bikes, design, and somewhat overprices sandwiches, my obsession with coffee has exploded, but the good old-fashioned French press is still one of my favourite ways to enjoy a cup of black magic. a delightfully simple mechanism, the French press as we know it was patented in 1929 by – i kid you not – an italian. an italian by the name of attilio calimani. i’m not even sure why it’s called a French press. The italians call it a cafetière, the French themselves complicate matters and call it a �afetière à piston, and i can find no citable evidence of the origins of the name, although i have a sneaking suspicion that the americans are involved. a couple of websites have suggested that the name came about because the initial idea came from a Frenchman cheesecloth to filter coffee, or something like 10 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

that, but it’s all a bit vague to be honest with you. Whatever the origins of the name, or whatever you choose to call it – �afetière or French press or a coffee plunger (australians, obviously) – you can’t deny it makes a smashing cup of coffee. it’s all about the coffee of course, and the French press produces a beautifully intense black potion that will straighten spines and raise the dead, if brewed correctly. The French press brews by immersion, so the coffee grounds are in contact with the water for a significant period of time. This allows for a lot of flavour to be extracted from the beans – too much if you leave them in too long. in addition, the fact that the filter in a French press consists of a metal gauze (as opposed to a paper filter) means that all of the beans’ oils remain in the brew. This adds an extra layer of strength and complexity to your cup that’s difficult to match with any other brewing method. (On the downside, there’s evidence that they shoot your cholesterol through the roof, so maybe skip that third mug of joe. Hey, nobody said being a foodie/drinkie was easy.) enough prattling on though. let’s get back to the crux of the matter. How do you use a French press to craft a tasteful cup of the good stuff (without horribly disfiguring yourself or others)? i’m going to be straight with you. There are a million different guides on how to brew your coffee online. They all tend to be excruciatingly specific – 13.664g of coffee per ¾ cup, stir thirteen and a half times counter clockwise while rotating clockwise and howling under a blood red moon kind of thing. i have nothing against said guides. i think they’re marvellously done and am generally the kind of person who’s fond of meticulousness. i’m also the kind of person who’d use the word “meticulousness”, so you can understand what kind of broken and obsessive a human being i am. That being said, i feel like attempting your first brew with one of these exacting sets of instructions might prove tedious/insane and do far more harm than good. (i, myself, have never felt the inclination to weigh my ground coffee before brewing.) so here goes. How to make a cup of coffee using a French press, for people who want to get on with their lives.

FEATURE

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 11

FEATURE

as with all brewing methods, the groundwork is in the grind. (is that a pun? i don’t do puns.) Too course and you won’t extract enough flavour from your beans. Too fine and you’ll end up drinking silt. The grind should be quite coarse, around the consistency of sea salt. if you have a grinder, it’s always best to grind just before you brew, but if you have a grinder you know that already. if you don’t, the place you buy your beans from should know exactly how to grind them for a press – leave it up to them. spoon your ground coffee into the press. a tablespoon per cup is generally a good place to start, but add a bit more if your coffee seems weak.

Trial and error is the key here. Your press should have come with a measuring spoon, make use of it. French presses are generally labelled with the number of cups they produce on the box, and the larger ones even have indications on the side of the flask, so this is generally pretty easy to guesstimate. as you get used to your press you’ll become more familiar with the measurements that make your favourite cuppa.

Pour a little bit of water over your grounds, just enough to cover them. The water should be freshly boiled, but not boiling. let it cool a bit first – around 30 seconds should do it. Give the grounds a little stir and wait another 30 seconds.

The coffee will start to “bloom”. a lovely sort of crust will form at the top of the mix and a beautiful aroma will burst forth from the flask to dazzle and amaze your unsuspecting nasal cavity.

The taste of the coffee will change as it cools, with different components of the flavour profile becoming more apparent at different temperatures

Once the 30 seconds are up, pour the rest of the water in and give everything a bit of a mix. shut the press (this will keep the heat in) but don’t plunge yet. Wait around four minutes. Try not to over-brew it, or you’ll end up with a bitter, acidic, tar-like concoction. Not pretty.

Push the plunger down. slowly. Don’t splash yourself with boiling water, it hurts. at least that’s what i’ve been told. if you need to push quite hard, your grind is probably too fine. if you barely need to do any work, it’s too coarse.

12 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

Pour the coffee into your cup/mug as soon as you finish straining. The coffee will continue to brew, even though it’s all lumped at the bottom, and your drink will turn bitter. Warm your mug up by pouring some hot water in and chucking it out before if you like – this will keep your coffee nice and warm for longer. enjoy your masterwork. The taste of the coffee will change as it cools, with different components of the flavour profile becoming more apparent at different temperatures. savour that caffeinated goodness.

i’m currently looking at my word count in disbelief, as this was initially meant to be a “quick article to introduce people to French presses”. i apologise. i’m fond of my coffee and tend to get carried away. if you want to get into the world of real coffee, not that instant awful abomination stuff, a French press is a great way to do so. i can guarantee that once you get used to making your own perfect mug, you’ll never go back to your barbaric ways, so get up and go for it. Take the plunge.

RECIPES

14 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

A

USED SA LMON GR A VAD L

The name Fifth Flavour is a translation of the Japanese word Umami, which is also sometimes referred to as the fifth taste or savouriness. Umami is a new dimension of flavour which exist in all types of cuisines, however it was the Japanese who coined the term. This fifth taste is what you get when you combine different flavours in the right proportions creating an immensely satisfying flavour. This is central to their cooking philosophy and is what makes Fifth Flavour stand out from other caterers. Charlot Agius, their executive chef told me that they have served many top end clients from famous actors to big business men.

That said, it doesn’t mean we don’t cater to general public; Clients are now more discerning and everyone appreciates good food.

X

IN F OOT R ET

I joined Fifth Flavour during a busy work day in their large kitchens to see what was going on. Their premises are state of the art, with separate sections for different food types. The variety of food and the styles they offer are quite vast. As one of the chefs told me, ‘’There isn’t much we haven’t made before...we often have the client request us to make something new and different, we do our research and find the best recipes’’.

Lay the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board and brush your hand along it. If you feel any little pin bones pinch them out with your fingers or tweezers. In a bowl, mix all of the other ingredients for the salmon together to make the cure.

Stretch two large sheets of cling film over a work surface and spoon over some of the cure. Lay the wider part of the fillet, skin side down, on the cure, then pack over most of the cure, and sandwich with the remaining half fillet, skin side up. Top with the last of the cure and wrap both pieces of fillet together tightly with lots of cling film. Place in a container with sides, like a roasting tray, put a smaller tray on top and weigh it down with a couple of tins. Leave in the fridge for at least two days or up to a week. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of liquid that leaks out, this is normal. Once a day, pour away the liquid, turn the salmon and re-apply the weights.

To serve, unwrap the salmon from the cling film and brush off the marinade.

Slice the salmon into thin slivers. Once made the salmon will sit happily in the fridge for up to a week and can be used just like smoked salmon.

BE

FIFTH FLAVOUR

METHOD

fr

red pepper, 80g man ge t ou t, 8 0

350g sob a

se

uce ,40 g

g

noo dle s, 40 m l

BA same oil

0g er, 8 and ori hc es

SO

DLE SA L AD O NO , 20ml fish sauce, 20ml soy sa

Beef fillet, fresh, or defrosted in fridge for 24 hours, 500ml fish sauce, 40g light brown sugar, 500ml rice vinegar, 1 kaffir lime leaves, 1 small red chili, 1 stalk of lemongrass, 2cm ginger, grated, 50ml sesame oil, 50g fresh coriander

THAI SPICED BEEF FILLET

RECIPES

rrots, 20g black s 0g ca esa me er 8 mb s ee cu ds cu

METHOD

illet, skin on, cut in half (approxim ately

2kg ), 3 00 g

200 gar, r su ste ca g course sea salt, 100ml brandy, 100g be etro ot , c oo ke d

a pa ste,50g Dill lended into and b led oo ,c

mon f le sal o h 1w

To make the marinade, put the fish sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, lime leaves, red chili, lemongrass and ginger into a pot.

Heat on a moderate f lame until the sugar has dissolved and the f lavors infused.

Remove from the heat and let cool.

Strain into a bowl and add the sesame oil and mix in well. Reserve a few tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl for serving.

Trim the silver skin and the sinew of the fillet, pour over the marinade and chop some fresh coriander and leave to marinade for 24hrs.

