The Waffle

Remember my pledge not to eat red meat for the month of September?

I was a last-minute addition at the Canadian Press annual golf tournament, a call-up if you will, to replace someone who was a late-scratch due to illness. 

I won’t talk to much about the performance of my team or the number of balls we lost on this beautiful day at the Mont Cascades golf course.  It was for a good cause, as the Tournament was a fundraiser for the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award in memory of the late CP photographer.  You can give here.

The chef at the Mont Cascades golf course grilling the meat

However, unbeknownst to me, the meal during the award ceremony after the tournament was going to be grilled steak.  I realized this was going to be the case when they started to grill some thick pieces of meat on the patio, as we were all enjoying cold beverages as the sun was setting over the Gatineau river.  I knew I would be tempted hard, and was hoping for other options in order not to fall off the wagon. 

I looked carefully.  Oh, sure, there was a couple of salads, some steamed fall vegetables, some vegetarian pasta, potatoes…  But the last station at the buffet table was the grilled steaks, dripping with flavour.  I could not stop myself as I saw, horrified, my hand present my plate to the friendly meat-provider.  Damn Canadian Press! Forcing me to eat red meat against my will!!!

Shame, I thought.

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One of the great things about our trip to Malta was our apartment.  Located in Valletta on Old Theatre Lane, it had a great view of the Marsamxett harbour and a well equipped kitchen.  So we were able to save money while having romantic dinners, relaxing and enjoying the views that were offered to us.

Mel loves pasta, and I was happy to oblige. Here, I made Spaghetti with a very simple tomato-basil sauce. On the side, bread with a cheddar gratin. To accompany our meal, we had a bottle of Corvo Vendemmia 2006, a very nice wine from Sicily, smooth and light in tanin.

In the background, Manoel Island and its Fort, which was built in the XVIII century and was a strong defensive position all the way to World War II, when anti-aircraft guns were deployed in and around the fort.

Another Spaghetti dish, this time I decided to be more creative. I first roasted some garlic in olive oil, then added some lardon. When everything was nicely golden, I tossed in some oregano and bits of Ġbejniet. Ġbejniet is a cheese, originating from Gozo. When you buy it, it looks like a ball of Mozzarella. Made from sheep milk, but originally from goat milk, it has a smooth texture and a subtle, creamy flavour. I was hoping it would melt a little like Mozzarella, but it remained much firmer. A bottle of Medina Sangiovese was the wine du jour. Very soft tannins, but a little acidic. It did worked with the dish, however.

Malta is a very Catholic country, and they take their Saints very seriously. Our stay began a few days before the Feast of St. Julian. So every night in the leadup to the feast, there were fireworks, from two, sometimes three different locations. Every night. And on the Saturday before the feast, the spectacle lasted for well over two hours.

For this meal, even though I decided to stick with pasta, I mixed it up a bit, going for penne this time.  The sauce is a tomato-chili base, with garlic and oregano.  I topped the dish with lardons and fresh green peppers.  Vegetables were easy to find in Valletta, and all kinds of little outlets were offering them in fairly wide varieties.

We enjoyed our penne with a bottle of Cape Quarter, a Shiraz Pinotage from South Africa, as the sun was setting on the islands and numerous boats were coming back to  the harbour. I had never had a South African wine before, and this one was quite pleasant, lots of dark berry flavours including blackcurrant.

Right in front of the Grand Master’s Palace is Valletta’s covered market, the Is-Suq, which has various stands and stalls where you will find fresh vegetables, fish, groceries, meat, herbs and spices.  It is quite busy in the morning, as is the rest of merchant street.  However, the longer you wait, the less merchants there are .  We wandered there a few times, especially when we were craving meat. We got two huge steaks - the Suq’s butcher basically had half a cow on the counter, and asked us how thick.

I cooked the meat in olive oil, adding just a few spices as I wanted to maximize the pure meat flavour.  Then, I reserved it, and caramalized some shallots and garlic in the jus. When that was done, I deglazed with some red wine.  The meat was not the most tender I have ever eaten, but the meat was oh! so fresh.  Obviously, they had not aged it 30 days here, and the taste was very powerful.  On the side, we have yellow courgettes, baked with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and finished with a blend of fresh cheese.

