meet in your kitchen | Isa's Beetroot Risotto with Chèvre and Mint

On to part II of Berlin's Hauptstadtmutti cooking session! The popular mother, fashion and lifestyle blog is run by Isa and Claudia, both such vibrant and inspiring ladies that I had to visit both of their culinary spaces. Two weeks ago, I learned how to make Claudia's Ukrainian Pelmeni dumplings (you can read about it here) and now it's time to cook in Isa's kitchen.

It was cold and snowy as I made my way to meet Isa, the city was wrapped in a wintery grey and, although it was already 10 in the morning, it was quite dark when I reached the old house where the young mother lives with her little family of four. The imposing building is one of the few on the street which hasn't been renovated, the facade crumbling between the majestic window frames which gives it quite a morbid charm, you can still see the beauty of the past. It looks a bit like an abandoned house in a fairy tale, it's more than impressive and it sparked my fantasy when I walked up the creaking steps to knock on Isa's wooden door. But then, when I entered her home, I was speechless, endless rooms and corridors, herringbone parquet floors, high ceilings lined with decorative stucco and large windows which let in the most dreamy light. Within seconds I fell in love with this elegant but cosy home!

Isa started Hauptstadtmutti in 2011 together with Claudia. In the first part of our cooking series I talked about their fascinating and complementary personalities which led to the two meet in your kitchen features. Both women share an international upbringing which confronted them with various cultures at a young age. Claudia grew up with an Eastern European background and Isa had quite an adventurous childhood, she lived in Baghdad in Iraq during the first 4 years of her life. Her father was a successful engineer who used to live in East Germany with his wife before his skills took him and his young family to the Middle East to design pump stations. Back in East Germany, he was also involved in the construction of the GDR's first nuclear power station. Despite this experience, or perhaps because of it, the whole family turned to a more alternative lifestyle in the following years. They became politically active, focussed on natural home grown food and raised awareness for healthy living.

As a teenager, Isa joined yoga and meditation classes together with her father and mother. Today, her parents practice Tai Chi together with their friends in the family's grand garden which is part of an old farm established by Isa's grandfather. The family takes their well-being into their own hands, one generation after the other, and the next one is waiting in line. Isa passes her experiences on to her children and although they are still quite young they can already enjoy her delicious food. Isa's cooking truly pleases the taste buds, she creates culinary moments of bliss without regrets, her food is healthy, with organic ingredients, and full of flavour. She made a fantastic beetroot risotto for me, it was  cooked to perfection, the rice corns and roots were al dente, just how I like it. She refined her composition with chèvre, parmesan and fresh mint - a great composition I can only recommend!

Beetroot Risotto with Chèvre and Mint

For 2-3 people you need

• small beetroot 2

• risotto rice (Arborio) 250g / 9 ounces

• onions 2

• clove of garlic 1

• honey 1 tablespoon

• a shot of white wine

• vegetable broth 1/2-1 l / 1-2 pints

• freshly grated Parmesan, a handful

• butter 1 tablespoon

• olive oil

• salt and pepper

• mint 4 small branches

• fresh goat cheese (chèvre), for the topping

Peel the beetroot, garlic and onions and cut them into cubes. The larger the beetroot cubes, the more bite they'll have. Warm up the broth in a saucepan, it should be simmering.

In a large pan, heat some olive oil and cook the onions and garlic until glassy and soft. Add the beetroot and honey to the onion and let it caramelise slightly, add the rice and let it cook for a minute. Deglaze with a splash of white wine and add a ladle of broth. When the liquid has been absorbed add more broth, a little at a time stirring in between. When the rice is al dente, take the pan off the heat. Stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese and let them melt into the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with chèvre and mint to serve.

You spent the first three years of your life in Iraq due to your father's work as an engineer before your family moved back to East Germany. How did this experience influence your family and how did it effect your own personality?

Concerning that I should probably explain that my parents were neither in the communist party nor in the homeland security of former East Germany so it was quite a mission for them to get to live and work outside the country. But they made it because of their skills and raised my brother and I to believe that "You can get everywhere if you really want it". That really brought me to a lot of places and made me later want to live in other countries as well. We also have a very open minded attitude towards other cultures in our family.

Do you think traveling is important for children to get to know different cultures and mentalities? Can you give some tips for traveling with young children?

If they are very young I don't know. They will not really remember it. We did not travel too far away with our kids yet. Switzerland, France, Denmark. It is not that stressful for them but sometimes for us, the parents. Sometimes it is more fun to spend a week at the Baltic Sea than to travel for hours and hours. It is always good to have plenty of books with you, especially Wimmelbücher (picture books).

Your parents encouraged a great awareness for natural food and a healthy lifestyle by their own way of living. How did they influence your consumption, your cooking and the food you buy?

Oh yes, my mother was very into healthy food when we were young and still is. She cooks her own jams from the fruits of her garden and we always ate fruits and vegetables from the garden. She always uses fresh and natural ingredients. The older I get, and of course with children, I try to live as healthy as I can too. I usually buy local or organic fruits and vegetables.

You went to high school in the US for one year, what fascinated you about this new culture? What are your culinary memories?

Everybody was very very friendly and I just had a very great teenage time there. Culinary memories? Donuts, cheeseburger, tacos and ice cream (smiling)!

As an au pair in Paris, you also experienced the French cuisine for one year. What did you like about the food there?

It is very pure, many vegetables and beef and lots of seafood. I liked that very much and the oysters. I learned how to eat oysters. Delicious!

Did your cooking change since you became a mother? Do you have any tips to make cooking for and eating with young children easier?

I really changed into organic and local food. Eating with young children is easy. I always cooked the baby food by myself. This is totally easy and does not take a long time. What I learned is that young children want a variety and a change of food every day. They do not like to eat the same thing every day over and over. My tip is to always try to eat the same as your kids. They copy you and will (often) try more.

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

The first dish was Spaghetti Bolognese. I learned this when I was 12 when my mother was away for an allergy cure and our father taught it to my brother and I.

As a fashion observer and blogger, which are your 3 most helpful fashion tips for young mothers?

• 1. Always carry a large scarf for nursing in public.

• 2. Get a new haircut. It makes you feel good.

• 3. Buy at least 3 shirts or dresses which make nursing comfortable.

Where do you find creative inspiration?

In Berlin, walking around the city and on the internet reading international blogs and magazines.

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

I love to eat at Cordobar. Great food and the largest selection of wine. And I like to buy food at Mitte Meer.

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

Beetroot risotto.

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

Janine (a friend), roasted root vegetables.

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

Risotto!

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

Spaghetti Bolognese and now it is fish, especially Sushi.

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

Together with others.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Planned.

Which meal would you never cook again?

Octopus.

Thank you Isa!

meet in your kitchen | Claudia's Ukrainian Pelmeni Dumplings

Claudia and Isa from the popular blog Hauptstadtmutti are like sisters, when you're in a room together with them you can feel their closeness and loyalty. Their characters seem aligned, despite their entirely different personalities. They call themselves an old couple, which is one of the biggest compliments for a friendship as it shows the respect and appreciation for each other, at least in their case! The mutual understanding also comes from the fact that the two women live similar lives, they are young, working mothers, they share similar interests and daily issues but also a big passion for fashion! Claudia and Isa only met five years ago and made a big step together, the energetic art director and journalist brought their different qualities together and merged them into their daily blog Hauptstadtmutti (meaning mother of the capitol in German). It soon became a vivid space for Berlin's mothers, their individual style and creative personalities. Pure elegance meets cool effortlessness and eclectic practicality, these mothers defy conventions and break with expectations. Clicking through the blog's street style portraits is an inspiration for any woman!

We planned to have a joint cooking session in one of their culinary spaces, but as both of them are so fascinating and their lives and personalities offer so much to talk about, we decided to split the Hauptstadtmutti kitchen series into two parts. So today, we'll start off with part I, in Claudia's cosy old rooftop flat where she lives with her 5 year old son, a true gentleman who welcomed me with a handshake.