Grill on very high heat until browned all over and slightly more firm to the touch. Beef fillet is best served rare to medium rare.

Remove from heat, rest for 15-20 minutes and then allow to cool completely in the fridge.

Slice thinly and serve with the pan juices and reserved marinade.

PHOTO BY

JAmIe IAIn genovese CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 15

FEATURE

WORTH THE WORDS BY

Fran Borg Costanzi

s far as vegetables are concerned, there aren’t many that top the bulbous greatness of onions. it might be due to their lachrymal properties but i’ve always had quite an emotional connection to these alliums. they are chameleons of both flavour and texture. they have the potential to be sweet, zesty, bitter, crunchy, soft, creamy- they can be manipulated in more ways than a piece of play dough in the hands of an excitable child. onions have many layers (Captain obvious strikes again!), both in the literal and metaphorical sense. they’re not just a strong-flavoured addition to a salad, they go well with a number of different plates ranging from simple hors d’oeuvres to elaborate fish and meat dishes. they can also help you in social situations. if you ever find yourself being chatted up in a club by a lascivious stranger, one bite of a fresh onion will send them on their merry way. a versatile ingredient if there ever was one. onions are as rich in flavour as they are in history. it is estimated that they were first cultivated in central asia around 5000 BC and prevailed as a food due to their durability in the colder months and their nutritional benefits. in ancient Egypt, onions were an object of worship. Egyptians believed that the concentric circle structure of the vegetable symbolised eternity and therefore was given importance in their culture. onions were drawn on the inner walls of pyramids, buried with Pharaohs, given as funeral offerings and presented at large banquets. onions were also used in mummification and in art. the ancient greeks believed that onions boosted strength and fed heaps of them to athletes before the olympic games. By the Middle ages, onions were being prescribed to people of all classes as treatment for headaches, snakebites and hair loss (balding men, take note). they were also given as wedding gifts and rent payments. in World War ii, russian soldiers realised the onion’s antiseptic abilities and began rubbing them on battle wounds to prevent infection. nowadays, onions are recognised for their many dietary advantages and have been known to possess cancer-fighting antioxidants.

16 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

growing onions is not a task that requires a lot of effort. they are as low maintenance as a retiree on holiday. You can plant both seeds or bulbs but the latter is preferable because they are more durable and are better equipped to withstand bad weather. it is ideal to grow onions in the warmer months (we don’t really have a choice here in Malta). they require lots of space and sunlight. the more space you give the onion, the more it will grow and the more you water it, the sweeter it will be. the soil needs to have a balanced composition and have a near neutral pH. the bulbs should each be planted in a hole that is an inch deep and they should be equally spaced. Fertiliser can be added to the soil every once in a while, and the bulbs should be watered once a week. once the tops of the onions turn golden yellow, they are ripe enough to be harvested. Honestly, it could not be any easier. the only way it could be easier is if they plucked themselves from the soil and laid down on a chopping board in preparation of your meal- but i fear that might humanise them a bit too much. there are so many different kinds of onions: red onions, white onions, spring onions, scallions. the variety of this vegetable is unbounded. i love them all and could write about each individual type and the dishes they go well with but that would take up the entire magazine and fifty pages of onion recipes might get a little too monotonous. so, the following are a few of my favourites.

Firstly, and definitely the most important, caramelised onions.

Caramelised onions make any sandwich better and don’t get me started on what they do to pizza. i’m salivating just writing about it. the recipe isn’t very healthy but it’s definitely worth the spike in your cholesterol. they’re made by adding the onions to butter and stirring profusely until they brown. if you’re in a hurry and want to quicken the caramelising process, you can add some sugar and baking soda. the result is a soft, sweet, scrumptious concoction that can be dolloped onto a burger patty to add that saccharine syrupy element that completes the sandwich. a gorgonzola, brie and caramelised onion tart is just too yummy

FEATURE

There are so many different kinds of onions: red onions, white onions, spring onions, scallions.

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 17

FEATURE to stay away from at the dinner table. i was once invited to an event where these tarts were being served and it was love at first sight. ryan reynolds professing his undying love to me wouldn’t have pulled me away from that nectarous piece of pastry. if you ask any regular person what they like most about family events, they would probably say that they enjoy the togetherness and reunion of loved ones. For me it’s the dips. that part right before the meal when the older members of the family are seasoning their personalities with Martini and averna, i am the one sitting by the dips stuffing my face. this paid off when i came across a spring onion dip. Made with sour cream, cream cheese, garlic, a bit of lemon and some pepper, this dip has a tang that is missing from the regular dips that people set out. on to the main courses! since the flavour of onions can easily be adapted, they make a suitable addition to both fish and meat dishes as well as carbohydrate-based plates. grilled sea bass stuffed with onions, and cooked in honey and white wine vinegar, is a taste explosion. the sweetness of the honey and onions is countered with a sprinkle of salt and herbs on the fish creating a balance that gets your taste buds tingling. the perfect substitution for the generic barbecue food that messes up that bikini body you worked so hard to achieve. a sunday roast with white onions stuffed inside it is a perfect way of fooling a child into eating vegetables without them noticing. the onion stops being a sharp and crunchy bulb,

it turns into a soft, gravy-infused sphere of juiciness that goes perfectly with a crispy piece of roast chicken. a truly delicious combination! i completely understand why ancient Egyptians thought that onions should be worshipped, they are quite ethereal. i could include them in almost any dish i prepare and if it weren’t for the fear that people might misconstrue the onion smell for body odour, i probably would. so, join team onion! i can’t stress it enough. Life will be fuller once you embrace the greatness of this vegetable. there will definitely be more tears involved but the things we love the most in life tend to make us cry.

TIRAMISU

STrand PalaCe lTd.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

50ml Espresso coffee 50g amaretti Biscuits 65ml amaretto 8 savoiardi Biscuits Cocoa powder (for dusting the top) 300g mascarpone 165g pasteurized egg yolks 55g caster sugar 15ml marsala

For the cream, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until doubled in size, Add half of the amaretto and the Marsala to it and whisk until fully incorporated, Add the mascarpone in three parts and whisk until everything is incorporated For the assembly, start by crushing the amaretti biscuits and put in the bottom of the Martini glass, Dip savoiardi biscuits in the espresso coffee and put them on top of the amaretti biscuits, Divide the remaining amaretto and pour on top of the savoiardi biscuits, Put the cream in a piping bag and pipe it on top of the biscuits Dust with cocoa powder serve

Hammett’s Gastro Bar is the latest addition to the Sliema sea front, a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of the town centre. The outlet is brought to you by multiaward winning restauranteur Chris Hammett from the Villa and offers a casual drinking and dining experience serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The chefs at Hammett’s Gastro Bar use the freshest of local ingredients, imaginative cooking techniques, and flavours from around the world to create beautiful fusion dishes designed for sharing.

Variety being the spice of life, plates are tapas style, allowing you to try a few dishes, or share many with your friends. The bar offers an array of craft beers, an extensive wine selection, flagship spirits and an extensive gourmet cocktail list using fresh fruit, homemade syrups and infusions. If none of the drinks jump off the menu, experienced mixologists are available to create a cocktail made just for you. With a perfect location near Sliema town centre and stunning views of Marsamxett Harbour, Hammett’s Gastro Bar is an ideal place to relax and recharge.

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 19

FEATURE

20 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

FEATURE

NUMBERS

food & YOU have a soft spot for datasets, for systems of organizing information, chunking it into sizable byte-bites and then presenting it meaningfully.

I truly believe that a lot in society can be easier to do if there are ways of docking all of your choices clearly and plainly on a checklist, that tasks are better managed when there’s some way to track progress, to visualise an end in the series of soul-crushing tasks.

A through-and-through guide to buying your first home and making it liveable, with all the other doodads necessary to do so as a citizen. An app or website that plugs all your available ingredients through a search-query to give you a list of recipes, ranked in order of ingredients owned, to let you know what the tastiest thing you can have is (or despair when, due to emptiness, the app only reminds you that yes, you can make a hard-boiled egg, with only a soupçon of contamination, of course.) An index of restaurants with ratings for factors like ambience, service, or food and a myriad of checklists describing things like price range, accessibility, child or pet friendliness, if they’re open after eleven, if they’ll not give you a dirty look when you and your date only want tea because one of you is just not that hungry and the other one would rather not scrape parsley off their teeth with the corner-bit of a napkin, resulting in an oddly dry tooth feeling.

