Red Onion and Plum Tarte Tatin with Chèvre

My Tarte Tatin goes savory! Caramelized red onions, sweet and sour plums, aromatic thyme and chèvre replace the apples which I usually choose for this tart, and it's great. This is the taste of late summer!

At the moment I can't get enough of the combination of sweet, fruity and savory flavours. I've always been a big fan of it but I'm a bit obsessed with it right now (so much that my boyfriend already asked for a break). I mix mirabelles, plums, peaches, grapes or figs with saltimbocca, coarse sausages and chicken and I barely eat my cheese without one of my plum, rhubarb or apple chutneys (I will share my plum chutney recipe soon).

I love August and September in northern Europe, the transition to autumn. The light is magical and it's the time to harvest all those wonderful fruits, to cook them and turn them into delicious dishes and colourful jams and chutneys for the colder months. That makes it so much easier to let go of summer!

Red Onion and Plum Tarte Tatin with Chèvre

For the tart you need a 21cm / 8″ Tarte Tatin dish or frying pan which is ovenproof.

• mild and soft chèvre 150g / 5.5 ounces, for serving

For the topping

• medium sized red onions, cut into 8 wedges each, 4

• plums, quartered, 4-6

• butter 2 tablespoons

• olive oil 1 tablespoon

• sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons

• balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon

• thyme sprigs 6

• salt and pepper

For the shortcrust

• plain flour 130g / 4.5 ounces

• butter, cold, 75g / 3 ounces

• egg yolk 1

• salt 1/8 teaspoon

• cold water 1 1/2 tablespoons

For the shortcrust, combine the flour and salt. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and quickly work the butter into the flour until combined. Add the egg yolk and the water, continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a disc, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F.

In a pan (or Tarte Tatin dish), heat the butter with the sugar and oil until it starts to caramelize. Add the onions, arrange them in a circle and cook them for 7 minutes on medium heat. Turn them gently and cook them for another 7 minutes. Mind that they don't burn, they should become golden brown. Tuck the plum wedges in between the onions and cook for 2 minutes.  Take the pan off the heat and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme.

Roll out the dough, big enough to cover the pan and lay it on top of the onions tucking the edges down the sides. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until golden brown. When the tart is done, place a large heat resistant plate on top and turn the pan carefully upside down, keep in mind that it’s very hot!

Serve the Tarte Tatin with a big slice of chèvre.

Saltimbocca alla Romana with Balsamic Mirabelles

This meal combines two wonderful dishes, Saltimbocca alla Romana and mirabelle compote! Both are very high on my list of summer favourites.

Let's start with the "Roman schnitzel", the saltimbocca, or Salt' im bocca! in the Roman dialect. It means Jump in the mouth! and that's how I feel when I have a plate of these little escalopes in front of me. The combination of veal, smoky, salty prosciutto and aromatic sage is so perfect that the first bite of it explains why this dish became so famous all over the world! There are different approaches to the preparation, some like to roll them, fold them just once or keep them flat like a schnitzel. This is how I prefer them, but the composition of the three flavours, veal, prosciutto and sage, always stays the same. Some recipes recommend Coppa di Parma but my favourite is thinly cut Tyrolean prosciutto with the right balance of smokiness and saltiness.

To me, late summer is the time for fruits, peaches, plums, figs, berries and mirabelles. Sometimes I cook some carrot slices to serve with my saltimbocca, still crunchy and sweetened with honey and basil. However, at this time of the year I prefer fruit for some of my savory dishes, like sweet mirabelles ripened under the sun of Tuscany. When we used to go on holiday close to Florence as a child, I fell in love with a mirabelle tree next to the house and its tasty crop! I could eat buckets of them!

They're at the peak of their season at the moment and I buy them every week as long as I can get them at the market. I love them, when they are ripe and golden they are sweeter than plums, a bit like honey. They make a wonderful compote too. I cook them for just 1 minute as I don't like to turn them into a mousse, I leave them chunky. I refine the compote with some Balsamic vinegar and a little cinnamon, it's delicious together with the saltimbocca!

Saltimbocca alla Romana with Balsamic Mirabelles 

For 2 people you need

• veal escalopes, 300g / 10.5 ounces, each about 100g / 3.5 ounces

• Tyrolean prosciutto or Coppa di Parma, 3 thin slices big enough to cover the escalopes

• sage leaves 15

• plain flour

• olive oil

• butter 2 tablespoons

• marsala or vermouth to deglaze the meat

• pepper

Place the escalopes between cling film and flatten them with your fist until they are around 5mm / 1/4" thick and season lightly with pepper (no salt as the prosciutto adds enough saltiness). Dust one side with flour, put 3 sage leaves on the other side and cover them with a slice of prosciutto, pressing it onto the meat.

In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter and fry the escalopes (start with the side with the prosciutto) together with the remaining sage leaves for about 1 - 1 1/2 minutes on each side on high-medium temperature. Move the meat and sage to a plate, add 1 tablespoon of butter and a splash of the marsala, simmer the sauce for 30 seconds and take off the heat.

Serve the escalopes with the sauce, crisp sage and mirabelle compote. 

For the mirabelle compote

• mirabelle, pitted, 250g / 9 ounces (or plums)

• balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons

• sugar 1/4 teaspoon

• a pinch of cinnamon

• water 3 teaspoons

In a sauce pan, bring the ingredients to the boil, close with a lid and cook for 1 minute medium heat. Season with vinegar, sugar and cinnamon to taste.

Grilled Bell Pepper with Garlic and Thyme

When I see juicy strips of grilled bell pepper on an antipasti platter, colourful in red, orange and yellow, I can barely stop myself from eating all of them (which is unfortunate for my antipasti platter companion). I love this balanced taste of sweet and smokey, it's addictive! There are many ways to do this, some prefer to grill the fruit cut in half, some say you should cook it whole in one piece. Peeling the skin off can be a bit fiddly but it's manageable, there are many suggestions to make this part easier. The latest I heard was to put the grilled bell pepper in a plastic bag and shake it to get rid of the skin although I've never tried it myself.

This is how I grill and peel bell pepper, how I've done it for years and it works perfectly: I put the whole fruit in a baking dish under the grill, turning it as soon as one side gets dark (meaning partly black). When the skin is dark and burst all around, after about 25 minutes, I open the oven, take out the dish and lay a wet kitchen cloth or paper towel over the bell peppers to cover them completely. I wait just a few seconds as they should stay warm and moist for this process. Then, I take out one pepper after the other and pull the skin off with a knife. If you leave them to cool without the moisture it's impossible to peel them without damaging the flesh.

Sometimes I grill a big batch of bell peppers, I cut them in thick strips and keep them covered in olive oil in the fridge for days. Apart from the fact that it is a convenient (and healthy) nibble, it's perfect for an antipasti platter at one of our dinner parties, as a salad or to make sandwiches. This time I grilled only three peppers and marinated them in garlic infused olive oil and fresh thyme. They didn't last very long!

Grilled Bell Pepper with Garlic and Thyme

For 2-4 people you need

• bell peppers (red, orange or yellow) 3

• olive oil 3 tablespoons

• garlic, cut into thin slices, 1 big clove

• thyme sprigs 8

In a sauce pan, warm up the olive oil and garlic for 3 minutes on a medium-low heat to infuse the oil, the garlic shouldn't change colour.

Put the bell peppers in a baking dish under the grill and turn them as soon as one side gets dark and starts to burst. I turned them twice, after 10 minutes on each side, I cooked the third side for only 5 minutes. Take the baking dish out and cover with a wet kitchen cloth or paper towel immediately. Wait for 10 seconds, take out one pepper and peel it with a knife. Keep in mind that they are still hot, especially the inside! Cut the peeled fruit in half, take out the seeds and cut the bell pepper into strips.

Pour the olive oil over the bell peppers and sprinkle with the garlic and thyme sprigs (or just the leaves if the sprigs are hard and woody). You can season it with salt and pepper but I left it pure.

Black Olive and Parsley Pesto with Capers, Anchovies and Lemon

This pesto is so rich in unbeatably strong aromas, velvety black olives, fresh parsley, salty capers and anchovies, spicy onions and garlic and some lemon juice and mustard to finish it off! It resembles the Provençal tapenade but the parsley and onions give it a lighter and fresher touch, it makes this dish feel Italian. It's great with pasta but also as a spread on crunchy grilled bruschetta. Although I'm not the biggest fan of raw onions I must say that they make sense in this recipe, they add more of a sharp spiciness than an overpowering taste of onions which is quite often the case when this uncooked vegetable is involved.

This is another one of those convenient pantry/ fridge/ balcony dishes, made with ingredients that I always find in these three places! My mother used to make a similar pesto with pasta, I played around with it over the years, added a few flavours until it became this recipe. You could also add some sun-dried tomatoes, chop in some fresh tomatoes or replace the parsley with basil. That's what I love about pesto, it can follow your mood and kitchen stock!

Black Olive and Parsley Pesto with Capers, Anchovies and Lemon

For 3-4 people you need

• linguine or spaghetti, cooked al dente, 300-400g / 10.5-14 ounces

For the pesto

• black (preferably Kalamata) olives 15

• parsley, the leaves of a medium bunch (set aside a few leaves, roughly chopped, for the topping)

• anchovies, rinsed and dried, 2

• capers 1 tablespoon

• shallot 15g / 1/2 ounce

• garlic, 2 cloves

• pine nuts 15g / 1/2 ounce

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon plus more to taste

• mustard 1/8 teaspoon plus more to taste

• olive oil 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar for the topping

For the pesto, mix the ingredients in a food processor; it should be a smooth paste. Season with lemon juice and mustard to taste.

Serve the pasta with the pesto on warm, big plates, sprinkled with black pepper and parsley.

Rabbit Stew, Fenkata and my beloved Valletta - my last post from Malta

My last Malta post celebrates a wonderful dish and an amazing city, both represent this island and what I love about it! Let's start with the food, the famous Fenkata (Fenek biz-zalza) which is the island's national dish! This meal is usually savored in a big group of friends and family at a big table, a whole rabbit (or a few), marinated and stewed in wine. The meat is cooked with aromatic spices and herbs and served in its aromatic sauce with pasta or potatoes. I'm sure that there are as many recipes for this meal as there are families on the island!

