Delicious No14

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D E G U S T A T I N G

S P R I N G

April 2019

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il-ftira DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, THE MALTESE GOVERNMENT PRESENTED THE ‘FTIRA - THE CULINARY ART & CULTURE OF FLATTENED SOURDOUGH BREAD IN MALTA’ AS THE FIRST ELEMENT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE UNESCO LIST OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY WWW.ICHMALTA.ORG

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April 2019

CULTURE Directorate

MINISTRY FOR JUSTICE, CULTURE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

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ART, FAITH AND TRADITION 1 april - 21 april 2019 easteringozo

Get fully charged Free fries when downloading the new app

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Food For Printing & Publishing: Union Print Co. Ltd, A41, Marsa industrial Estate, Marsa, MRS 3000 +356 25900200 Editor: Omar Vella delicious@unionprint.com.mt Proof Reading: Ramona Marie Vella Cini Marthese Cauchi

She turned to the sunlight And shook her yellow head, And whispered to her neighbor: "Winter is dead.

A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

Index image: Courtesy of David Vidal Photos: We thank all contributers for providing photos and images.

Other photos taken by Alan Saliba and Roger Azzopardi.

Recipes: We thank all contributers for the recipes provided Advertising: info@unionprint.com.mt +356 2590 0200

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hilst listening to Frank Sinatra's song; "It might as well be spring" in the background, I realise that the winter season is over and spring is in the air. From the markets and out of the gardens come the first fresh flavours of the season with dishes that incorporate the jewels of spring. Baby beets, asparagus, artichokes and morels serve as a perfect wake up call that spring has sprung.

The Delicious spring edition looks at the spring season from the eyes of leading local and foreign chefs. This edition also offers an interesting collection of recipes which will certainly entice the reader to try one or two.

Design: Ryan Bezzina design@unionprint.com.mt Front image: Courtesy of Emilia Restaurant Photography Tonio Lombardi

Thought

This magazine is distributed for free with it-Torรงa. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form without the prior consent of Union Print Co. Ltd.

I wish you all a Happy Easter and a pleasant spring!

While we make every effort to make sure that the content of Delicious is correct, we cannot take any responsibility nor be held accountable for any factual errors printed.

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06 Andrea Berton 10 Eneko Atxa 16 JĂŠrĂ´me de Oliveira 22 Tim Raue 34 Jean Christophe Froissard A Sense of Discipline

Communicating through Food

A Taste of Happiness

The Creative Element

The French Connection

& Florian Deville

40 Christophe Morel 46 Daniel Vella McIntyre Chocolate on my Mind

New People, New Ideas

& Michele Sammut

58 Massimiliano Alajmo The Essential Elements

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66 Carlos Borg 70 Simon Veauvy 76 David Pulis 83 Alex & Berta Aquiliina 92 Colin Ciantar & Malcolm Falzon 102 Andrew Vella 106 Sergi Huerga Marin 114 Enrique Olvera Spring is in the Air

All About Pastry

A Chocolate Experience

Indian Gastronomy in Style

It's all in the Name

The Taste of Excellence

Sharing the Same Vision

Redefining Mexican Food

INDEX

April 2019

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Sense of Discipline

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April 2019

Photos by Marco Scarpa

Interview with

Andrea

Berton, Chef Patron at Ristorante Berton

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here is something particular in Chef Andrea Berton’s work which sets him apart from the rest of the crowd.

One of Milan’s most decorated chef’s work immediately captures your attention for its detail, its aesthetic beauty and for the way it exalts Friuli’s fantastic produce. Chef Berton’s mastery is also envisaged in his undisputed skill to take uncomplicated ingredients such as rice and turn them into Michelin-starred dishes. Chef Andrea Berton took some time off his busy agenda to share with us his gastronomic philosophy, his passion for food and his plans for the future.

What attracted you to the world of food?

Since I was a child, when my parents took me to a restaurant, I used to stand in front of the kitchen looking at the transformation process of food. This is something that has always fascinated me.

You give credit to Gualtiero Marchesi and Alain Ducasse as the two people who taught you the most important lessons about being a chef. In what way?

I feel very lucky for having had the chance to work with such amazing people, who made the history of cuisine. Marchesi taught me the importance of the job I was about to start, while from Ducasse I have learnt the entrepreneur side of a chef.

What is your food philosophy?

When I cook I try to respect ingredients, making them recognizable in each dish I create. I also gave value to broth, considered an accessory by the majority of chefs. I dedicated a whole menu to this ingredient making it the real protagonist. I also try to use the whole ingredients in order to avoid waste.

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In 2017, you published your first book, “Non è il solito brodo”. What story does it tell?

Your food makes the most of Friuli’s fantastic produce. In what way does the area’s produce make your food stand out of the crowd?

It is a book that tells the story of my life through the recipes you can taste at my restaurant. It’s a book that can be read from both sides. You’ll find the history of the inspiration process of the dishes you can find at the restaurant, and there is an easier version with recipes that can be made at home.

I try to use products that come from the nearby lands.

Sometimes it’s not possible but the only thing that matters is the traceability, that is, the possibility to know exactly where they come from.

What makes Milan the perfect setting for your restaurant?

You particularly enjoy experimenting with rice, creating pasta, chips and purées out of the grain.

Can you tell us more about such interest?

As I said, I am really interested in the transformation of products. It’s impressive how a grain can turn into an amazing risotto or pasta.

What makes broth such a key element in your kitchen?

When I opened my restaurant in 2013 I decided to give importance to this ingredient. You can have a whole tasting menu called “tutto brodo” where it is either served to be drank separately or to be poured on the dish.

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Milan is the city that has welcomed me when I decided to work as a chef learning at Marchesi’s restaurant in 1989. Milan is a city that can give you a lot, if you work hard. Milan, after Expo, has become one of the most interesting gastronomical places that attract thousands of tourists and passionate people, not only about fashion and design but also in the food scene.

In what way does spring fits into your kitchen?

When it comes to ingredients, I always follow the seasons so spring will become soon a protagonist of my menu with the products that come with it.

What’s next for Andrea Berton?

Opening at least 10 more restaurants.

ANDREA BERTON

W hen I cook I try to respect ingredients, making them recognizable in each dish I create.

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Communicating through Food

M Eneko Atxa, Interview with

Chef Patron of Azurmendi

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April 2019

any food critics consider Chef Eneko Atxa as a pure genius and one of the leading exponents of the contemporary global culinary industry. Despite his relatively young age, he has already achieved a lot including three Michelin stars within just seven years of opening his restaurant, Azurmendi. He is widely respected for his ability to constantly discover new flavours, to go against the norm and to impress everybody with his creativity and innovation, with his deep knowledge of tradition, with his exceptional technique and with his undisputed skills. Chef Atxa shared with Delicious what lies behind his interest in food, his strong belief in sustainability, his ‘identity cuisine’ philosophy and his plans for the future.

Credits by Azurmendi

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ENEKO ATXA

In what way has your family influenced your professional path?

Since I was a small child, the kitchen has truly been of fundamental importance in my maternal and family home because life revolved around the kitchen. It was the nucleus, the center of the house were we would listen to conversations of our elders. We would often find my grandmother and mother cooking for us with a lot of love and affection, always trying to please the rest of the family.

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How do you develop your menus?

I find out what products I will have for each season, channel my sensory memory what textures, aromas, and other things have stirred me from my childhood to my adulthood, and try to play with all that.

How can a diner experience food with all five senses?

The experience is about an odour, a texture, the beauty and the scenography of the dish.

Tell us about your “identity cuisine.�

What role does passion play in your work?

I want to offer my guests something that I have inside me, my culture, my habits, my roots and my desire to evolve. I believe I must offer something that you can only find here (in the Basque Country), that is our roots and our identity.

Passion is fundamental in our work. Together with passion I add being super curious to learn. I consider myself extremely curious. The important thing is that each door you open leads you to a different door. I try to enjoy more of the path than of the goal itself.

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A FRESH & DELICIOUS MENU IN AN IDYLLIC SETTING.

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Tell us about Azurmendi’s zero policy waste.

Azurmendi is a restaurant that has a very low kitchen / storage space ratio. This is due to the fact that in Azurmendi there is a policy to improve storage efficiency and a stock 0 policy. This allows us not only to need less energy and resources for the storage and conservation of our elaborations, but also to produce less food and therefore, lower residue.

April 2019

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We feel a deep respect and admiration for our environment, which inspires us. If your environment is what inspires you and what helps you to have the best products in your pantry and is also fundamental for your life, the most normal thing is to take care of it. You should be aware that it is your responsibility to transfer your own environment to the next generations at least as you received it would be much better if you help to improve it. There must be respect and use of common sense to return to the new generations what our ancestors left us to care for and preserve. I believe that sustainability is not a tendency, but rather it is a social responsibility, a way of understanding that respect for everything around us is the foundation of coexistence with people, the environment, the economy and the future.

It’s not a trend or an idea for me. For me it is something fundamental, an obligation, a commitment, it is to apply the responsible side as a human being.

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Azurmendi picked up the Sustainable Restaurant Award in 2014. Why is it important to focus on sustainability today?

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R E S TAU R A N T

Ta’ Xbiex Open for lunch and dinner For reservations call: 2131 8801 / 7931 8801 thegalleymalta.com

ENEKO ATXA

W hen I cook I try to respect ingredients, making them recognizable in each dish I create.

Can you share with us the sustainable initiatives you are working on?

At Azurmendi we have been working on different initiatives related with sustainability for a long time.

Initiatives such as the architectural project of Azurmendi, collaborations with local producers or the one related with social issues, collaborating in projects to improve the feeding of the patients of the hospital of Galdakao for example.

us creativity is to transform ourselves every day to be in constant movement, renewing and reinventing ourselves, looking for new paths, exploring new ways of doing things, and always trying to do it from a fixed departure point, which is our culture, our identity, our territory, our way of understanding the world, from our birthplace to the rest of the world.

What are your plans for the future?

In what way does spring exalt your creativity in the kitchen?

Spring doesn´t exalt my creativity in a special way. For

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I do not think about the goal, I think about the road. I want to enjoy the road more than the goal. Make every day a little better than the previous day by always trying to satisfy the clients.

Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.

Janine di Giovanni

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Taste of Happiness

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April 2019

Interview with

Jérôme

de Oliveira, Pastry Chef at Intuitions by J

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hef Jérôme de Oliveira is considered by many as one of the finest young talents France has produced in recent years. His sweets are a combination of colours and tastes which come together to create pure work of art. It is by no coincidence that despite his young age, he has won the World Cup twice. It is not a coincidence either that many sweet enthusiasts flock down to the French Riviera where he runs his outlet ‘Intuitions by J’ to taste his work and admire his undisputed skills. Chef de Oliveira shared with Delicious his journey in the pastry world, his style and what’s next for him.

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I would say that my style is playful, I like that people smile looking at my pastries

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JÉRÔME DE OLIVEIRA

In what way has your time working with Sébastien Bouillet and Christophe Michalak contributed to a further development of your talent?

From a very young age, you were determined to become a pastry chef. How come?

My grandfather had a big vegetable garden and my grandmother cooked very well all the delicious fruits and vegetables they harvested. I used to look forward to each Sunday with so much eagerness to share a delicious meal with them and the rest of the family. But most of all, it was to eat my grandmother’s desserts, especially her cherry clafoutis!! I realised that dessert time was always a moment of pleasure for everybody and that is what made me want to become a pastry chef so young. Later I also realised that it is a job that requires a real artistic sense and I like that a lot.

Both of them saw in me an overwhelming passion and a lot of will to always do my best to succeed in this career. They helped me through all the challenges I gave myself and taught me the good and the beautiful.

They also showed me what entrepreneurship was and that you always need to question yourself to evolve.

At one point, you decided to move south and settle in Cannes. Why? I always dreamed of opening my own boutique and was not especially willing to spend all of my life in Paris, so when I was contacted for this opportunity to settle in Cannes I thought that it was my chance to start my own business in a region that I liked a lot… and that is how it begun 8 years ago and I regret nothing!

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Nature Line Ltd. 30, Street, 2019Qormi 20 NewApril t: 2144 4324 m: 9945 4324 e: info@ccini.com f: www.fb.com/lambbrand

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so many faces and can be used in so many different ways (zest, juice, supreme, confit …). It is fresh; it helps compensate sugar in pastries. It is also tricky and has to be used properly to find the right balance. Moreover south of France is THE land of citrus! It is synonymous of sun and makes me travel in my mind!

How would you define your style?

I would say that my style is playful, I like that people smile looking at my pastries, but in the meantime I want it to stay elegant and refined. My philosophy is that it’s the first look that make people buy but it’s the taste of the product that makes them come back so the visual has to serve the product itself.

In what way does intuition guide you in your creations?

I’m very curious about all that surrounds me. I can find inspiration in a place, a shape, a colour… I often take pictures of very different things and think of how I could turn them in order to use them in my sugary world.

In a recent interview you noted, “Of all the passions, the only really respectable seems to me to be the greed ...” Can you elaborate?

That quote of Guy de Maupassant is my everyday mantra! Pastry is an exciting job, full of generosity and made to give pleasure in first place. Greed reunites everybody!

Is there any particular ingredient you would never do without in your kitchen?

I think that what I like the most is lemon because it has

Does spring influence in some way or another your creative mood?

In my laboratory spring announces Easter and means the creation of new chocolate creations to surprise all generations each year.

It is also synonymous of the comeback of the sun even though in my region sun is all year round and there is a bigger diversity of fruit. It is a real pleasure to work again with red fruits and imagine new seasonal products.

How would you describe spring in pastry?

It is the return of a fresher and more colourful range of pastries. My clients expect every year the comeback of the fraisier, of my famous red fruits cheesecake or my verrine with lime, strawberry and aloe vera.

What’s next for you?

A big change in my life as I’m about to become a father in a few months time. I believe that this baby will also be a source of inspiration because I will be keen on creating new things to help him discover different tastes and of course please him!