Well, I know for a fact that the last one exists. Right now, we’re one-third of the way through the survey process of The Definitively Good Guide; which if it were a person would now be giddily calling up a driving instructor to begin stalling on main roads as soon as possible as it is now preparing to release its 18th edition.

The Definitively Good Guide is what it says on the tin: a guide to Malta’s restaurants (and shall henceforth be affectionately referred to as ‘The Guide’). I asked the publisher, Lisa Grech, a little bit about the beginnings of The Guide. “18 years ago, there was no

objective Restaurant Guide on the Maltese Islands and my business partner Colin Best and I realised that there was scope for one since we were dining out regularly ourselves and had difficulty discovering new restaurants. After much research, we decided not to go for a critic-based restaurant guide as it wouldn’t remain objective for long and we didn’t want the restaurants to pay, as that again would influence which restaurants got into the Guide.

Rather we decided a survey-based restaurant guide was the best solution for Malta with the top rated 150 restaurants having free insertions. We have, over the years, earned our reputation as remaining the only objective Guide on the islands with our prestigious annual Restaurant Award Ceremony considered to be the ‘Oscars’ of the restaurant industry.”

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 21

FEATURE

Leafing through my copy of last year’s edition surprised me with just how representative it is. In an age where the idea of printed resources sounds laughable, and printed resources for restaurant listings even more so, this guide has more than outdone itself. An interesting choice, for example, is the number of lists that rate establishments on the why-you-would-want-to-go-there, the qualitative aspects of these restaurants. What double-surprised me is the accuracy. With categories such as ‘most lively’ or ‘most romantic’ or even ‘most supportive of local produce’ I found myself going down the list agreeing with the choices available.

This is the kind of knowledge that comes from people, the advice you get from a friend of where to take business guests to impress them, and it’s on paper. The same bunch of paper, in fact.

How does it get this accuracy? To answer, I met with Denise Briffa (who’s in charge of advertising and marketing) in the office 22 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

of Lisa Grech (publisher, who was actually abroad at the time), and Crysta Darmanin (who handles admin) and an intern. Folders and files were lining the walls, including most of one blue that was also polka-dotted with a series of the awards handed out by The Guide over its many years on the shelves.

Sample size. That’s how the guide achieves accuracy. “We normally get just under two thousand. We always hope for more, since it always makes it better.” But, nonetheless, a sample size of around two thousand can very well represent a population, which I think The Guide does.

It’sintriguing to see the changes that happen from year to year. As Denise said, quite a few new restaurants have opened. “Whereasbefore we would have maybe ten new entries into the guide - we had quite a static solid presence -

FEATURE

they now change a lot more. Now, we have over forty new entries.” That’s the most significant change... “Other than the prices which have gone up considerably. We’ve had to add new price ranges.”

Information like this kind of turns the guide into an unintended socio-economic barometer like the rental market, though more people eat than rent property, so there’s a good chance it’s more accurate too. These numbers show a greater competitiveness emerging in the world of dining, and reveals to us that more entrepreneurs and restaurateurs are vying for top spots, providing more variety in dining options; and it’s measurable through the surveys processed at the offices behind The Guide. I find the fact that this kind of data-gathering could reveal trends like an uptick in prices or restaurant openings, and the implications involved, fascinating.

These are resources that are invaluable, the collection and interpreting of good data in order to present meaningful information to people is a marvel of mathematics and social science working together. A single resource can let you know of a coeliac-friendly, child-friendly, pet-friendly establishment that’s open after 11pm on a Monday and if they have free Wi-Fi and is fully accessible. That’s fantastic, but its accuracy relies on numbers, which is why the people behind The Guide organise competitions for those filling out their surveys, and why I felt pressured into writing this piece even though it’s a third of the way through the survey process already. Once done, and the information is processed, and the publication is published, it will hit its distributor shelves, be sold through their website.

So, go forth, and fill out a survey, on restaurantsmalta.com, and make double sure to do it before the 30th of September.

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 23

INGREDIENT

d e n u r p n U

WEIRD, R

24 CIBUS | SeptemBer 2017

INGREDIENT

d Prunes

, RIGHT ?

CIBUS | SeptemBer 2017 25

PROMO PHOTO: MATTHEW MIRABELLI

Change GOLDEN

SANDS OF

26 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

PROMO

he Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Golden Sands is a destination renowned for its foodie excellence. From its famed Sunday lunches to its popular waters-edge eatery Aglio Olio, there are lots of options to choose from and something that every member of the family will love.

PAN-ROASTED TENDERLOIN WRAPPED WITH

SPECK, APPLE-BOURBON GLAZED BELLY, BRAISED CHEEK, FENNEL-KALE COMPOTE. PHOTO: MARK ZAMMIT CORDINA

Overseeing that selection is Fabian Zammit – the resort’s newly appointed food and beverage manager. He’s hardly a newbie to the Radisson Blu brand and has worked at the Radisson Blu Resort, St Julians hotel for 10 years now, with a recent three-year stint as its food and beverage manager. He’s certainly taken a lot on!

“I love a challenge,” Fabian smiles, “and this new role is one packed full of exactly that. But I absolutely love what I do and I have really enjoyed spearheading the team in St Julian’s and helping to inject positivity and motivation into the team there. Now I plan to take what I have learnt over the past three years and share it with the team at the Golden Sands, and I am looking forward to achieving the results we set out to achieve.”

As Radisson Blu Golden Sands is a much bigger resort, Fabian and his team will have a wider remit and many more outlets to manage. “Aglio Olio is definitely one of the most popular, and it is renowned among locals as a charming place for lunch or dinner” Fabian says. “It’s busy too!

In the summer months it welcomes around 500 people every day, so there’s a lot of work that goes into the smooth running of this popular restaurant.

I love a challenge and this new role is one packed full of exactly that. But I absolutely love what I do and I have really enjoyed spearheading the team in St Julian’s and helping to inject positivity and motivation into the team there.

“Next, Essence is celebrated as a fine-dining destination, and is also very popular. I am looking forward to developing its potential – especially as the location and views are absolutely jaw dropping and something that I know our guests enjoy. Currently, Essence is very big on foreign and local weddings and we plan to grow this market even further. This Restaurant will be refurbished in January.’’

Fabian also highlights Flavours, the resort’s main restaurant, which serves breakfast throughout the year, as well as themed dinners in summer and Sunday lunches in the winter. “It’s also very wellliked, both among locals and our international guests. Similarly,

the Mokka café by the lobby is immensely popular – not least because of its amazing terrace and sprawling views. There’s no denying that the location of the resort provides a major draw, especially for locals looking for a lovely destination for a relaxing lunch or dinner. It’s exciting to be part of that.”

Speaking about his own food preferences, Fabian cites both fresh and local ingredients as definite favourites. “We are so lucky when it comes to the produce that grows well here, and I think Maltese flavours and ingredients should always be incorporated into our menus – so that is something I will be focusing on with the help of our experienced chefs. Diners don’t just look for a good meal anymore but something more – they’re looking for a story and an experience. Our food has a wonderful story to tell – a story that deserves to get a lot more attention.”

As for his down-time away from the demands of the hotel, Fabian spends this with his wife and three-year-old daughter, Courtney.

He loves cooking and is often to be found in the kitchen rustling something up or, better still, standing over the BBQ with something delicious on the grill. “I try to come up with something different everyday – it’s part of the fun. It’s definitely exciting to see what food Courtney loves to eat as that changes regularly – currently its pasta in a pesto sauce!” he adds with a smile.