Claudia's mother is from the Ukraine which brought an Eastern European influence to the family's cooking. I'm not very familiar with the country's cuisine so I was very happy when she offered to cook one of the most popular traditional specialities for me. Claudia shared her old family recipe for little meat filled dumplings called pelmeni with me which are traditionally served with crème fraîche, white wine vinegar, mustard and parsley. She uses a beautiful utensil for the preparation which looks a bit like honeycombs made of iron. For the dumpling preparation, she covered this pelmeni maker with a thin layer of pastry, filled each comb with a little ball of spiced minced meat and put another pastry layer on top before she gently rolled over it with a rolling pin. Within seconds, the dumplings were closed and cut into perfectly shaped pelmenis! When I saw Claudia pushing the dumplings out of the frame with her fingers I understood why her little son loves to cook this dish together with her, this is fun!

As much as I enjoyed the preparation, savoring this meal was a delight. There's no doubt why this is her son's favorite meal, it's delicious, honest comfort food. Claudia said that the older generation in the Ukraine still shapes the dumplings with their fingers, the traditional way, without the iron pelmeni maker. I can just see the families standing around a wooden table in the warm kitchen, rolling out dough and filling the pelmenis, like we did on a cold January day in Berlin!

Soon I'll meet Isa in her kitchen for the second part of our Hauptstadtmutti cooking series - to be continued!

Ukrainian Pelmeni Dumplings

For 6 people you need

For the dough

• plain flour 500g / 1 pound

• salt 1 teaspoon

• water 250ml / 1/2 pint

• egg 1

Put the flour in a large bowl and form a well in the middle. Add the salt, water and egg, mix with a fork and slowly stir in the flour from the sides. Knead well with your hands to a firm dough, add more flour if necessary. You should be able to tear the dough when it's done. Let it rest while you prepare the filling. 

For the filling

• minced meat (pork and beef) 400g / 14 ounces

• medium onion, finely chopped, 1

• egg 1

• salt 1 teaspoon

• pepper

Mix the ingredients for the filling and shape little meat balls (thumbnail sized). 

For the pelmeni

• meat broth, well seasoned, 2l / 4.5 pints

• melted butter, for serving

• mustard, for serving

• crème fraîche, for serving

• white wine vinegar, for serving

• parsley, for serving

• crushed pepper, for serving

Bring the broth to the boil.

Take a handful of the dough and roll it out very thinly on a well floured surface. If you have a pelmeni maker, cover it with a layer of dough and fill each comb with a little meat ball. Close it with another thin dough layer and gently roll over it with a rolling pin to seal the dumplings and push them through the wholes.

If you want to shape the dumplings by hand, lay the thinly rolled dough on the working surface, spread the meat balls evenly, cover with another layer of dough and cut small squares or circles with a knife or a pizza cutter. Seal each dumpling well by pushing the rim together.

Gently add the dumplings (in batches) to the hot broth and cook on medium-low heat (simmering) for about 7 minutes. Take them out with a slotted ladle and mix the pelmenis with the melted butter. Serve the dumplings with a spoonful of mustard and crème fraîche and sprinkle with pepper, vinegar and parsley.

How would you describe the Berlin mothers you feature on your blog Hauptstadtmutti? What fascinates you about them?

Berlin's mothers are diverse, their style is individual and independent. We love all of them because each single one is special in their own way, and that's her own charisma. We've been taking pictures for our Mama-Streetstyle series for 4 years and we never get tired. The nice thing is that we also get into conversations with them, we have a little interview and get to know some of their secrets, desires and thoughts.

What role does fashion play in your own life? A mother's life is very much determined by practicality, is it possible at all to keep her style and fashion uncompromised?

Fashion occupies and surrounds me. I just enjoy seeing trends and developments evolve, and how they are translated in different cities. My main focus is on mother's fashion as there is still a high degree of practicality involved which shouldn't be underrated. My own shopping and styling has sped up considerably. I don't have the time to shop for hours anymore, that's why I'm very happy that I can buy and discover so much online.

Where do you find your creative inspiration?

Exhibitions, theater and movies, interviews, great people, long chats at the table with friends, traveling the world, the internet and long walks through the city.

How did your cooking change since you became a mother? Can you give any tips for cooking with and for young children?

I try to cook with more time, and good ingredients since my son was born. I set the table nicely, as you eat with your eyes first. My advice to parents is to let your kids eat what is on the table, no extra dishes. And conversation at the table is important, to ask about each other's day, and to eat together with many people, that's fun and social. Children tend to eat better in company.

You've lived in Prague and Kiev, your family roots are Ukrainian, Russian and East-German, how would you describe the Eastern European cuisine you grew up with and the cooking you experienced while you lived in the Czech Republic and the Ukraine?

Eastern European cooking is primarily heavy! It has to satisfy the appetite. The Ukrainian cuisine also relies on fish and vegetables which I love a lot. The recipes are often very easy to prepare, and in the end, the table is full of lots of different dishes, not just one plate with one meal, which I find boring anyway. All Eastern European meals are connected with long conversations at the table and, of course, lots of alcohol. My grandmother in the Ukraine would feel ashamed to put just one dish on the table. That's why we spend days in the kitchen cooking for festive events and family feasts. She asks me all the time what I cook for my son and if he eats properly, she's convinced that I don't give him the right food.

This is what I associate with my time in Prague: many young, committed chefs who traveled the whole world before they came back home, new restaurants opening with the most exquisite, modern Czech kitchen. Great! Always surprising! Apart from that, I remember the delicious apricot dumplings by my friend Andrea's grandmother, with lots of sour cream, to die for!

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

A soup made of grass, soil and water in a little doll's cooking pot in my grandmother's garden in the Ukraine. My dolls loved it, with fresh apricots for dessert!

Who influenced and inspired your culinary style the most?

My grandmother in the Ukraine, but I also like to get inspired by my friends who cook for me.

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

Turkish markets for fruits and vegetables, the Russian supermarket Stolitschnaja on Landsberger Allee in Berlin for Russian products.

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

Pelmeni, Ukrainian dumplings.

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

You, Meike, and some fish!

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

Pelmeni!

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

Wareniki (dumplings with cherries and sour cream) by my Ukrainian grandmother, today it's all kinds of variations of fish and aubergine.

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

Together with others.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

It depends on my mood and the guest.

Which meal would you never cook again?

A Jamie Oliver recipe with meat, I forgot which one it was ....

Thank you Claudia!

meet in your kitchen| A Greek dessert creation by the Grand Hyatt's Pastry Chef

This young man is a sweet genius in the kitchen! His creations open the door to new culinary experiences, but with such respect and care for the single ingredients that besides its spectacular visual effect, the result tastes as comforting as your favourite cake. Benjamin Donath is the Grand Hyatt Berlin's executive pastry chef and furthermore, he's responsible for the dessert creations for German chancellor Angela Merkel and her guests. If that weren't enough, he managed to make me fall in love with a dessert made with Retsina. The Greek resinated wine is rather difficult to appreciate, at least for my taste, but when we met in the Hyatt's kitchen Ben turned it into a fantastic composition called Griechischer Wein. Apart from being a quote from a famous German pop song in the 70s,  this means Greek Wine and describes a complex composition which Ben created for eat in my kitchen: fluffy retsina honey sorbet, buttery almond financier, sour apple terrine, light yoghurt espuma, crunchy yoghurt meringue and caramelised amaranth pops. It tasted as impressive as it sounds!