On the business side I would like to focus on the expansion of my chocolate range and I also think about a book…maybe in 2020.

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TheCREATIVE Element

Interview with Chef

Tim Raue, Chef Patron of Tim Raue Restaurant

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hef Tim Raue’s elegant plating style, flair and technique has taken the culinary world by storm and quickly earning him a reputation as one of Germany’s leading toques. Chef Raue’s major feat is certainly in the way he revolutionised the face of German fine-dining by bringing in Asian influences to the cuisine and deconstructing overdone dining experiences. Chef Tim Raue takes Delicious on a journey through his life and gives us insights into how he became the chef he is today.

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My style is unique; it is my way. It combines Cantonese cooking skills, Thai flavours and Japanese purism to a unique style.

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April 2019

TIM RAUE

What lies behind your shift from gang life to fine dining?

A hard, long path, where I sacrificed personal needs to climb to the top. I chose this way, so I never complained; I loved and love what I do.

How would you describe your style?

My style is unique; it is my way. It combines Cantonese cooking skills, Thai flavours and Japanese purism to a unique style.

In what way do you take your clients to the border?

It´s all about flavours: sweet, sour and spicy, in a playful way. It does not overpower the main ingredients, but we try to give them a punchy kick on the palate.

You have often been described as ‘difficult’ in the kitchen. What lies behind such reputation?

I am openly talking about the fact, that the tone in the kitchen is direct, sometimes harsh and it is all about winning the game. It is like being on the soccer field: you do everything you are legally allowed to, to win within the 90 minutes. And when it’s over, you hug your opponent, shake hands and everything is fine.

However, you have often noted that the discipline you engrain in your staff is also what sets you apart.

Why? Discipline, structure and schedule: those are basics in a kitchen. If these work pretty well, you can get to the next level in cooking and creativity.

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Paolo Bonnici Ltd Marsa Tel: +356 21239363 www.paolobonnici.com

EXEEDINGLY GOOD CAKES

In a recent interview, you pointed out that one of the major challenges for a young chef is that “you have no understanding about the product. You have no idea about flavours.� Can you explain further?

Nowadays some chefs become head chefs pretty young. However in reality, a chef needs time to grow and to learn about the produce and how to cook it and later to be able to match different ingredients and flavours together to make them work. One needs time to find an answer to the question of who are you? What would you want to express with your dishes?

I also read that your first visit to Asia was like being in paradise. In what way is Asia so interesting from a gastronomic point of view?

For me it was the first time that I ate fine dining food that was combined with punchy flavours. That changed my way of creating dishes.

You have often voiced the fact that Germany lacks the culture to spend money on food. Can you elaborate?

We are proud of being a country of writers, musicians and engineers. But food to us is not on the level like in Southern Europe or Asia.

What are your plans for the future?

Paolo Bonnici Ltd Marsa Tel: +356 21239363 www.paolobonnici.com.mt

I want to learn and to reflect every day, in order to be a better leader, to create amazing new dishes, and make myself happy.

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April 2019

TIM RAUE

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BREAKFAST, PIZZA, PASTA & BBQ GRILLS LIVE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

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Baked feta chorizo salad INGREDIENTS: Rocket leaves Lettuce Red cabbage Whole green olives Cherry tomatoes Onion Bread sticks Feta cheese Uncooked chorizo Olive oil Fresh mint leaves

COOKING METHOD:  Cut the lettuce, red cabbage and finely slice the onion.  Add them to a bowl with a handful of rocket leaves and cherry tomatoes.  Add some olive oil and salt for taste.

PLATE:  Add the green olives, the baked feta cheese and grilled chorizo.  Top with some mint leaves, bread sticks and olive oil.

BAKING THE FETA AND GRILLING THE CHORIZO:  Preheat grill to medium-low, and cook the chorizo for at least 20 minutes until sausage is browned.  Cut the chorizo to your liking.  Heat oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Put the feta cheese in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes until warmed and softened.

Crumble the feta cheese and scatter on the salad for intense flavour.

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2019

©UEFA

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WIN TICKETS TO THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL MADRID 2019 AND SEMI-FINAL TICKETS AND OTHER FOOTBALL PRIZES! T&C’s apply. www.pepsifootball.com.mt

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April 2019

#FORTHELOVEOFIT #FORTHELOVEOFIT #FORTHELOVEOFIT

PEPSI X UCL

WATSON'S PUB & DINER

INGREDIENTS:

GRILLED

LAMB loin chops

Lamb loin chops (about 1inch in thickness) Red baby potatoes 6 cloves minced garlic Carrots Butter Corn on cob Fresh parsley Green beans Red wine Rosemary Salt and Pepper Fennel seeds Coriander powder Cumin powder Olive oil

COOKING METHOD: MARINATE  Mix the cumin, coriander, salt and pepper, paprika, garlic, rosemary and parsley with 150g of butter, cup of red wine and oil.  Marinate the lamb chops in the mix, cover and marinate overnight.  Heat grill to medium-high heat. Grill the lamb chops and gradually add the marinated butter mix while cooking to soften the meat and make it flavourful.  Cook the lamb chops for approx. 10 to 15 minutes if you prefer it well-done (meat is thoroughly cooked) Give the potatoes a quick toss in melted butter and fennel seeds. Bake in a preheated oven.

with marinated baked potato and vegetables

 Drizzle melted butter on the corn and carrots, sprinkle some salt and grill.  Transfer all vegetables in a baking dish, add in the potatoes, green beans and mix in half a cup of red wine. Preheat oven to 200°C and bake for around 10 minutes.  Plate the vegetables, potatoes and lamb loin chops.

Sprinkle fresh parsley and serve immediately.

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PROJECT PART-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION

COLLECTION OF

ORGANIC WASTE

EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY

Freephone 8007 2200 www.wasteservmalta.com Operational Programme l – European Structural and Investment Funds 2014 – 2020 “Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges” Project part-financed by the Cohesion Fund Co-financing rate: 85% European Union; 15% National Funds

WATSON'S PUB & DINER

INGREDIENTS:

Easter Chocolate

200g dark chocolate (chopped and set aside) 200g heavy whipping cream 150g plain biscuits 75g butter for the biscuits 25g butter for the chocolate Mini Chocolate Eggs

TART

MAKING THE GANACHE:

MAKING THE BISCUIT BASE:

 Put the heavy whipping cream and 25g of butter in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat.

 Finely ground the biscuits.

 Add the chopped dark chocolate and whisk until mixture is smooth and well combined. Pour over the biscuit base and top with the mini Easter eggs.

 Melt 75g of butter and mix well with the biscuits.  Press the mixture into a tart tin or pie dish and put in the freezer for 20minutes.

 Freeze for 20 minutes and then for about an hour in the refrigerator.

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TheFRENCH

Connection

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April 2019

Interview with

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Jean Christophe Froissard Florian Deville Owner of Le Grenier à Pain, Malta

Head Chef at Le Grenier à Pain, Malta

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al-Qormi has recently added a touch of France to its reputation as the town of bakeries with Le Grenier à Pain, situated a few roads away from busy Mill Street. With more than thirty bakeries all over France and in leading cities across the globe including Beirut, Tokyo and Saint Petersburg, Le Grenier à Pain has for the past two decades entertained the market with its exquisite selection of bread, pastries, pâtisseries, cakes and savouries.

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Despite happily residing in Malta with his family, Jean Christophe Froissard felt a sense of nostalgia for the traditional French bread he was accustomed to back in France. This feeling was also shared by his friends in the local French community. Driven by this deep desire to access quality French bread, he took the bold decision to introduce Le Grenier à Pain in Malta. I asked him why did he go for Le Grenier à Pain to which he promptly replied that their choice was primarily driven by the reputation of the company, by their traditional method of preparing bread and above all by their reputation as leaders in the industry.

I also ask Jean Christophe about the location to which he notes that the choice of place was driven more by logistical factors rather than any other matter.

The team is all French spearheaded by one of the best pastry chefs on the island, Florian Deville. Florian's portfolio hails stints at The Phoenicia Malta, at The Radisson Blu Resort in St. Julians and at Sundays in Scotland. His work is impressive and conveys his eye for detail and his incredible way to create a perfect balance between visual, taste and texture. Who better than him could take over the challenging kitchen of Le Grenier à Pain? I ask him what led him to take the challenge to which he replies, "I met Jean Christophe a few months ago and quickly struck a chord. We are both strong believers in the need to offer the market a quality product, we both love Malta and above all we both miss the French way bread and pastry is traditionally produced. It was quite natural for me to accept his offer."

The underlying principles of Le Grenier à Pain are what makes it stand out of the crowd. The brand strongly believes that any automated machine will never replace the main baker’s tool – his hands. Every baker at Le Grenier à Pain needs to connect its senses to the main ingredient - bread dough. Any tool used in the process of bread making should complement the work of the baker but not replace him. Le Grenier à Pain in Malta offers a variety of breads which include sour-dough loaves and of course, the famous “La Baguette de tradition” (the traditional French

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Every baker at Le Grenier à Pain needs to connect its senses to the main ingredient - bread dough

JEAN CHRISTOPHE FROISSARD & FLORIAN DEVILLE

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JEAN CHRISTOPHE FROISSARD & FLORIAN DEVILLE

baguette). However, they have also introduced some bread varieties which specifically cater for the local market including bread with sesame seeds and also a loaf which resembles local traditional bread. Every item is produced in accordance to the rigid rules of the Le Grenier à Pain franchise with a few tweaks here and there to cater for the Maltese market. All ingredients are sourced locally apart from their Viron flour which is milled in France from French wheat.

Le Grenier à Pain is also synonymous with great pastry which range from the traditional croissants and «pains au chocolat» (chocolate buns) to traditional éclairs, tarte Tatin, Paris-Brest, clafoutis and other pastry creations. The dough, the creams and the compotes are produced from scratch by the pastry team at Le Grenier 38

April 2019

à Pain under the vigil eyes of Florian. Every sweet gives particular attention to taste and seeks to highlight the incredible flavours of fine locally sourced ingredients.

Their Mille-Feuille is well produced with fine layers of Pâte Feuilletée, alternating with two layers of pastry cream and finished off with fondant. And what about their Baba au Rum? The taste is simply delicious with nothing too little or too much. Every customer is spoilt for choice with a vast range of freshly made dry or cream sweets.

Le Grenier à Pain also offers a vast range of savouries which include generously filled baguettes, croquemonsieur, quiche lorraine and quiche provençal. The place also offers a nice variety of homemade cookies, jars of selected tea and homemade jam, boxes of old-

fashioned caramels, meringues and chocolate just to mention a few.

Jean Christophe notes that initially, the local market was quite sceptic about the concept and their main clients where French, yet, gradually piqued by curiosity locals started dropping over to taste their products.

"Today we can fairly say, we have a fairly good mix of French and local clients." He admits the location has its limitations and thus they are looking for other places across the island where they can expand their brand.

"The plan is to use this place as a laboratory where we can develop new concepts and ensure consistency of our current selection. Our objective is to open other shops in the vicinity which will help logistically to reach the French community and the local market."

Le Grenier Ă Pain is indeed worth a try either for a quick bite, for a sweet treat or for a loaf of bread which certainly rekindles your memories of a French cafĂŠ in the heart of Paris.

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C

hocolate

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April 2019

on my Mind

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hocolate takes a different dimension when Chef Christophe Morel is busy in the kitchen preparing an imposing sculpture, gianduja nougats or pralines. Born in France to a family of pastry chefs, he soon took courses to officially become a pastry professional, but above all to be a master chocolatier.

Today, he is an internationally acknowledged chocolate artisan, whose passion for chocolate, ability to play with flavours, and his impressive creativity have earned him a reputation as one of the best chocolatiers in the world. It is by no coincidence that his portfolio includes several prestigious accolades including; Canadian National Chocolate Awards winner 2003; first prize for chocolate at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France 2005; and declared 4th in the world at the Paris World Chocolate Masters in 2005. He was also a finalist for the prestigious title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), awarded to craftspeople who have reached the summit of their art.

Chef Christophe Morel shared with Delicious his philosophy, his passion for chocolate and what should we expect from him in the coming months.

Interview with

Christophe

Morel, Chocolatier

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CHRISTOPHE MOREL

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In what way has your family pastry background influence your choice of career path?

For me it was a logical choice. I like pastry and chocolate. It’s a chance for me to be able to do this job. I do not see myself doing anything else.

Low in saturated fat

Like wine, once you have tasted good chocolate you cannot go back to a bad chocolate.

What does chocolate mean to you?

Michael Levine once commented, “Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world’s perfect food.” To what extent do you agree?

I totally agree. Chemically, chocolate makes you happy. One eats chocolate for the fun of it and not to feed himself.

In what way is chocolate a noble product?

The real chocolate, that is 100% cocoa butter with a controlled origin is already a very good product but once transformed by a chocolatier to make chocolate it becomes a noble product.

Do people appreciate a good piece of chocolate?

Like wine, once you have tasted good chocolate you cannot go back to a bad chocolate. Then I think we need to eat a square of chocolate every day.

No artificial colours or preservatives

Chocolate is my life. I started working as a chocolatier at the age of 15. I found that with chocolate I can express myself and flourish in my life.

Paolo Bonnici Ltd Marsa Tel: +356 21239363 www.paolobonnici.com.mt

CHRISTOPHE MOREL

How can the perfect harmonisation of flavours be sought?

This will depend on the flavour of the chocolate.

Some will marry more with spices than others. Some chocolates that have notes of natural fruit will marry easily with raspberry or passion fruit. It is the chocolatier with his know-how that will be able to elaborate the good mixture.

Tell us about your academy?

Training is a big part of my job. It is important for me to train the younger generations in the chocolate business.

It’s a real job. It is not enough to melt chocolate. We must understand all the raw materials that we use to create wonders. I share my 35 years of knowledge in the chocolate factory.

In what way does education contribute for a better understanding and appreciation of chocolate?

You have to understand the story and where the chocolate comes from, all the way to get chocolate from a fruit. Than you can appreciate the chocolate better.