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 27

FEATURE

Nonna’s Kitchen 28 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

FEATURE

WORDS BY

Bailey lalonde

t’s no secret that nonnas and their knack for cooking are praised by food lovers all over the globe. Before visiting italy, i had heard of this phenomenon and even been so lucky as to have tasted homemade pesto from a nonna… i did not, however, understand the level of delicious that comes out of these culinary master’s kitchens consistently, or the culture behind it. When visiting Sardinia for the first time in 2012, i was invited to stay with a friend at his multigenerational family home. as she does nearly every meal; his nonna prepared an otherworldly dinner for us, in the outdoor garden, under the stars and vines. i was struck by the juxtaposition of simplicity and rich flavour of each dish. She served the meal in a way that resembled tapas style; with each dish, whether it be zucchini, pasta, peas or eggplant, was served alone in a small platter. This facilitates the passing around of food and enhances the interaction between all of the eaters. Between the mouthwatering cuisine, diverse cultural backgrounds, delicious wine, intriguing conversation and breathtaking environment in which we ate, this truly was my first italian family culinary experience; followed by the traditional Sardinian Mirto, which they drink after dinner with fruit and desert to aid in the digestion process. i ate more than i could have imagined eating, yet at the end, i felt remarkably light and nourished. needless to say, from this point on, nonna and i had a special bond. over the years, having maintained a lovely relationship with this family, i have had the pleasure of visiting them in their spectacular home in Sardinia. each time that i go to alghero to visit, their sweet nonna pulls out all the stops making out-of-this-world meals for the whole family. This may be nothing new to most italian families, but i was blown away by the whole process; from how she casually and joyfully cooks throughout the day, to the way she beautifully sets the table for breakfast after we finish eating dinner. Just what is it that makes the food so remarkable that comes out of nonna’s kitchen? i had to find out for myself. during one visit, we decided to plan a little exchange; i help the family with their english through intensive conversation and in return, i get to help nonna in the kitchen: assisting and observing her, learning her recipes. The funny thing is, nonna speaks no english and my level of italian was extremely basic. Charades cooking was on the agenda. on the next trip, i returned for nearly

two weeks with this goal in mind. Since the beginning, there was always one specific dish that stuck out to me; although many others parallel in level of deliciousness, this one grabbed my attention every time as i found myself reloading it onto my plate throughout each evening. at first, i was shocked at the volume of which i was eating nonna’s zucchini, as i had never before been a fan of this vegetable. However she cooks it, it winds up tasting like candy.

When i returned to Sardinia for my cooking/english exchange i had one recipe in mind that i needed to master; aside from that i intended to learn a variety of traditional recipes and overall cooking tips and tics that nonna has developed over the years.

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 29

FEATURE i was flabbergasted by the simplicity with which she cooked everything. There are a handful of household ingredients that are used for many dishes. The metaphor the mother of my friend gave me was that “cooking is like being the captain of a ship; you must have all the tools and ingredients you need and always know where everything is, so you can intuitively use them as inspired”.

Many people in the cooking or learning-to-cook world like to equate measurements and follow exact recipes; in nonna’s kitchen, it was much more intuitive and creative. onions, olive oil, sea salt, pepperoncino rosso, parsley, basil, tomatoes, tuna, fresh cheese… i could go on, but these are all stock ingredients in the Sardinian home. Many of the exquisite dishes made by nonna have these ingredients as staples. in the kitchen, you can find a table decorated with lush carefully curated foliage and a plethora of crystal bowls, each one allocated to a different fresh fruit or vegetable.

From what i saw, many of the dishes are made with a sofrito, which in italian cuisine is finely chopped onion or garlic shallowly sautéed in olive oil with salt. in the case of this nonna, it was almost always onion rather than garlic. in fact, contrary to my previous understanding of italian cooking, the only time i saw garlic being used, a clove was peeled and crushed and put into the dish while it was cooking for flavor and then removed before serving.

When i actually got into the kitchen and started watching her prepare the food and cook it, i quickly realized how this sofrito is the base for most of the dishes. it is amazing how one can cook such a variety of dishes, which end up tasting completely different from each other, made with the same essential ingredients.

This is when i understood that the sofrito helps to highlight and bring out the flavor of each individual dish’s primary ingredient; such as the natural flavor of the zucchini in the zucchini dish. in this time, i learned how to make many traditional dishes such as her eggplant side dish, peas, pasta, veal, tuna sauce, a tomato and tuna sauce, and the famous zucchini.

She taught me to take about ten zucchinis, wash them, cut the two ends off, slice each one long ways in three even lines in one direction and three in the opposite direction, and then turn it on its side and chop them evenly about a centimeter apart, making perfect centimeter squared cubes. once they are prepared we set them aside and do the same thing with a quarter of an onion, with much smaller cubes. on a large element on the stove, in a large pan, heat olive oil and sea salt with the finely chopped onions, let them sauté until golden coloured. once the onions have reached the golden hue, mix in the zucchini, gently folding the onion and oil onto the zucchini, until it is evenly moist. She used more olive 30 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

oil than expected, so a bit of a sauce forms in the bottom of the pan. over about 20 minutes, the zucchini and sauce are gently folded unto themselves. Good quality sea salt is added fairly liberally as well as pepperoncino rosso powder; the seasonings cook into the vegetable until quite soft. Towards the end, mix in a handful of finely chopped fresh parsley, and maybe a little splash of white wine. Voila! There it is, the zucchini masterpiece. i have taken this recipe home with me and to the homes of many loved ones; thus far, every person who has tried it has said it is the best zucchini they have ever had. These moments spent in the kitchen with nonna and her daughter, learning through experience and charades-like communication, the delicacies and specialties, passed down through the generations of this Sardinia native family, were a dream. italian cuisine is one of, if not the most famous in the world for divine simplicity; adding these skills to my repertoire is something i will always cherish, and will forever be tasted in the dishes i create to share with loved ones. nonna cooks each dish with love and care; hopefully you too can feel and taste it in your zucchini made at home. “in cooking, as in all the arts, simplicity is the sign of perfection.”

Curnonsky.

FEATURE

BLACK BUN I

BURGER

do not often go to St. Paul’s Bay these days. The few occasions in the year that I do are to swim at the section of rocky beach that my friends and I have affectionately, and non-rationally, dubbed as ‘Spain’, a beach for us to play UNO and eat calamari fritti on. Maybe have a beer.

The owner, Jason Vella, comes out to greet me. Jason used to race mountain-bikes competitively, before that he had started doing yoga, before that he had issues with weak back muscles and back pains and walked like a man three-to-four times his age. Now he runs Pash & Jimmy, the ‘Jimmy’ referring to his father, of Jimmy Vella fame.

Today though I was visiting an establishment on the first road you hit in St. Paul’s Bay, the busy one with a pothole at the very mouth of it that you will always hit when leaving, and one that forks off twice with shops on either side on your way to Xemxija. The sign, themed in orange and black, read ‘Pash & Jimmy’, the ‘PASH’ part marked in bold and emblazoned on a circle, clean branding that would blend in on metropolitan streets, ‘& Jimmy’ looked scrawled on, with a handwritten typeface and white colour, friendlier, more grounded than the rest of the sign.

Jason walked me into the back, with the Chefs, so I could see them preparing a black-bun burger: a dark wad of dough, made with two different flours and carbon, said to aid digestion and adding intrigue to the meal while housing the red kidney bean patty. Adding thick cuts of sweet potato fries to sit next to the ebony bun burger evokes the theme colours of Pash & Jimmy’s branding. Clever.

I stood at the entrance, noticing a sign promising an espresso and a set of knives to any unattended children, and the automatic doors breathed open. The interiors had some of the hallmarks of the hip-2017 venue as this is, after all, a few months after their refurbishment: dark walls with pallet boards as DIY-wall décor, Edison-esque bulbs dim enough to see the form of the incandescent, orange carbon filament without burning my retinas, and a variety of brews and snacks on offer by the cash — some healthy, and some less so.

32 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

This is when I got to sit down with Jason as he walked me through his menu, and spoke a bit about why Pash and its menu are the way they are. Looking at said menu, you would see a set of tiled pages, starting off with a small front page and finishing off with a large page that fits the cover, allowing you to see where each section is at a glance, each section separated by a quote from a writer, including one from a favourite of mine — Palahniuk.

“I wanted people to have a place with good food that’s simple, if you look at the names there’s nothing fancy, nothing hard to pronounce, the names describe the food.” And, true enough, not an extra syllable was found, though the options were many — and uncommon.

PHOTO BY

FEATURE

LINDSEY

Jason worked hard on creating a sizeable nutritious and vegan offering. Jason also worked hard on offering meaty and indulgent dishes, despite his own preferences. “I want people to be able to come here and have a choice. If you want to eat vegan food, you can, if you want a coke, you can have one, if you want a pizza with duck on it, you can.” And, yes, there is a pizza with duck on offer.

Mind, there is a 90-minute-happy-hour that discounts Vegan food (starting at 5pm, like, you know, happy hours do) so maybe it’s worth skipping on the animal products once in a while, you know, for frugality’s sake.