The view at night was spectacular.  The lights from the more modern buildings and hotels from Sliema were reflecting on the water, making our dinner even more enjoyable.  The wine, a Bacchus Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, was bold enough to go well with our meat, but again, this Maltese Winery can only improve with time.

One could think we would have gotten tired of pasta, but the atmosphere just was right for more and more.  With cheese bread on the side, it was simple enough not to take too much time, but I could find a twist everyday to make every meal very different.   This time, I picked three fresh maltese sausages.  Maltese sausage are made from minced pork, mixed with spices and herbs. They are air cured and are often served and eaten raw. Melissa was unpleasantly surprised when she was served some with a platter of Maltese Antipasto at Giannni - but I personally didn’t mind it, though the texture is somewhat strange. So I fried them slowly, sliced them, and served them with penne and a spicy tomato sauce.  Fried like that, they were quite tasty, but gone was the mushy raw meat texture.  And Mel was happy, so much so that she didn’t realize they were the same.  In fact she stated that this was the best pasta meal I made in Malta, and thankfully I made them before our escapade to Sicily.

We had a bottle of Rosso di Puglia with this meal, a solid, full bodied Italian wine. We finished it under one of the most spectacular sunsets yet, where pink and red colours were brought out by the clouds, which were present more than normal. Just spectacular.

We usually had lunch away from home, but from time to time we would have a light lunch at the appartment. Or sometimes, we would come back early from an afternoon of touristing, and we would put together a nice snack platter.  Cured meats and cheese are easily available in Malta, lots of varieties, some local made, some imported, but everything very fresh.  Add to that a fresh bunch of grapes, a cool bottle of white wine, (and, quite frankly, very cool AC!!) and there you have it! A Maltese snack at its best. We would eat slowly, enjoying the different flavours, the spices, the aromas, the textures, while looking at the ferry go back and forth in the harbour…

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So our Honeymoon was set for Malta.

Why Malta, you may ask?

Well, we wanted something different, with nice weather and historic things to visit.  Located in the middle of the Meditaranean Sea, Malta seemed perfect. And it was relatively easy to get to, Ottawa-Frankfurt-Malta and hop!

Food in Malta is not renowned as gourmet cuisine, but it is reasonably priced and there are plenty of locations to choose from. Foreign influences still play a major role in the local cuisine. The islands’ proximity to Sicily leads inevitably to many pasta dishes and pizzerias; the Brits also left their mark - fish and chips, obviously.  The Mediterranean stamp is there, with olive oil being omnipresent, and fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes and green peppers, are commonly used. Fresh fish is easily found and proudly offered.  Abundant, it comes poached, steamed, braised or grilled.

The national  dish of Malta is fried rabbit. But you can also find rabbit in stews and in pasta. Interestingly enough, we failed to see any rabbits around the islands. Another regional meat dish is bragioli. It is made with thin slices of beef wrapped round a minced meat, egg and bacon stuffing.

Other local delicacies include Gbejna, a sheep’s milk cheese, served either fresh or half-dried. It comes from Gozo, it looks like boccocinni, but it is much more firm. Also, the Maltese bread, called Hobz, is very crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, and is heavily consumed on the islands. Ftira is another bread, higher end, denser.

After visiting Malta’s National War Museum and walking around the city, it was time for lunch.  We picked Cocopazzo, a small place, located on Triq Nofs in-Nhar, which was recommended in our guidebooks. We were not disappointed.  We were hungry early, so the place was not really busy.  Colourful, cozy, unpretentious, with great service and great food.

From left to right:  Cocopazzo’s cozy atmosphere; complimentary bread pieces, oven-toasted with herbs and olive oil; we shared some delicious rabbit stuffed ravioli to start; I went for the mixed fish grill (red snapper filet, tuna filet, swordfish, shrimp - quite dense) served with fresh vegetables, 20€ ; Melissa went for the fried calamari on a bed of greens, fresh and tender, 13€; and it all came with a side of steamed vegetables, more food than we could consume.