The Ice Cream you have never tasted before!

The BLACK Ice Cream PIONEER ROAD, BUGIBBA

7990 0196

How does spring exalt your creative mind?

I am still creating. For me it’s important. I always have new ideas. I create the flavours in my head and then I try to realize them as I imagined them.

What should we expect from Christophe Morel in the coming months?

I will continue to do my job. I am lucky to have a job that is also a passion. I will continue to create.

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New

People, NEW IDEAS

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April 2019

Interview with Photos by Alan Saliba

Daniel

&

Vella Mclntyre Michele

Sammut Commando Restaurant

H

idden in the busy kitchen of the Commando restaurant among huge pots and pans lies one of Malta’s best chefs. Chef Damian Ciappara’s food is sublime and always succeeds

to exalt the beauty of local produce which encourages you to visit Commando again and again. Damian’s talent has recently been complemented with the fresh ideas of Daniel Vella McIntyre and Michele Sammut.

Their concepts fit perfectly with Damian’s wealth of experience in the industry creating a perfect fusion which is spelt out in every dish prepared at Commando Restaurant. Delicious recently met up with Daniel Vella McIntyre and Michele Sammut to discuss their style, their food philosophy and what we should expect when dining at Commando during the spring season.

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In our kitchen a vegetable gets the same respect as a prime cut of meat or fish.

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April 2019

COMMANDO RESTAURANT

Tell us about your food philosophy?

What brought you to Commando restaurant?

D: The owner, Damian, is a family friend. I was always inspired by his ideas and concept and therefore when he approached me to join him, I accepted immediately. We share the same passion for good food and also share the same cooking style. I knew that working at Commando Restaurant was an opportunity for me to grow as a chef.

M: I’ve always found Commando Restaurant to be one of the best restaurants on the island. It was one of those places I certainly could not turn down. Two years and a half ago, Damian offered me the opportunity to work with him which I accepted without hesitation.

D: I strongly believe in the need to keep it simple, and respect each and every ingredient used in the kitchen. In our kitchen a vegetable gets the same respect as a prime cut of meat or fish.

The food which I prepare is inspired by both seasons and local ingredients, hence, using ingredients when they are at their freshest. I do not see the point of using ingredients which are not in season. In summer as it is a hot month, I tend to opt for lighter dishes, such as a local fish with pickled vegetables and a citrus dressing. On the other hand, in colder winter months, I opt for heartier and warmer food, such as braised meats.

Moreover, I always include different methods of cooking and textures on one plate. This gives more depth of flavour to a dish and makes it more interesting.

M: Food must be simple, yet good. I think it is important that when cooking, each ingredient is given equal importance. I prefer serving a dish using just few ingredients that are in season, genuine and that complement each other.

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COMMANDO RESTAURANT

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April 2019

Do you prefer sweet or salty dishes?

D: With regards to taste I prefer savoury rather than sweet. With regards to work, I enjoy working both savoury and sweet dishes. I enjoy the challenge behind preparing desserts. One needs great attention to detail and patience but the final dish is always rewarding.

M: If I had to choose between cooking sweet or savoury food, I prefer savoury, as that is my background.

However, I do enjoy preparing desserts because it requires a different approach and a lot of detail.

How do you coexist in the same kitchen?

In a kitchen it is important to have chefs with different school of thought and style of cooking. Thus, we share our ideas and inspire one another. At Commando restaurant Damian, Michele and I have different skills.

Damian is more focused on classics, Michele excels in refined comfort food, Thomas is very good at baking especially bread and I am more focused on the preparation of desserts and new trends. This makes it more interesting when building a new menu. I strongly believe that each person’s strength make our team stronger.

In what way are you similar and different?

Michele and I share more similarities rather than differences. With regards to similarities we both have a solid culinary background, a passion for cooking, learning new techniques and trying out new dishes. On the other hand, as it was already mentioned, Michele is more focused on refined comfort food and I tend to be more focused on pastry. Therefore, we have different strengths in different areas which compliment each other and deliver a balanced and well-rounded menu that can appeal to a wide range of customer palates.

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Food Ltd

facebook.com/attardcofood

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April 2019

What ingredients do you associate with this time of year?

What changes have you introduced to the Commando menu?

We want each dish to be finished off with its own garnish to enhance the flavour palate of each dish separately. Further to this, we also incorporated different textures and methods of cooking on the same plate. For example, the veal dish on our menu has two different methods of cooking, the fillet of veal is pan fried and finished off in the oven and the cheeks are braised `veal blanquette`. This gives the dish more depth of flavour, therefore making it more interesting.

We are now also baking fresh bread inhouse which is accompanied with flavoured butter and Gozitan olive oil.

Definitely globe artichokes and fava beans. Both ingredients are a staple in the Maltese kitchen at this time of the year. At Commando we like to amalgamate classic ingredients with contemporary cuisine to truly translate tradition through our dishes.

One cannot leave out loquats and strawberries of course. We enjoy creating dishes to transport our diners through a complete seasonal journey.

What do you feel makes the restaurant stand out of the crowd?

At Commando, we build a concise menu in order to deliver food based on fresh local ingredients and simplicity. It is extremely important to us that we deliver exceptional food and thus we want to be in control of all the elements on the menu. This is why we choose to bake bread freshly in house. We want to translate our passion through the dishes that we serve.

At Commando one expects to be transported through an excellent culinary experience.

What should we look out for at Commando during the spring Season?

What’s next?

Planning the new menu is always exciting. We will definitely make use of most of the seasonal ingredients to deliver a fresh and colourful menu. This is to use the freshest ingredients available which will perfectly accompany the chosen protein. Same applies for the dessert menu; we will use fruit which is in season such as strawberries.

Food. Food. And more Food. Our mission is simple: to work closely with local producers, to deliver fresh ingredients while applying different culinary techniques to deliver excellent dining experience. As a team we will continue to work on contemporary and classic methods to enrich each dining experience. Thus, making it memorable.

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&

Salmon sea bass

IN FILO PASTRY INGREDIENTS

METHOD

2 salmon fillets

 Remove the skin from the salmon and slice evenly using a very sharp knife. Season with salt, pepper, lemon zest and thyme sprigs.

1 sea bass filleted Zest of 1 lemon Pine nuts Sprigs of fresh thyme Garlic butter Filo pastry Poppy seeds Salt and Pepper

 Remove the skin from the sea bass fillet and sandwich between the two salmon fillets.  Brush a sheet of filo pastry with garlic butter.

Transfer the fish in the middle of the filo pastry and wrap around the fish fillets.  Pre heat oven to 200°C. Place fish parcel on a baking dish, brush with the garlic butter, sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake until pastry is golden and crispy.

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AARON'S KITCHEN

Crispy Skin PORK BELLY

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April 2019

INGREDIENTS 1.5 kgs pork belly Coarse sea salt 1 orange 2 star anise 1 bottle of cider 2 apples (cut into wedges) 1 onion 1 carrot Celery 2 cloves garlic Thyme, rosemary and bay leaves Mashed potatoes Green vegetables to serve

METHOD  Pat dry the pork with kitchen paper and score the skin with the aid of a sharp blade. Sprinkle and rub the pork belly with sea salt. Seal the pork, skin side down in a hot oven dish with olive oil.

Meanwhile chop the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, star anise and herbs. Place ingredients including the juice of 1 orange in a heavy based pan and cook over medium heat until sauce thickens.

Continue cooking the pork belly for a couple of minutes, pour over the cider and flip over the meat skin side up . Add in enough water and make sure the pork belly is level (if one part is lower/shorter the skin will not cook evenly. You can also use aluminium foil to cover, and bake in a moderate oven for up to 2 hours. Uncover, and continue cooking for a further 1 hour until pork skin turns golden and crispy. Add in apple wedges in the last 10 minutes.  Remove pork belly and increase oven temperature. Cut the belly pork into desired size, and place in the oven until skin is completely bubbly and crispy.  Serve on mashed potatoes with green vegetables, apple wedges and roasting juices.

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April 2019

The

Essential ELEMENTS

M

assimiliano Alajmo

is

considered

by

many as a genius and one of the best ambassadors

of Italy’s culinary excellence. Born into a family of Italian chefs, the food world, he made a name for himself interpreting ingredients in innovative ways, creating a contemporary Italian cuisine that is at once simple and totally unique. His reputation has earned him the nickname il Mozart

Interview with

Massimiliano

Alajmo, Chef at Le Calandre

dei fornelli – or Mozart of the stove.

He is also the youngest chef ever to be awarded three Michelin stars at the age of just twenty-eight. Today, Massimiliano and his brother Raffaele preside over a mini-empire of restaurants in Venice, Paris and his native Padua. Chef Alajmo shared with Delicious, his food philosophy, his thoughts about Italian cuisine and his plans for the future.

Photo by Lido Vannucchi

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What attracted Chef Alajmo to the world of food?

It was my mother, mamma Rita. I have been interested in cooking since she gave me my first handful of flour.

She was the head chef of Le Calandre, called Aurora at the time, and I visited her every day after school. I tried to help as best I could, rolling out cookie dough or stirring a pot of risotto. I have such a vivid memory of being in the kitchen at that age. I was as tall as the bottom of the chefs’ jackets and my dream in life was to one day have a clean, white, perfectly-pressed jacket of my own. My memories of that time still have a deep influence in my cooking today.

Describe your culinary philosophy.

The three main principles of my cuisine are depth, lightness and fluidity. Lightness and depth for me is to reach or penetrate the nucleus of the ingredients; and respond with respect and therefore lightness. Fluidity interests me because it is the essential quality of water and because it can’t be confined. I am interested in transferring the concept of fluidity or liquidity to food, which doesn’t mean eating liquid foods. It is the concept. Liquids or fluids can’t be contained which means that they are elements that take the natural course that they were intended to take. Water carries with it all of the memories of the path it has taken. Which, with regards to food, means that every ingredient in a recipe must contribute the memory of the path it has taken to create harmony and fluidity.

In an interview, you noted; “Cuisine must undress itself of the superfluous to rediscover the innocence of a child.” Can you elaborate?

Yes, for me, cooking and cuisine are based on some essential elements. A shared experience and innocence are two of them. I communicate through food. I use food to convey feelings, thoughts, emotions. And then, at the same time, I learn. There is a continual osmosis with my ingredients and with my guests. Cooking, for me, must also be playful and not take itself too seriously. Cooking also requires intuition and there is nothing more lovely than strong, uninhibited, childish intuition.

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MASSIMILIANO ALAJMO

Photo by Sergio Coimbra

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MASSIMILIANO ALAJMO

What makes Italian cuisine stand out of the crowd?

I believe that Italian cuisine benefits from sunshine and the Italian sense of conviviality. Italian food is generally warm, in character, and comforting.

In what way does Le Calandre offer a truly multisensory experience?

Le Calandre is precisely the type of restaurant that my brother Raffaele and I enjoy dining in most: curated, yet informal. In early 2010, we remodeled the dining room so that it would be an extension of the kitchen.

We selected all of the design elements as if they were ingredients used to compose a dish. Everything from the tables to the wine glasses to the waiter’s uniforms were hand-crafted by Italian artisans. We removed the tablecloth exposing the wooden tables made from a single 150-year-old tree, encouraging guests to run their hands along the wood. We contemplated about and curated every detail to make dining at Le Calandre a truly multisensory experience.

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I read about your research on ways to create dairy sensations without the presence of milk or dairy.

What makes milk such a particular ingredient?

I have been researching ways to create dairy sensations without the presence of milk or dairy. Starting from what may be considered a trivial consideration, we found that milk is the first ingredient that unites us as humans: the mother’s milk that nourishes babies creates a gustatory and tactile complicity which gives us emotions and valid information for life. Based on this observation, we believe that the lactic-tactile (or dairylike) sensations created by certain foods or dishes, give us the reassurance and protection to every man intimately “re-searches.” Otherwise, how could we explain the success of a dessert such as tiramisu or a simple caprese or a cappuccino? Don’t they all contain a strong dairy component? In fact. they are all dishes that combine reassuring contrasts that make them so “universal.”

Can you share what lies behind your famous dish, Risotto allo zafferano con polvere di liquirizia?

I dedicated this dish to my wife Mariapia. She’s from the region of Calabria, where there is a lot of sun and where licorice is grown. The root and the flower, represented by licorice and saffron, are the most extreme parts of the plant; one low, deep and hidden, the other tall, seductive and luminous, almost like a dialogue between opposites: origin and growth, birth and rebirth.

The colours reflect the contrast, at the same time maintaining a hidden truth. The darkest part, in other words the dark powder manifests golden reflections only in the presence of light. This is a strong analogy for a dish with many reassuring aspects.

In what way does spring fit into your kitchen?

It fits in my kitchen with its ingredients.

What’s next for Massimiliano Alajmo?

Who knows?

Photo by Sergio Coimbra

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love Gozo love food enjoy Country Terrace

Country Terrace Lounge Bar & Restaurant Zewwieqa Street, Mgarr - Gozo T:+356 2155 0248 M:+356 9944 6833 Email: info@country-terrace.com

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April 2019

COUNTRY TERRACE

RAVIOLONI

con formaggio asiago e radicchio rosso di Treviso

METHOD COOKING

Fresh ravioli, asiogo cheese, red chicory blanched in a light butter, spear tips of asparagus & parmesan sauce & parsley INGREDIENTS 12 fresh ravioli with asiago cheese and red chicory ( 12 Ravioli ) Fresh parsley 10g salted butter 6 Asparagus 8 Cherry tomatoes 30cl wine Chardonnay Shot of Calvados 20g shavings of Parmesan cheese Pinch of salt and pepper

 Start by trimming off the tough, woody flat ends of the asparagus. Then, chop into small pieces. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half . Melt the butter in a medium sized pan, add the cherry tomatoes and the asparagus . Cook until slightly golden. Add in the wine and let it reduce, and then flame it with the shot of Calvados. Sprinkle with a pinch of parsley, salt and pepper. Stir for about 3 minutes, add the parmesan shavings and let it melt.  Fill a heavy based pot with water, and cook until boiling. Add the ravioli and cook uncovered for about 4-6 minutes.  Add the ravioli to the sauce.