A Fenkata is fun to cook together with your guests, it's a celebration of the time we spend together with the ones we love, it's about enjoying life, food and wine together. We usually cook the rabbit in red wine, but white wine works as well, sometimes we add olives, capers and parsley. This time we kept it pure and simple and added just a few carrots, tomatoes, some onion, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. The meat was tender and the sauce was fantastic, rich in flavours and slightly thickened by the vegetables. We enjoyed our Fenkata together with our friends and family, with some pasta and a big smile on our faces!

And now it's time to tell you more about my favourite city, my beloved Valletta, Malta's capital! I love its graceful architecture, the tall buildings made of the island's typical limestone, the facades opened with wooden balconies, painted in dark green, blue, red or white. They line the main roads densely, Republic Street, Old Bakery Street and Merchant Street which snuggle into the city's hills like snakes, before they stop in front of the dark blue sea, at Fort St. Elmo. The atmosphere is magical, unique, it's busy during the day and relaxed at night, that's when I love it the most. When I visit Valletta to shop or to linger in the streets, I like to stop at Prego Café & Bar or Caffe Cordina for a cappuccino and some sweets, both are old family businesses. Prego is in a quiet side street, South Street, it's very popular with locals, especially in the morning or around noon. It opened in 1946 and today it's run by the brothers Giorgio, Joe and their cousin Carmelo. The coffee is exquisite, imported from Sicily, the minimal furniture didn't change since the sixties which adds a beautiful nostalgic charm to this place.

One of our most frequently visited restaurants in Valletta is Legligin where Chris cooks delicious Maltese tapas and offers a great selection of wines (I love the local Syrah which he produces with one of his friends). Il Horza restaurant is famous for its meat dishes and Michael's for fish but at the moment he hosts Aziamendi100 at his place until October, a temporary restaurant by the Basque 3 Michelin star chef Eneko Atxa. Nenu, the Artisan Baker makes a nice Maltese Ftira pizza but I'm particularly fond of their traditional coffee made with spices and their wonderful desserts. I can recommend the Maltese bread pudding which isn't as good as Joanna's but still very good, the trifle and the Mqaret (pastry filled with dates).

If you want to learn more about life in Valletta you should visit Casa Rocca Piccola, a beautiful private 16th century palazzo with a big collection of antique furniture and artworks. Nicholas de Piro, the owner, is a member of Malta's aristocracy, he lives with his family in some of the more than 50 rooms of this grand building but opened most of them to the public.

Another very special Valletta experience is the Sunday morning service at the Baroque St John's Co-Cathedral. The intimate mass is held in Latin accompanied by a great choir. The cathedral's museum shows some of Caravaggio's master pieces, like the Beheading of St John the Baptist, the artist lived and worked in Malta from 1607-08.

If you like Jazz music, don't miss Bridge Bar's Friday night concerts! A nice crowd of  people sits outside on the stairs under a big pink Bougainvillea listening to the music and enjoying the atmosphere with a glass of wine!

Now, it's time for my Berlin kitchen agin, time to say good bye to my Maltese summer, to my big Maltese family, Jenny's kitchen, the sea, my vegetable man Leli and all the others who make every stay on the island so special. It's a thankful good bye!

Fenkata, a Maltese Rabbit Stew

The rabbit is best when it's marinated in red wine for about 8 hours.

For 4 hungry people you need

• whole rabbit, with innards, cut into 8 pieces, 1

• dry red wine 0,75l / 1.5 pints

• carrots, cut into big pieces, 3

• big onion, cut in half and into slices, 1

• garlic, cut in half, 8 cloves

• large tomatoes, quartered, 3

• bay leaf 1

• fresh thyme, a small bunch

• olive oil

• plain flour

• sugar about 1/2 teaspoon

• salt and pepper

In a large bowl, marinate the rabbit in half of the wine for about 8 hours. Keep the wine, take the meat out, dry with kitchen roll, dust the rabbit pieces lightly with flour and season with salt.

In a casserole dish, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the rabbit for a few minutes until golden brown on all sides. Take out the meat and set aside. Add the innards and sauté for a few minutes. Add the garlic, onion and carrots and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Deglaze with a splash of red wine, add the tomatoes, the meat and the rest of the wine (from the marinade and the bottle). Add the bay leaf and thyme, close with a lid and cook for one hour on medium-low heat. When the meat is tender, take it out and set aside. Sieve the sauce, put it back into the casserole dish, season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste and add the meat (either on the bones or boned, as you prefer).

Serve with spaghetti or potatoes.

meet in your kitchen | Golden Calamari with Chorizo and the Meridiana Wine Estate

The "kitchen" I visited for today's meet in your kitchen feature creates the completion of every fine meal, wine! When I thought about all the culinary places I wanted to visit and write about during my time in Malta I knew that a vineyard would definitely be one of them. My choice was easily made as for years I've enjoyed Meridiana's wines, a winery that lifted the quality and the international image of Maltese wine to another level. Their Isis made from Chardonnay grapes is one of my favourite white wines and the Fenici Red is a beautiful, velvety red wine made of Syrah and Merlot, just the thought of it makes me wish I had another bottle of it in the house!

Meridiana is a boutique winery, all the grapes used for the nine different labels grow on Maltese ground. The production only reaches 140,000 bottles a year, most of their wines are sold out before the following vintage's release. Unfortunately, only a few countries are lucky to be on the wine estate's export list and Germany isn't one of them. I bought a few bottles after my visit and I will definitely have some shipped to my own kitchen for a little taste of Malta in my glass when I feel like.

Compared to Italian or French wine estates, Meridiana's history is relatively young. In 1985, a Bordeaux oenologist convinced Mark Miceli-Farrugia that Malta's climate and soil offered all a high quality wine needs, a produce that didn't exist on the market at that point. Two years later, Meridiana Wine Estate was established but it took another 8 years and lots of patience and persistence to be rewarded with the first harvest of a limited quantity of red and white wine between 1995/96. During those first ten years, Meridiana experimented with various kinds of grapes and acquired a 19-hectare site in Malta's agricultural heartland below the city of Mdina. The partnership with one of the oldest winemaking families in the world helped the young winemakers to fulfill their vision. Marchese Piero Antinori joined in in 1992 and brought in his family's experience in winemaking gained over hundreds of years all over the world (Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Winemakers Guild of Florence in 1385).

I spent a few wonderful hours on the estate with Karl Chetcuti, my knowledgable host, who showed us around the fermentation tanks, the cellar filled with old oak barrels and we tasted some wines which we hadn't tried yet. We spoke so much about wine but also about the best places to buy fish, restaurants, bakeries and our favourite butchers. Before we left, Karl mentioned his favourite recipe for calamari, fried in rings and served with spicy chorizo on the side. On one of the following nights, we opened a bottle of chilled Isis and took his advice. We threw a few calamari in hot garlicky oil and ate them with thinly sliced chorizo, it's a great combination of spice and sea!

If you would like to visit Meridiana and learn more about winemaking just get in touch with Karl at meridiana.com.mt!

Golden Calamari with Chorizo

For 2 people you need

• big calamari tubes, cut into slices, 4

• chorizo, very thinly sliced, 70g / 2.5 ounces

• plain flour

• garlic, quartered, 1 big clove

• olive oil

• lemon 1/2

• optional: small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced, 1

On a large plate, dust the calamari with flour, they should be coated with a thin layer.

In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil with the garlic. Add the calamari and fry for 2 minutes, stirring gently. Don't overcook them or they will become hard.

Arrange the chorizo and fried calamari on a large plate (and the optional slices of fennel), sprinkle the rings with a little freshly squeezed lemon juice and serve with a glass of chilled, fruity white wine.

Mashed Potatoes with Fennel Oil and Sea Salt

The hot afternoon air is filled with the sweet fragrance of fennel, Buzbiez in Maltese, mixed with the earthy smell of the rocky, red soil and wild thyme, this is the addictive smell of Malta's countryside! The ground is burst open by the sun and covered with twiggy plants, growing like sticks and crowned with golden umbels which carry the tasty fennel seeds which I love to use so much in my cooking. When we drive down some of the lonely narrow streets I touch the fennel with my hands as they grow so close to the asphalt that it feels like they want to take back their territory. Sometimes we jump into the car to drive around in these desolate parts of the island, to find a new hidden spot to snorkel or to stop somewhere in the middle of the soft hills and listen to the silence surrounded by the beautiful scent of fennel, thyme and sea air!

I always buy my fennel seeds in Malta, from a very sweet lady at the Sunday market in Marsaxlokk. I got used to the little seed's taste which is so sweet, strong and unique here, I've never found tastier fennel anywhere else! It's great to infuse olive oil for pasta, to cover the skin of roast poultry or to flavour potatoes. There is a popular Maltese dish, oven potatoes cooked with onions and fennel seeds in white wine, it's often served as a side dish in restaurants with fish. It tastes so good that it doesn't need anything else with it, we often eat it on it's own and enjoy the aromatic potatoes.

Sometimes I feel the need to eat potatoes, my body just calls for them, so I decided to make my Mediterranean mashed potatoes which I  chop with a knife while I pour olive oil into the chunky mixture. Normally, I just season them with sea salt but this time I infused the olive oil with my aromatic fennel seeds from Marsaxlokk!

When we go to Marsaxlokk we like to stop at Delimara to snorkel and dive off the cliffs. The sea is beautiful here, crystal clear, in different shades of blue and turquoise! The bay is surrounded by white rocks and steep cliffs that look like abstract sculptures created by nature! One of the next bays, St. Peter's Pool, is just as stunning!

Mashed Potatoes with Fennel Oil and Sea Salt

For 2 people you need

• big potatoes, cooked and peeled, warm, 3

• olive oil 5 tablespoons

• fennel seeds, lightly pressed in a mortar, 1 teaspoon

• sea salt

In a sauce pan, warm up the olive oil and fennel seeds for 3 minutes on low heat.

Chop the warm potatoes with a knife into small chunks while pouring the fennel oil into the lumpy mixture. Season with salt to taste.

Crisp Whitebait with Parsley

This was one of our first lunches when we arrived in Malta, but I had forgotten about it: golden fried whitebait sprinkled with parsley! For years I didn't touch this dish as I didn't like the idea of frying little fish in one piece until I tried it in a Portuguese restaurant and I loved it. That dinner changed my mind!