Our second meal out, the next day, was after a 10 km walk, from Sliema’s waterfront back to Valletta, through Gzira, Ta’ Xbiex, Msida, Pieta’, Hamrun and Floriana.  It was a long walk under the baking sun of Malta, and we were ready for something civilized. We just happened to end up in front of Valetta’s 5 star hotel, the Phoenicia, so we went in to enjoy lunch on The Phoenix’s terrace, which had a nice view of  some of Valletta’s fortification system.

I went for the classic Maltese Ftira, left, another local bread. Totally mediterranean,  with tuna, onions, capers, tomatoes and black olives.  Plenty of olive oil to bring everything together.  It came with a little basket of potato chips and a mini-salad, for 7€.  Melissa picked the Chicken Baguette, garnished with bacon and smoked cheddar.  It was served with a mediterranean salad for 8.50€.  Despite the 5 stars, and sharing the terrace with Ladies and Gentleman directly out of Falcon Crest, this was a nice lunch and not too pricey.

That night, after a romantic dinner in our apartment, we decided to wander down to the Marsamxett Yacht Club, which was calling on us with its bright flashing lights.  Great thing was, their was soccer on and they had a big screen outdoors to broadcast  Malta’s BOV Premier League games.

The soccer wasn’t memorable, and it wasn’t live, so the fans weren’t too excited as they knew the results.  What was exciting however, was the FREE CHICKEN WINGS!! and the tomato, olives and onions covered and smothered bread that came along.  Similar to bruschetta, but so different at the same time.  The wings were not saucy, just a subtle spice and herb blend, and they were also whole, nothing removed.

Malta doesn’t have a lot of sandy beaches, but there are a few, which of course are very popular. But frankly, so are the lidos and rock beaches.  But we decided to walk along the sea all the way from the Ferry terminal in Sliema to St. George’s Bay. Now, It’s not a natural sand beach, but we didn’t mind.  After the very long walk along the beautiful shore, we were quite hungry.  We needed to cool down too.  So we decided to skip the AC-less tourist trap right by the beach and kept walking towards the Corinthia Hotel.

There was a lot of choices at the Corinthia - the place is huge.  However, most of them were either too busy, too expensive, too closed or simply too uninspiring.  So we ended up joyfully at Henry J. Beans Bar and Grill. Melissa described the place as a British being American joint.  But hey, it was quiet, it had AC, cold beer, and friendly staffers.

I was at first tempted by The Challenge. Henry J. Beans was asking me, directly: “Are you man enough?”
Half-grilled chicken.  8oz rump steak. A full rack of ribs.  For a meagre 40€.
I failed to rise to The Challenge.  Apparently, my wife believes I had nothing to prove.  That’s my spin anyway.

So I went for the full Rackin’ Ribs - 14€.  To be healthy, I asked for baked potatoes instead of fries, but these were smothered in butter and salt.  There was coleslaw on the side, a tad watery.  The ribs were tender, the sauce, inoffensive but still correct.  Mel picked the Chickel Schnitzel, I guess to have a comparable for our upcoming stop in Frankurt.  Here came two pieces of breaded chicken breast, which were tender and crispy, and all the fixings, served on a panini-style rustic bread, for 11.50€.  She asked for the fries, which were classic british-style chips, thick, golden, starchy.

Malta being an archipelego, we had to go on a cruise.  And who says cruise says food and drinks.  So we boarded the Atlantis, operated by Captain Morgan Cruises for a cruise around Malta, with a stop at Comino in the Blue Lagoon.

Along with the cruise, they promised a delicious Cold Buffet consisting of a selection of cold meat cuts, 8 different salads, fresh fruits, maltese bread and local wine.

The selection of cold cuts was interesting, and certainly better than we expected.  I could not find 8 salads, but it was relatively good and fresh.  Talking of fresh, the available fruit - no so - was the orange.  The wine was in a fountain and was not the highlight of the cruise, that’s for sure.  But hey, it was included, so I had a few glasses.