SERVING  Warm the plates for serving. Scatter fresh parsley over the top and serve.

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SPRING 66

April 2019

IS IN THE

AIR

Interview with

Carlos

Borg,

Pastry Chef at Mannarinu Caterers

S

pring is back and with it an abundance of ingredients associated with this time of the year including strawberries, grapefruit, cherries and kiwi just to mention a few which offer the perfect base for mouth watering sweets. Who better to ask about pastry and the spring season other than Chef Carlos Borg. Indeed, Carlos shared with Delicious a few tips for this time of the year.

Why should a sweet enthusiast look forward to Spring?

Spring desserts are simply entertaining. What better way to kick off spring than some bright and delicious treats? Spring inspires one to use pastel colours, handmade sugar paste blossoming flowers and fresh fruit flavours using seasonal fruits such as strawberries and loquats. A sweet enthusiast would look forward to spring as it opens new doors to experiment in flavours, textures and colours.

In what way does the season exalt your creative mind?

I try to create different desserts that have the same qualities as spring does. We love transforming decadent desserts into lighter treats. Capturing spring traits through pastel colours, seasonal and citrus fruits.

The lighter, fresher textures give you taste buds a spring experience!

What ingredient do you associate with this time of the year?

It’s hard to imagine that it could escape anyone’s attention, with stalls along the roadside and the immensely popular Festa Frawli in Mæarr, but it’s strawberry time on our islands! Whether you dip them in chocolate, bake them in a pie or simply indulge in them by themselves they are the perfect nostalgic ingredient. Strawberries are bright red in colour, have a juicy texture, a characteristic aroma, and a sweet flavour. They are so flexible when it comes to desserts. In my opinion, the sweet of the strawberry would work very well with the sharp bite of ginger, yogurts,nuts,dark chocolate and even balsamic vinegar in savoury dishes.

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April 2019

CARLOS BORG

What is your perfect spring dessert?

Keeping in mind that I associate strawberries as one of the most prominent ingredients of this time of year my perfect dessert would have to include them. With an ingredient like strawberries, simplicity is key. It offers an abundance of flavour and it should always be the main aspect of your dessert, always keeping in mind to keep in the most prominent taste when using it and not over powering it. One can prepare a simple Honey-lime strawberry and whipped cream dessert to something more classic like a fresh strawberry cheesecake or puff pastry strawberry turnovers.

Spring coincides with Easter. What do you consider to be a perfect dessert for an Easter meal?

One cannot answer this question without mentioning Figolli. A Maltese favourite and how couldn’t it be?

Sweet light buttery pastry with a soft almond center.

Even the sound of that makes your mouth water!

Any projects in the pipeline?

As a pastry chef every day is a challenge. I am constantly working on my weaknesses and trying to improve my strengths. I think as a future project I would like to explore the culinary competition world, not only for the thrill of the competition but also to expose myself to more competitors. It promotes growth in one's self and encourages you to be more creative.

From my point of view, I think time is the biggest challenge. There is so much to learn and so much to experiment on but so little time. I find it so frustrating but it’s true. Some projects require so much time but because of the limited time you can work on them it differs you from reaching your full potential. Apart from this every ingredient has it’s own story, with endless possibilities.

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All About

PASTRY

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April 2019

Interview with

Simon

Veauvy, Head Pastry Chef at the InterContinental, Sydney

Y

oung, bold, disciplined and with a French background are the perfect characteristics for a great pastry chef. Indeed, Chef Simon Veauvy is blessed with all these requisites which have over the past years earned him a reputation as one of the best talents in the pastry world.

His food journey took him from his hometown in France to leading eateries across the globe including New York, Asia and now in Sydney where he had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest masters, from Pierre HermÊ to François Payard. Simon Veauvy, shared with Delicious his love for all things sweet and wonderful, and why he wanted to become a chef in the first place.

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SIMON VEAUVY

When I was 16, I would be working 15 hours a day as an apprentice and I would go home exhausted and deflated. My mum was there every single evening to pick me up and kick me out the door the next morning.

She knew, long before I did, it was about showing up, doing your best and never quitting.

What is your food philosophy?

I always try to bring it back to the basics with two questions: Why am I doing this? How will people feel when they experience it? For me, creating food is creating an emotional connection – just like a souvenir from travels or childhood, and one taste can transport you back to that moment. This could mean bringing it home to a simple Christmas log, or finding flavours from France and my childhood that brings me great inspiration.

Why did you want become a chef?

As a child, it was probably the concept of being a chef that was attractive to me; the allure of the kitchen, the creativity, hosting people. As I grew older and crossed paths with some phenomenal chefs, I was fascinated by the passion and discipline that it took to excel. I guess when you are 16 years old you don’t have much to worry about (except yourself), so I was in the right stage of my life to give everything I had to learn as much as possible. I am incredibly grateful I have never lost the passion for our craft.

In what way has your mother and grandmother influenced your career path?

To this day, even on opposite ends of the world, my mother and grandmother are still unknowingly influencing my work. Both are very strong women with high attention to detail, high expectation and incredible passion.

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From France to New York then to Asia. How has your food journey developed your approach to pastry?

Travelling across the world has been the greatest form of education. It opened my eyes to different cultures, different expectations and of course local produce; the way it’s treated and how it impacts tastes and textures.

I spent 10 years working with some of the greatest masters of our craft, from Pierre Hermé to François Payard, and I soaked up every last thing I could.

You also adapt (and fast!) when you work in new places. I couldn’t purely focus on French food and French design; I needed to adapt to the local people and the chefs I was working for.

When I look back from where I started as an apprentice in Alsace at Pâtisserie Rebert, I had no idea this is where I would be today. I had yet to master the basics, I had never travelled, but I always had the passion and patience. This has never left me on the journey.

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SIMON VEAUVY

You are now in Sydney. What encouraged you to move once again to another continent?

The first move always feels intimidating. Then you realise you can conquer the ‘new’ and find your feet quickly. The momentum of moving within France, then New York and experience in Asia certainly helped.

After that I was hungrier than ever for a new challenge in Sydney.

You are quite vociferous about the problem of finding motivated and passionate chefs. Why are we currently facing such a situation and how can we counter such a problem?

Hospitality is hard. You need the passion – and that is very hard to fake. So much of what we do requires work on holidays and weekends to create moments for other people. If you don’t have the spirit and passion to dedicate yourself during these times, you will never make it. I believe a lot of people have the right intentions, but eventually drop out of the industry for this reason. When you’re passionate and love what you do, it won’t feel like a sacrifice.

Why is it important for a pastry chef to focus on the flavour, the creativity, the produce and the fun of pastry?

It is all too easy to get lost in the technique and the perfection; we obsess over consistency and originality and when we strain in the details, it’s too easy to lose the passion and love of why we started. I believe it needs to be about balance. The other ingredient is your team; without a great team by your side, you don’t have it all.

How does spring influence your mood in the kitchen?

A great deal of what we create in the kitchen is inspired by the season and the outdoors. Spring, for me, is all about refreshment – lighter, fruitier flavours and plenty of seasonal product. It’s a great time to get inventive and creative with flavour infusions; new produce is coming back into season with citrus, cherries and berries so it’s the perfect time to experiment.

What’s next for Simon Veauvy?

I’ve spent my entire career learning from the best and working for companies, both large and small – and I wouldn’t take a single day back. For the first time, I feel my next chapter may be a venture of my own. As I’ve gotten older, the urge to create and express myself through my work has become greater.

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April 2019

TROFIE PASTA with grilled Shrimp, Cauliflower and Pesto

T

rofie is a twisted pasta shape originating in Liguria, I love it because when you use it with pesto, basically any type of pesto, the sauce just clings to the shape and gets into all the grooves. I’ve used it with my parsley walnut pesto, kale and almond pesto and of course traditional basil pesto, and it’s all so good!

METHOD In the warmer months and with a grilling season underway you can create a beautiful pasta dish with just a few ingredients and a pesto of your choice. I added grilled shrimp, grilled cauliflower and some fresh cherry tomatoes. If you have a source to buy a good quality pesto you can even do that, but I encourage you to make your own pesto.

How to grill the cauliflower Sprinkle cauliflower florets on both sides with olive oil and seasoned salt. Cook cauliflower on the grill until char marks appear, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

How to grill shrimps  Brush shrimps with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill for 2 minutes on each side.

INGREDIENTS 500g Trofie pasta half a cup Basil Pesto Fresh cherry tomatoes (halved) 400g shrimps (grilled) 3 cups of cauliflower florets (grilled)

 Cook pasta according to the package directions and reserve a little pasta water to loosen up the pesto a bit. Toss the pasta into a bowl and add some fresh sliced tomatoes, no need to cook them.  Start adding in your pesto, I start with a quarter of a cup at a time, tossing gently and coating the trofie pasta using the reserved water if needed.  Transfer pasta to a pretty platter and top it off with the grilled shrimp and grilled cauliflower.  A five ingredient meal that’s fresh, light and delicious!

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A

CHOCOLATE

Experience

Photo by Alan Saliba

Interview with

David Pulis, Chocolatier at Malta Chocolate Factory

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April 2019

B

uĂŚibba has recently made the news for hosting a chocolate factory. The place is an unusual site for the production of chocolate yet Neil Hitchcock, a retired Australian who lives in Gozo, had a clear plan in mind when he came up with the idea. He noticed there was a gap in the market to offer tourists and locals a chocolate experience and that was the moment when he took the bold decision to open the Malta Chocolate Factory. The place is simply amazing with all sorts of chocolate assortments scattered all around the place. Chocolate bars, truffles, pralines and other delicacies make the place look like a micro version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. The shop also includes a virtual reality tour of a cocoa plantation as well as lots of videos about the history of chocolate.

However, those who paid a visit to the place feel the best feature is the chocolate fountain of flowing hot chocolate, equipped with fruit, marshmallows and other sweet delights that can be added to your taste.

The company is small by European standards, but for a market the size of Malta its output is impressive. I

recently read the Malta Chocolate Factory buys five to six tons of chocolate a year and turns out about 60 products. Its bestsellers, and kids’ favourites, are love hearts and turtles.

In order to reach his goal, Neil set the company based on four key principles namely; education, quality, value for money and fun. He also put together the best team he could find, spearheaded by one of Malta's best pastry talents, chef David Pulis. Chef Pulis is no newcomer to the Pastry industry. His fifteen year experience in the food industry combined with his reputation as one of the best pastry chefs on the island, made him a natural choice to lead such a project.

Chef Pulis notes that he was quickly captured by Neil's vision and after some thought decided to accept the challenge. His decision did not come without any concerns from his end especially since from pastry he was shifting to a very specific product like chocolate.

"As a pastry chef, chocolate is a key ingredient you will come across regularly yet this role meant I would eat, breathe and live chocolate. Once you shift from pastry

April 2019

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April 2019

TA’ PENELLU RESTAURANT, MARINA STREET, MARSALFORN, GOZO TEL: 2155 9730 MOB: 79093970

DAVID PULIS

to specifically chocolate the bar changes completely.

The project also called for a change in end consumer.

Indeed, it is totally different to produce for a hotel to a shop."

"Jacques Torres once exclaimed that chocolate takes you to ‘haven.’ To me, chocolate takes me not to heaven, but haven. It takes me to a place where I feel good, where I feel secure, where I feel relaxed."

I ask Chef Pulis what does chocolate mean to him. He notes that "Basically, chocolate is a mood elevator.

Chocolate makes you feel good. In a world where things are pretty hectic, people find comfort in a piece of chocolate.” He adds that chocolate captivates you and encourages you to know more about it. Indeed, I can't stop reading and learning about chocolate!"

I inevitably ask Chef Pulis what inspires him. “You don’t find inspiration in one place.” He points out that "Inspiration is something that will come. Inspiration comes at the strangest time of the day when you come across something that serves as a trigger. Spring can serve as a trigger. It is that time of year when

everything is bright. Travel can also serve as a good source of inspiration."

I ask Chef Pulis on the local market's appetite for chocolate. "As an industry, chocolate is still in its infancy, but it has already made a mark for itself in the marketplace. From a consumer point of view, chocolate remains a favourite among all segments of society which offers us an excellent platform to continue investing further in the project." Time flies and the clock behind Chef Pulis encourages me to conclude.

Yet before calling it a day, I ask him a final question regarding the future. With a smile, Chef Pulis refers to a quote by the famous American lawyer, William Jennings Bryan; "Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. "He adds, "Indeed it is. We are working hard to see this project grow further. Our goal is to move into larger premises where we can expand further our concept and where we can invest further in research and development to offer the market a high quality locally produced chocolate."

April 2019

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April 2019

Ecosoft offers a standard domestic 5 stage reverse osmosis system which 5 YEAR WARRANTY ON MOTOR

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For more information visit A&A Mizzi Ltd or click on www.ecosoft.com.mt or call us on 21488132/60/68.

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www.aamizzi.com - 21488132/60/68

INDIAN GASTRONOMY

11 TA’ XBIEX SEAFRONT, MSIDA

O N L I N E R E S E R VAT I O N S : F B .C O M / S H A K I N A H .TA X B I E X S E A F R O N T S H A K I N A H M A LTA .C O M

+356 27 522 322

+356 77 399 300

I N F O @ S H A K I N A H M A LTA .C O M

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Indian STYLE

Gastronomy in Photo by Alan Saliba

Interview with

&

Alex Berta

Aquilina, Owners at Shakinah

T

he moment you step into Shakinah you are quickly taken on a gastronomic journey through the streets of India where spices come together to create exquisite curries, soups, biryani and tandoori clay oven dishes. Indeed, the place has over the past years developed into one of the best representations of Indian food. Shakinah, has now also opened in Msida where it seeks to continue its mission on the island to promote Indian food excellence. Delicious met up with Alex and Berta Aquilina to discuss what should we expect at Shakinah and what makes the place stand out of the crowd.