I first met Ben at a Christmas event in December, he helped me to decorate a gingerbread house. The result was so satisfying that it even got a place of honour under my Christmas tree. The chef's patience combined with a determined sense for perfection fascinated me, and I must admit, being the pastry chef of an internationally renowned hotel dedicated to savouring on the highest level made me curious. Ben is the kind of person who follows a goal with a passion once it's in his head. Although he seems too down-to-earth to be obsessed, he is extremely focussed. He won an award as the pastry chef of the German Culinary Team and gathered experiences abroad before he was asked to become Hyatt's executive pastry chef back in 2010. Ben is honest, he admits that he had to learn a lot in the beginning, creatively but also logistically. The responsibility given to him was quite a challenge but he grew into this new position with time and through the trust he received from his team. If you cater to 1500 people and present a selection of dessert creations to the chancellor for her official dinners, you simply have to believe in yourself and that's what Ben does. When he talks about his sweet creations, about contrasting flavours, combining dishes of different textures and temperatures, you can easily hear his dedication, and when you look into his eyes you can see the artist's passion and love for the ingredients he uses to bring his visions to life.

Ben says that he found his own style over the years, his signature, but that's an ongoing journey for him, one that leads him to work ever more minimally. He wants to work with less ingredients and concentrate on maybe four nuances, simple and pure. His creations speak for his creativity and he has many ideas for the future. He would love to involve more herbs in his desserts, so maybe one day he'll take over part of the hotel's roof garden in the name of sweet savouring and turn it into Ben's herbal oasis, we'll see!

Greek Wine by Benjamin Donath

For 4-6 people you need

For the Retsina honey sorbet

• water 190 g / 7 ounces

• Retsina wine 320g / 11 ounces

• glucose syrup 40g / 1 1/2 ounces

• granulated sugar 50g / 1 3/4 ounces

• pectin (pectagel rose) 3 1/2g / 1/10 ounce

• chestnut honey 50g / 1 3/4 ounces

• lemon zest

• a pinch of salt

Combine the sugar and pectin.

In a large pot, bring all the ingredients with 125g / 4.5 ounces of the Retsina wine to the boil, cook for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and mix in the remaining Retsina wine. Purée in a blender, filter through a cloth strainer and freeze in an ice cream machine. 

For the almond financier

• granulated sugar 80g / 2 3/4 ounces

• egg white 75g / 2 1/2 ounces

• ground almonds, roasted, 30g /1 ounce

• plain flour 300g / 10.5 ounces

• beurre noisette (brown butter), melted and cool, 80g / 2 3/4 ounces

• honey 1/4 teaspoon

• lemon zest

• a pinch of salt

Set the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan-assisted oven).

Combine the flour and almonds.

Beat the egg white and salt until stiff, adding the sugar gradually. Gently stir in the honey and lemon zest and fold in the flour-almond mixture. Let the beurre noisette drop slowly into the dough and mix carefully. Pour the dough into a baking dish lined with parchment paper, it should come up to 1 1/2 cm / 1/2". Bake the financier until golden on top and baked through, it should stay juicy inside. 

For the yoghurt espuma

You will need a cream whipper for the espuma.

• milk 25g / 1 ounce

• Greek yoghurt 50g / 2 ounces

• granulated sugar 2 teaspoons

• chestnut honey 1 teaspoon

• a pinch of salt

• lemon juice 1 teaspoon

• egg white, beaten, of 1/2 egg

• gelatine 1/3 sheet

Soak the gelatin in cold water and dissolve in a little yoghurt. Mix with the other ingredients and fill 2/3 of a cream whipper with the mixture. Screw on the cream charger and let the espuma soak overnight. 

For the yoghurt meringue

• egg white 1

• granulated sugar 25g / 1 ounce

• icing sugar, sieved, 25g / 1 ounce

• Greek yoghurt 20g / 1 ounce

• salt

• lemon juice 1 teaspoon

Beat the egg white and salt until stiff, adding the sugar gradually. Fold in the icing sugar, yoghurt and lemon juice and stir gently until combined. Spread on parchment paper (about 4mm / 1/4" thick) and let it dry in the 40-50°C / 105-120°F warm oven. 

For the Retsina syrup

• apple juice 25g / 1 ounce

• water 25g / 1 ounce

• Retsina wine 75g / 2 1/2 ounces

• lemon juice 1 teaspoon

• lemon zest

• granulated sugar 3 teaspoons

• chestnut honey 2 teaspoons

In a sauce pan, bring the apple juice, water, half the Retsina wine, lemon juice and zest, sugar and honey to the boil and cook on low temperature (simmering) for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool to 70°C / 160°F, stir in the remaining Retsina wine and filter through a cloth strainer. 

For the apple terrine

• granulated sugar 40g / 1.5 ounces

• water 2 teaspoons

• baking apples, peeled, cored, quartered and cut into 1/2cm / 1/4" slices, 250g / 9 ounces

• a pinch of salt

• lemon zest

• calvados 1 teaspoon

• cinnamon stick 1/4

In a wide sauce pan, bring the sugar and water to the boil. When it turns into a golden caramel add the apple slices, salt, lemon zest and cinnamon. Close with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, turn the apples once every minute. Take the apples out with a slotted ladle and set aside. Keep the juices in the pan, add the calvados and bring to the boil. Cook down to a thick sauce and gently mix with the apple slices. Line a baking sheet with cling film, pile the apples on the cling film (a few centimetres / inches high), cover with cling film and a second baking sheet. Press together with weights for 10 minutes. Put the compressed apples wrapped in cling film in the freezer. When they are frozen, cut out circles with a round 5 cm / 2" cookie cutter (or cut into 5 x 5cm / 2 x 2" squares). They should be at room temperature when served. 

For the yoghurt sauce

• Greek yoghurt 25g / 1 ounce

• salt

• granulated sugar

• lemon juice

Whisk the yoghurt and season with salt, sugar and lemon juice to taste. 

For the caramelised amaranth

• popped amaranth 50g / 2 ounces

• icing sugar 30g / 1 ounce

• butter 1 teaspoon

• salt

In a saucepan, warm up the amaranth with 1/3 of the icing sugar on medium heat. When it starts to caramelise, slowly add the remaining sugar (the amaranth will turn glossy). Add the salt and butter and spread on parchment paper. Crumble into small pieces. 

The Greek Wine

Spread the yoghurt sauce on a large plate, place the apple terrine in the middle and top with a scoop of Retsina honey sorbet. Spray the yoghurt espuma on top of the sorbet and sprinkle with amaranth pops. Arrange the broken meringue and financier around it and pour some of the Retsina syrup on the plate.

You have been the Head Pastry Chef at the Grand Hyatt in Berlin since 2010. What are the differences between working in the kitchen of a hotel, a restaurant or a confectionery and why did you choose to work at a hotel?

The difference is clearly the size of the operation as well as the versatility of the daily business. Here you need a mix of skills like being creative, being organized and being focused on leading a team and controlling costs. All this is on a bigger scale than it is in an à la carte kitchen. Even though my heart still beats for restaurants, I rather see myself in a company like Hyatt.

Before you settled in Berlin, you also worked in Australia, Mexico and Malta. How important is traveling for your culinary inspiration and what did you learn from the experiences abroad?

To me, this is where a lot of inspiration comes from. You know when you are away from home or your comfort zone that you want to open your eyes to get along and soak up all the different cultures and influences of a certain place. Even though I often don’t realize it right away, ideas for new dishes evolve from places I´ve been to, may it be a weekend in Vienna or a few months in Asia.

What are your memories of the time you worked at the Intercontinental hotel in Malta? Did you learn something about the island's traditional cuisine?

I have to admit that a competition brought me there. I went there to support my former colleague, who was a member of the Turkish national culinary team and after the competition, we supported the Intercontinental Malta for its pre-opening phase. Unfortunately, my stay did not last for too long, but for me, it was a great experience diving into new and unknown international cuisine.

Who or what inspired you to become a pastry chef? Do you have a kitchen idol?

Thats easy to answer. At the age of sixteen, I didn't have a clue what to do or even where I could see myself in the future. I just knew that I wanted to learn a craft. In the end I decided between two apprenticeships, so it was carpenter vs. pastry chef. You can make an easy guess which decision I made. And what can I say, I am still very happy with my choice and haven’t regretted it since. The idol thing is something that I can't really support, there are people by my side for a certain period of time, who I might look up to, but then our ways separate and there will be other people. To be creative in a good team is far better than having idols, in my opinion.