The fish has a fine taste, like the sea, so it shouldn't be mixed with too many flavours. I like to cook a big batch of them and serve them on a big plate, with a salad and a glass of white wine on the side. This is perfect as an easy lunch and it brings a Mediterranean feeling to the table! Close your eyes, smell the aroma of the cooked fish and imagine that you're sitting in a restaurant close to the sea!

When I cook whitebait (a big handful), I like to dust them lightly with flour, dip them in a beaten egg and fry them in 1 tablespoon of butter mixed with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. They just need 3-4 minutes in the pan to turn golden brown and crisp. I sprinkle them with a heaped tablespoon of chopped parsley and a tiny bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice, that's it!

meet in your kitchen | Mary Licari cooks Qarabaghli biz-Zalza and Stuffed Marrows

When I walked into Mary Licari's house it felt like I had entered another world! You can't even call her home a house, it's an old watch tower extended into a spacious palazzo, with thick walls of limestone, built hundreds of years ago, with a beautiful big garden. The building itself was changed and expanded over the past centuries until it became the beautiful place which it is today. It's full of history and magic! A few years ago, Mary found old wall paintings from 1878 in some of the rooms. The scenes in the entrance hall show soldiers from India and England who were stationed in Malta at that time. In the dining room she found colourful paintings of the Hindu goddess Kali, associated with empowerment. Ironically, Mary has felt very close to India for many years, its culture, religion and philosophy. She spent several months there with her daughter studying Ayurveda, its practice, diet and yoga. When she bought this place with her husband, she felt a strong bond to it, she could feel its unique atmosphere.

Mary is a woman of many talents, she is curious, creative and determined. Be it her passion for cooking, her interest in vegetarian and vegan food, or her love for the arts, design, architecture, fashion and furniture, she follows them with a strong will to learn and to enjoy her life's journey. She found lots of inspiration in the strong women in her family, like her grandmother Nina who traveled the world at a young age as a cook for a British Admiral. Mary herself, who has followed a non-meat diet all her life, has become a well known cook and caterer in Malta specialising in vegetarian cooking. She has been responsible for the culinary care of several Hollywood film stars while they were filming in Malta.

Before we started cooking, Mary and I walked though her house and garden which is a green oasis filled with 60 trees! Two kinds of oranges, lemon and tangerine trees grow next to peaches, almonds, pomegranate, banana, sweetcorn, tomatoes and much more. She finds a lot of what she needs for her cooking right in front of her kitchen window!

When we went back to her kitchen, she told me what she would cook for me: Mary chose two of her personal favourites to share on eat in my kitchen, Qarabaghli biz-Zalza, a traditional Maltese dish made of sautéed zucchinis and a fruity tomato sauce which can be enjoyed cold or warm, and round marrows stuffed with vegetables. Both were absolutely delicious!

During our kitchen activities, Mary treated me to her fantastic homemade vegetable sushi and her crunchy cookies made of dried fruits, seeds and oats. I could have stayed with Mary for days! There was definitely enough food and so many fascinating stories of her life to listen to!

Marrows stuffed with Vegetables

For 4 people you need

• large round marrows (zucchinis) 4

• medium, long zucchini, chopped, 1

• large potato, cooked, peeled and chopped, 1

• small red bell pepper, chopped, 1

• small green bell pepper, chopped, 1

• small yellow bell pepper, chopped, 1

• carrots, julienned, 2

• aubergine, chopped and mixed with salt for a few hours, a handful

• medium sized onion, finely chopped, 1

• Parmesan, grated, 4-6 tablespoons

• salt and pepper

• grape seed oil

Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F.

Cut off the tops of the 4 marrows and keep as lids. Scoop out the inside of the marrows and set them aside with their lids.

In a pan, sauté the onions in a little grape seed oil till golden and put them in a big bowl, mix in the cooked potato.

Sauté the chopped zucchini seasoned with a little salt until golden brown and add to the onions in the bowl. Sauté the bell peppers and carrots separately for a few minutes and add both to the bowl with the onions. Rinse and dry the aubergine and sauté for a few minutes, add to the onions. Season the vegetable mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Fill the 4 marrows with the stuffing, sprinkle with Parmesan and close with the lids. Put the the marrows into a baking dish, fill the bottom of the dish with water and put in the oven. Turn down the heat immediately to 180°C / 355°F and bake for 45 minutes or until the marrows start to soften. Serve warm or cold.

Qarabaghli biz-Zalza

For 4 people you need

• small, short zucchinis, cut into thin slices, 10

• grape seed oil

For the tomato sauce

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, 1 teaspoon

• tomato passata 700g / 1.5 pounds

• small onion, sliced thinly, 1garlic, chopped, 1 clove

• capers 2 tablespoons plus more to taste

• black olives, chopped, 10

• salt

• grape seed oil

Heat a splash of grape seed oil in a pan and sauté the zucchini till golden brown and soft, set aside.

In a large pan, roast the peppercorns without oil until you smell a nice aroma and set them aside.

Heat a splash of grape seed oil in a pan and sauté the onion for a few minutes till soft and golden, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato passata, cover with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes, add a bit of water if the sauce gets too dry. Add the capers, olives and roasted peppercorns and season with salt to taste.

You can mix the zucchini with the sauce or serve it separately arranged on top of each other on a big plate. Enjoy either cold or warm together with fresh sourdough bread.

When and how did you start to become interested in vegan and macrobiotic diets and lifestyle?

World cuisine, most of all Mediterranean food has always fascinated me especially dishes which are meatless. I was born vegetarian - since I was a baby I would spit out meat when it was given to me. It was not easy at the time growing up in a country where meat was very widely eaten. Each time I said I did not eat meat, people looked at me as though I was an alien.Even when travelling and living in Italy, all those years back people could not understand how I would not eat meat. I learnt all about cooking techniques in Italy where I lived for some time before getting married. People ate a lot of meat there too but they would also eat plenty of vegetables as Italians have always been great agricultural people. Thank God that today even in Malta we have skilled farmers who are producing vegetables and fruit using no pesticides and giving us organic produce. We are also blessed with a lovely climate. Therefore it was quite normal and easy for me to go into veganism. In recent years, when I travel, especially to Italy I take masterclasses exploring new ideas and sharing with other veggie people our love and passion – the subject of food.As for macrobiotics - from an early age my daughter, Alexia, was very interested in Japanese culture and started to study Japanology. It was she who came across macrobiotics. That was way back before I became intrigued with this diet and my interest in it started about 12 years ago. I was also learning about Ayurvedic cooking and later on started learning about raw food. Gradually I started formulating recipes from all these diets for my lifestyle and those of others. I also ventured in creating eggless and butter free, margarine free cakes, dairy free and sugarless cakes, cookies and sweets.

You've been responsible for the private catering for several Hollywood film stars while they were filming in Malta. How did you get into this very specific kind of catering and what are the differences to other catering requests you've had?

Being involved directly with Hollywood actors and film directors was very exciting and came by chance. Since I had plenty of knowledge and experience in various cuisines especially in healthy, clean and honest food, I was asked if I would cook privately for A-Listing actors. The golden rules for optimum results are: choosing the best and freshest ingredients, preparing everything from scratch and by hand, being versatile and creative (cooking at least 3 to 4 dishes daily), cooking with a passion and to perfection, presentation on table on time (not even 5 seconds late!).I have cooked food for over 120 people quite a few times, for dinner and cocktail parties, events for various associations with the primary intention of promoting healthy food and encouraging people to incorporate new eating habits in their lifestyle. Sometimes there are also particular requests for a menu, such as Indian vegetarian food, raw food, macrobiotic food, pasta based dishes, pizza gatherings and more.From time to time I give master cooking classes both locally and overseas and share my knowledge regarding good honest clean food.

You've traveled to India together with your daughter to study Ayurveda therapy with professors of the University of Jaipur. How did this experience affect your life and your relationship with your daughter?

Around 16 years ago, my daughter (who is also vegetarian) and I, attended an Indian wedding of friends residing in England. We were introduced to an uncle of the bride. He is an Ayurveda doctor, Reiki master, a Yogi and a university professor in the U.K. He is a true scholar of many philosophies and of life itself. This was one unique encounter which fascinated me so much that it inspired me to delve deeper into the philosophy of Ayurveda. I had been practising yoga for a number of years, and it was then when I discovered that yoga was in fact a branch of Ayurveda. This increased my interest further, and I started to research in detail and learn more about Ayurveda.My daughter and I, have always had a special bond and also share similar interests. Therefore, we both decided to travel to India where we spent several months studying both the theories and practical sides of Ayurveda with doctors and university professors about this ancient philosophy – science of life. We learnt how to prepare Ayurvedic food - which is the food for each person's 'dosha' (constitution).This new knowledge opened a new horizon and I became more and more interested in Indian culture - a culture that I had always loved. I also became interested in Reiki and I am a certified practitioner. When we returned to Malta we opened our studio offering innovative beauty, holistic therapies and authentic Ayurveda treatments and food, yoga and pilates classes.

Besides your interest in cooking, diet and health you renovate houses and refurbish antique and vintage furniture, covering the process of planning to execution by yourself. What do you like about these design projects that also involve your own physical effort?

I love 'bringing life' back to something that has been discarded! When I was young, at my mother's house I would scrape walls of layers of paint until I got down to seeing the beautiful limestone. One afternoon during school summer holidays and while everyone was asleep, I started scraping the hall in our house. My mum woke up from her siesta and upon seeing what I was up to, she wanted to kill me! I insisted that the hall would look much better in its natural state. Weeks following, together with my dad we carried out the job (even though he did not like doing this work - he disliked jobs like this and could never handle a paint brush!).My dad was a great tailor and craftsman and specialised in home and theatre furnishings. I always loved to recycle anything and at that time I would recycle unwanted clothes into cushions or other craft. I also started taking an interest in restoring old furniture and stencilling. As time went by I went into restoring antiques and learnt about different types of waxing and polishing. I also learnt the art of gild. My interest in furniture led me to study the Baroque period and its influence in Malta and in Europe. Since my teenage years I cherished a particular interest in interior design and studied this subject further.Tailoring and sewing were very natural to me since both my parents were 'masters of these trades'. I have always 'dreamed' of changing old into new and my passion is converting old houses and furnishing them with antiques, vintage and new. I have carried out house conversions in Gozo and in Malta and have also designed and made furnishings. Old houses fascinate me - each one has a story to tell! I love their texture and get carried away when I enter an old house, always wondering about its history, past owners, their lives and the 'soul' within the living limestone!