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Shakinah is your first food related project. What encouraged you to invest in the food industry?

It all started way back in 2012. The idea to invest in the hospitality industry was presented to us very casually.

Over time the idea started to settle in and a few months later a business plan was conducted and sure enough in May 2013 we opened our first Shakinah restaurant on the Balluta promenade.

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Why did you opt for an Indian Concept?

Our market research indicated clearly that 90% of restaurants at the time served Mediterranean cuisine, pizza and pasta. So we decided to take a niche market approach and opted to go for Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. The location was perfect as no other similar cuisine existed along the whole St Julian’s and Sliema seafront. Eventually in September 2014, we decided to specialize in Indian cuisine and since then we have managed to grow our brand and reputation by offering a personalized experience to all our guests.

SHAKINAH

expand was due and soon came across this location on the Ta' Xbiex Seafront in Msida. We immediately recognized the potential and after close consultations and various discussions we signed a contract in June 2018. We took the premises in shell form as this gave us the opportunity to design the layout and décor to a very high standard brief.

On the 8th February 2019 Berta and I opened our new Shakinah and since then received very encouraging comments on the design and décor, not to mention the overall experience. The response was great and very demanding. It was time for us to focus on our new project and a decision was taken on the 4th March 2019 to close our St Julian’s outlet.

In what way do you feel the place stands out of the crowd?

The concept behind Shakinah Ta’ Xbiex Seafront is to bring a new and innovative dining experience to the Maltese islands. We bring a fuse of authentic Indian gastronomy with contemporary / high end interior design.

From the slick and elegant Kashmir bar through to the ‘Goa private dining suite’ onto the outdoor garden area (due to open mid June 2019) and back inside into the main dining room, you are sure to find your fair share of social media moments!

Over time guest expectation was on the increase and our biggest challenge was to offer consistency in our food flavour and presentation at the highest service level.

You recently opened Shakinah also in Msida. What encouraged you to expand further?

The demand for our cuisine was growing steadily. With our St Julian’s outlet having 32 covers we were refusing reservations time and time again. We felt the time to

How do you describe your menu?

The À La Carte menu includes a vast selection of all our favourite curries made with spices directly from India and by the expert hands of Shakinah’s native chefs.

There is no shortage of Tandoori dishes on the sizzling platters and naan bread to compliment any choice.

We also offer a great selection for dietaries such as gluten free, vegetarian and vegan. All our food is halal certified.

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At this Ta’ Xbiex seafront location we have added a signature dessert menu with all desserts custom created by well known TV personality, pâtisserie and food connoisseur Manuel Aquilina.

At the Kashmir bar a signature cocktail menu is available which includes recipes exclusive to Shakinah; specially thought out to compliment the food dishes.

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How does the place reflect your own personalities?

As a couple we have always been young at heart, dynamic and enterprising, striving to achieve excellence. We are strong believers in team work. From the initial stages of this ambitious project, right through the selection of our service team, we made sure we were surrounded by team players who understood and shared our vision.

At Shakinah we strive for excellence in all we do and want to provide only the best for all our patrons; from our ‘Passion for flavour’ and service from the heart.

SHAKINAH

As a couple we have always been young at heart, dynamic and enterprising, and striving to achieve excellence.

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Soup WONTON

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

150g finely chopped pork loin Few pieces wonton wrappers

 Season the chopped pork loin with salt and white pepper and add a few drops of sesame oil. Place the wonton wrappers on a work surface and spoon 1 tablespoon of the pork loin mixture into the center of each wrapper. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wrappers with water, fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, pinching the edges to seal. Set aside.

Chopped spring onion 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger Few slices of Chinese mushrooms Few slices of fresh Chinese cabbage /4 tsp table salt

1

/2 tsp soybean oil

1

Few drops of sesame oil (optional) Pinch of white pepper

 Fill a heavy based pot with around 3-4 cups water, add the ginger, the Chinese cabbage and Chinese mushrooms. Stir in the wontons and bring water to a boil. Add the soybean oil.  Serve with chopped spring onions on top.

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INGREDIENTS 200g thinly sliced beef /5 tsp table salt

1

/2 tsp dark soy sauce

1

Pinch of black pepper Few drops of sesame oil /4 tsp Chinese five spice

1

/2 tsp Soybean oil

1

Few pieces of fresh long beans (sliced in half across) Cubed fresh tomatoes 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger 1 leek(chopped) /2 tsp finely chopped garlic

1

METHOD  Season the beef with table salt and black pepper, combine well with the Chinese five spice, few drops of sesame oil and dark soy sauce. Put in the fridge for 45 minutes.  Heat well the wok and add the soybean oil, the finely chopped garlic and fresh ginger.

Stir beef in the wok for 2 minutes and add the tomatoes, the chopped leek and the fresh green beans. Stir fry for a further 3 to 4 minutes.  Serve on a bed of crispy rice noodles.

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NAN YUAN CANTONESE RESTAURANT

CIZI BEEF on Crispy Rice Noodles April 2019

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Interview with

It’s all

in the Name April 2019 92 Photos by Tonio Lombardi

&

Colin Ciantar Owner of Emilia

Malcolm Falzon, Shareholder of Emilia

W

alking down Merchants Street in Valletta a few doors up from Is-Suq tal-Belt you will come across a small outlet whose name says it all. Emilia is the new feather in Colin Ciantar’s hat following his successful launch of Bahia restaurant and 'the teambar' at Lija Football Club. Emilia is a concept he shares with Malcolm Falzon, a friend he has been working with for the past nine years.

Besides being a shareholder Malcolm looks after the operations of the restaurant.

The concept is different and seeks to pay tribute to the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy which is affectionately known in food circles as the “bread basket” of Italy. Indeed the region is considered by many to be the gastronomical and culinary heart of Italy with many of its remarkable and unique dishes served throughout Italy and across the globe. Emilia-Romagna boasts as being the source for many staple ingredients that Italian cuisine is noteworthy of, which includes; Prosciutto di Parma, Balsamic Vinegar, Parmigiano Reggiano and a vast range of fresh, hand-made and stuffed pasta, these ingredients serve as the base for several famous dishes

including tortellini in brodo, pasticcio di maccheroni, lasagna bolognese, minestra “nel sacco”, zuppa reale and zuppa inglese just to mention a few. However, Colin Ciantar, owner of Emilia points out “This does not mean that we are strictly offering dishes that come from the region, but it means that we try our best to retain a very high level of quality just like the region that has inspired us.”

However, the main objective behind Emilia goes further than that. Tyrone Mizzi, head chef at Emilia points out, “When we set up shop in Valletta, we did so

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with a clear vision in mind. We wanted to provide guests with high quality food that may be ordered, served and consumed within 30 to 45 minutes. We did not want to compromise on flavour and we were fully aware that we were not in a position to create any elaborate dishes. He adds that they are aware that the main two audiences in Valletta are the regulars that work there and the tourists, and thus wanted to create a menu that seeks to cater for both. Tyrone defines Emilia’s food style as ‘straight forward’. “Our objective is to make the food easy to understand, easy to choose and satisfying, yet full of flavour.”

Indeed, the menu offers an interesting selection of pasta, soups, salads and light snacks which are definitely worth a try.

Tyrone with the help of sous chef Ryan Lomax has created an interesting selection of dishes to choose from. Irrespective of what you go for, every dish stresses on taste. Every ingredient used has a specific role and fits perfectly with the rest. Nothing seems to be too little or too much. Every plate also stresses on detail, something which seems to be in Colin’s DNA. The plate, the food, the furniture and the ambience all come together to offer every client the perfect experience. This is probably what makes Emilia stand out of the crowd. Tyrone notes, “Travel has exposed customers to different tastes thus making it harder to hit their tastes . This has led us to make sure that even the least glamorous dish must achieve very high quality. Hence, flavour for us is of utmost importance.” He adds, “Our menu is short yet every dish stresses on flavour.”

The place also serves wine by the glass. Colin notes, “we recognise that some people are fine with having a glass of wine for lunch without having to purchase a bottle or even ready to try our different selection of wines during the same meal. We listened to our audience and implemented this successfully.”

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I ask Colin in what way does Emilia differ from Bahia to which he surprisingly starts off with what assimilates them. “The main common denominators between Emilia and Bahia is the respect towards the ingredient and our obsession of delivering dishes that have flavour.”

However he points out; “Emilia is not a restaurant we expect people to hang around in for 2-3 hours. We want to become a destination for people who want to eat well, and then carry on with their work, or else keep enjoying the beauty of Valletta, whether it is shopping, going to the theatre, visiting a museum or simply walking around our marvellous capital city.”

I inevitably touch on the spring season thus asking Tyrone what should we expect in Spring at Emilia. “Our menu is still very young so although we propose regular specials we will not be changing our main menu yet. We want to make sure people are aware of what we are offering. We have just given offices the opportunity to take-away some of our dishes that we know can travel well for a few minutes. In fact, we have not added all our menu to this take-away list.”

As the saying goes; ‘time is our greatest enemy’ and the clock in front of me tells me its time to wrap up my interview. Yet before further ado, I ask Colin whether they have any new projects in the pipeline.

Colin notes that “whether it is a new internal process, a new campaign or something bigger, we are always working to improve our offering. We are working on several new concepts which we hope to be in a position to communicate further on them shortly.”

Emilia is a real gem worth a try so whilst walking up or down Merchants street make sure to stop by, have a look at their menu and try out a pasta, a soup or a quick snack.

COLIN CIANTAR & TYRONE MIZZI

Ryan Lomax Sous chef at Emilia

&

Fagioli Spicy Sausage Soup SAUSAGE MEAT: 1.5kg minced chuck roll 450g minced lardo (or any pork fat seasoned with 100g rock salt) 30g chopped chilies with seeds Combine all ingredients together from two days in advance, cover and refrigerate

SOUP: 1 white large onion (diced small) 1 leek (diced small) 4 celery stalks (peeled and diced small) 2 Carrots (peeled and diced small) 2 spring onions (cleaned, trimmed and sliced) 1 red chili, 1 sprig thyme & 1 bay leaf 3 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced) 1ltr chicken stock 200ml polpa 100ml red wine

2spoons tomato paste 100g fagioli/borlotti beans (canned) 50g Parmigiano Reggiano grated

METHOD:  Sweat onions, leeks, garlic and chili. Turn frequently as not to brown them.  Add the sausage mix and cook on high heat, breaking the sausage mix with a wooden spoon, and stirring occasionally to prevent burning.  Season with thyme and bay leaf.  Add the tomato paste and cook.  Deglaze with wine and reduce.  Add polpa, chicken stock and the remaining vegetables.  Bring to the boil and let it simmer for around 2 hours on low heat, stirring it frequently.  Skim off excess fat depending on your liking (do not remove all as it has a lot of flavour).  Add washed Fagioli beans.  Finish off with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped parsley and basil.

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Tyrone Mizzi Chef at Emilia

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Lasagna all'

COLIN CIANTAR & TYRONE MIZZI

Emiliana

YOU WILL NEED:

 10g garlic (sliced)

Bechamel Sauce Bolgnese Sauce Frozen lasagna sheets Grated Parmesan Cheese Citrus zest (lemon/lime/orange) 1ltr milk 1 studded onion (Onion/Bay leaf/Cloves) 5g salt 100g flour 100g butter

 40g tomato paste

 1 bay leaf  200g polpa di pomodoro  50ml red wine  10g fresh thyme  5g salt  5g pepper  Extra virgin olive oil to cook  Saute’ onions, leeks and garlic in 1tbsp of oil.  Add the minced beef and fry, breaking it with a wooden spoon and stir constantly.  Season with salt, and add the tomato paste.

METHOD: Bechamel Sauce  Put milk, studded onion and salt in a heavy based pot and bring to the boil without reducing.  In a separate pot, melt the butter.

 Deglaze and reduce with wine.  Add the rest of the remaining vegetables, alongside the aromatics and polpa di pomodoro.  Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for at least an hour, stirring it occasionally.

 When softened add the flour and stir constantly creating a ‘roux’.

TO ASSEMBLE:

 Pour the hot milk a little at a time in the roux. Make sure to stir well so that no lumps form. Bring mixture to a boil until it thickens and becomes glossy.

 Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.

 Season with freshly grated nutmeg and cover with greaseproof paper Bolognese Sauce  750g minced chuck roll of beef  20g spring onions (white part and green part)  30g onions (diced small)  60g carrots (diced small)  30g leeks (diced small)  50g celery (diced small)

 Spread spoonfuls of the Bolognese and the bechamel sauce into an ungreased baking tray, just enough to cover the bottom.  Cover with layers of the lasagna.  Repeat with the Bolognese sauce, béchamel and grated parmesan, repeating this procedure until the Bolognese sauce has been used.  Finish the last layer with the remaining béchamel and parmesan cheese.  Bake in preheated oven until golden.  Finish off with citrus zest for presentation and fragrance (optional) April 2019

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Stuffed Saddle of

LAMB INGREDIENTS 11/2 kg boned saddle of lamb skirts removed (ask your butcher to do this for you) 2 sprigs rosemary 1 tsp olive oil 50ml white wine vinegar For the stuffing 25g butter 4 shallots, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 50g pancetta cubes small pack flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 6 sage leaves, torn 1 tsp grated lemon zest 50g fresh white breadcrumbs 1 egg yolk

Keith Farrugia THE MEAT SHOP

METHOD  In a large pan, melt the butter over a gentle heat and add the shallots.

Cook slowly for about 10 minutes until softening, then add the garlic and stir to combine for 1 minute. Turn up the heat and add the pancetta and a little seasoning. Cook until the pancetta is crisp, and the shallots are tender and turning golden. Take off the heat, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine (it should not be too wet, as the stuffing should absorb some of the lamb juices when cooked). Set aside to cool.  Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Lay the lamb saddle out on a board, fat-side down. Arrange the stuffing in a line down the middle, bring the sides up and roll into a large sausage shape so the stuffing can only be seen at the ends.