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

The first thing I baked was Christmas cookies with my mom. We peeled almonds for it, kneaded the dough and cut it into stars, Christmas trees and all that. I think my first dish was a classic one: spaghetti with tomato-basil sauce. Not my brightest moment, I must admit, but very tasty and simple indeed.

Do you have a sweet tooth or do you prefer to create but not to savour your creations?

I can't really bring this to a point. I love to create and try afterwards, but I am not a "I always have a bar of chocolate at home" type of guy. Although I would rather go for a good sausage, I still have my sweet moments and when I eat in a restaurant, I often have dessert to try, especially when eating at good places.

How do you develop new recipes? What inspires you?

My recipes are always made to complement each other on the plate. You will always find light sweetness with an acid touch to it, there will be something baked as well as something creamy, something iced and something warm. So all in all it is about textures, temperatures and the main thing: the original taste of a product. My inspiration comes from people who surround me in my daily life, be it colleagues or friends. It can be from travels or eating at different places. Sometimes it happens when I just stroll through a market but there are times when there is just nothing in my head. That is when it is time for a day off.

What are your three favourite baking ingredients?

Herbs, Spirits and Chocolate.

When you bake in your own kitchen, what's your favourite recipe and why?

I actually don't bring work home but the last thing I did was gingerbread with the kids. Sometimes we make some ice creams at home, more in summer than at this time of the year. I usually spend more time cooking savoury things.

What advice would you give someone who wants to become a pastry chef?

Go ahead and work in many places such as classic pastry shops, restaurants or hotels with different multicultural teams. Be open for anything and don’t be afraid to fail… if you do, try again. Develop your own style after a while.

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

This would be any good weekend market. I love to be outside, taking my time, sip a cup of coffee and decide on what to cook while looking around, so relaxing.

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

The recipe is called Greek Wine and is made of Retsina wine, honey, Greek yoghurt, apple and almonds.

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

It would be Luke Burgess from the Garagistes, Hobart and it would be any of his tasting menues. What I really like about his dishes is the simplicity while they still seem to be so well combined.

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

Mixed starters (olives, dips, veggies, sausage, pita), the main course would contain plain mashed potatoes, red wine shallots, and a big piece of meat, and for dessert I imagine chocolate cake, nuts, toffee and vanilla ice cream.

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

My mom’s tomato sauce. Today I love any good piece of fish like sea bream, sea bass or cod, combined with risotto, greens and good olive oil. All I need to be happy.

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

Definitely for others or even better with others.

Thank you Ben!

meet in your kitchen | Designer Imke Laux bakes her Aunt Herta's German Apple Pie

When I met Imke in her kitchen on a cold and dark Berlin morning, it started snowing. It was the first snow of the winter (and the last so far) and I couldn't have found myself at a warmer and more comfortable place than her stunning roof top apartment. The interior designer created a beautiful world for her family of four in shades of white and light grey, with lots of light, cushions, candles and cosy corners. Her open kitchen, living and dining room is the place where you want to sit with a cup of tea and chat for hours. I can imagine that the long table, the centrepiece of the room, has already seen many special nights of feasting. Imke created the perfect place to gather and savor, to feel at home as a guest and enjoy.

My kitchen host is a fascinating woman who I met not too long ago but there was something in her eyes that made me want to find out more about her. Imke is a renowned interior designer, her clients appreciate her sensitivity, confidence and style. She understands and respects their needs and creates spaces that make you feel good. Not a single chair, sofa, table or lamp is pretentious, it all makes sense and is a functioning part of her daily life. But it also pleases the eye, it just seems very effortless.

Imke found her present profession over the past few years. She studied law and worked as a lawyer for a photo agency in Hamburg but then moved to California together with her husband just after their first child was born. In the new country she decided to make another change in her life, she studied design at the New York Institute of Art and Design. She successfully finished her correspondence course and her first projects began. After the family moved back to Berlin a few years later, it wasn't long before she established herself in a new situation again. From the start, the demand for her stylistic advice, help and guidance was just as high on this side of the world.

This summer the family bought a little weekend house at a river outside Berlin which they are renovating themselves. A new project for Imke, her husband and their two 13 and 7 year old daughters, lots of building and painting but also picnics and looking for mushrooms in the countryside. When the four need a break, they love to travel without planning much to see where life takes them, a 3 week trip to India is next on their list! Imke's eyes sparkled when we talked about this adventure and when I asked her about the difficulties of traveling with two young girls, she didn't seem too worried. The effortlessness which fascinated me from the start is built on trust and a positive attitude. That's also what Imke prooved when we started our kitchen session. She couldn't find the apples which she hid from her family for the pie she wanted to bake with me. Her aunt Herta's Apple Pie (gedeckter Apfelkuchen in German) is an old family recipe which needs lots of sour fruits so she bought a big bag full but couldn't find them. I offered to run to the grocery story but Imke stayed calm and was sure that they must be somewhere. She was right and we could start. As if life wanted to test her patience, a second obstacle came into our way. The oven broke and refused to keep the right temperature. Imke kept her cool, sat right next to the oven, put it on the highest temperature and kept an eye on our pie. It all worked fine in the end, the pie was fantastic, packed with lots of juicy apples and a crisp thin pastry. On my way home I noticed that this lady, her pie and her gorgeous apartment left me with a really good feeling, life is good when you trust!

You can see Imke's work her on Laux Interiors and follow the progress of her country house on her new blog Laux Haus.

Aunt Herta's Apple Pie

For a 26cm /10″ springform pan you need

• large sour baking apples, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced, 5

• vanilla sugar 1 package (or 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar mixed with 1/4 vanilla bean, scraped)

• plain flour 300g / 10.5 ounces

• a pinch of baking powder

• granulated sugar 65g / 2.5 ounces plus 1 tablespoon for the topping

• a pinch of salt

• eggs 2

• butter 150g / 5.5 ounces plus 1 tablespoon for the topping

Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, eggs and butter with an electric mixer until well combined. Form the dough into a ball and keep in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Set the oven to 210°C / 410°F (fan-assisted oven) or 225°C / 440°F (top / bottom heat).

In a large pan, cook the apples and vanilla sugar for a few minutes until soft and let them cool for a few minutes.

Roll out 1/3 of the dough between cling film until it's roughly the size of the springform pan. Roll out the remaining dough between cling film and line the bottom and the sides of the springform pan. Fill the apples into the dough-lined springform pan, even them out and put the remaining pastry on top. Close the pie and spread around 1 tablespoon of butter (in small pieces) and 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp on top.

You lived in California for seven years with your husband and two daughters before you decided to make Berlin your new home. How did your lifestyle change through this move?

We moved from a big house with a garden in the suburbs in California to an apartment on the 5th floor in downtown Berlin. What changed drastically is the convenience of our daily life. Grocery shopping for example is a whole different story when you don’t have parking on the same level as your kitchen. I go grocery shopping more often now and buy smaller amounts of food because I have to carry it up the stairs to the 5th floor.We also spent much more time outside in California. We used to go to the beach almost every weekend or went hiking in one of the great State parks. Now in Berlin we are far away from the coast or the mountains but we love to bike around the city or go swimming in a lake in the summer.

How did the new city influence your cooking and eating habits?

In Berlin we have a ton of great restaurants in walking distance. So we definitely go out to eat way more here than in the States. My cooking hasn’t changed much I believe.

What did you miss about German food when you lived in the US? Did you adapt to any American kitchen habits that you miss since you've been back in Germany?

I missed the German bread! The American bread is way too soft and sweet. So I baked our own bread in the USA. Here in Germany you find a bakery at every street corner with a big selection of whole grain breads and rolls – so we eat more bread here.In Germany I miss being able to buy freshly baked cupcakes in the supermarket. That was so convenient. The table ready (pre-washed and pre-cut) vegetable and salad selection in the States is amazing. Also there are some really good ready made organic dressings. I loved grocery shopping at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. I really miss that. Everything looked so nice and you could always sample things.