What are your favourites in the Maltese cuisine?

My favourite Maltese dishes are Qarabaghli biz-Zalza - marrows/courgettes with tomato sauce, olives and capers. It is a dish which has been in our family for many years. Homemade pea pies and ricotta pies which are also old recipes we have had in our family are other favourites. I also love minestra in winter and during the wintry months I prepare a different soup on a daily basis.

What is your feeling about the state of home food culture in Malta today? What has changed over the past 5, 10 or 20 years?

Eating habits in Malta have changed drastically. Unfortunately, over the years certain 'commodities' such as 'take out food' are spoiling Maltese traditional food. There are people who tend to 'cook' quickly, directly from the freezer and straight into the microwave. Others buy 'Take Away' products and just either eat it out of a bag or just reheat upon arriving home. This is very worrying especially in families with young children as those young children will know nothing better! We see children in Malta who are already obese by the age of 9.I remember when my daughter attended San Anton School, a newly founded co-ed school in Malta, it was normal practice for some schools to provide a tuck shop for students where an array of junk food, carbonated drinks and sweets are sold. This new school took a health conscious approach and introduced a new concept of promoting health food to children. It is also the first school who had a nutritionist to monitor that all was in order. I was asked to prepare healthy sandwiches incorporating brown bread and vegetables for the school. This new approach turned out to be a success. San Anton School was the pioneer in promoting good clean and healthy food.I was also responsible for the organization of the food stall section for the Spring School Fair, held yearly where home cooked and healthy food was prepared. This was also a new venture undertaken with a lot of thought, love, passion and with a strong team of ladies who made sure that this would be a success year after year.Luckily in recent years some sections of the population have become more conscious of what they eat. Organic products are now widely available and people are also encouraged to eat seasonal produce. Another positive factor is that in these last ten years or so people are consuming more fish and opt for lean protein.

What was the first dish you cooked or baked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?

The first dish I ever prepared was macaroni cheese when I was around 19. I remember I had bought my first recipe book and friends of my parents were coming over, so I had to give it a go! That very same day I remember preparing a Pavlova Gateau for a friend's birthday. From that day on, I would have requests for pavlovas!

What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Malta?

I shop at different places in Malta. I must admit that since I follow a particular lifestyle I go all over the island buying products. No shops or supermarkets stock the same items therefore it's a 'go get it and drive until you find’ situation. However, as long as I can get the item and if I have the time I will drive to get it! I try to get organic as much as possible whether it is in a packet or coming directly from the fields. I am also lucky that we grow a lot of veggies and fruits in our garden so this produce comes in very handy. I also like to preserve in jars a lot of what we grow in the garden. At the moment I have just preserved the first two batches of this year’s sundried tomatoes!I happen to like Lebanese food a lot and since there are some very good Lebanese restaurants in Malta I just love going there. Vegetarian food is also available. I like Kebab Ji in Tower Road, Sliema and also Ali Baba in Gzira. The food is very authentic and exquisite! I love a coffee at Busy Bee in Msida and Santa Lucia in Attard. I also like to go to cafeterias in Mdina and Birgu.

Who was your biggest influence in the kitchen?

I come from a family of female cooks but the biggest influence in the kitchen has to be my great grandmother Nina Blake. I never knew her personally but I feel very close to her from all the wealth of stories I have heard from my mother and my aunt. I still have many of her original recipes, which were passed down to me. Nina was married to an Englishman, Edward Blake, at a very young and tender age. By the time she was 18 she became a widow and also had a baby girl (Maria, my grandmother). Along the years, she was the breadwinner for the family. Maria, my grandmother was brought up by her own grandmother and Nina found herself working as the head cook in the kitchen of the Admiral of the British Navy. She lived with the Admiral's family in Kalkara and would visit her mother and daughter in Birgu where they lived once a week.Then there came a time when she left Malta with the Admiral's family and travelled to England and France with them. Her travels with this family took her as far as Japan and India. She was away from Malta for some years and when she made enough money she came back and had a little shop where she made fabulous little pastries, cakes and sweets. She must have been an amazing woman at a time when women did not know anything better than raising children and staying at home. She gathered many cooking recipes from all her travels, especially recipes for English pastries, cakes and sweets. My mum and my aunt were also two amazing cooks who also influenced me with their cooking.

Where do you get your inspiration for your recipes from?

Being born and bred in a country like Malta gives me a lot of inspiration to create a recipe - bright blue skies, our blue sea, the buildings, textures, markets, people ..., also, when I travel, cultures and people inspire me to cook. Colours in the garden and the fragrance of herbs and fruit also do. Even the simplest and most humble ingredient will inspire me to create a new recipe.

What did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen and why?

For eat in my kitchen, I chose to cook Qarabaghli biz-Zalza (marrows/courgettes in tomato sauce) and baked marrows with a vegetarian stuffing (a recipe I created many years ago). I chose these two recipes, since besides eating them hot, they can also be enjoyed at room temperature, especially on the long hot summer evenings in Malta. I remember my mum preparing Qarabaghli biz-Zalza and in the evening we would go to the beach and eat this dish with Maltese bread. Really delicious.

If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?

I would ask my daughter, Alexia to prepare Penne all'Arrabbiata for me.

You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?

I will look around in my kitchen and garden for ingredients. I would make Hobz biz-Zejt and bruschetta, I always have vegetarian sushi (which I prepare on a daily basis) at the ready, definitely a rucola salad (freshly picked from the garden) with fresh plump tomatoes, julienne carrots, sunflower, hemp and pumpkin seeds, home prepared sprouts, all served with grilled goat cheese, home made sundried tomatoes and garden grown olives. A delicious pasta served with fresh tomatoes and freshly handpicked basil. Sparkling or still water, fresh fruit, fresh fruit juice and homemade vegan Ice cream will also be on the table. All accompanied by a lovely glass of wine - red or white.

What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?

My childhood's culinary favourite was minestra, minestrone. School friends and others used to laugh at me as, at that time, it was a 'poor man's meal'. But since I only ate vegetables, it was my favourite meal, still love it to bits.

Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?

I love to cook with others whether it is with one person, two, three or four. It is always nice to share ideas and share food.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

I have absolutely no problem improvising meals, I do it all the time.

Which meal would you never cook again?

Can't think of any meal that I won't cook again - nothing comes to mind.

Thank you Mary!

Jenny's Kapunata made with Leli's Bell Peppers and Aubergines

Kapunata, Maltese caponata, is another one of Malta's delicious and famous vegetable dishes, a salad made of cooked green bell peppers, aubergine, tomatoes, coarsely chopped onions, capers, olives and garlic. It's eaten warm or cold, with bread, on the beach or for lunch. There are many variations on this refreshing composition, some like to mix in swordfish or tuna and in Sicily, you find recipes which add raisins and pine nuts, or potatoes and carrots.

I asked my Maltese Mama Jenny to cook her kapunata for us as this is her signature dish. Hers is chunky, thick and juicy. You can taste the strong flavours of ripe green bell peppers, grilled aubergine and sweet tomatoes. I love a big spoonful of it, piled on a crusty slice of Maltese bread, it's heavenly! Jenny calls it "the taste of summer"! She prepares it in big batches and keeps it in the fridge for spontaneous lunches, or for one of her delicious beach Ftiras mixed with tuna. Her mother, Granny Edith used to cook it for her and she still does, Jenny actually prefers it when her mother cooks it as "mama's cooking is always better"! Edith just leaves out the aubergine.

I loved to see Jenny cooking her kapunata, she stood at the gas cooker with her Tweety apron on and a big smile on her face, stirring the vegetables once in a while. This picture in my mind made the kapunata taste even better!

Before we could start cooking I went to my vegetable man Leli to buy the fresh ingredients. Twice a week, he parks his van filled with the freshest fruits and vegetables in front of a beautiful pink oleander tree in the middle of Msida. Leli grows his vegetables in his fields in Buskett and Rabat, in the centre of Malta, and for 28 years he's been offering his harvest at this exact corner in Msida. He fills his green boxes with Qarabaghli (zucchini), aubergine, tomatoes, cucumber, various peppers, Maltese figs and peaches, the most aromatic herbs, and so much more. He's my favourite farmer in the world! As soon as he saw us coming around the corner, his face lit up! We don't meet so often, but over the years we developed a special bond with him, and it all happened over vegetables and fruits!

To cook kapunata, it's important to use only ripe vegetables to achieve a fruity and rich taste!

Jenny's Kapunata

For 4 people you need

• aubergine, cut into cubes, 1

• green bell peppers, roughly cut, 2 large or 3 medium

• large tomatoes, chopped, 4

• large onion, quartered and sliced thickly, 1

• garlic, crushed, 3 cloves

• black olives, chopped, 10

• capers, a handful

• tomato paste 2 tablespoons

• salt and pepper

• olive oil

• optional (to add some spiciness): fresh green chili pepper, finely chopped, 1

In a baking dish, mix the aubergine with a splash of olive oil and put under the grill for a few minutes until golden.

In a large pot, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic on medium heat for a few minutes until translucent. Add the bell peppers, cook for 2 minutes and add the tomatoes and grilled aubergine. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft, stirring once in a while and adding a little water if the mixture is too dry. Add the tomato paste, capers and olives, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for further 5 minutes. Serve hot or cold with sourdough bread.

Swordfish on the Grill

One of the (many) things I love about cooking in Malta is that I can always find the freshest fish at any time! Also, I have a barbecue in the yard ready to start whenever I feel like and lots of aromatic herbs in the garden. When we cook fish on the island, be it a whole fish, a steak fish like tuna or swordfish or some prawns, they don't really need much seasoning. Fish, here, tastes and smells like the sea, a bit salty and fresh, and when you close your eyes you can see the glorious blue of the endless Mediterranean sea sparkling right in front of you!