Using string, tie the saddle, tucking the rosemary under the string, then rub with salt and a little pepper.  Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat and place the rolled lamb in the pan to seal the outside, turning every minute or so, until golden – about 6 minutes. Remove from the pan and place in a roasting tin.

Pour the vinegar over – this will help to crisp the skin – then cook in the oven for 1 hour. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes on a board covered loosely with foil.

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Citrus-Cured Salmon

This 24-hour method will transform uncooked salmon into a side of firm, silky fish. Buy the best you can afford.

INGREDIENTS 140g kosher salt 2 /3 cup granulated sugar 1 /3 cup (packed) light brown sugar 1tsp black peppercorns 1tsp coriander seeds 1tsp fennel seeds 1 /2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 500g skin-on, boneless salmon fillet 1 /2 tsp finely grated lemon zest 1 /2 tsp finely grated lime zest 1 /2 tsp finely grated orange zest

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METHOD ď Ž Combine salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Spread half of the curing mixture in the center of a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet roughly the same size as the fish. Place fish skin side down on the mixture.

Spread lemon zest, lime zest, and orange zest evenly over the fish and cover with the remaining curing mixture. Bring edges of foil up and over the salmon and crimp to cover well. Place another baking sheet on top of the salmon and weigh down with several large cans or an empty casserole dish.

Leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours. ď Ž Rinse fish under cold water, pat dry with kitchen paper, place skin side down on a cutting board and using your longest, sharpest knife and wiping down the blade between slices cut the salmon into fine slices. ď Ž Serve the sliced salmon with baby fresh salad leaves.

I DOLCI SAPORI DELL'ETNA Our products are the delights of our land

I

Dolci Sapori dell'Etna is a family run business in Bronte Sicily. Also known as the land of choice for the Sicilian green gold, the pistacchio. A handful of pistacchios, a little cocoa and a pinch of sugar can make a good dessert, but on their own they will never be a real “speciality”. It takes an irreplaceable ingredient, creativity. Elaborate it with knowledge, ideas and projects become concrete realities, thanks to the quality of the raw materials which are carefully selected and processed directly in the factory. The results, Pesto di Pistacchio which makes a beautiful pasta sauce and also the Crema di Pistacchio, a spreadable cream ideal for desserts such as “kannoli tal-krema”.

Creamy Pistacchio Pesto Fusilli

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS: 1 Jar Pesto di Pistacchio 1 medium sized onion (finely chopped) 2 gloves garlic (finely chopped) 4 tbsp olive oil 1 cup (300ml) chicken stock 300gr chopped chicken breast in 1cm chunks 800gr fusilli 60gr parmesan 100ml fresh cream

METHOD:  Fry the onion in the olive oil until golden.  Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.  Add the chicken and stir until cooked.  Add the chicken stock and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the pesto di pistacchio and stir for a further 2 minutes.  Fill a heavy based pan with water and cook the fusilli.  Add the fresh cream to the sauce and stir for 1 minute.  Add the parmesan and stir for a further 2 minutes.  Mix the sauce with the fusilli and serve.

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The Taste of Excellence Photo by Alan Saliba

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Interview with

Andrew

Vella,

Chef at The Harbour Club

A

t the top of Ta' Liesse Hill in Valletta lies one of Malta's most exciting food concepts. Set in a carefully converted warehouse built by the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Ramon Perellos y Roccaful in 1712, the Harbour Club offers a unique dining experience. The terrace area offers stunning views of the Grand Harbour on one side and the imposing bastions on the other. Just on the other side of the hill, lies the beautiful Church of Our Lady of Liesse.

Indoors, guests are welcomed by a cosy setting elegantly decorated with a recycled deck of an American ship. Indeed, the place gives you that instant feeling of a vessel berthing on the side of the Grand Harbour.

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ANDREW VELLA

Above all, the place serves as a perfect hub for Chef Andrew Vella to create remarkable dishes. Each plate portrays Andrew's undisputed talent which he gradually developed during his stints at the 2 Michelin Star Sea Grill Restaurant in Brussels, at The Radisson, Malta and at The Arches Restaurant. In each experience he created concepts which earned him a reputation as one of Malta's best food talents. Food was in his DNA from the onset. His family owned the Panorama Hotel in Mellieœa which saw him spend his early years in the kitchen surrounded by pots and pans which developed in him an interest to know more about the world of food and above all to succeed in the industry. His food journey took him to many places across the island and even abroad yet it seems he finally found his Zen at the Harbour Club. Indeed, at the Harbour Club he found full support from the owner, Charlotte Sullivan Decorte who gave him a free hand to experiment with new dishes.

Today, the Harbour Club offers a good selection of dishes which exalt local produce. That local touch can be found in the detail of a starter or as the core ingredient of a main course. Every plate is pure art which encapsulates the colours of every season and creates a perfect harmony between sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami. Every dish also has a strong sense of precision with no ingredient left unattended. Every item is in sync so as to create a perfect chorus. For those who love a soup to start with, the Classic French onion soup is the perfect choice. It is thick in texture with a taste of veal stock which makes it certainly different from other French onion soups we are usually accustomed to. For those preferring something lighter, the local red prawn carpaccio, monkfish cheek dumpling with lilliput capers and shellfish vinaigrette is worth a try. Every customer is also spoilt for choice with an interesting selection of main courses which range from fresh fish to lamb up to squab pigeon just to mention a few. And what about

their selection of desserts? Andrew's magical hands create amazing sweet indulgences which are hard to resist. Every dish is accompanied by a vast selection of local and foreign wines and an excellent service under the watchful eyes of Andre Micallef.

I ask Andrew about his food philosophy to which he promptly replies; "the more you keep food simple the more it is appreciated. If you work with a good product you will create a good dish." He adds that "in every dish, you need to make sure your own identity is visible yet at the right dose. Too little or too much can ruin an entire dish." Andrew is a strong believer in local produce. Despite the challenge it offers, he believes its all about one's ability to handle it in the right manner. "You need to know its roots, its context and above all, its strengths and weaknesses. Once equipped with such knowledge, you are in a position to get the best out of the product."

I also ask Andrew what inspires him in the kitchen to which he notes to be the ingredients themselves which do not necessarily need to be expensive.

"Quality does not necessarily have a price tag. It all boils down to our ability to choose the right product which can even be in our own back garden." His favourite ingredient during the spring season are asparagus which coincidentally are also present in the Harbour Club menu.

We shift our conversation on the local industry.

Andrew notes; "it is certainly evolving. People are travelling, exposing themselves to other food cultures and return home with high expectations and an appetite to experiment."

Its time for a final question. I ask Andrew on what to expect from The Harbour club in the coming months. "We have many concepts in store for the months to come. Our plan is to continue developing new concepts which seek to exalt the beauty of local produce, my creativity and above all the abilities of the entire team at the Harbour Club.

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April 2019

Sharing Same Vision THE

Interview with

Sergi

Huerga Marin, Co-partner at Caviar&Bull

T

here is something particular at Caviar&Bull which certainly makes it one of the best restaurants on the island. The food, the place, the location, the service and the ambience come together to create a unique culinary experience which captivates you the moment you step into the restaurant. The concept has also made its way beyond our shores with the launch of Caviar&Bull at the heart of Budapest. Caviar&Bull is the brain child of Chef Marvin Gauci, a name which certainly needs no introduction both on the local and international plane. Marvin is a successful entrepreneur and one of the best champions of Malta's food excellence. He has often been defined by many as a magician in the kitchen who is always ready to pull out of his hat something amazing.

Certainly, Caviar&Bull was one of his best inventions.

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SERGI HUERGA MARIN

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April 2019

Yet behind the success of Caviar&Bull lies also the brains of a Catalan chef, Sergi Huerga Marin. He is young, bold, sharp, loud and very creative. His work plays on a very fine line which distinguishes what is defined as logical from what may be regarded as extravagant, nonconformist, and unconventional. Watching him prepare dishes in the busy kitchens of Caviar&Bull Malta and Budapest is a pleasure to the eye. Every plate resembles the work of art of leading Catalan masters including Albert Adrià and Ferran Adrià. Every ingredient has a specific role to play and works in perfect harmony with the rest to create amazing dishes which range from exquisite starters which include Wagyu beef carpaccio, mushroom and truffle croquettes, black calamari and Peruvian Black Bass ceviche up to more intricate main courses which include seabass iceberg flambé and rose duck breast. And what should we say about Caviar&Bull's degustation menus? They are simply amazing and certainly worth a try. Sergi's kitchen works like a well oiled machine. Every dish is prepared under his vigil blue eyes who makes sure with his signature cry 'vamos!' that his team is in sync with his ultimate objective.

Busy rushing from one side to the other of the Caviar&Bull Budapest kitchen, Sergi tells me what attracted him to the world of food. "Being a poor performer at school, the only place I found a sense of motivation was in a kitchen. The place offered me a sense of adrenaline, rush, stress, pressure and passion.

The kitchen offers you the possibility to transform an ingredient into a amazing dish. Whilst working in the kitchen, I imagine a giant clock challenging me to take my skills to the next level. It is the place where the pedal meets the medal." I ask Sergi on how he came across Marvin. "I met him in Barcelona whilst working at Tickets restaurant owned by the famous Albert and Ferran Adrià. He was my guest and we quickly struck a chord.

We are very similar way to be and to see the world.

No pain, No gain. I decided to learn the restaurant business with him. I put my refined touch in his restaurants, he believed in me from the first day and gave me the opportunity to prove myself and to learn from him. He is like my godfather." He also points out that

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working with Marvin is indeed a challenge. "It's not easy to catch up with his vision. He is a fast thinker and every conversation is a rollercoaster of ideas. Working with him is the most intense experience EVERY DAY! He knows how to get the best of me, how to challenge me and how to work in line with his vision. He is a GPS who will guide you towards the most efficient route. He is simply a genius both emotionally and intellectually."

I ask him to define their style. "Ours can be defined as follows; If it is not wow, it is not good. We seek to constantly surprise our guests. We use the best fresh ingredients available on the market to offer each client a value for money product." I also ask him in what way do they find a compromise in their styles. "Marvin's tastes are more wintry, fatty and warm. On the other hand, my style is more citric, cold and floral."

I ask Sergi how would he sum up the past years since Caviar&Bull was launched on the local market.

Sergi notes, "The past years has seen us successfully entertain more than eighty thousand guests, prepare countless unique dishes, and achieve numerous recognitions and awards. Our launch of Caviar&Bull in Budapest was a clear indicator to us that the brand was well performing which encouraged us to seek further locations where to expand further Caviar&Bull." I ask Sergi what makes the outlet stand out of the crowd.

"Our continuous effort to provide a high quality product and service in Malta has earned us a reputation as one of the major exponents of local food excellence." He adds that "Every dish is made from locally sourced ingredients and gives attention to detail which ensures every plate stands out for its taste, flavour and originality. The outlet is not only a food experience; the place offers you the possibility to pull up a stool at the champagne and oyster bar, or meet with friends in the lounge, over cocktails with a molecular twist." On the hand Sergi notes that Caviar&Bull Budapest, "is a real gem which walks on the footsteps of its Maltese counterpart yet ensures a clear Hungarian imprint in its design as well as in the menu. Local fresh ingredients,

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SERGI HUERGA MARIN

sourced from the best suppliers harmoniously coexist with Caviar&Bull signature dishes and key staples of Hungarian cuisine such as the use of the local grey cattle, Mangalica pig, Foie gras, paprika and Tokaj wine."

They have recently launched a new concept, Uncensored which takes food to a different level. Sergi notes that "it is based on audio, visual, aroma and taste. At Uncensored, there is a strong dose of surprise.

There are no borders. It's the first project of this sort in

all central Europe. We are changing videos, aromas and dishes every day. Its exciting, intense and challenging... Exactly the way we are".

Its time to conclude yet before leaving the outlet, I ask Sergi on what's next for Caviar&Bull. He notes "the past years were indeed amazing for Caviar&Bull. The brand developed at a steadfast pace and took us from the periphery of St. Julians to the heart of Budapest.

Our goal is to take the brand to other cities across Europe and across the globe."

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SPREAD YO Career Paths You May Choose After Graduating from Institute of Tourism Studies.

In the Hospitality and Tourism Industry, there are several careers and opportunities available for personal and professional growth. This ever-growing industry offers various career advancements, often leading to top managerial positions.

Let’s look at the various careers available.

(This is just a small list for reference, and actual opportunities may be more diverse) •Career •Career •Career •Career •Career •Career

in in in in in in

Tourist Support Services Hotels Marketing Human Resources Accounting Sales

•Career in Food Preparation and Production •Career in Food and Beverage Service •Career in Events •Career in Tourism Education •Your Own Business

The following are career progressions experienced by some ITS students.

Freelance Events Planner

CEO Director General Manager Tour Manager

Events Manager Fairs and Conventions Assistant Manager Events Coordinator Events Assistant

Travel Agent

Culinary Director Executive Chef Head Chef Chef Commis Chef

General Manager Food and Beverage Director Food and Beverage Manager Assistant Food and Beverage Manager Waiter/Bartender

Visit www.its.edu.mt for further information, including entry criteria for the different programmes available.

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OUR WINGS Courses Available at the Institute of Tourism Studies.

•Foundation in Hospitality and Tourism

Certificate, Diploma and Higher National Diploma in: •Travel and Tourism •Rooms Division •Food Preparation and Production •Food and Beverage Management •Events

Higher National Diploma in: •Tourist Guiding •Hotel Management Operations for Cruise Liners

Bachelor Degree in: •Gastronomy •Culinary Arts, in collaboration with the Institut Paul Bocuse, Lyon, France •International Hospitality Management, in collaboration with the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland

Institute of Tourism Studies, Aviation Park, Aviation Avenue, Ħal Luqa, LQA 9023, Malta www.its.edu.mt +356 2379 3100 info@its.edu.mt INSTITUTE OF TOURISM STUDIES

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Interview with

Enrique

Olvera, Chef at Pujol

M

Redefining Mexican Food Photo by Š Maureen M. Evans 114

April 2019

exico's most celebrated chef, Enrique Olvera is on a mission, to give justice to what Mexican food is really all about. Every dish prepared at Pujol is intense, complex, rich and above all seeks to eradicate the misconceptions that surround Mexican food.