I look over my shoulder, and see David Bowie looking right at me; Bob Marley, too. A few portraits of musicians hung on the wall, musicians I liked. Which brings me to the music, which is actually a curated playlist, and not the Top 40 on the radio, something I deeply appreciate when it comes to restaurants, I cannot tell you how jarring it is to sit in what would be a classed-up café only to hear Lady Gaga or Adam Levine planting earworms while you half-heartedly sip a cappuccino, senza zucchero.

FOOD PHOTOS BY

KATErINA VELLA-rYABKoVA

Jason seemed to understand, and he also understood a gripe I have, of people walking around, proclaiming enlightenment in their life after their gap year, dressed the same way namaste sounds, and acting like it’s the most authentic and natural thing in the world.

Imagine, for a moment, if someone went to Mexico one summer and came back in a permanent poncho-sombrero-ensemble and chucking Spanish phrases in between their praises over the natural benefits of the Mexican lifestyle. Bizarre.

In other words, we both shared a distaste for labels. For overcomplicating identity (and food) with unnecessary language. And don’t worry, I’m aware of how deeply ironic that reads coming from me. Hemingway, I am not. So, what else is there to say? Pick something, order it, eat it.

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 33

PROMO

CHEERS TO THE

GSD Marketing Ltd has responded to this demand by recently adding a low calorie beer to its portfolio – the New 33 Lager.

The New 33 Lager helps you stay healthy without forfeiting flavour since Bavaria has mastered the art of producing full flavoured, bloat free beer which allows you to enjoy the complete lager experience without being weighed down.

The New 33 Lager is brewed with various special malts and natural mineral water from Bavaria’s own springs, in combination with a modified brewing process which gives the beer a beautiful body and excellent flavour. Additional aroma hops give the beer the normal bitterness of pilsner and a deliciously refreshing hoplike aroma. As a result, the beer does not taste watery like any traditional light but retains the authentic flavour of a premium lager you’re looking for, something that is low in calories but still high in flavour.

34 CIBUS | SeptemBer 2017

‘‘Consumers have a lot of choices when it comes to lagers, but there aren’t many options if you’re looking for something that’s low in calories but still high in flavour. The introduction of this new calorie lager is a testament of our continuous process of innovation which brought about this significant evolution which will now provide a low calorie lager to our consumers. Thus far, the beer has been well received and even though it has only been in the market for a month, it has had great feedback and positive reactions from our consumers. Our immediate clients, which include supermarkets and bars, are very excited to feature the beer’’ said Martin Aguis, Sales and Marketing Manager at GSD Marketing Ltd. It’s summer, a time to relax with family and friends and the perfect occasion to enjoy a pint of the New 33 Lager.

Cheers!

FEATURE

HELPING PEOPLE WORDS BY

AġenzijA SApport

hroughout the years, the Agency has developed alongside the emerging needs of persons with disability. While structured programmes and services in day centres and residences are important, the Agency also felt the need to enhance the inclusion of persons with disability in the community. A growing need by its client group was that they lacked opportunities to lead an active social life. thus, the idea of Sharing Lives was created – a project that saw light towards the end of last year.

Sharing LiveS Sharing Lives is a service that focuses on doing outreach for volunteers who can befriend persons with disability. the befriending aspect of the service will help in initiating dialogue and collaboration between people with disability and mainstream society. it will give the opportunity for persons with disability to take part in events and activities to overcome social exclusion while developing meaningful relationships. Volunteers are trained and continuously supported thus ensuring that the service provided is of high standard. persons with disability benefiting from the Sharing Lives service are adults, over 18 years, and are known service users of other Sapport services. Cibus magazine is giving an insight into one of the events – a cooking session with chef Keely triganza –

by Sharing Lives – a Sapport service.

Sharing LiveS experience – KeeLy Triganza “Although as very recent entrepreneurs in the food industry with Katie enaïs, alongside my sister Siane, Little Chefs was our first baby a while back as we’ve been organising cooking classes and parties since 2010. initially it started off as a hobby with family and friends and it gradually grew. When we were approached by parents who wanted to introduce their little ones to cooking BUt they had learning difficulties or disabilities, we didn’t see why it would be a problem to include them in our little family. With some extra caution and guidance everyone can participate, food is after all a universal language.

36 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

A couple of months ago i was speaking to a friend, a social worker with Sapport, about a past volunteering experience with persons with a disability and/or learning difficulty, where we had organised cooking sessions for youths and teens and i had expressed concern at a lack of outlets for youths and young adults in these situations past secondary school to socialise and participate in. He then brought up the new service being offered by the Aġenzija Sapport, called Sharing Lives and if i’d be interested in signing up as volunteer to organise a cooking workshop, and the answer was a no brainer. A couple of days later Vanessa Schembri who leads the project Sharing Lives, gave me a call and after our first meeting and meeting up with other team members who would be involved in the session on the day, i knew that this wasn’t going to be a one-off workshop. their enthusiasm is infectious and the incredible attention given to organising the clients to create a harmonious group on the day of the workshop aided the process immensely and meant that all i had to do was allocate an appropriate recipe, turn up, enjoy the atmosphere and watch my initial concerns for a lack of opportunities for persons with disabilities and learning difficulties to socialise and integrate dissipate. So, we chose pizza cones as a recipe, mainly due to the versatility of pizza, with a selection of different toppings they could each customise their own ideal version for themselves, and also after the session they could take their spoils on the go to another nearby location and enjoy the fruits of their labour-picnic style. the event was a great success, the team was just as dedicated during the session as they were in the planning, the participants were so endearing, and everyone’s enthusiasm to get involved whilst playfully teasing the staff and volunteers, and asking questions, all smiles, made the experience even more heart-warming, and a great opportunity for me alike. the name in itself of the service Sharing Lives was so aptly chosen, it’s not just the clients that gain from the sessions but everyone involved gets to share the joy just by sharing their time and experience”.

Sarah, Sharing LiveS voLunTeer Sarah has also expressed her experience of volunteering in the cooking session. “Aġenzija Sapport organised a cooking activity for

FEATURE

clients. As a volunteer, i helped out in the activity and together we made pizza cones. From the moment that i stepped into the van, i could see how the clients where very excited to start the activity. they all chatted and engaged together, creating a very friendly atmosphere.

When everyone was picked up, we went to buy all the ingredients that we wanted for our pizza cones, such as; sausages, salami, onions, tuna, mozzarella, mushrooms etc... i could see that clients were very independent, by being able to focus on what ingredients we needed to get, by waiting to put the shopping at the cash point, and while clients paid for items they personally bought. the clients became more eager to start the activity at that point! in order to cut all the ingredients and roll out the dough, we all worked as a team. everyone had something to cut or chop, and volunteers and organisers helped where was necessary. i was happy to see everyone very concentrated during the activity because it shows that they were enjoying themselves, and they were determined and looking forward to finish and eat the end product: pizza cones! in the end, i was moved to see many clients thanking the chef who guided us through the event. Some clients expressed how much they enjoy cooking in general, and how much they appreciated the activity. Some were also excited to have made the pizza cones, as they usually do not cook much at home, and it meant a lot for them to have had the opportunity to cook something themselves. Some clients kept a piece, or even saved the pizza cone to show it, and share it with family members. i also enjoyed the activity because i got to know and befriended the clients, and i was touched by their sensitivity and kindness towards each other”.

Sharing Lives and Aġenzija Sapport are always looking for volunteers like Sarah. if you would like to join in the fun and share many happy memories, log on to www.sapport.gov.mt and download the application form. Alternatively, one can visit the head office in Santa Venera or contact the offices on 2256 8000. Like and follow our Facebook page to keep updated with news and events.

PIZZA CONES INGREDIENTS DOUGH: 50 ml warm water 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon dry yeast 1 cup plain f lour 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ teaspoon salt TOPPINGS: Mixed toppings of your choice eg chopped ham, chopped onion, sweet corn, salami, olives, mushrooms, sliced hard boiled eggs ½ cup tomato pizza sauce ½ cup grated mozzarella ½ teaspoon oregano ½ teaspoon olive oil METHOD To create the cone shape, we used carton popcorn cones, wrapped in foil and lightly greased with olive oil.