So, most of the time, we cook our seafood on the grill. We sit outside in the garden, I slice up some bread, sprinkle it with olive oil and fill our glasses with some fresh Maltese white wine while I'm waiting for my seafood to cook! What a sweet life!

This time we chose a steak of swordfish, a firm slice, thick enough, so that it won't dry out on the grill. I covered the fish with a handful of fresh mint leaves from Jenny's garden (my favourite herb this summer!) and put it on the heat for just a few minutes. When you can lift the fish off the bone, it's done. This kind of cooking is so simple yet so good, my summer kitchen heaven!

We ate the fish just with bread and a green salad with olives on the side.

Swordfish on the Grill

For 2 people you need

• swordfish steak, around 1 1/2cm / 1/2" thick, 1 big or 2 small steaks, around 300g / 10.5 ounces

• fresh mint leaves, a small handful

Cover the fish on both sides with mint leaves and cook on a hot barbecue for a few minutes on both sides until you can lift the fish off the bones, turn it gently with a spatula.

If you prefer to cook the fish in a pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the fish for 1-2 minutes on both sides until golden. Cover the steak with the mint leaves and cook in the oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 8 minutes.

Serve with a salad, olives and some bread sprinkled with olive oil on the side.

Prawn Polpetti by the Fisherman's Wife

When the fish monger offered us a big bag of Maltese prawns for a great price we couldn't refuse it. As the morning comes to an end, the fishermen just want to empty their tables to go home and sleep! Before we left the market, one of the fishermen's wives told us about one of her favourite recipes to prepare with prawns, golden fried polpetties. We took a few quick notes and off we went to the frying pan in the kitchen!

This recipe is very simple and brings out the best in the prawns, you just chop and mix them with some flour, garlic and salt and fry them in butter until they turn into golden patties. You could add some parsley, but we wanted to keep them pure and simple. Don't be put off by the fact that the patties aren't little beauties, their taste makes up for it!

Golden Fried Prawn Polpetties

For two people you need

• prawns, shelled and chopped, 300g / 10.5 ounces

• plain flour 4 heaping tablespoons

• garlic, crushed, 1 big clove

• salt 1/4 teaspoon plus more to taste

• butter

• lemon

Mix the ingredients and form little patties. Heat the butter in a pan. Fry the polpetties for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Serve them warm, sprinkled with a little lemon juice.

meet in your kitchen | Joanna Bonnici cooks Maltese Bragioli

When my gorgeous friend Chris told me about his friend Joanna Bonnici and her fabulous skills in the kitchen I knew that I had to meet her! He praised her food so much that I sent her an email the same day he mentioned her!

Many generations of women in Joanna's family have been great cooks and food lovers. Her grandmother and aunts, her sister who lives in Sicily, but her mother especially, all influenced and taught her to become the fantastic cook she is today. Her cooking is honest, very intuitive with lots of respect for good ingredients. She likes to go back to the traditional cooking of the past and to adjust it to her personal style. Joanna loves to enjoy life, she loves to cook, to eat and to share her creations with her family and friends. She reminds me a lot of my mother, the two women celebrate cooking in a similar way and appreciate the time they spend in their kitchens. For them, the feast doesn't start at the table but in their culinary working space.

At one point Joanna decided to compile all the wonderful family recipes in a book to pay tribute to the creations of these women and also to save their recipes for future generations. She has a little box stuffed with cards, recipes for soups, cakes, puddings, pastry, meat, fish and pasta dishes, which she plans to turn into a book. It's a culinary treasure box and I'm very happy that I got the chance to try a few of these creations.

Joanna told me that she would cook a traditional Maltese meat dish with me called Bragioli (Bragoli in Maltese), beef olives stuffed with egg, bacon, cheese, parsley and breadcrumbs, but Joanna makes her roulades with pork. They were divine, the meat was juicy and tender, the sauce was thick and rich in flavours. She prepared two versions, one made the traditional way with peas and the other one is her creation, with green bell peppers. This dish is often served as two courses, first the sauce with pasta or potatoes and then the meat as a main course.

We met Joanna in the morning, my boyfriend happily joined in when I told him about her cooking, and she treated us to the most amazing food for hours. She served our coffee together with Maltese bread pudding, a recipe by her mother, which I will share with you on Sunday and which was the best bread pudding we ever ate (my Maltese Mama Jenny agreed on that after she tried a piece)! We had fresh bread from a bakery in Gharghur sprinkled with olive oil, a luscious salad of rucola and sweet figs stuffed with soft blue cheese (like dolcelatte) before we savored the delicious Bragioli. Joanna finished the menu off with little short crust tarts lined with a thin layer of sponge cake and filled with ricotta and candied fruit. She garnished the tartlets with bittersweet chocolate and hazelnuts, a perfect Mediterranean dessert similar to kannoli. When she offered us her homemade ice cream made of condensed milk (a Maltese speciality) with a big smile on her face, we couldn't refuse. This woman just loves to share her kitchen creations!

I fell in love with Joanna's food, so much that I decided to ask her if she would like to share some of her recipes once in a while on eat in my kitchen. We will start this Sunday with her Maltese bread pudding and there will be a few more. There's so much I can learn from her about Maltese cooking and I look forward to the delicious recipes to come!

Maltese Bragioli

For 4 people you need

• pork slices (silverside) 1kg / 2 1/4 pounds

• organic eggs, hard boiled, 3

• parsley, chopped, the leaves of a bunch

• onions 2

• carrots, cut into sticks, 3

• green peppers, sliced thickly, 2

• garlic, 2 cloves

• streaky bacon, chopped, 200g / 7 ounces

• organic egg 1

• fresh breadcrumbs, a big handful

• Kefalotiri cheese, grated, 100g / 3.5 ounces

• thyme, a sprig

• bay leaf 1

• stock cube

• ground coriander

• a pinch of mixed spice

• a pinch of Ras el Hanout spice mixture

• tomato paste 3 tablespoons

• Worcestershire Sauce

• white wine 1 glass

• salt and pepper

• plain flour to dust the roulades

• vegetable oil

Chop 1 onion and 1 garlic clove finely and sauté them in some oil for a few minutes. In a mixing bowl crumble the hardboiled eggs, then add the chopped parsley, the sautéed onion and garlic, the chopped bacon, fresh breadcrumbs, the cheese and bind the mixture with a raw egg.

Put 2 tablespoons of this mixture on each slice of meat and roll them up tightly. Finally give them a light dusting of flour.

In a large saucepan fry the bragioli searing them well. Season them well (with salt and pepper) and add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a glass of white wine. Let the wine reduce and remove from heat. Now in a casserole pot sauté 1 sliced onion, 1 chopped garlic clove, the carrot sticks and pepper slices.

Next add the bragioli, the tomato concentrate, the stock cube, the spices and herbs and some water. Let the bragioli simmer for at least two hours until the meat is tender. Add water if need be but be careful not to render the sauce too watery. Serve with mashed potatoes or fries.

Who are the people in your family who influenced your cooking the most and why?

I had the fortune to live minutes away from my maternal grandmother’s house and we spent the larger part of the day there because my mother had to take care of the elderly members of the family while her sister – my Aunty Fifi, who was unmarried, worked as a home economics teacher. My grandmother, great-aunt and mother were all very traditional but excellent cooks, while my Aunty Fifi introduced me to more sophiscated cooking. All four of them in their own way influenced me but the confidence I have is the merit of my mother. When I was nine years old, I baked her a Mocha cake for mother’s day and it was an absolute flop. She made me slice it up and bake it again like crostini and told me that my next one will be better. We ate the crostini and I was happy enough to go on to my next cake. I also have to mention my sister Mariella and my sister-in-law Miriam who are both amazing cooks and we exchange recipes and ideas constantly. My brother Ray, engineer by profession, now part-time organic farmer taught me all there is to know about food regarding the ingredients and how important it is to source out the best.

You've decided to compile the favourite recipes of the women in your family in a cook book, what have you found through this work besides the collected recipes?

When my aunt and my mother passed away it seemed to me that a chapter in my life was sadly closed. The two persons who taught me the little I know were here no more so I felt the need to pay them tribute and pass on what they gave me to the next generation of wives and mothers-to-be in my family. This compilation is also a reminder that simple wholesome food should still feature on our dinner table. Lentil soup and Toqlija (pasta soup) are simplicity itself and have been firm favourites with my family for generations so they also have a place in this collection. Most of the recipes are imprinted with the personality of their owner – for example Aunty Fifi’s gateau was the subject of many a discussion. This sublime dessert is flamboyant, rich and sweet and it portraits my aunt’s personality making it her signature dish. The timing when it was served, however, was not optimal because we usually had it after a heavy Maltese Christmas lunch and to do it justice it should be eaten after a very light meal. On the other hand, the Maltese pudding reflects my mother’s simplicity and goodness. Going through the recipes and remembering the wonderful memories attached to them has reinforced my belief that there are few occasions that beat the ones when family and friends gather around a table to share good food.

For how many years have you been cooking for your family and how did your culinary style develop over the years?

I have been cooking since I was 9 years old. My sister and I loved to prepare afternoon teas for my parents and we set the table like we were entertaining royalty (which they were, in our opinion). I will never forget that. Unfortunately my father died when he was 53, so when I got married I lived in my mother’s house together with my husband and my sister. So that was 3 women in the kitchen but we got along very well because our style was very similar. Eventually my sister got married and moved to Sicily but my mother lived with me till she died last February. She made amazing soups and pastries and I could never beat her at that. I became more adventurous by time and tried out many recipes which my aunt passed on to me. Before I got married, I bought the Robert Carrier’s cookery books and they opened up a new vista. I used to wait for each new release to add to my collection, and my sister and I spent many lovely afternoons trying out new dishes. I still go back to his books and am continually amazed at how progressive he was. Nowadays the internet makes everything more accessible but in the eighties, this was really something special. I guess my style is not a sophisticated one. It is a mish mash of all the good things my family and friends cooked over the years, together with a good dose of inspiration from Robert Carrier.

What are your favourites in the Maltese cuisine?