You told me that you enjoy baking more than cooking, who or what sparked your love for sweet creations?

I enjoy baking more but I still cook more than I bake, because I have to cook dinner almost every night. I bake just occasionally. I think baking is more fun for me because I really like to eat cakes, pies and cookies. I am a big fan of sweets. I love the smell of freshly baked goods in the house. My mother and my aunt are to blame. They bake amazing things!

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

I baked a pie for my mother as a surprise. I think I was 8 or 9 years old and I forgot to add the butter to the dough. So what came out of the oven was solid as a rock. But we still ate it and my mother pretended that she loved it.

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

I love to go grocery shopping at the farmers markets – the organic food market at Kollwitzplatz on Thursday afternoon and the weekly farmers market on Saturdays. I buy fresh pesto, cold cuts and cheese at the Italian Deli Giannis Pasta-Bar on Schönhauser Allee. I love the bread selection at Zeit für Brot on Alte Schönhauser Strasse. I am a also member of the organic supermarket LPG Biomarkt at Senefelder Platz. My favorite supermarket is Kaiser’s at Winsstrasse. They have everything.My favorite café is the Meierei on Kollwitzstrasse, they serve great coffee and have a small selection of sweet or savory dishes.Restaurants that we like to go to are Aromi e Sapori on Straßburger Strasse, Leibhaftig on Metzer Strasse, Due Forni and Fleischerei on Schönhauser Allee, Lemon Grass Scent, Donath and Pappa e Ciccia on Schwedter Strasse.

You worked as a lawyer for a photo agency in Hamburg and couldn't follow your profession when you moved to California. How did you come up with the idea to start something completely new, your own design company Laux Interiors?

I always had an interest in interior design. I was the one friends would turn to for advice when rearranging their home. I had the constant urge to move furniture around in our home. When we moved to the States I was surprised to learn that interior design was/ is such a big thing over there. There are entire TV channels dedicated to it. So I decided to turn my passion into a profession and went back to school – this time for interior design.

Your father is a goldsmith and your mother was a home economics teacher and is now a full time artist. How did your parents influence your aesthetic perception and your creative work?

My parents always took me to museums, exhibitions and galleries. Growing up my father had his own gallery where he would exhibit his own jewellery along with paintings and sculptures of other artists. His aesthetics in jewellery design are very clean, elegant with flawless craftmanship.My mother is very expressive, caring and has a big heart. Her art is colourful and earthy. Sometimes I feel that I am torn between these two aesthetics.

This summer you bought a little weekend house built in 1974 at the picturesque Oder-Havel canal and you write about the progress of the renovations on your new blog LauxHaus. What is the biggest challenge and what is the great gift of renovating something old rather than buying new?

The biggest challenge for me is to be patient. I would love to do it all at once. But we are only there on the weekends, so it takes time to finish something. The huge garden also is something that scares me a little. Actually I would have loved to built a brand new house – something energy efficient with green materials and tons of glass - but the house is located in a protected nature reserve so we can only preserve the status quo but not build anything new there. We bought it mainly because we love the location at the riverside so much.In really old buildings that I often have to renovate here in Berlin for clients I adore the craftmanship that you find in elements like stucco, panelling, doors, windows, floors, glass and hardware. You don’t see this anymore in homes that were built after World War II.

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

I chose to share an old family recipe with you – Apple Pie Aunt Herta. It’s a classic for decades. This pie is a staple at every birthday or special occasion in my family. The recipe was given to us from my great aunt Herta, my grandfather 's sister. I thought I’d share it with you because I always get positive feedback for this pie. I love that the crust is so crispy and the apples are so juicy and still a bit sour.

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

It would be a tie between my grandmothers Wilma and Resi. Wilma would have to show me how to preserve apples and pears from the garden by cooking them in jars with cinnamon sticks. Resi would have to show me how to cook East Frisian Sniertjebraa, a slow cooked pork roast.

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

Roasted pork loin with oven roasted vegetables and rosemary potatoes. If it’s really short notice - pasta with pesto Genovese and salad.

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

My favorite as a child was Paprikagemüse – a dish in a pan with ground meat, red and green bell peppers and tomatoes served with rice. Now I could eat tagliatelle with truffles and parmesan cheese every day. Or Sushi.

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

Together with others. It’s more fun when you can chat and have a glass of wine while cooking. Although I am more focused and quicker when I cook alone.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

I mostly improvise a little – probably I would be calmer and less stressed if I planned ahead.

Which meal would you never cook again?

Can’t think of one.

Thank you Imke!

meet in your kitchen | Making sausages with Simon, The Sausage Man Never Sleeps

It was one of the last warm evenings in early October when I met Simon from The Sausage Man Never Sleeps for the first time. He had a stand at Berlin's first Stadt Land Food Festival and was about to close down for the day. I spotted a selection of coarse  sausages in his display, the kind I got hooked on since I lived in England a few years ago. When I read the names of his creations I couldn't help talking to him. Apricot, hazelnuts and cream cheese, apple and sage, or tomato, fennel and mozzarella sausage, doesn't that sound heavenly? That's exactly what I love to have on my breakfast table on a Sunday morning with some fried eggs, beans and bacon. This man offered what I had been looking for in this city for years! I had to learn more about his products, maybe make some sausages together so I asked if I could visit him in his kitchen.

At 5 am (!) the following week we had a date. The city was still dark and quiet when I jumped on my bike, ready to watch my laid-back gourmet butcher from New Zealand prepare his new batch of sausages for the day. While he was stuffing the skins with the various fillings which he had mixed earlier at night before my arrival, we spoke about his journey that took him from the other side of the world (from a European perspective) to London and finally to Berlin. Here, he decided to live his dream and make his own sausages. He started working at a butcher shop which is coincidentally in my area and my favourite place for meat. At the Erchinger Fleisch und Wurstmanufaktur in Prenzlauer Berg, Simon finished his education to get the qualifications for the German market and he also became friends with the owner. Butcher Jörg Erchinger who took over the shop a few years ago, totally supports the young man and his visions. He believes in his unique products which have recently been featured by the renowned Feinschmecker magazine. Simon uses the rooms, machines and tools of the shop for his own production which he offers at the Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg and other special food events. If you want to stay updated about the latest The Sausage Man Never Sleeps projects, you can visit his website.

I didn't want to miss out on the chance to get these delicious sausages fried to perfection by the butcher himself. We couldn't meet at his kitchen at home as the house is too dark for photos, so he took over mine. After a well deserved coffee for the sleepless sausage man and some hazelnuts that he spotted on my window-sill, we got down to frying. He cooked his work of the morning in a little butter and oil for about 10 minutes until the sausages were golden brown but still juicy. They were so good, I didn't want to have them with anything else, I just enjoyed them and their pure flavours. I'm so happy that Simon offered to share one of his secrets with all of us, the recipe for his gourmet Apple and Sage Sausages!

Simon's Gourmet Apple and Sage Sausages

• pork belly, boned and skinned (approx. 20% fat), 1kg / 2 pounds

• apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2cm / 1/4" cubes, 2

• salt 15g / 3 leveled teaspoons

• cracked pepper 1g / a pinch

• fresh sage, chopped, 2g / 4 leaves

• natural pork sausage skins

Mince the pork through a 1/2cm / 1/4" mincing plate, add the salt and mix by hand until it sticks to itself (3-4 minutes). Add the apple, pepper and sage and mix throughly.

Fill into skins but not too full so you can tie off sausages. Tie off sausages with thumb and forefinger, cut in the middle of the twist which should be about 1cm /  1/2" long.

Shelf life of 2-3 days in the fridge or can be frozen if made from fresh meat. 

Cooking instructions

Give your pan a medium heat, a squirt of oil, a dob of butter and heat until foamy. Pop sausages in the pan (there is no need to prick them first). Turn and baste in the pan juice until golden brown (9-10 minutes).

Guten Appetit!

You started an apprenticeship at a butcher at 16 but only started working as one 14 years later. Why did you wait so long and what drew you back to this craft?