To prepare the dough, in a small bowl combine the warm water, sugar and dry yeast and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl add the f lour and add the yeast mixture. Mix well to combine and add the olive oil, continue mixing to combine everything. (if the mixture is too wet add a little f lour, if it’s too dry add a little water to combine) Flour a f lat surface and turn out the dough onto the f lour. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes to form a smooth ball. At this stage, the dough should spring back to the touch. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and set aside for 1 hour to rise.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray and lightly grease with olive oil. Remove the dough from the bowl and roll out onto a lightly f loured surface. Cut or shape the dough into side plate sized rounds, then wrap the dough around the cone and pinch the seams to seal. Place the cones seam-side down into the dish brush with olive oil. Bake the tray of cones in the hot oven for 10-15 minutes or until the dough just starts to brown, then set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Gently pry out the foil cone, and starting with tomato sauce spread a layer inside the cone, then layer in your preferred fillings. Return to the baking tray and cook for a further 5-10 minutes till the centre is bubbling and gooey and the fillings have heated through. Remove the foil from the carton cones and pop in the cooked pizzas.

CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 37

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38 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

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the right people WORDS BY

MANTAS SAkAS STOčkUS

his is how Café Society presents itself to the public. There is a bit more in the about section on their Facebook page but only this line has stuck in my mind. To better understand the meaning behind the words above, if there exists one at all, I decided to go there and find out. Doing this, I realized how many times I actually passed by it. Always with a temptation to stay but never doing so. Now, sitting with an Old Fashion cocktail in my hand I gave absolute freedom to the flow of the evening. In front of me, the last beams of the sun played on fort St. Angelo, a place which witnessed the birth and growth of the city of Valletta. Step by step the light beams were climbing up and soon the flag of the Order of Malta was covered in the shade. With the last breath of daylight the place where I was almost alone, started to attract attention.

The box remained closed while his fingers anxiously played on its surface. Every couple of minutes he turned to see who is coming down the stairs. Finally, she came.

Two women came from the Saint Paul Street. They greeted me with a smile and took the last free table. One of them had a dog on a maroon leash. Soon, after sniffing air, it found a place under the chair for a nap. In the meantime, the women, silently inspecting the environment, waited for Mojito cocktails which were served in whiskey glasses. After a few sips, the conversation between them started.

Even people working behind the bar managed to find time to share a word or two. They kept those who were inside company.

You could sit in front of the bar or lean on the small, wooden tables attached to the wall, listen to the music, sounds coming from the other side of the bar and absorb how the lemon is sliced, what the Boston shaker looks like, the slowly stirred ice diluting or the mint being crushed. The mix of herbs, alcohol and joss sticks brought to mind the impression that I am in a shaman’s place, somewhere distant from the action happening outside and at the same time being part of it.

A group of young ladies appeared from Saint Ursula Street. They sat on a few sandbags that were left as an option on the stairs for those who came a little bit too late. I was lucky to get a table and a chair. You have, at maximum, five of them outside. Here, everything depends on if you’re lucky or not. But this is just a small loss. The smell of soft, light and slightly sweet smell perfume accompanied by the combination of red-shirt, yellow-blouson, floral-tent and green-high-waist dresses permeated the area around. The young women were laughing, giggling, taking selfies and finishing their cocktails, brought by young gentlemen, within a couple of minutes. The group promptly occupied the bigger part of the stairs.

Through the open gaps between the people I noticed a man sitting on the other side of the stairs. All alone. On his knees, he had a pizza box, next to his left foot a can of Ċisk. Nobody from the staff said anything to him. You can do it in Café Society, you can bring your own food. Just don’t forget to match it with the drink you will order from the bar. It seemed that he is waiting for someone.

Suddenly, the place was full of people. Their voices filled the holes of the derelict buildings, echoed in the old streets of Valletta and made the place alive. Hundreds of topics floated in the air: why it is so damned hot, the last movie seen, truths of life, the cultural events which have just ended, and judgments and discussions about people’s clothes were just a few conversations that I managed to hear. Besides that, I was astonished by how many familiar faces I saw coming, passing, staying and leaving. I came alone but I never felt like that. This is the place where you will always find a person to speak to.

What surprised me the most, after I came back to my table, was the sound of a singing bird. It was something unexpected. The melody, made of high notes, glided between the people. For the moment, it felt like the sound was coming from everywhere. It made people stop speaking for a second and hear, more importantly listen to, it. Some of them lifted their heads up, others ignored it.

For me, it was something other which completed the full picture of the place.

Café Society is an example of how unity can be seen in diversity.

It is the place where you can communicate with others. Doesn’t matter in what type or form, all that matters is what you want.

Café Society is the place where the meaning behind right and wrong can be discussed until dawn.

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Greek Hobby Farm Gourmet WORDS BY

a

bailey lalonde

ccording to famous ancient Greek Philosopher diogenes of Sinope, simplicity is the key to a fulfilling life; “that personal happiness is satisfied by meeting one’s natural needs”. according to this story, the only possessions he lived with were a cup and a lantern, with his home being the inside of a large terra-cotta pot. When people asked him why he was carrying around this lantern in broad daylight, he said “i am looking for a [honest] man.” one day he found a young boy by a body of water drinking out of his two hands. after this sighting, he cried for two whole days because, “a child ha[d] beaten [him] in plainness of living.” (UChicago). Why use a cup for water when one could simply use his own two hands? This fable refers to the richness of living life in great simplicity.

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While sailing through the Greek island in the ionian Sea, in search of a quality restaurant, we found this family run, hobby farm meets delicious, authentic, humble restaurant. it had actually been referred by long-time friends from Malta. a place with utmost quality combined with off the grid, down-home humility, called us in; some of us for a fifth year in a row. What makes this place so special? While many visitors of Greece pass by this dwelling unnoticed, we came back yet again, for the full experience. What seems like a parcel of land acquired by inheritance, bears fruit of a family focused on the small things, the elements of life worth living for. in this small family farm on the sea, you can find goats, deer, horses of different breeds, chickens, a full garden of fresh fruit and vegetables, an orchard with supple peaches, lemons and

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limes, as well as a family, working together to till this land and deliver a quality product. as humble as this establishment may be, in the summer months, on days like the one in which we visited, the place is nearly filled to capacity; not in a way which is irritating or overwhelming, but a way which implies a sustainable level of success. especially in a time where we continue to hear about the economic downturn of Greece and neighbouring countries. To see a small, isolated, mum-and-pop type restaurant or shop being full, based on word of mouth, a certain sense of pride or congratulations are in order. in a land that appears fairly incognito, we met a man and his son, accompanied by what seemed to be a few family friends, working in the high season to serve the visitors. The land is large enough to impress, yet small enough to remain intimate. a medium sized home, perched on the hilltop, overlooks the farmland and outdoor boutique restaurant, embellished with hand carved wooden tables, fairy light decorated trees, plant rich arches and hand laid stone pathways. Upon docking nearby the hobby farm and restaurant, immediately you are drawn to visit the animals, who peacefully sit in the shade, or wander around eating snacks from the ground and greeting by-passers. Just beyond the space which holds the eclectic collection of animals, you will find the small, quaint guest house and kitchen where the restaurant’s dankness is created. The porch of the guesthouse has a few small tables on it, perhaps for special guests or family to eat, with the ceiling being lined with bunches of wild garlic and fresh herbs. Scattered among the field in front of the guest house are twenty-something hand carved, wooden tables and chairs, constructed from olive wood; these are where the varied quantity of guests are seated from day to day when visiting. beyond the dining area of the property, you can find a small, primarily wooden bar area where the drinks are made and the music comes from. behind here is where the structure which is presumed to be the family home is found. one of the many peculiar elements of this establishment is the remoteness of it; when scanning the area around the restaurant — hobby farm — guest house, you may see one or two hotel or vacation-home like structures. other than this, you are left with the obvious question of “where does the business come from?”

A medium sized home, perched on the hilltop, overlooks the farmland and outdoor boutique restaurant, embellished with hand carved wooden tables, fairy light decorated trees, plant rich arches and hand laid stone pathways.

in speaking to the owner of the property and business, we quickly understood that business is not of utmost importance to him. He said “i know how to ruin this place; it is to promote it all over, to draw huge crowds. That is how to make successful business. i don’t want to make successful business, i want to enjoy my life.”

With this philosophy, it is obvious why when one cruises by on their boat it is not clear that it is a restaurant or any type of business.

This also clarifies why he does not advertise anywhere for his product or service and why he has no website, why he only promotes through word of mouth. The only customers coming into the place are small families driving up on their private boats.