Indeed, at Pujol you will come across food which ranges from chicatana flying ants to octopus and suckling pig. Every dish is a statement and conveys Mexico's deep food culture which stretches from the country's southern periphery with Guatemala up to the northern borders with San Diego. It is by no coincidence that Chef Enrique Olvera is considered a revolutionary, an innovator and above all, a genius. Chef Olvera, shared with Delicious, his food philosophy, the roots of Mexican food and his principle of 'cooking honest'.

What are the major misconceptions on Mexican food?

Where did you start cooking, and who were your influences?

Unfortunately, most of the world experiences Mexican food filtered through the lens of fast food dishes like nachos, quesadillas, burritos, etc. While versions of those dishes exist in Mexico they are a small part of Mexico’s diverse culinary traditions. Beyond diversity, Mexican food is often referred about as purely based in tradition. From the smallest villages to Mexico City, our food is constantly evolving and adapting to our local and global contexts.

I was always curios about working in kitchens and cooked for my friends casually but saw myself doing something else with my career. It wasn’t until I formally enrolled in culinary school that I entered into the world of restaurants and I quickly fell in love with the outcast, pirate ship mentality of kitchens.

You insist on the need to see Mexican food continue moving. In what way?

You’ve been described as someone who is reinventing Mexican cuisine. To what extent do you agree?

You also often stress on the importance of "cooking honest". Can you elaborate?

I’ve never tried to reinvent the wheel. At the beginning of Pujol I was bringing a lot of modernist technique from New York and Europe to classic Mexican preparations, but that phase was short lived. Now I’m more interested in exploring the many facets of Mexican cuisine and doing justice to those flavours in more minimalist plates.

In every part of my career and personal life I try to do things the right way. Whether it is where I travel, do business, eat, shop, cook, etc. I try to have an ethical and fair approach. Cooking is no different. At Pujol we cook without deception.

Mexican food is constantly moving, evolving and adapting. That motion exists with or without me. What I’m insisting on is the recognition that this is a food culture that is contemporary and in process.

Tell us about your 'mole madre' dish.

How would you define Mexican cuisine?

Mexico is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world with culinary influence that spans from the preHispanic period to this day. For example, in Oaxaca City alone you have tropical, alpine, coniferous, and oceanic biomes with 16 different indigenous people that all have distinct culinary traditions based on their local context. Given this diversity it would be unfair to define Mexican cuisine as only one thing. It’s a continually evolving conversation between indigenous traditions, colonial influences, contemporary chefs, and rich immigrant communities in Mexico.

The mole madre contains the ethos of Pujol. It is a dish that is straight forward, familiar, and comforting. At the same time, it is always in process, always changing with the seasons and with new additions. The roots of the dish are in moles prepared for weddings or festivals.

The mole is made the first day and each morning it is reseasoned and reheated. We work within that tradition and also take inspiration from levain bread that uses a starter, which needs to be fed daily. Our starter, our madre, has been cooking for almost five years and has followed us through our transition to a new space. It contains the evolution of Pujol and is constantly drawing us further into the future.

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ENRIQUE OLVERA

How would you define Tacos?

Like Mexican food in general, tacos are a very diverse genre. The basis of a taco is a tortilla, but each tortilla is unique in some way to the person that is making it. What the taco is filled with is also impossible to define. I find that the more specific we get with these definitions, the more we miss the mark. Tacos are an expression of their local context and the people making and consuming them. At Pujol, we do a Taco Omakase.

Our primary goal is to use the best quality masa from small-scale artisans for our tortillas, sopes, tostadas, gorditas, tetelas, etc. Our tacos are an expression of Pujol and the many purveyors that enable our vision.

You are quite critical about fine dining. Why? I wouldn’t say that I’m a critic of fine dining, but when I want to experience a fine dining meal it's because I want something specific. Whether it is a perfect vegetable cooking in Chez Panisse, or an Omakase meal at Yoshitake, I’m looking for something unique in that place. Sometimes new cooking tendencies seem redundant. Yes, the execution is very good but the luxury ingredients are often presented without a lot of thought and the result isn’t particularly exciting. I prefer to eat simply and am perfectly happy discovering a new taqueria that does things in a unique way. I don’t need to eat a tasting menu every night to be inspired.

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Any projects in the pipeline?

Late summer we’re opening two concepts in Los Angeles: Damian and Ditroit. Damian will focus on dishes rooted in Mexican flavours and traditions, while also celebrating local cultures and seasonal ingredients. Ditroit will be a walk-up taquería where you can grab a quick bite with the same exceptional produce as the sit-down restaurant. Right now we’re also doing a pop-up series in our Molino Restaurant in Mexico City with women from around Mexico who work with heirloom varieties of corn.

www.mazagafruit.com

Fruit & Vegetable Market, Imports Fruit Section No. 13, Ta Qali, Attard.

Tel: +356 2143 4668 Fax: +356 2141 8025 April 2019

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A healthy eating guide for school-age children

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A

dults are encouraged to adopt a healthy pattern of eating and lifestyle to act as a role model for children to also acquire healthy eating and lifestyle habits. Children like adults, crave for energy dense foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Moreover, in addition to quality of food, portion sizes also matter, as more weight is gained with an increasing intake of calories. Children need a nutritious diet to attain their potential for good health, growth and development.

Generally, children should eat three regular meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner; with healthy snacks in between to meet their requirements of energy and nutrients.

Examples of healthy snacks include fruit, nuts and seeds or a small sandwich.

Each child has individual dietary needs. These are based on factors such as age, gender, weight and height as well as their level of physical activity. The more active children become, the more energy needs and nutrients are required. In general, boys have a higher energy intake from foods than girls.

Dietary guidelines for Maltese children ages 3 to 12 years are available to help parents and carers learn more about the type and amount of food their children need to meet their dietary requirements. These guidelines are based on the ‘Healthy Plate’, which encourages a Mediterranean style of eating. This is a mainly plant-based diet with low intakes of red meat, ‘free sugars’ and unhealthy fats. The Mediterranean diet besides having been awarded as the best diet in the world for 2019 by the US News and World Report, has been recognised by many health and scientific experts for its health protection, satiety, the maintenance of a stable blood sugar level and the reduction of cravings.

The whole family should be encouraged to make smart changes in order to gradually develop healthy eating habits. The Mediterranean diet recommends. 

Increasing the consumption of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products.



Choosing reduced fat milk or dairy products.



Consuming protein from a variety of lean meats, poultry, fish, legumes and eggs.



Preparing and consuming more homemade meals.



Controlling food portion sizes.



Drinking more water.



Making healthy food choices by limiting the intake of sugar, saturated fat and salt.



Flavouring food with herbs and spices instead of salt.



Reducing screen time.



Being active.



Ensuring adequate sleep.

A child’s hand is a good measure to use when calculating how much food to give to children. As children grow older, their hands grow proportionately, and therefore correspond to how much food they need.

As children grow, so should their plate. A small sized plate should be used for young children.

One should drink plenty of fluids every day. Water is the preferred drink. Soft drinks should be avoided due to their high sugar and acid content. More fluids are needed during hot weather or during increased physical activity.

For a free copy of the dietary guidelines and for more information on healthy eating, kindly contact the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate on 2326 6000 and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @HPDPDMalta.

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Award winning wine with uncompromising quality and tradition, produced in the heart of the Tuscan metalliferous hills.

2 November | Wine Advocate - Monica Larner 9points September 2017 | Falstaff 1 9points September 2017 | Vinous 0 9points August 2017 | James Suckling 3 9points exclusively imported and distributed by

for trade enquiries in Malta and Gozo kindly contact us on t: +356 21563231 e: info@abrahams.com.mt

First Wine Master Class

of the year at Vini e Capricci

by Abrahams.

D

onatella Cinelli Colombini Venue Suite played host to an exciting trip to the treasured and troves of Spanish wines, savouring the unique terroir of Spain.

This first Wine Master Class

of the year A taste of Spain, was held by Fabien

Etienne, born and raised in the beautiful region of Brittany in France, who is also the Sommelier and Wine Consultant at Vini e Capricci by Abraham’s. Featured wines included Cava Brut Rosé Dibón, Albariño Abadia de Tortoreos, Versos de Valtuille Mencía, Meritxell Palleja Nita Priorat, as well as Rioja from La Mateo Collection. Fabien Etienne gladly imparted his knowledge and shared his wine tasting techniques with the various participants.

While they were all tasting these high quality wines and experiencing the Spanish vineyards like never before, they spoke about the different wine together, whilst trying to identify the origin (namely the region, climate, terroir, appellation, vintage and grape variety) of such wine from the aroma. Nibbles were served alongside the wine during the Master Class and participants were invited to indulge in a Centocinquanta Platter in the outstanding Cantina Michele Chiarlo. Fast forward to this communal feast selected from all the platters and bursting with local and foreign treats, you could hear them all exclaiming how this Master Class helped them understand better what is in their glass, and how to have a new outlook on tasting, pairing, and choosing wines.

The thorough explanation of Fabien Etienne makes each and every Master Class very eclectic, which deepens the knowledge of anyone wishing to enhance his/her appreciation and understanding of wine. To find out more or be part of these exclusive events: www.viniecapricci.com

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April 2019

Dr. Z. Teebi

Is it a common

is a Medical Consultant with a special interest in Allergy. He studied and graduated from the Imperial College London (UK). zteebi@gmail.com

Cold or Allergies?

I

t's a question that puzzles lots of people when those familiar

symptoms hit: Is all that coughing and sneezing from a cold or hay fever?

It's sometimes hard to tell the difference, but how long your problems last is one of the big clues.

What Are Colds and Allergies?

They have different causes.

To start with: a cold is caused by a microbe so it is a kind of an infection whereas an allergy is the body’s immune system reacting to something that it sees as a threat even if it is usually not harmful. For example, you get a cold when a tiny living thing called a virus gets into your body. There are hundreds of different types that can get you sick.

Once a cold virus gets inside you, your immune system, the body's defence against germs, launches a counter-attack. It's this response that brings on the classic symptoms like a cough or stuffed up nose.

The viruses that cause colds are contagious. You can pick them up when someone who's infected

sneezes, coughs, or shakes hands with you. After a couple of weeks, at the most, your immune system fights off the illness and you should stop having symptoms.

It's a different story with allergies.

They're caused by an overactive immune system. For some reason, your body mistakes harmless things, such as dust or pollen, for germs and mounts an attack on them.

When that happens, your body releases chemicals such as histamine, just as it does when fighting a cold. This can cause a swelling in the passageways of your nose, and you'll start sneezing and coughing.

Unlike colds, allergies are not contagious, though some people may inherit a tendency to get them.

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Differences Between

Colds and Allergies Characteristic

How Long It Lasts

Cold

Allergy

3-14 days

Days to months -- as long as you're in contact with the allergy trigger and a short time after

When It Happens

Any time of the year -Most often in the although the appearance winter, but possible at of some allergy triggers any time is seasonal

How does it start

Symptoms take a few Symptoms can begin days to appear after contact with allergy infection with the virus triggers immediately after

Symptom

Cold

Allergy

Cough

Often

Sometimes

Aches

Sometimes

Never

Fatigue

Sometimes

Sometimes

Fever

Occasionally

Never

Itchy, watery eyes

Rarely

Often

Sore throat

Often

Sometimes

Runny or stuffy nose

Often

Often

Observe your symptoms and how long they last to help you decide what might be the possible cause of your problem.

The most important difference is that colds usually don't last longer than 14 days.

So see your doctor if you still have symptoms after 2 weeks. These may be allergy symptoms or signs of another problem. This is important so as to be able to take the right action and avoid prolonged negative impact on your quality of life.

Dr. Teebi is a Medical Consultant with a special interest in Allergy and allergy treatment. He studied and graduated from the Imperial College London (UK). zteebi@gmail.com

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IGT Maltese Islands A success story

Wines of Distinction DOK Malta • DOK Gozo IGT Maltese Islands 126

dokmaltadokgozo April 2019 dokmaltadokgozo.gov.mt

Brought to you by

&

An Interview with

Maltese Gozitan Vintners

A

year since the DOK Malta, DOK Gozo – Wines of Distinction Campaign was launched, we catch up with some of the key players behind the labels DOK Malta, DOK Gozo and IÆT Maltese Islands.

Interviewed here are Daniel Mercieca for Bacchus Winery, Matthew Delicata for Emanauel Delicata WineMaker and Liliya Taseva for Montekristo Winery.

How long have you been in this sector? How did you get started in winemaking?

Bacchus Winery: Bacchus Winery is a family-run business that was established in 1862, and which has been inherited from father to son since. I am the fifth generation and have been in this sector for over 30 years.

Emanuel Delicata Winemaker: Having been born into a winemaking family with a tradition of over 100 years, it was natural for me to follow in their footsteps. I officially started working in the winery during my summer holidays while I was still at university. I would help out in the laboratory during the busy harvest months then, after graduating, I joined the winemaking team which I eventually started to head.

Montekristo Winery: Montekristo winery was established in 2004.

As a vintner which is your favourite and/or most challenging part of the winemaking process? Why? Bacchus Winery: The fermentation stage.

Emanuel Delicata Winemaker: The harvest is both the most challenging and favourite time of the year. It’s a very intense time when you are constantly working to get the grapes to reach the perfect ripeness to turn them into delicious wine. It’s the time when all the hard work in the vineyard comes to fruition. It’s a wonderful sight watching a grower’s beaming face delivering a successful harvest. It is my responsibility to transform those highquality grapes into premium wine.

Montekristo Winery: Definitely my most favourite period is harvest time. It personifies the beginning, the optimism, the energy: all positive feelings we have when we start something new. And, although it is a yearly process, it is still a challenge.