After completing my apprenticeship as a butcher I was looking for the next challenge and an opportunity came up to work in a freezing works (BIG Abbotoir) as a supervisor in a lamb cutting room. 10 years later after various office jobs in the food industry I found myself in London at the start of the recession with little chance of finding an office job in the food industry. Going back to being a butcher was the obvious choice. Leaving and getting back into hands on butcher work was not planned, it was opportunities that came along.

You grew up in New Zealand, lived and worked as a butcher in London and you have now started your own sausage business here in Berlin. What are the differences in sausage making in these three countries?

The basis of New Zealand sausages has an English theme as it was colonised by the British in the 19th century. New Zealand butchers have a lot of interesting flavour combinations in their sausages which is quite an inspiration for me. British sausages generally have more simple flavour combinations and are mainly pork based. German sausages are good and there is a huge range available, German sausages are world renowned as the best in the world.

Do you have a sausage philosophy?

Yes, keep it simple, use good quality ingredients and don’t add too much salt.

How do you develop new sausage recipes? What inspires you?

Trial and error, combining flavours that complement each other, that don’t overpower each other, using different textures to create interesting combinations that are more than just flavour and moisture.

Your company is called 'The Sausage Man Never Sleeps', is that what a butcher's life is really like?

Not really, apart from Christmas time working in a butcher's shop, usually that means 15 hour days for a while. The name was inspired by the New Zealand sausage man who I worked with at Lidgates in London. Most of the butcher's shops I’ve worked in are 6am starts, I love that time of day, especially in the warmer months!

What do you miss about New Zealand in general but also when it comes to food?

I miss my friends and family, especially my nephews. I miss sea fishing and eating what you catch the same day, walking in the bush (forest) and the Southern Alps.I’m a big fan of New Zealand Beef, Lamb and Venison. My father was a farmer and in his business he has a lot of contact with farmers, so his freezers (3 of them) are always full of the tastiest home killed and hunted meat you would find in the world. Also he has a massive vegetable garden, so it’s always a treat being at my parents' house. And last but not least, Dimitrie's Souvolaki in Christchurch has the best Souvolaki ever...

How often do you use your kitchen at home, do you like to cook?

I love to cook but since I started my business I have had not as much time to cook. Nothing better than getting friends round and all pitching in to make an epic feast!

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

My first memory of cooking is making mud cakes in the garden and the first dish I cooked was heating up frozen fries and a hot dog (in New Zealand this is a battered pre-cooked sausage on a stick), I was about 6 years old.

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

Markthalle Neun, Eurogida, The Dairy, Antipodes, Oma Marnie's Pie Bakery, Erchinger Fleisch und Wurstmanufaktur, and Gemüse Kebab Shop on Kastanienallee.

What are your upcoming projects?

I am starting in the Breakfast Market in the Markthalle Neun on the 16th of November, it is on the third Sunday of every month. Later I want to also get into Streetfood Thursday. Eventually I want to have my own production place where I can make sausages 24 hours a day.

Why did you choose Berlin as a place to live and work?

After living in London I needed to get out of the rat race, Berlin was the perfect choice.

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

Here's a recipe for Apple and Sage Sausages.

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

Jamie Oliver, Scottish entrecôte steak, eggs and chips.

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

A massive vegan curry, rice, Raita and Turkish bread, a couple of salads, one including bacon. Whatever sausages I have in the freezer for the meat eaters.

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

Mum's homemade lasagna with garlic bread and a leafy salad. Now, I have no idea. I like all food, except mustard, I am allergic to it. Actually I’m about to cook a full English for some friends, that's one of my favourites... great way to start the day.

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

Cooking with others is preferred, although I find cooking alone fine as long as I have some good music to listen to.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Improvised.

Which meal would you never cook again?

Homemade falafel, it’s so frustrating cooking without a deep fryer!

Thank you Simon!

meet in your kitchen | Stefanie's Königsberger Klopse - Prussian Meatballs with Capers

The first time I met Stefanie, we chatted the night away! It was an icy cold Berlin evening last winter, both of us had just arrived at a private supper club where a couple girls prepared a wonderful Italian dinner for about twenty people. Stefanie and I started talking and we just didn't stop for hours. Apart from the general topics women love to discuss when there are no men around (although there where a few but we didn't pay much attention) we spoke a lot about art and food.

Stefanie describes herself as an artist who fell for the crafts, with a passion that evolved into her profession a few years ago. She is an artistic lace maker and creates the most delicate and beautiful pieces of  bobbin lace I've ever seen. She uses this handcraft for her topographic artworks but also for her upcoming jewelry label InLace which she'll be launching in a few months. She showed me some of the handmade pieces she'll be presenting and I love them. Lace in red, blue and black on silver and golden chains snuggled around the neck, it's beautiful!

When I asked my lace maker what she would like to cook for me in her kitchen, she answered quickly: Königsberger Klopse! This is her signature dish loved by her family and friends, so much, that they meet regularly to savour them together. It's a traditional Prussian dish which my grandmother often used to cook as well. The name was given from the city of Königsberg which is today's Kaliningrad. It's made of meatballs cooked in a broth which is used afterwards for a creamy sauce mixed with roux, egg yolk and capers. This hearty meal is traditionally served with potatoes, it's perfect for the cold season. I understand why Stefanie has been called the queen of Königsberger Klopse, it was delicious!

Königsberger Klopse

For 3-4 people you need

• medium potatoes, peeled and cooked, 6-8

For the meatballs

• minced meat, mixed beef and pork or veal, 600g / 1.5 pounds

• stale white bread, soaked in water for about 10 minutes, 600g / 1.5 pounds

• organic egg 1

• medium onion, chopped, 1

• salt and pepper

Squeeze the bread, mix well with the meat, egg, onion, salt and pepper and form 10 meatballs with your wet hands. 

For the broth

• water 1.5l / 3 pints

• medium onion, cut in half, 1

• bay leaf 1

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon

In a large pot, bring the ingredients for the broth to the boil. Carefully put the meatballs into the broth (with a tablespoon) and let them cook for 20 minutes on medium-low heat (simmering). Take the pot off the heat and leave the meatballs in the broth. 

For the sauce

• butter 50g / 2 ounces

• plain flour 4 tablespoons

• organic egg yolk 1

• freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

• capers (preserved in vinegar) 40g /  1.5 ounces (drained weight), plus more to taste (or salted capers, rinsed, plus apple cider vinegar to taste)

• sugar, salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt the butter. When the butter is hot, turn down the heat and whisk in the flour. When combined, add some of the broth used to cook the meatballs. Whisk constantly and add more of the broth until the sauce has a liquid but thick consistency, you won't need all of the broth. Whisk in the egg yolk and add the capers. Season with lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to taste and add the meatballs to the sauce. Serve with the cooked potatoes.

You spent most of your life in and around Berlin where you grew up. What is typical about the traditional cooking in the area you come from?

As far as I remember, we used to eat hearty comfort food on the weekends in my family, such as hotpots, goulash and chicken fricassee. And of course, it was always prepared fresh by mother. My sister and I always loved to eat and we could eat a lot, that never changed! We were always hungry and my mother tried to keep up with us.

How did you experience the kitchen at home as a child? How important was cooking and baking in your family?

Like I said, my mother used to cook for us on the weekends and I remember that my grandmother was responsible for the baking. She made the best cherry cheesecake but unfortunately, she changed over to frozen cakes from the supermarket. She likes the taste and enjoys the convenience of it. I often try to change her mind which isn't so easy, unfortunately!

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

I made my first cooking experiences in a cooking class at school, the subject was called Arbeitslehre. We tried different recipes and that's where I leaned to prepare the dish I chose to cook for you.

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

Omoni in Kopenhagener Straße, it's a Korean restaurant which I can only recommend. And there's a small organic shop on Weserstraße where I love to go when I'm in the area.

You are an artistic lace maker creating lace as a topographic 3D map but you also work together with designers on crochet fashion. Do you see yourself more as an artist, an artisan or both?