The business is so intimate that the man knows many of the customers by name, due to their repetitive visits over the years.

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FEATURE a boy who appears to be his son comes up, in a very professional yet familiar manner, to bus the table and take each customer’s order; he also remembers the orders by heart, a rare skill in today’s world. on the menu, you find what is fresh that day. a plethora of classic Greek dishes, such as lamb chops, baked chicken, tzatziki, baba ghanoush, Greek salad, fresh bread, stuffed tomatoes, and more. The food comes out in the order and ratio that makes sense for eating comfortably. each ingredient, fresh from the garden or the farm, tasting better and crisper than any rendition of it tasted on the entire journey through the Greek islands. baba ghanoush has never tasted so good; none of it has. in the beginning, it seems like too much has been ordered. in the end, it becomes clear that only the perfect amount has been; or perhaps, no matter the quantity ordered, it would have been consumed anyway. Relative silence, the smell of farm fresh Greek food and small noises of culinary enjoyment are what permeate the air. as the meal comes to a close, fresh air blows and happy families, simultaneously enjoy their experiences; coming from all over the world, yet seemingly all coexisting in this humble, underrated establishment. once the food is finished, the owner wanders over to the table, recognising clearly the visitors who have come before, and addressing them as old friends. There is bound to be a memorable conclusion to this multifaceted culinary

experience. after being complimented endlessly by everyone at the table, he continues to elaborate on his level of gratitude for his life, and how no matter how and to where he travels, he would never wish for a different life.

When met with the comment on how this is an outlook shared by many Greeks, he confirms that this is because of the link to the ancients. He goes on to explain the fable of ancient Greek Philosopher diogenes and his experience with the little boy drinking from his hands; he concludes with the story of when alexander the Great arrived at the famous philosopher’s home demanding his presence. diogenes responded with, “i do not know you; go away from my home. do not take from me what you cannot give me, the sunlight.” after telling us the story of this relevant philosopher, the kind and wise restaurant owner offered us a fine bottle of wine, personally selected, which satisfied each one of us wine lovers at the table. He gave us this bottle to enjoy slowly while digesting the depth of his tale. The closing story of the owner of this beautiful family run cooperation reflects on the immense value of simplicity and how it relates to the ancients. as our group left the restaurant, loaded onto our dingy and returned to our boat, we all had tears in our eyes and a significant memory in our hearts which we would carry on with us forever; accompanied by a fresh air of garlic.

Citations: NA, Penelope NA. “Diogenes the Cynic.” Diogenes. University of Chicago, na. Web. 19 July 2017.

FEATURE

Summer fun LAST OF THE WORDS BY

jamie iain genovese

he second wave of immigrant ants is in. The kitchen that is. They first come at the beginning of summer. and they mean business. They leave no crumb unturned. They infiltrate sealed packages. They even cart off tuna flakes (they ...oh - so – love- to- be- beside- the -sea-side). Then, after a noticeable absence, as september approaches they invade again. and this time there is despair in their method. it is evident in the way they even contemplate, in throngs, the feasibility or otherwise of hauling a sliver of a herb stalk. When you’re trading in perishable greens as commodities, you know things are bad. Really bad.

so anyway i stagger into the kitchen in the morning, groping around for the coffee canister (to lubricate the otherwise stiff joints that are causing the stagger, i should probably explain). The swiftly shortening days mean it’s still not quite light yet. But the ants have beaten me to it and are doing a better job than any family member of clearing the counter top, it would seem. nobody is up and so nothing has riled me as yet, seeing that my bleary eyes have not yet registered the incoming emails that will soon see to that. and so, while i am still in this benevolent mood, i patiently work around the scurrying creatures that once CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 43

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44 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

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especially as showery in malta’s september means again remind me that autumn is nigh and i had the first seasonal rainfall and it’s of diluvial better do some scurrying of my own if i want to proportions. and yet, even if it pours, it’s still hot grab some sun and sea before the season is well and The last of the enough to make you crave the last of those juicy truly over. a tiny ant seems to have sensed my bambinella is soft and watermelons and the chilled prickly pears that are presence as i hover with the plate and cling film; bruised and the noticeably mushier than they were a mere couple apparatus for the various pre-work lunch Maltese grape, of weeks ago. But the basil is losing the will to live, preparations for the household’s working ants of rounder and tangier so you crush it out of its misery, pestle and mortar the human form. and it tries to make a dash for it. than its imported ceding the honour to the blender which whirrs to “Run Forrest, Run,” i find myself rather inanely counterpart, is a stop when you shock it with a cup of pine nuts cheering out loud, as i wait patiently before setting making its and chugs valiantly under the pressure of the down my things on the ant’s predetermined course, appearance. parmeggiano and pecorino, glugging happily as both our luck would have it. (The coffee also when the olive oil whooshes to the rescue, lubricates the vocal chords, of course, apart from mollifying even the garlic in the process. Hey steadying my gait. Unfortunately it takes a few pesto, your pasta is served. cups before what i utter makes any sense. Hence the ‘Forrest’ gabble.) i finally give up and plonk it and you might be tempted to imitate the ants as all down. There is a limit to my support for this you buy the piles of elongated tomatoes that are end-of-summer panic -stocking in my kitchen. i happily foisted on you at the greengrocers’ at some wipe down the rest of the kitchen top and shake ridiculously low price for 3 kilos. out come the away the tiny corpses. Casualties of time; my own, passe-vite (that’s a food mill or purée sieve for you young’uns) and pressing, and theirs, with their last-minute hoarding. kilner jars as you proudly churn out the home-made passata.

Hours of standing and boiling and sterilising and storing later, you Change of seasons, i find, always requires adjusting. and if that realise that you have only produced a ration of, at most, a couple other ant i just flicked off my arm could read this, i’m sure it would of weeks’ worth of still-to –be-cooked zalza. But after all this, you concur. While the new season stretches for what seems like an know that when it runs out, you’ll reach for the supermarket jar infinite or indefinite period ahead, before you know it, the new and look at it with a new-found respect. after all, you one will be upon you. and you reach for that quilt as the evening acknowledge, crushed tomatoes don’t grow on trees, ahem. chill sets in (a tad prematurely, but you’ve missed its comforting hug) and you’re glad you just brought it back in time from the and by the end of september, you’re even eyeing the oven with cleaners’, even though it should have been cleaned and stored a contemplative look. it no longer seems so forbidding and away months ago. just as the ants should really have carted off all unapproachable. and you wonder. is it too early to bake a simple morsels by now. goodness knows we leave enough lying around cake to usher in the teatime season? Perhaps it is. after all, you still overnight to feed their colony a couple of times over, thanks to reach for a bunch of grapes when you come back up from the the recurring ‘it’s never anybody’s mess’ debate. and yet here they afternoon swim. or a slice of melon. and why have cake when are, still hoping for end of season bargains. You can never have the Ħelwa tat-Tork ice cream is languishing in the freezer? its enough, can you? vanilla and halva swirly embrace is more than enough to satisfy that sweet craving. That’s right. scoop out that second helping. and in the kitchen, the shifting seasons are even more Close your eyes and let it linger. That’s the taste, right there. The pronounced. The last of the bambinella is soft and bruised and the taste of the last of the summer fun. and oh, what do you know? maltese grape, rounder and tangier than its imported counterpart, These ants are partial to ħelwa too. or maybe they’ll try anything is making its appearance. Ħajjin! now refers to the lampuki, once, not knowing where their next haul will be coming from. (dorado) winnowy at first but chunkier as the september catch or what it will be. That’s life, after all. very much, say, like a box beneath brushed-steel cloud and clammy haze yields its of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. ain’t that abundance. Barbecues lose their appeal as you never know when right, Forrest? an evening can turn breezy or even—stop the presses—showery; CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017 45

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KEEN EYE FOR DETAIL

A GAME CHANGER WORDS BY

MalcolM naudi

hey were inspired in their concept by their travels. alan recalls: “once we were on holiday in Germany and there they put catering literally in every retail outlet, even clothing. The concept has been modified over the years but the basics are still there.” alan and amy have not had it easy. They were one of the first tenants in the SkyParks Business centre at Malta international airport and faced construction delays right from the start. Their target clients – the employees in the building – initially turned out to be the construction workers themselves.