We mostly had light breakfasts at our place.  I could add watching the sun rise, but that wouldn’t be credible.

But one morning, we decided to go out and find some breakfast.  A few steps from our appartment, up on Old Theatre Street, was a small Italian place called Primavera Cafe.  We arrived just before the mid-morning rush, and were served quicky.  I picked a classic italian rice ball, with a bolognese filling.  It was rich, the texture was fantastic.  It came with potato chips, which was weird, and a small salad with corn.   Mel went for a grilled breakfast sandwich, with egg, cheese and pancetta and it was also very good.  She did enjoy her coffee too.  As you can see, it was smiling at her.

One of our side trips included a trip to the medieval fortified city of Mdina, Malta’s old capital, and its suburb Rabat.  The Maltese fortifications are in mint conditions, there are some roman ruins right outside the walls, and there are catacombs.  Everything to make us hungry.  So once we had contemplated St. Paul’s Cathedral in Rabat long enough, we walked into The Grotto Tavern.

We were the last ones in for the lunch hour, and the franco-maltese couple happily served us.  It is a self-described Franco-Maltese restaurant, but it clearly has Italian influences.  The main rooms in the restaurant are neat and cozy, rustic french furniture and decorations.  Old French music was playing in the background.  The Lady owner brought us down to the actual grotto, which they use as a wine cellar.  Classic. The Gentillhomme owner has his own show on Maltese TV.

I had the Bragioli.  It came with french fries, which were hot and crispy.  The Bragioli was interesing.  Tasty thin slices of beef wrapped round ground beef, a hard boiled egg and some bacon, served in a rich tomato sauce garnished with green peas.  It reminded me of my mother’s Gibelotte - which is not at all what the traditionnal Gibelotte is supposed to be, but nevermind.  Melissa went for the Calabrese Pizza.  Big pieces of spicy Italian sausages on a very decent pie.  The cheese was stringy with a hint of sweetness.  Overall, a must if you are in Rabat.

Malta has a rich military history, forts, watchtowers, museums, etc…  We usually avoided to eat on location, but on this day it simply didn’t work out.  We ended up grabbing lunch at Fort Rinella, a British Colonial Strongpoint which claims to have the largest cannon in the world.

A couple of ham and cheese sandwich, lots of bread, real cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, lots of bread, and we added mayo and mustard to help with the lots of bread.  Not that the bread was dry, it was actually quite fresh.  But there was lots of bread.  On the side, Melissa was quite excited to see that they were selling Walkers, a british brand of potato chips. I went for the Ready Salted, she picked Cheese & Onion.  I didn’t find them exciting, correct but not memorable. We grabbed a couple of muffins as part of the combo, and with a drink, it costed us a little over 10€.  Not bad at all.

The Valletta Waterfront is a very touristic area, so we basically avoided it.  It is where the big cruise ships arrive, unload, and where the tourists walk 50 feets and stop to enjoy this string of made-for-toursit shops, restaurants and night clubs. They set their traps in the nineteen historical 250-year-old sumptuous warehouses.  “The Valletta Waterfront… Yours to Discover.”

The first time we walked on the promenade, though, I couldn’t help but notice of piece of marketing from Browns: “Probably the best steak in Malta.”  We had to go.  So we did.  Browns is located in Vault 13 and is the latest addition to the Valletta Waterfront.  The interior is basically a two storey dance club, so we decided to sit outside, right by the water-taxi station.  We had a great view of the Grand Harbour and Fort St. Angelo.

We couldn’t pass on the Maltese Ravioli stuffed with goat cheese and served with tomato sauce.  The goat cheese was mild, but thankfully the tomato sauce was not overpowering.  The ravioli were well cooked, and the garnish was fresh.  As a main, Melissa went for the Tagliata di Manzo, sliced beef served with rosemary, pepper balls and a hint of olive oil. The meat was delicious, very powerful flavour and cooked perfectly.  It came with fries, thick but crispy, and a small garden salad.