There are few dishes which are typically Maltese because our cuisine had been influenced by our neighbours, invaders and colonizers throughout the years. However these are my favourites.Timpana – A rich pasta dish of layers of maccheroni with a meat sauce, bechamel sauce and hard-boiled eggs, encrusted in flaky short-crust pastry. This is our traditional pasta dish for Christmas and even though I would like to be more original my family does not let me remove it from the menu so it is there to stay. I love the combination of gooey pasta with the crispiness of the pastry and the taste conjures up the image of all my family seated at the dinner table devouring this delicious pasta and begging for more ... The first time I tasted it cooked this way, was at my Aunty Maria‘s and she passed on the recipe.Tuna, Anchovy and Spinach Pie or Lampuki Pie – Two of my favourite pies. My mum used to cook these for me. I can still picture her chubby, capable hands kneading the dough. She made the most divine pastry. The tuna and spinach pie is delicious and my great aunty Terry used to top the filling with sauteed potatoes or chips. I still make it that way and it’s delicious.Stuffed Calamari – I love them because they taste of summer. When the calamari are good (sometimes they are disappointingly tasteless), this can be a lovely summer dinner main course. My aunty Fifi taught me how to cook these, and the stuffing with walnuts and the tentacles from the calamari is simply delicious.

What is your feeling about the state of home food culture in Malta today? What changed over the past 5, 10 or 20 years?

Unfortunately I tend to see too many young families in restaurants and fast food joints. I cannot understand why people find it so difficult to dish up a meal for their family. I think the Maltese are too influenced by the media and advertising and they are forgetting their roots and their culture. I have battled this all my life even with teachers who took my children (on a school day trip) to eat a burger instead of offering them a simple but delicious Maltese hobza biz-zejt. I think that home food has changed in Malta. Some dishes which were staples (such as widow’s soup) are forgotten by the younger generation and convenience foods are becoming more and more popular. Nevertheless, people are becoming more aware of what they eat and hopefully the Maltese will gravitate again towards the simple and wholesome dishes and resist the temptation to eat junk.

What was the first dish you cooked or baked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?

Mocha cake for Mother’s Day when I was nine. It was a disaster.

What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Malta?

• Restaurants: Fumia and Sciacca for fish

• Bar: Bridge Bar on a Friday night for jazz and wine

• Cafe: Cordina’s in Valletta for its old world charm, people watching and capuccino

• Shopping for food: Veggies just round the corner from my house from Salvu who grows his own, from Lucy because she is a nice lady, from Sunny because I have known him for years and from Alex and Paul who own the mini-market 5 minutes away from my house. Also sometimes from my brother Ray.

Where else do you get your inspiration for your recipes apart from your family?

From my friends Maria and Gordon who are both superb cooks; from cookery books which I still prefer to the internet although that is where I go when I need ideas in a hurry.

What did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen and why?

I chose Bragioli because it is a very popular Maltese recipe, however I will be doing it my way.

If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?

It would be Gordon Axiaq (not a trained chef but the best cook I know) and I would ask him to cook his fabulous pasta with Maltese prawns and crema di noci.

You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?

Pear, walnut and parmesan salad with rucola and some bruschette. For main pasta with my home-made Maltese sausage and dolce latte and for dessert my vanilla and lemon ice-cream. All stuff I would normally have in my fridge or freezer.

What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?

Rice and lentil soup, bread, pasta and pizza. Still bread, pasta and pizza.

Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?

Both.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Both as long as they are good.

Which meal would you never cook again and why?

Liver. I hate the texture and do not cook it or eat it.

Thank you Joanna!

Grilled Amberjack with Mint Oil

Here is another one of our Marsaxlokk fish market purchases, firm amberjack steaks! When I wrote about my Moscato Prawn Pasta last week I mentioned the small town's Sunday market that turns the picturesque promenade at the seafront into a busy scene of fishermen offering their fresh catches and farmers piling up their colourful harvest. Green boxes filled with melons, tomatoes, zucchinis and peaches made my mouth water before we even started our shopping!

The small path between the stalls was packed with people looking for the nicest piece of tuna or swordfish, trying to spot the fisherman offering the freshest Maltese prawns, mackerel, barracuda or octopus. We bought far more than we had planned but we couldn't resist when we saw all the wonderful seafood in front of us. After 30 minutes of choosing the fish we wanted and bargaining here and there, we started to feel a bit exhausted. The heat reached its peak and forced us to take a break. We ate a nice big watermelon, sweet and juicy and found a little spot in the shade right next to the colourful boats swaying gently in the crystal clear water.

Sometimes when we visit Marsaxlokk we sit down in one of the cafes at the piazza in front of the church and enjoy a little snack with our espresso, or we go to one of my beloved Pastizzerias! You can find these little bakeries all over the island selling some of my favourite Maltese treats, little pies filled with ricotta or spinach and anchovies. One of these pies is Pastizzi, a flaky puff pastry shell which is so delicate that it crumbles between your buttery fingers, you can also get these filled with peas. The other one is called Qassatat, the pastry is less rich and more like short crust. If you come to Malta you should try these traditional pastry delicacies, that's what many Maltese miss the most (apart from their bread!) when they live abroad!

Back to the amberjack, when we came home we started the grill and cooked the fish without any seasoning. You could also sauté it in a pan and cook it in the oven for a few minutes at 200°C (390°F). It's summertime, the kitchen is already hot and we have the gas barbecue ready in the garden so we decided to grill it. I mixed some olive oil with lemon juice and fresh mint leaves to sprinkle over the cooked fish and over a few slices of tomatoes - no salt, no pepper!

At first, my boyfriend wanted to enjoy the pure taste of the amberjack without the aromatic mint oil but when he smelled (and tasted) it on my steak he changed his mind! Fish and mint works just too well together!

Grilled Amberjack with Mint Oil and Tomatoes

For 2 hungry people you need

• amberjack steaks (around 1,5cm / 1/2" thick) 400g / 14 ounces

• olive oil 4 tablespoons

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons

• fresh mint leaves, cut into thin slices, 10

• tomatoes, quartered, 3

For the mint oil, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and mint leaves.

Cook the steaks on the grill for a few minutes on both sides until golden and cooked through. You should be able to lift the fish off the bone when it's done.

If you cook the fish in a pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the fish for 1-2 minutes on both sides until golden. Cook in the oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 8 minutes.

Arrange the tomatoes and amberjack on a big plate an sprinkle both with the mint oil.

A thick Basil Pesto with Spaghetti and Tomatoes

This pesto is as concentrated as basil pesto can be! I had two big bouquets of this aromatic herb on the table filling the air in the kitchen with the most beautiful smell - fresh, sweet and green! After half an hour of picking the leaves off the stems, I got rewarded with a big pile ready to be turned into a pesto! The weight was about 150g (5.5 ounces), a Mediterranean luxury I can only dream of in the city. I think I would have to buy 20 pots of basil at home to gather this amount!

Here in Malta I can create a luscious pesto which is richer than any pesto I've ever eaten before. It's more of a spread than an oily sauce! The recipe is a classic, I mix the herb with pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, olive oil and a bit of salt, but the amount of basil leaves and their intense taste make the difference. Herbs that grow in pots don't develop such a strong aroma, the right soil and hours of sunshine, that's what you taste in the end.

I often chop some fresh tomatoes into this dish, I like the freshness they add. Sometimes I mix in a few sautéed slices of zucchini but the red fruit is still my favourite!

Spaghetti with Basil Pesto and Tomatoes

For 4-6 people you need

• spaghetti or linguine 400-600g / 14-21 ounces

• tomatoes, chopped, 4-6

• basil leaves 150g / 5.5 ounces

• olive oil 150ml / 5 ounces plus more if you prefer the pesto more liquid

• pine nuts 30g / 1 ounce

• Parmesan 40g / 1.5 ounces plus more for topping

• garlic 2 big cloves

• salt

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar

Cook the pasta in lots of salted water, al dente.

Mix the basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and olive oil in a blender and season with salt to taste.

Divide the hot pasta between the plates and add a dollop of pesto on top. Sprinkle with the tomatoes, parmesan and crushed pepper, serve immediately.

meet in your kitchen | Kurt Micallef cooks Octopus with Fennel and Kombu Potatoes

A couple days ago I met a rising star of the Maltese cooking scene, Kurt Micallef, in the kitchen of one of Malta's best fish-centric restaurants, Tartarun in Marsaxlokk. Kurt has been at the top of my list of chefs to meet for quite a while, I've heard so much about his work that I got in touch with him as soon as my flights were booked! We decided to transfer the meet in your kitchen feature to his work space at Tartarun as this is the kitchen where he spends most of his time cooking and working on new creations.

Kurt grew up in Malta in a family of butchers in the third generation but decided to start a career as a chef. He moved to London, where he studied and gathered experiences in a couple Michelin starred restaurants. However, he found his biggest inspiration at In De Wulf in Belgium, a renowned restaurant where the philosphy is to use local produce and work with traditional methods of cooking combined with a modern presentation. Simple but refined, this is the culinary style he can relate to. For eat in my kitchen, he chose to share a wonderful composition of his which focuses on two of Malta's most present flavours, seafood and fennel. He combines slightly smokey octopus which he first cooked in broth before he char grilled it with compressed fennel bulb, potatoes cooked with Kombu, squid ink emulsion and fennel flowers and fronds.

I was so impressed by the meal that Kurt created for us, the smokey octopus and strong fennel aroma are a perfect match and I will definitely use it in my own kitchen!

Octopus char grilled, compressed Fennel Bulb, Potato cooked with Kombu, Squid Ink Emulsion, Fennel Flowers and Fronds

For the octopus

• medium octopus 1

• lemons, sliced, 1onions, sliced, 2

• garlic head , sliced, 1

• bay leaves 3

• fennel seeds 10

• star anise 1

Make a stock with the onions, garlic, lemons, fennel seeds, star anise and water. When the desired flavour is achieved add the octopus and simmer for 40 minutes or until tender but not stringy.Leave to cool in the cooking liquor. Remove octopus and break down into separate tentacles. Reserve the octopus and cooking liquor for later use.

For the fennel oil

• fennel fronds 100g / 3.5 ounces

• grape seed oil 100g / 3.5 ounces

Combine the fennel fronds and grape seed oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a pan and bring to 60 degrees.

Remove from the heat, cover with cling film and leave to infuse for 1 hour. Pass the oil through a chinois lined with Muslin Cloth.The oil should be clear with a green hue and fennel flavor.