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Which grape variety features most in your wines?

Bacchus Winery: Merlot.

Emanuel Delicata Winemaker: Our indigenous white variety, Girgentina, and the worldrenowned Chardonnay are definitely the most dominant grapes. They give the perfect balance of sticking to our roots with our native varieties, while also giving the wines an international, approachable dimension.

Which is your favourite kind of wine?

Bacchus Winery: Red wine.

Emanuel Delicata Winemaker: This is similar to asking a parent to choose a favourite child! I love them all, and they all have their place especially with a good meal.

The wonderful thing about Malta is that we are opting for various styles, which is very rare for such a small region to do.

It’s a wine lover’s paradise to come here and have this vast spectrum of wines to enjoy.

Montekristo Winery: As a winemaker working mainly with red varieties, it is not a surprise that my favourite wines are the red ones. The preparation of red wines always needs more attention and patience. When I taste a red wine, I’m trying to discover the core and the character of the wine.

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Montekristo Winery: The two grape varieties presented in our wines are the Chardonnay (touched with the unique Mediterranean terroir) and the Syrah, which gives rich wines intense colours and flavours.

Are there any methods/specifications that characterise your wines?

Bacchus Winery: The old traditional methods blended with the new technology.

Emanuel Delicata Winemaker: A virtue of fine wine always gives an indication of the sense of place. Our wines have to evoke fresh sea breezes and warm summer nights. Our wines are always packed with bright, fresh, fruity aromas and we always prioritise drinkability and finesse, which make them appropriate to thoroughly enjoy in our climate.

Montekristo Winery: The method of the vinification depends on the varietal and the style of the wine, but the balance is critical.

What does DOK and IÆT mean to you?

Bacchus Winery: For us, it’s the control process from the grapevine to the bottling of wine, which, ultimately, acts as a guarantee of quality for our customers.

Emanuel Delicata Winemaker: For me, this is a seal of approval that the wines we make are getting analysed and tested by an expert panel and getting the approval needed. It is also a tool to instil further confidence in our customers and have something to show that our products have been independently inspected and certified. Although the certification is still relatively in its infancy (just over ten years), it is slowly but surely gaining more exposure and will continue to do so in the future.

Montekristo Winery: DOK/IÆT suggest controlled grapes and it is our quality guarantee for the clients.

Do you have any future goals?

Bacchus Winery: Our goal is to keep the tradition of winemaking as a family-business and passing this passion on to future generations. This is not an easy task but we’re ready for the challenge.

Emanuel Delicata Winemaker: My main future goal is to firmly put Malta on the world wine map and continuing my family’s legacy. Every person who discovers our wines is immediately impressed and surprised that we are capable of producing such good quality with a variety of wines. This shows we are on the right track and will create ambassadors for our industry worldwide. We must keep on striving to improve our wines in any way possible, be it the vineyard or the cellar, while also improving the way we communicate our virtues and the virtues of our beautiful islands.

Montekristo Winery: One of the most important goals we have for the future is to work in close contact with our clients, giving them the chance to not only taste our wines and visit the winery, but even to be present and participate in the winemaking-process.

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The 2019 WRMC Restaurants Quality Recognition Awards

“Chef Charles Demanuele, awarded the WRMC Hall of Fame Award – The Lifetime Achievement Award for thirtyeight years-service in the Restaurant Industry. Five further restaurants were added to the exclusive WRMC Silver Spoon Award List, whilst five restaurants had the WRMC Silver Spoon Title rescinded. Nine leading protagonists in the restaurant industry in Malta as assessed during 2018 received the top individual awards”.

The 7th edition of the annual WRMC Restaurants Quality Recognition Awards Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony were held, as in previous years, at the prestigious Portomaso Suite at the Hilton Malta on Monday, the 28th of January, 2019.

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Reno Spiteri,

WRMC Executive Director

The best and brightest of Malta's and Gozo's restaurant scene – the chefs, restaurantmanagers, restaurateurs and hoteliers, whose creativity, class and craft impressed the WRMC inspectors and panel of adjudicators most, over the past year, were honoured at this annual event which has, now reached epic proportions in restaurant and hotel participation, acceptance and recognition, and which has become the pinnacle of restaurant quality awareness, awards and titles in the Maltese Islands. The WRMC Silver Spoon awards as well as the WRMC Blue Riband Awards have now become synonymous and at par, with international awards and titles, bestowed by respective national awarding bodies internationally.

Three hundred of Malta's top chefs, restaurateurs and hoteliers from sixty-five of Malta’s and Gozo’s top restaurants and hotels, local and international sponsors, and their guests, gathered at the exclusive Portomaso Suite at the Hilton Malta for this prestigious event.

Eight different award categories were conferred being the: 1. WRMC Silver Spoon Retention Awards to the previously recognised fifteen restaurants which managed to retain the WRMC Silver Spoon award for another year.

2. The WRMC Silver Spoon awards and titles to the 2019 selected outstanding restaurants; 3. The Blue Riband award to the Top 30, upscale – fine and casual dining restaurants in the Maltese Islands. The main criteria for this award being the now, touted “Premiumised Informality” concept of top restaurants with high quality cuisine, service and value for money.

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4. The top ten Special Concept- Casual Dining restaurants.

5. The top five pizzerias.

6. The top four Sunday Buffet lunch venues.

7. Special individual awards to: The WRMC 2019 Top Chef; the WRMC 2019 Top Frontof-House/ Restaurant Manager; and the WRMC Top Restaurateur. Also awarded this year were six hands-on protagonists – Chefs and Front-of House Managers who received achievement award diplomas.

8. Hall of Fame Award – The WRMC Lifetime Achievement Award.

A Grand Gourmet, six course dinner was designed, prepared and presented by the Hilton Malta’s outstanding kitchen team and served with admirable efficiency by the banqueting team’s service staff. Awards were conferred between each course, so that all seventy-three awards were conferred without any loss of time and to keep the event alive. Entertainment was produced by a three piece-band, whilst the host was TV presenter Antonella Vassallo who presented the five hour programme admirably, with Reno Spiteri WRMC Executive Director as the organizer, assisted by WRMC Directors Christopher Spiteri and Mary Grace Borg.

Awards were consecutively presented by the various local and international sponsors’ representatives some of whom had travelled to Malta from the Netherlands, Italy and Sicily, specifically for this event, as well as by VIP guests from the Chaine’des Rotisseurs – Bialliage de Malte.

The highlight of the evening arrived, when the highly sought after, Silver Spoon Awards and the Special Individual Awards were to be announced and conferred on the current year’s selected restaurants and personalities.

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The new recipients of the WRMC Silver Spoon Award for 2019 were: Porticello Restaurant of Valletta; Capo Crudo Restaurant of Valletta; Surf N’ Turf Restaurant of Qawra, St. Paul’s Bay. Country Terrace Restaurant of Għajnsielem Gozo, Beppe’s Steakhouse & Restaurant of Sannat, Gozo.

These restaurants were added to the fifteen holders of this award which succeeded to retain the title, bringing this exclusive list to twenty restaurants over a seven years period.

The recipients of the 2019 WRMC Special Individual Recognition awards were: Chef Marvin Schembri - The WRMC Malta 2019 Top Chef Gold Award; Mr. Joseph Mercieca - the WRMC Malta 2019 Top Front-of-House/ Restaurant Manager Gold Award; Chef/Padron Marvin Gauci - the WRMC Malta 2019 Top Restaurateur Gold Award The WRMC Hall of Fame – Lifetime Achievement Award went to Chef Charles Demanuele in recognition for his thirty-eight years’ service as a top chef in the restaurant industry.

What makes the WRMC Awards prestigious, and the ultimate accolade for restaurants is the exacting criteria which is directly assessed by professional assessors. To be even considered for a nomination for the WRMC Awards, a restaurant must have been in operation for not less than two years under the same operators and the same executive chef for the Silver Spoon nominations and at least for one year for the other awards.

The nominated and shortlisted restaurants would have been initially inspected and reviewed by the WRMC professional assessment survey teams, which inspection is followed by two additional

inspections. If the restaurant is found to have reached the WRMC’s exacting criteria, by WRMC appointed anonymous, inspectors, only then they might be included in the final short-listing for the awards. Assessments include ambience; restaurant atmosphere and decor; management attitude; service and staff attitude, efficiency and decorum; cuisine quality; cuisine preparation and presentation; wine list with a good selection of premium wines with a decent mark-up; cleanliness; and value for money in accordance with concept.

The following are the awarded restaurants as per the different criteria ratings: The 2019 WRMC Silver Spoon Restaurants: TemptAsian Restaurant - The Palace Hotel, Sliema L'Agape Restaurant - Rabat, Malta Blue Elephant - Hilton Hotel, St. Julian’s Patrick's - Victoria, Gozo Tarragon - St. Paul's Bay Palazzo Preca - Valletta Ristorante La Vela - Pieta Gardens, Msida Tmun Mġarr Restaurant - Mġarr, Gozo Caviar & Bull Restaurant - St. Julian’s Ristorante Porto Vecchio - Mġarr, Gozo Nan Yuan Cantonese Restaurant - Valletta Waterfront Tal-Familja Restaurant - Marsascala One80 Kitchen & Lounge - Mellieħa Buddhamann Restaurant - St. Julian’s Tartarun Restaurant - Marsaxlokk

New restaurants added to the above list bringing the WRMC Silver Spoon Restaurants to twenty were: Porticello Restaurant - Valletta Capo Crudo Restaurant - Valletta Country Terrace Restaurant – Għajnsielem, Gozo Surf N’ Turf Restaurant - Qawra, St. Paul’s Bay Beppe’s Steakhouse & Restaurant - Sannat, Gozo The 2019 WRMC Blue Riband Award restaurants:

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April 2019

Fine and upscale dining: Zeri’s Restaurant - Portomaso Venus Restaurant - Buġibba Hammet’s Macina - Senglea Aaron’s Kitchen - Valletta The Lord Nelson Restaurant - Mosta 59 Republic - Valletta Rebekkah’s Restaurant - Mellieħa

Ethnic and Maltese Cuisine restaurants: XIXI Chinese Restaurant - Xgħara, Gozo Gate of India - Buġibba Nenu the Artisan Baker -Valletta New Madras Indian Restaurant - Buġibba Rasoi (Ex-Saregama) - St. Julian’s House of Spice Pakistani Restaurant - Buġibba Diar il-Bniet - Dingli

Upscale – Casual dining restaurants: The Boat House - Xlendi,Gozo Browns Restaurant - Valletta Waterfront Q Bar & Restaurant - Valletta Waterfront Cassarini Restaurant – Wied iż-Żurrieq Tex Mex South Bar, Grill & Oyster Lounge Marsaxlokk El Catalan Bistro - Xgħajra San Andrea Restaurant - Rabat, Malta Taninu Bistro - Marsascala Bistro 516 - Valletta Waterfront

Top four Sunday Buffet lunch venues (seasonal) Blue Riband: Tabloid - The Palace Hotel The Terrace Restaurant - Westin Dragonara Resort Fra Martino - Corinthia San George Oceana - Hilton

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Top Ten Special Concept and Casual Diners: Hammet’s Gastro Bar - Tigné, Sliema Munchies Restaurant - Mellieħa King’s Own Band Club Brasserie - Valletta Meraki Wine & Dine - Rabat, Malta Deck & Morsel - Smart City Tex Mex Bar & Grill - Sliema Zeffies Restaurant - Żabbar Capo Mulini Restaurant - Marsaxlokk La Capanna Restaurant - Marsaxlokk Ir-Rizzu Restaurant - Marsaxlokk

Top five pizzerias: Nenu The Artisan Baker (Traditional Ftira) - Valletta Capo Mulini Restaurant - Marsaxlokk Uncle Matt’s Kitchen - Marsascala Zeffies Restaurant - Portomaso

The 2019 Blue Riband Award.

Palazzo Castelletti - Rabat, Malta

The 2019 WREMC Silver Spoon Retention Award.

Lifetime Achievement Award Crystal trophy.

The 2019 WRMC Silver Spoon Award.

WRMC Back board.

General guests assembly at the Gala dinner at the Hilton Malta.

Porticello Restaurant being conferred with the 2019 WRMC Silver Spoon Award and Title.

Capo Crudo Restaurant being conferred with the 2019 WRMC Silver Spoon Award and Title.

Surf N’ Turf Restaurant being conferred with the 2019 WRMC Silver Spoon Award and Title.

Beppe’s Restaurant being conferred with the 2019 WRMC Silver Spoon Award and Title.

Country Terrace Restaurant being conferred with the 2019 WRMC Silver Spoon Award and Title.

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April 2019

Individual awards: Chef Marvin Schembri of Porticello Restaurant, being conferred with the 2019 WRMC Malta Top Chef Gold Award.

Mr. Joseph Mercieca of Country Terrace Restaurant, being conferred with the 2019 WRMC Malta Top Front-of-House Manager Award.

Chef Marvin Gauci being conferred with the 2019 WRMC Malta Top Restaurateur Award.

Chef Charles Demanuele being conferred with the 2019 WRMC Malta Lifetime Achievement Award.

“

Today I can proudly say that due to the vast promotion for the general public this campaign turned out to be successful and managed to instill appreciation in the Maltese consumer with regards to the meaning of production of DOK and IĠT wines.

“

Clint Camilleri Parliamentary Secretary

DOK Malta, DOK Gozo and IĠT Maltese Islands are registered EU wines and enjoy European protection.

In our islands we have around 800 vinegrowers and most production today is geared towards IĠT and DOK. Production nowadays is more or less stable with around (two million) 2,000,000 bottles annually of DOK & IĠT wine, with the four most popular varieties being Girgentina, Chardonnay, Ġellewża and Merlot.

The production of these wines today is guaranteed and all wines bearing the mark has been certified in accredited laboratories abroad. In Malta and Gozo there are a total of 19 wineries, of which 12 produce DOK & IĠT. Amongst them they cultivate circa 430 hectares of vines.

PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND ANIMAL RIGHTS