Although my work is artistic in nature, it demands my craft skills to be able to realise my ideas in that artisan field, apart from patience and a huge interest in the art of lace making. Therefore, I would call myself an artist who fell for the crafts. Lace making is my passion, it's a kind of meditation for me. Maybe that sounds a bit exaggerated but that's how I feel sometimes while I'm working. I also really enjoy learning new techniques, be it in the fields of knitting, crochet or lace making, it's quite easy for me as well.

How and when did you find lace making and crochet as the means of your expression?

Crochet was a kind of hobby for me, something I would do on the side. And then, when it brought in some money, it was quite convenient as I was working on my university diploma at the masterclass at that time.Lace making is different. Once a friend asked me if I could make lace for him and I thought that's not a bad idea. So that's what I did for my diploma. It's very easy to have lace made but I wanted to understand exactly how this wonderful fabric is made by hand. Thanks to the internet, I spotted a group of women who meet every week to make lace together in Berlin-Rudow which is where I learned the art of lace making and I remained true to these women until today.

Are there any other forms of art that influence your work?I met an artist who works with lace in a similar way to me. Olivia Valentine inspired me a lot and I'm so happy to have met her. Talking to my friends, such as the designer Lena Moritzen influences my work and approach to it in a very positive way as well.

You live and work in Berlin at the moment and have just finished your diploma at the master class of the art college Kunsthochschule Weissensee. What are your upcoming projects for the future?

At the moment, I work half of the week at an embroidery in Berlin-Kreuzberg. I will also launch my own jewelry label at the end of this year or the beginning of next year. It's called InLace and I focus on handmade necklaces made of bobbin lace.

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

I will cook Königsberger Klopse for you (a Prussian speciality of meatballs in white sauce with capers). We have a dinner tradition in my family, I cook Königsberger Klopse and we all meet at the table together with friends, everybody loves them!

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

Gebrüder Witzkewitz, they are very good friends of mine and everything that Pascal Witzkewitz cooks tastes fantastic!

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

(Laughing) I'm the queen of Königsberger Klopse, any more questions?

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

Buttermilchgetzen (grated potatoes cooked in buttermilk), it has always been my favourite and it still is. It's a speciality from the Saxony region in Germany.

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

Both, with friends but I also enjoy it on my own.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Both.

Which meal would you never cook again?

I'm sorry, I have no idea!

Thank you Stefanie!

meet in your kitchen | Dutch Baby for a late Breakfast with Marta Greber

This smile! This woman has the most beautiful and infectious smile! I met Marta Greber from the blog What Should I Eat For Beakfast Today in her kitchen and her charm and positivity impressed me as much as the dish she pulled out of the oven, her delicious Dutch Baby!

Marta came to Berlin three years ago after traveling the continents, she lived in Australia, in Asia and in various countries in South America. She grew up in Poland and started studying law before she spent some time in Barcelona, San Francisco and Amsterdam. This lady is restless and blessed, she always comes back home with the most exciting stories, food experiences and memories. In her husband Tomasz, she found a great travel partner but also a handsome hand model for her blog. Many of the delicious morning goodies that she shares on What Should I Eat For Beakfast Today are presented (and enjoyed!) by Tomasz. Both of them have a weak spot for traditions, especially the ones in the morning. The two get up early to start every day with a little walk through their neighborhood, a good coffee from one of their favourite cafes in hand followed by Marta's amazing breakfast creations that she writes about. Her love for the culinary celebration of the new day and her passion for photography led to the beautiful blog that she started in 2011. What started as a passion became her profession, she's now a full time photographer. Her artistic work is just stunning and everybody wants to see what Marta and Tomasz have for breakfast! When I asked Marta why this time of the day is so important to her to devote a blog to it, she said that it's the only time of the day she can plan and control as you never know what the day will bring. That's not a surprise for someone who is as restless as she is!

The two of us almost chatted the afternoon away but when Marta pulled her Dutch Baby out of the oven topped with melted chocolate, fruit and nuts, I was speechless! It looked scrumptious but unfortunately both of us wanted to take pictures of her work so we had to wait, including Tomasz who came into the kitchen twice to see if we were finally done so that we could eat!

Marta's Dutch Baby with melted Chocolate, roasted Nuts and Plums

For 1 Dutch Baby in a small heavy ovenproof pan or baking dish you need

• butter 90g / 3 ounces

• milk 110ml / 4 ounces

• plain flour 120g / 4.5 ounces

• eggs 2

• a pinch of salt

For the topping

• milk chocolate, melted, 100g / 3.5 ounces

• mix of nuts, roasted, a handful

• plums, sliced, 3

• fresh mint 6 leaves

• coconut flakes 1-2 tablespoons

Set the oven to 220°C / 430°F.

Put the butter in an iron pan or baking dish and place in the hot oven.

Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan or in a bain marie if you prefer. Take the pan off the heat as soon as the chocolate is melted. Roast the nuts in a pan (you can add a little coconut oil if you like). In a small bowl, mix the flour, eggs, milk and salt until combined.

When the butter is melted in the hot pan, gently pour the dough into the middle of the pan and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes or until golden.

When your Dutch Baby pancake is done, carefully remove the butter on top (with a spoon or pour it out) and cover with the toppings.

Your blog is called 'What Should I Eat For Breakfast Today', why does this specific meal play such an important role in your life? How did that start?

Morning is the only time during my day that I can control. If I get up earlier (and I usually do) I can prepare a great meal for me and my partner Tomasz, sit together over a nice cup of coffee, talk or simply enjoy food, morning light and silence. Later during the day it’s more complicated as we never know if we’ll be having other meals at home or not. I can also see how a good meal influences our frame of mind and day, so why not start in the morning.

You grew up in Poland, what are your food memories? 

I was and still am addicted to polish racuchy - pancakes with apples. My grandma used to make them for me whenever I asked and I asked a lot. I could eat it for every meal. I can remember my grandma making great simple flavours that I loved like kogiel-mogiel (egg yolk bitten with sugar) or homemade pasta with milk and sugar. It was simple but delicious and I still prefer basic flavours.

How did your travels influence your cooking and eating habits? 

It doesn’t help with finding my new small obsessions for sure. I try a lot of food but it doesn’t mean that I like everything. My fascination with breakfasts started in Sydney actually, where I had an amazing one in Bill’s Restaurant - ricotta pancakes with banana and it couldn’t be better. In Sydney I had a chance to try international cuisine and to figure out what I like. Then I traveled in Asia for almost a year and I understood that I could eat sticky rice with mango on an everyday basis and that Thai flavours are truly loved by my taste buds. There were some victims as well as after a long time of traveling on budget and eating mostly rice and asian soups, I still have a problem with eating them now. Ups.I travel quite a lot with Tomasz, we try to go to different countries for longer, like a few months and stay there, so we can truly experience the food culture and local flavours. I am lucky that my partner Tomasz is really interested in food, he likes to taste and try things and he’s much braver than I am. If he had a food blog, you’d love it. But for now he’s my hand model (laughs).It would take much too long to describe what made me happy in different cuisines, but I’ll mention that a cinnamon toast I had in San Francisco blew my mind, sobrassada served with a young Champagne in Barcelona is something I enjoy, cheese in Holland is amazing, chipa in Paraguay can make a perfect breakfast, coffee in Sydney tastes like it should.

What does traveling mean to you? What do you miss when you stay in one place for a long time?

I never thought of what it means to me, it’s a part of my life which I don’t want to change. I made a few sacrifices in my life to have this kind of lifestyle (which don’t feel like sacrifices anymore) and this is what I truly like. It goes with my nature. For instance I always had a problem with sitting on a beach - I walk around, run, swim, go to look for something, but can’t just sit there. Whenever we go I push Tomasz to walk a lot. We go hundreds of kilometres on foot and I love it. When I stay in one place I have the feeling that I’m missing something and sometimes I stop to appreciate a city I’m in. Nowadays I really like to go back to Berlin, because traveling helps me to remember how awesome this city is.