For the compressed fennel

• fennel bulb 1

• fennel oil 10ml / 1/3 ounces

• fennel juice 10ml / 1/3 ounces

• lemon juice 10ml / 1/3 ounces

Slice the fennel bulb lengthwise on a mandolin into 2mm thick slices. Trim the root off and transfer to a vacuum bag with the oil and juices. Compress and leave to marinate for 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt.

For the potatoes

• baby potatoes 100g / 3.5 ounces

• Kombu 1 sheet 

• water 500ml / 17 ounces

In a pan bring the water to 60 degrees, add the kombu and simmer for 20 minutes. Discard the Kombu and add the potatoes, cook until done, approx. 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from pan and leave to cool slightly. Peel the skins from the potatoes and reserve for later use.

For the squid ink emulsion

• liquid from cooking the octopus, strained, 25ml / 2/3 ounces

• squid ink 1 teaspoon 

• white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk until emulsified, adjust seasoning and reserve for later use.

For the Nori paste

• shallot, chopped, 30g / 1 ounce

• white onion, chopped, 40g / 1.5 ounces

• garlic, 1 clove 

• grape seed oil

• lemon zest

• nori14g / 1/2 ounces

Combine the shallot, onion and garlic in a pan, cover with oil and place on low heat. Cover with a cartouche and cook for 15 minutes until tender. Meanwhile toast the nori over an open flame until it changes color. Remove the onion mixture off the heat, add the nori and cover with cling film. Leave for 1 hour to infuse. Drain mixture reserving the oil. Chop the onion mixture into a paste and season well with lemon zest, add enough oil to the mixture to bind. Reserve for service.

Garnishes

• dill flowers

• fennel fronds

• fennel flowers

Assembling

Lightly drizzle the octopus with grapeseed oil and season with salt. Grill the octopus on a charcoal bbq or a grill until lightly charred and a smoky taste is obtained. 

In a bowl combine the potatoes with the seaweed paste until nicely coated.

Smear the squid emulsion in the centre of the plate. Build the composition with the octopus and compressed fennel on the squid ink emulsion, add 3 potatoes and garnish with the fronds and flowers.

You studied French Cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in London, what moved you to start your culinary education in London?

I did my Diploma in Cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in London. The diploma was only 9 months long and this was a major factor I took into consideration when I chose the diploma. I decided to become a chef at the age of 22, which is considered as already being too late for the industry. Another factor was that it is considered to be one of the best culinary schools in the world, which provides you with solid fundamental skills in the kitchen. This gave me a good foundation. I later developed further skills by working in different kitchens around London.

You worked at several Michelin starred restaurants, which one influenced your cooking the most and why?

During my year studying in London, I staged (apprenticed) in a couple of Michelin starred kitchens to continue learning and developing myself as a chef. However, the greatest influence was brought forward through a two month internship at In De Wulf in Dranouter, Belgium. This is a 1 Michelin starred restaurant with a unique concept. The chef there, Kobe Desramaults, took over his mother's restaurant which was a casual brasserie in the middle of nowhere, for travellers going back and forth from France to Belgium. He revamped the restaurant and focused on doing high end food, using local produce from neighbouring villages. The philosophy of the restaurant is that of being local and using nature as inspiration. They focus on an old style of cooking, but present it in a modern way. The use of wood burning ovens, smoking, foraging, pickling and fermenting was something new to me, and this really inspired me. I fell in love with the food there; it was so simple yet so refined.I knew this was the kind of food that I wanted to cook. I returned back for another 2 month stage the year after. I worked on the garnish section, which meant I was in charge of the preparation and cooking of vegetables and herbs for the hot section. Through this section, I mastered in speed and organization. One has to be quick and know what one's doing. The menu had 13 hot dishes for 40 covers, so the orders came in pretty quick.

After working abroad in the past few years you moved back to your home island Malta, how did this feel? Did you consider staying abroad?

It was awkward at first and I found it difficult to fit back in to the routine. In the 4 years I've been cooking, I struggled to find the right place for me to work, and that is why I bounced from one job to another, leaving the country and coming back.I have finally found a place where I feel I can make use of the skills I have developed along my journey. I do get the urge to go back and work abroad as the opportunities for learning are much bigger there. Malta is a very small island with limited opportunities, but at the end of the day this is the place I call home. I cannot see myself being away from this island for a long time. I am currently working at Tartarun restaurant & lounge. I am a chef de partie on the Cold / Pass section. This is a fish-driven restaurant, which is much different to what I have experienced before. Nevertheless, I find it very interesting. Here I can develop my skills on how to handle fish properly. The management in the restaurant gives us a lot of free will to come up with daily specials, so for me this was a very big step to further develop my skills with regards to fish.

Your father is a butcher in the 3rd generation, did you ever consider following this family tradition and why did you decide against it?

My father owns his own business at the abattoir. He buys cattle and slaughters it, and sells to butchers across the island. To be quite honest, I was petrified of my father's job when I was a young kid! I still remember the first time going with my father to the abattoir and watch them slaughter a cow. It was quite a shock to me at that age and it pushed me away from continuing my father's line of work. Today, I have a deep respect for what my father does, and I love the art of butchery, which I think is a lost art since most of the meats that are purchased today come pre butchered and in vacuum bags. It is something which I keep close to my heart. I would rather get in a whole pig, butcher it and utilize all of it, rather than buy pre butchered meat. I guess I am still keeping a bit of the family tradition going on! The other factor is that it is a dying trade. Malta is a very small island with little-to-no pasture land for cattle to grow on. Most butchers nowadays buy their meats from wholesale importers who bring in meats from all over the world, as most of the times, the price is cheaper and they can not compete within the local market.

Who was your biggest influence in the kitchen and why?

The biggest influence on me becoming a cook has to be my grandmother. Prior to getting married, she was a nun, cooking in monasteries in Belgium and Italy for foster kids. She then married my grandfather and raised a family. Food was and still is family time in our households. She is 83 years old today and still cooks everyday for her kids, Wednesdays are our days to go and have lunch at grandma's house. She has a large garden which she grows most of the vegetables she cooks, and this really is something which I love. Growing your own produce, harvesting it and cooking it for people, how better can it get!

What is your kitchen philosophy?

I try to cook food that is, first of all, delicious but at the same time sustainable. I like to cook depending on the seasons, and not use produce imported from across the world with little-to-no flavour. My experience from In de Wulf has influenced my cooking quite a bit. What I have learnt there, I am utilizing in my cooking now. Food there was always light and does not weigh you down; they focused a lot on vegetable cooking which is something that I try and do. I try to balance my dishes by using fresh herbs and acidity to make food seem lighter. I am also experimenting with fermenting which is something we do not do in Malta and I find the flavours to be amazing.  I have a couple of items fermenting in my kitchen cupboard which sometimes work and sometimes don't, but that is a learning curve for me. I learn from my mistakes and keep notebooks with my experiments. In my cooking, I try to fuse the old and new style of cooking, always focusing on the produce first, then the technique. If it doesn't taste good, then technique is a waste of time. It has to taste good first and foremost. I am also interested in Japanese cuisine mostly Kaiseki. The way they balance flavours and the discipline in perfecting their food is something that fascinates me.

What was the first dish you cooked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?

The first dish I cooked on my own has to be veal parmigiana; which involves veal escallops coated in breadcrumbs and pan fried, then coated with a tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan and then baked in the oven. This was around when I was 13 years old. My first food memory has to be my grandmother's oxtail soup. I still crave it and always hope that grandma will cook that when we go over for lunch. It is a simple household dish which has deep flavours from the vegetables and the oxtail. Just thinking about it makes me crave for it!

How do you develop new recipes? What inspires you?

Developing new recipes is not easy for me. I am not that type of person that can come up with something on the fly. I think about a dish, and try and picture it in my head before I actually start cooking. I start with the main ingredient I want to work with, then start finding things that pair well with the main ingredient. I then move on to the technique, and see which one works well with the selected ingredients. I write all my recipes out, and then start cooking and experimenting. Don't get me wrong, there are times when an idea pops in my head, and  it turns out right, but for the most part it involves a trial and error process. I get inspirations from various things, but mostly books and food blogs. I try and see what chefs from all around the world are doing and take inspiration from that. I take ideas, and then try and develop them in my own style. Nature also inspires me. When I have some free time, I love to go for walks by the seaside or fields. This clears my mind and let's me think about some dishes I want do. I sometimes also find wild ingredients, which I can use in my cooking.

What are your projects for the future?

The big dream is to have my own restaurant one day. I want to have a small restaurant, and the idea of a tasting menu intrigues me, as one can showcase his or her style in a progression. This is something which you rarely see in Malta, since most of the restaurants offer a la carte. I want to have a place where I can express myself on a plate in different progressions, rather than 1 plate. Also, a menu that is not tied down to what is written on it. For instance, if I have a carrots dish, and the carrots are not of good quality, then I won't serve it, but adapt to something that is good at that time. At this point, I am aiming to work hard where I am, and gather as much knowledge as possible, further develop my skills and never stop learning.

What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Malta? 

I love going to the farmers' market in Ta' Qali, where I can buy goods that are fresh and in season. Also, new ideas can spark up when I'm there, such as a new vegetable that I didn't know about, or maybe a purveyor selling local honey.I love cooking but on my days off I'd rather go and eat out, and my favourite places in Malta have to be Black Pig and Il- Horza, which are fine dining restaurants serving really good food. Sammy's by Culinary Forward Malta is doing really interesting work, as it is the first restaurant I know of that is purely local, for really good fish I'll go to Tartarun restaurant, even though it's my work place I don't mind going for some good fish and lastly Ali Baba, which is a middle eastern restaurant with mind blowing food.

What did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen and why?

I have decided to do a seasonal fish dish, to showcase where I am at right now in my journey. The dish is a local octopus which is grilled, served with raw fennel, marinated in its own juice and lemon, a squid ink emulsion using the cooking liquor and ink sack from the octopus hence utilizing the whole animal once again; together with baby potatoes coated in a seaweed paste to bring some earthiness, and some fresh seasonal herbs to balance and keep the dish light. With this dish, I will try to balance the land and the sea, which I think reflects Malta, since it is an island with bounties from the sea and land.

If you could choose one person to cook a meal for, who and what would it be?