As for me, well, I went for probably the best steak in Malta.  The Beef Fillet Special Browns:

There you have it.
A superb beef filet, I would estimate it at 20 oz. Topped with bacon, mushrooms and mozzarella.
This was definitely the  best steak I had in Malta.  Tender meat, done medium-rare as requested, with crispy bacon, tasty mushrooms and plenty of mozzarella to finish it all. The sides were overshadowed by this majestic piece of beef.  As soon as I finished it, the wife solemnly announce that I was going off red meat for the month of September. I was too full to protest.

Malta being very close to Sicily, we had to take the opporunity to visit the Italian island.  It was easy enough to do, since Virtu Ferries Ltd. is offering a regular route from Valletta to Pozzallo or Catania.  We decided to take a package which included transport from Pozzallo to Taormina to Mount Etna before coming back to Pozzallo for our return to Valletta, for a little over 100€.

The Maria Dolores departed from Valletta around 7 am. It takes about 90 minutes to sail on the Mediterranean Sea all the way to Sicily. The sea was calm, the Catamaran was fast. Impressive. Not so impressive was the movie they played en route…

Our first stop was in Pozzallo, a major port in Sicily with magnificient beaches.  As it was still early, the whole group went for breakfast at La Perla, a Pasticceria on Via Dell’ Arno.

What a pleasure for the eyes first, then for the nose, as soon as we walked in. Sweet delicacies, fresh pastries, all kinds of specialties were on offering.   Melissa picked something that looked like a “pain au chocolat”, which she described as being closer to a brioche filled with a Nutella like filling,    With it, the obligatory coffee, a cappucino that almost looked appetizing to me.   As for me, I settled on a pastry stuffed with rice, cheese and a spicy tomato sauce. Deliciozo!

After breakfast, we set of in the direction of Taormina, going through the Sicilian landscape and admiring the agriculture, the rich architecture and the amazing incapacity for Italians to drive properly.  Taormina is a very popular touristic destination, with over a 100 hotels for about 10 000 citizens.  Built vertically, going up a very steep hill, it offers spectacular views of the beaches on the Ionian Sea, beaches that you can access via a funicular.

We decided to go for lunch early, in order to avoid the tourist hords.  Our package included some deals at Bella Blu, a nice convivial restaurant on Via Luigi Pirandello. We had a spectacular view of the bay and the sea.  There was a soccer stadium right below us, which was kind of neat.  The funicular was going back and forth up the mountain and down to the beaches. All I was hoping was for James Bond to jump from one cable car to the other.

Our choices were limited if we wanted to take advantage of the specials, but nevertheless it sounded tasty. I decided to go for the bifteck, Mel went for the pasta.

The bifteck was quite thin, a very european cut.  Grilled fast, and drizzled with olive oil, it was quite flavourful in its simplicity.  Half a lime was on the side to add some zip.  It came with French Fries, which were correct, and a very fresh salad with bright red juicy tomatoes.  The best steak I’ve ever had in Italy.

Melissa’s pasta were also very good.  Although she was ecstatic over them, I didn’t share her enthusiasm.  Yes, the tomato taste was in your face, and fresh parmesan live from Italy is something else.  The Casarecci, short rolls and twisted pasta, were cooked al-dente.  But the result was, in my opinion, a bit dry.

We were offered some complimentary granite after our meal. Must have been my charming accent.  Refreshing, smooth, subtle flavor. But I was so inspired by the view that I had to order a Grappa. Chilled, I sipped it slowly while enjoying the view.

Well fed and our thirst being quenched, we visited the beautiful city of Taormina, before heading to Mount Etna to immerse ourselves in a sea of lava rocks. The landscape of Sicily is spectacular, and quite varied from one side of the island to the other.

We got back on the ferry around 10:30 PM, very hungry. So we went ahead with an on-board meal.  There was two resto-bars on board, with a fairly wide selection of snacks and beverages.  Nothing fancy, but still, not bad.

I picked a chicken salad sandwich. Lots of mayo, big chunk of chicken. Some spices. The bread was fresh.

But the Cold Cisk was the best part of the meal.

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