Still, one of the secrets of their success has been their ability to be flexible. in amy’s words, nothing worth having comes easy and it takes a lot of courage and perseverance to keep going and eventually reach your dream. They persisted and by dint of hard work and attention to detail, the business continued to grow.

While remaining faithful to their concept, they went out to attract walk-in trade, with many people in the area visiting it since there was nothing like it in the vicinity; leisure clients who were either arriving early to the airport before their departure or those who chose to stop there even for business meetings with clients who had just arrived; and people who used it as a workstation, including students.

Their retail offering is constantly changing, with an accent on organic produce and lots of gift ideas for those special occasions.

Yet this is not imposing or over the top. But the revolving door of organic offerings and gifts wrapped well is egalitarian enough, part of a forward-looking contemporary concept. The proof is in the pudding, and their other products, especially when you sit in and find yourself watching people in suits and the more casually attired both patronising their outlet. This gives alan and amy satisfaction, knowing that their place can be enjoyed both by business people and people out to relax alike.

Talbot & Bons, their concept store at SkyParks, boasts many original features. There are large tables where communal-type dining is possible, lots of electrical sockets and excellent wi-fi. all features that allow one to work in a relaxing ambience while sipping away at their favourite coffee or nibbling on their favourite snacks.

Thanks to its layout, there are lots of seating options, both inside and outdoors. When sitting in the ‘main’ area, you can read one of their stories, hung on the columns. When sitting in the lounge area, with its high-backed felt armchairs and soft lighting, a more private ambience is provided, furthered when sectioned off for functions.

46 CIBUS | SEPTEMBER 2017

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a large mural dominates the long wall on the side of the outlet, sponsored by their long-time coffee supplier, Moak, and eye-catching designer sunshades give welcome respite from the summer sun on the terrace overlooking the airport, a necessity to many in this country.

The focus on food service at Talbot & Bons is for a quick turnaround because many of their regular clients, who have now become their friends, will only have half an hour break, making them into catering-traffic-controllers that land and clear tables for their clients to take off from. “Very often, once they have placed their order, the drinks are already on their way to their table as they find their seats,” amy said, with all credit going to the barman who has to cope with preparing coffees that may be time consuming and handling the other beverage orders too.

The revolving door of organic offerings and gifts wrapped well is egalitarian enough, part of a forwardlooking contemporary concept.

another initiative was to support local bands and artists. “We revived live music in local restaurants four years ago and, as a natural development, created an annual charity fund-raising music marathon, of which two editions have been held: 60 hours of non-stop music with 60 different acts of different genres giving a one-hour performance each,” amy said.

Take that, and also consider how all their food is prepared in-house, with regular changes to the menu according to the season – the latest offering is a Maltese salad with ġbejniet, almonds and honey. a popular choice is from the selection of eight gourmet burgers, also made in-house, served on a wooden board with side salad and fries.

among the singers and musicians who took part were nadine axisa, the Versatile Band, ozzy lino and many up-andcoming musicians who had an opportunity to perform with professional sound and lighting, giving them valuable local exposure.

They are also collaborating with artist Stephanie Borg to support local art at their outlet and even have pretty mugs and prints on sale.

With such a volume of passing trade, their retail offering was also a draw. “We started introducing different products,” alan recalled.

“We were among the first to import craft beer and introduced a range of organic products: pastas, juices, wines and soft drinks.

Many of them were not available five years ago. We helped to introduce them and now they are very popular.”

The secret of success for Talbot & Bons has been a keen attention to detail, combined with a passion for their work and key business acumen. although alan has a background in catering, having graduated from the institute of Tourism Studies, including working for a year in Scotland, for amy, a scientist by profession, it was her first experience in business.

With craft beer, of which some 40 brews are available, initially there was resistance. amy recalls being taunted for not offering the commercial brands. “People thought we were not offering enough, whereas we gave them four times the choice,” she pointed out.

Two key challenges have been to attract a constant flow of business throughout the 20 hours or so that the outlet is open every day – seven days a week – and to attract and retain key staff.

coupled with their choice of organic products has been an all-out effort to make their business as sustainable as possible. Working with their suppliers, they have moved towards glass rather than plastic, with General Soft drinks among the first to make cocacola available in glass. This has helped them eliminate the use of 75,000 plastic bottles a year.

Their imported mineral waters come in glass bottles and plastic cups have been replaced with paper cups. They are also working to eliminate plastic from their packaging, including the plastic seals of some bottled waters.

“The biggest challenge has been to create the team,” alan said. as for a big achievement? “our biggest achievement was to create something different that was not available in Malta when we started. it works very well in the morning, throughout the day and very well in the evening. Very few places manage to do that.”

Five years down the line, alan and amy have no intention of resting on their laurels and are currently working on a new project in the hospitality sector.

Talbot & Bons is open daily from 6 a.m. till late with the kitchen open until midnight from Monday to Thursday and until 1 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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prOMO MOdenA BAlsAMic glAze

Modena Balsamic Glaze is the most classic and best known variety, with the perfect balance of subtle acidity, sweetness and grape aromas.

An intense graze full of aromatic hints that is excellent to prepare or garnish any kind of dish. Rasberry Balsamic Glaze is ideal to accentuate the flavour of fruit salads, desserts, ice-creams and more adventurous combinations with duck and strong cheeses. Borges apple balsamic glaze stands out for its striking colour and intense aroma. It enhances the combinations with flavours. Mango Balsamic Glaze is the perfect dressing for the preparation or garnishing of salads, appetizers and tasty desserts. This cream is ideal to give an exotic touch to your recipes. Its lively colour, smooth texture and rich mango aroma will enhance the flavour of your most innovative recipes. For more information about the Borges brand, visit www.borges.es and www.facebook/BorgesMT

A truly unique MAltese culinAry experience

Situated in the heart of Mosta, Ta’ Marija Restaurant encourages you to savour their creative Maltese and Mediterranean cuisine; a cuisine that inspires even the most discerning palate. With more than 50 years of experience, the family run restaurant is a signature experience, offering an elegant, warm and informal ambience and a quality, yet friendly service. Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, with Maltese themed nights every Friday (complete with folk dancers, mandolins and guitars) and an allinclusive buffet extravaganza on Saturdays nights and Sunday lunches for only €25, with a singular show every Saturday night by popular singer Corazon. Find out more at www.tamarija.com

OrgAnic extrA virgin cOcOnut Oil KellOgg’s crunchy Muesli

Packed with whole grains and source of fibre, Kellogg’s Crunchy Muesli offers you a nutritious and balanced breakfast in 3 delicious flavours: Classic - a combination of wholegrain oats in golden clusters. 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!

Good Earth’s Organic extra virgin coconut oil has a very good resistance to high temperatures so makes it ideal in the preparation of all dishes, vegetable, meat, eggs and cakes. Coconut oil is considered the healthiest cooking and frying oil due to its high content of medium-chain fatty acids. The fats (lauric acid) in coconut oil have nutritional properties very similar to those found in mother’s milk. It also has a protective effect on brittle and damaged hair and can be used as a moisturiser to help regenerate and soften the skin.

pAscuAl BifrutAs

Pascual Bifrutas is a complement for your diet to make you feel completely fine through its unique texture and its mixture of fruits. Bifrutas milk and juice is a functional drink made out of Pascual authentic skimmed milk and the best fruits which provide an unmistakable flavour and are a natural source of vitamins A, C and E. Vitamic A is essential for normal bone growth while Vitamins C and E builds antioxidants that protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals and delays ageing. Pascual Bifrutas range includes Tropical, Mediterraneo, Pacifico and Ibiza available in 1L, 330ml or 200ml.

Follow us on Facebook to find out more: www.facebook.com/PascualMalta 48 CIBUS | SeptemBer 2017

new plAsMOn x-Kidz

Plasmon presents a new range of delicious smoothies suitable for children from 3 years upwards. From passion fruit, strawberries, mangos, apricots and bananas, the x-Kidz smoothies are a yummy blend of healthy fruit. Using only ingredients grown at the Plasmon Oasi, these smoothies are presented in a convenient squeezie pouch that’s perfect for toddlers on-the-go. They are ideal to pop in lunchboxes, or to enjoy as a fun fruity snack in between meals. New Plasmon x-Kidz are made from 100 per cent fruit with no added sugar and loads of vitamin C goodness. Plasmon X-Kidz multipacks are available in all three fruity flavours. For more information, contact the Plasmon team on 2258 8600 or visit the Facebook page: Plasmon (Malta).