My grandfather. Unfortunately, he passed away before I became a chef. I have deep respect for him, for the man he was. He loved food, especially meat. He worked in meat for all his life and never got tired of eating it as well. I would cook a nice steak with bernaise sauce for him and I'm sure he would love it!

You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?

When I have time to cook at home, I tend to fall back on simple recipes, and one thing I keep on going back over and over to would be a Ramen - a nice pork broth infused with seaweed, some noodles, soft boiled, egg, roasted pork belly, seasonal greens and some pickles. Hits the spot every time!

What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?

Still has to be my grandma's oxtail soup, love that dish! Also, my mother cooks a pretty good lasagna, so those two dishes will be at the top for home cooked meals.

Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?

Working in a kitchen, I have learnt that it's all about team work. You can't run the show on your own. So yes, definitely with others. We all help each other out.

Which meals do you prefer in your own kitchen, improvised or planned?

When I'm at home cooking for myself, I'll improvise, but when it comes to work I prefer to plan it out.

Thank you Kurt!

Golden Zucchini and Crisp Sage

The south of Malta is a different world. I've heard this so often and for someone coming from abroad, like me, this can sound a bit strange considering the island's tiny size of just about 28km (17 miles) in length. After spending so many summers here, I can see and understand the islands' different mentalities a little bit more but I'm still learning! No matter how big or small a country is, people cultivate their unique habits, traditions, dialects and recipes. In the south of Malta, where you hear more Maltese than English (the country's second language), you see more small farms with horses, sheep and goats in the countryside and one of the most significant characteristics of this part of the island is its fascination for fireworks. The famous fireworks for the Festas, the holy feast for each village's saint, have definitely reached another dimension in some of the southern villages. They go on for hours and are passionately planned to perfection by a bunch of pyrotechnics enthusiasts a year ahead - they have proudly made it into the Guiness Book of World Records!

One of the villages that is popular for its spectacular firework orchestration is Mqabba, Emma's (my Maltese sister) boyfriend's hometown. We went there a couple days ago to visit Mariano's farm where he keeps horses, sheep, chickens and the cutest goat babies that were only four days old. Farming isn't his profession, it's a family hobby passed on from one generation to the next. I was jealous when I saw all the vegetables they grow, the cheese they make, it's a perfect little farm to deliver fresh eggs and vegetables to the table, every day!

When we got home, I felt inspired to cook one of Malta's most delicious vegetables, qarabaghli. I cut the round zucchinis into thick steaks and sautéed them for a few minutes until they were golden and started to soften on the outside. We ate them with crisp, fried sage leaves, it's such a great combination! You just have to watch them carefully while they are in the pan as the leaves taste bitter when they become too dark! You can eat this dish warm or cold as an antipasto.

Golden Zucchini and Crisp Sage

For 2 people you need

• medium zucchini (round or long), cut into thick steaks, 1

• big sage leaves, a handful

• olive oil

• salt and pepper

In a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the zucchini on a high-medium temperature until golden on both sides. They have to be spread out in the pan, you may have to cook them in batches. Add the sage leaves for the last 1-2 minutes until they are crisp. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper on both sides and serve warm or cold.

Moscato Prawn Pasta and a Festa to celebrate our arrival in Malta

I'm finally back in Malta! I can't describe how much I've been looking forward to having my feet on Maltese ground again. I just wanted to smell the air, feel the sun on my skin and see all the beloved faces at the airport again - and finally we're here again!

When I went to Malta for the first time I learnt that the arrival at the airport is the beginning of a big, endless family feast. Aunts and uncles, cousins, the grandmother of course, sisters, brothers and my Maltese Mama Jenny, there is always a big welcoming committee waiting for us at the gate and escorting us to the house in Msida, our home town for the weeks to come. On the way there I took a deep breath of the salty air mixed with the sweet scent of oleander and wild thyme, this is Malta to me!

In the next weeks I'll be cooking and baking in Jenny's kitchen - and her garden as that's where the grill is. I will share some of my favourite summer dishes with you, show you around on the islands a bit and introduce some passionate food and wine lovers to you. I will show you this wonderful place in the Mediterranean through my eyes but for a bigger picture I will be meeting and writing about Arnold, the bee keeper and Sam who produces his own olive oil, my baker, the butcher, farmers, wine and cheese makers, chefs and Maltese Mamas who've been cooking traditional meals for their families for many years. We will exchange recipes so that you and l can get the chance to learn a few more secrets of traditional Maltese cooking. These people, their profession and passion will show you the side of Malta that I fell in love with nine years ago. I hope I can give you an insight into this culture and food but also its warm, hospitable people who make me feel at home every time I come back.

One of the many things I'm always looking forward to impatiently when we're in Malta is to go to the fish market in Marsaxlokk in the south of the island. The freshness and variety is overwhelming, especially for someone like me who lives in the city far away from any water (apart from rivers and lakes). Every Sunday, the fishermen offer their catch of the last night. They go out in the dark into the open sea with their colourful boats in blue, red and yellow to come back from their fishing trip a few hours or days later and fill their tables with swordfish, tuna, sea bream, moray eels, prawns and many more. These aren't big companies, these are families who have been in the fishing business for many generations.We went there yesterday and I didn't know where to start and when to stop filling our ice box!

One of our purchases were Maltese prawns, the best I ever ate, almost sweet in taste. We threw them on the grill with some garlic and lemon, and enjoyed them with Maltese bread and wine to celebrate our arrival!

Next time when I write about one of our seafood meals I will tell you a bit more about Marsaxlokk, the fishing village and it's  picturesque atmosphere but for now I'm off to the beach!

The weekend of our arrival happened to be Msida's Festa - the holy feast - in honour of Saint Joseph. Each village praises its patron saint with days of celebration including fireworks and a long procession with the saint's statue carried through the whole village. If you ever get the chance to join a Festa in Malta you will understand a lot about the Maltese culture, its traditions but also about the people's untamable will to celebrate and enjoy life!

Moscato Prawns with Linguine

For 4 people you need

• linguine 300g / 10.5 ounces

• prawns (in their shells, the heads removed) 300g / 10.5 ounces

• garlic, quartered, 2 big cloves

• Moscato wine 75ml / 2.5 ounces

• water used to cook the pasta, 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces

• freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons plus more to taste

• olive oil

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar

• salt

Cook the pasta al dente in lots of salted water.

In a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil together with the garlic. When the oil is hot add the prawns and sauté for 1 minute. Deglaze with half of the wine, add the rest of the wine, the lemon juice and the water. Mix in the pasta and season with salt, crushed pepper and lemon juice to taste, serve immediately.

Green Beans, Fresh Herbs and a Fried Egg

Three different kinds of fresh herbs are spread on my table, ready to be mixed with my sautéed green beans! I chose a few sprigs of fresh thyme, summer savory and marjoram from my herbal pot selection to turn this simple dish into an aromatic combination of crisp greens and fried eggs. I deglazed the beans with pastis to add one more flavour, a wonderfully warm anise! The strong aroma of this liqueur lifts the beans up to another level, it works with fava beans as well!

Unfortunately, many people around me are not too fond of anise aroma, it's one of those spices that is mentioned the most when I ask people about their culinary dislikes. Therefore I keep this dish for the two of us and the few who appreciate pastis as much as I do, be it on a plate or in a glass.Tomorrow I will share a recipe with you which shows off this liqueur's sweet side!

Green Beans, Fresh Herbs and a Fried Egg

For 2 people you need

• green beans, the ends cut off, 250g / 9 ounces

• small onion, cut in half and sliced thinly, 1

• pastis 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces

• water 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces

• garlic, thinly sliced, 2 cloves

• thyme a small bunch

• summer savory 2 sprigs

• marjoram 2 sprigs

• olive oil

• salt and pepper

• organic eggs 2

• butter

In large sauce pan, heat a splash of olive oil and cook the onions on medium temperature for 2 minutes. Add a little more oil and the beans, stir and cook for 3 minutes. Deglaze with the pastis, season with salt and pepper, add the water and herbs and cook with a closed lid for 8-10 minutes or until the beans are al dente. Season with salt, pepper and pastis to taste.

Heat a little butter in a pan and fry the eggs on a medium heat. Serve the eggs on top of the beans.

Spaghetti in Fennel Oil with Chorizo and Cherry Tomatoes

In March I cooked a pasta dish with lots of fennel seeds roasted with crunchy bacon. For the sauce I mixed these aromatic and oily bits and pieces of spice and meat with tinned tomatoes because at that point the fresh ones were still far away from offering more than a watered down hint of what a real tomato tastes like. I enjoyed this meal a lot, it was rich and hearty, it felt like comfortable late winter food. The only problem was at that point I was already thinking of all the fresh vegetables I would be cooking with as soon as the cold season would be over. I could see fresh tomatoes, ripe and strong in taste, straight from the market ending up in my pan.

Here's a pasta meal that was one of my visions for summer which also includes fennel seeds. This time I cook the seeds in a bit more olive oil than I would normally use and let them spread their aroma. When the oil is infused I cook slices of spicy chorizo in it together with a thinly sliced fennel bulb. The vegetable softens after about 5 minutes of cooking but I make sure that it doesn't lose its bite, I keep it crisp. To finish the meal off, I mix the spaghetti directly in my heavy pan in these spicy and oily juices and top it with the halves of fresh cherry tomatoes, uncooked, pure and sweet. I dreamt of this meal in March and got it in July. That wasn't that bad, some things take longer!

Spaghetti in Fennel Oil with Chorizo and Cherry Tomatoes 

For 3-4 people you need

• spaghetti 300-400g / 10.5 - 14 ounces

• fennel bulb, cut in half or quartered depending on the size and cut into very thin slices, 300g / 10.5 ounces

• spicy chorizo salami, very thinly sliced, 60g / 2 ounces

• olive oil 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces

• fennel seeds, slightly crushed in a mortar, 1 1/2 tablespoons

• cherry tomatoes, cut in half, 15

• salt and pepper

Cook the spaghetti in lots of salted water al dente.

In a large heavy pan, heat up the oil on a medium heat and add the fennel seeds. Let them infuse the oil for 2 minutes, add the chorizo and cook for 1 minute. Add the slices of fennel, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes or until al dente. Take the pan off the heat, mix the spaghetti with the vegetable and oil and add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.