What effect did the move to Berlin have on your cooking?

I eat healthier, I use organic products, I learned a lot about grains, good flours, spices. I have this feeling that everyone over here is fascinated with food. I attend many events related to food and it influences my choices and stimulates curiosity.

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

I don’t really remember but most probably racuchy.

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

Local farmers markets, I like to walk around with my basket and collect veggies. I truly enjoy small shops with imported goods where I buy things without knowing how I can use them. But also Frischeparadies - I can walk around and look at beautiful sea food and veggies from all over the planet for long minutes and KADEWE, as they have an awesome stuff!

You are an internationally acclaimed photographer, your work has been featured in the media around the world, when did you first pick up the camera and why?

I don’t remember why, I always liked it. I was the annoying kid taking pictures at camps and trying to stage cool frames (usually it wasn’t as cool as I attempted it to be). But it really kicked in when I moved to Sydney and finally had time to improve it. Australia is crazy awesome and beautiful. For a Polish gal everything was very exciting and I am an emotional beast so for me it was double great. I took hundreds of pictures every day, always had a camera on me, bothering friends, people, animals and nature. But also I’m lucky as my partner Tomasz agrees with my ideas and he’s always happy to be my object, however I dress him up or even when he has to move around for an hour so I get a proper shot.

What are your upcoming projects?

The biggest one will be my baby. And for now this is the only project I’m concentrating on. You should ask me in a few months when I’m a mother already and know what it means to me.

Why did you choose Berlin as a place to live and work?

By accident really. We could choose any city in Europe thanks to Tomasz’ work. I voted for Barcelona as I learned some Spanish in South America and Tomasz chose Berlin (he says his German is poor, but believe me it’s really good). Then we decided to spend a year in Berlin and another one in Barcelona. Well, it didn’t work out as Berlin is most probably the best city in Europe to be in, so we stayed.

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

I chose Dutch Baby with melted chocolate, roasted nuts and plums. And the reason - it’s easy, fast, delicious and can’t go wrong (laughing).

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

Someone from The Growlers and obviously the rest of the band would be invited as well. I’ve been to their concert and I think it would be nice to hang out.

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

Mushroom risotto prepared by Tomasz!

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

It used to be racuchy made by my grandma, nowadays racuchy made by myself.

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

Both, no preferences really.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Both, as both are a totally different experience.

Which meal would you never cook again?

Pumpkin gnocchi  - I tried it three times and totally failed, never again!

Thank you Marta!

meet in your kitchen | Mimi's spicy Bulgur with Basil and Mint

Mimi and KD's apartment is a creative laboratory, an exciting place where music, fashion, painting and design come together, created by two wonderful people. Mimi, the musician, painter and designer grew up in London, while musician and producer KD lived in Haifa in Israel before he moved to Berlin. Here in the city, the two created a space where all of their ideas can come alive, the studio where they write their music and where Mimi works on her paintings and tailoring. The rooms overlooking a picturesque river, dense trees and Berlin's famous TV tower are packed with guitars, audio equipment, a piano, beautiful fabrics, boxes of wool and Mimi's paintings. On the shelves and window sills, the two have arranged a collection of little figures and old toys, hats and post cards, souvenirs from their tours, gifts from friends and memories. It's a truly magical place.

For our meet in your kitchen feature, Mimi decided to take over the kitchen as she's the cook in the house. She likes her food spicy, like the curries that she used to have in London made with exotic spice mixtures that she often can't find in Berlin. When we met she cooked a delicious bulgur salad made with tomatoes, bell pepper, basil and mint. It was hot and spicy but not painfully. She used the chili pepper's seeds as well and although I was a bit worried that it would be too hot for me (I'm quite a baby when it comes to spiciness) I loved it! It wasn't the kind of growing spiciness that you still feel minutes later, it was present the moment it hit my taste buds!

A telling indication of Mimi's English upbringing is a cup of tea that follows her no matter what she does! During our lunch we spoke a lot about food, culinary memories and habits and cooking with our mothers. After we shared a bowl of her spicy bulgur, Mimi showed me her beautiful prints and designs for the silk jackets and pyjamas that she will soon present on Etsy. She only works with very fine silk, printed by two young artists in Scotland. Many of the designs show her animal characters, another great passion of hers. Mimi used to work on a farm on the weekends when she lived in England, although at the moment, the only animal in her life is Gomez, the cutest and fluffiest grey cat I've ever seen, roaming around the rooms of the flat.

Both musicians are working on various projects at the moment. Mimi is currently working on new songs for her next album and she contributed her song 'Get Me Back' to the 'Love, Rosie' movie starring Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse and Jaime Winstone.

Mimi's spicy Bulgur with Basil and Mint

For 4 people you need

• bulgur 1 cup

• water 2 cups

• sweet vine tomatoes, chopped, a handful

• bell pepper, chopped, 1

• garlic, very finely chopped, 1 small clove

• shallots, finely chopped, 2

• fresh basil, chopped, the leaves of a large bunch

• mint, chopped, the leaves of a large bunch

• fresh chillies, chopped, to taste

• juice of 1 lime

• yoghurt 4 generous tablespoons (more to taste)

• salt

Boil the water and add the bulgar. Cook for 7-10 minutes depending on the bulgur you use, some coarser kinds can take longer.

Put the garlic, shallots, bell pepper, tomatoes, herbs and bulgur in a big bowl. Add the lime juice, yoghurt and the chillies, mix thoroughly and season with a little salt.

Mimi, you grew up in England and KD, you spent your childhood in Israel, what are your food memories of those days? 

Mimi: In England we have the most wonderful Indian food. When I was tiny, my mum's friend, Chris, would bring late-night super hot curries and beer. I miss that and I'm still completely hooked on chillies. They feature in pretty much everything I make.

KD: My favorite as a child was schnitzel and mashed potatoes! Great comfort food. Later on I became quite addicted to hummus.

Why did you choose Berlin as the place to live and work?

Mimi: I loved Berlin the first time I came here. It was so exciting to find a place that felt alive and like it was still growing. I felt I had space here to create and grow too.

KD: I grew up in Haifa, Israel, but my mum is coming from a German family and I have a German passport. When I had to choose between moving to the nearest big city, Tel Aviv or moving further to an even bigger city with more opportunities for musicians, I decided to give Berlin a shot. I was 23 then and I'm still here now!

What effect did the move to Berlin have on your cooking and eating habits?

Mimi: I found it really hard at first because most of the ingredients I used back home were Indian spices or very hot chillies, which you can get everywhere. Over here I had to seek them out. I discovered new things because of that and started making more Italian-style dishes like risotto and baking my own bread.

KD: I like to eat simply and you can get great ingredients here. I'm mainly cooking fast as I work and forget I'm hungry so pasta is generally a good choice.

What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Berlin, London and Haifa? 

Mimi: In London I'm always headed to Brick Lane for a phial curry, or the Naz in Church Street, Twickenham for their special prawn curry. I also love Belgo in Camden for a massive pot of mussels and amazing beer. I miss pub Sunday lunch too. In Berlin we cook at home a lot but we love the tapas place round the corner from us, Gastón and we love our local Kalle Klein.

KD: In Haifa there is a really nice bourekas place in the Carmel Mountains that I always visit when I go back. In Berlin, as Mimi says, but also the hummus at Azzam, Sonnenallee is great.

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

Mimi: I used to make breakfast in bed for my mum sometimes with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and little bits of charred toast but my favorite memory (or more like the one mum always tells) is when I was 9, I read the flour packet in the cupboard and made the recipe for bread, that was printed on the back, one Saturday morning ... My mum loved it despite it not looking very elegant.

KD: I don't remember!

What or who inspired you to become musicians?

Mimi: My mum inherited a piano from her grandmother and I started by just enjoying tinkling around on that when I was a very small child.

KD: My older brother!

KD, your band NÖRD will release their first album 'Na Und? Wir kennen euch doch auch nicht'  in the beginning of next year and soon you will be on tour with the band after months in the studio. How did you experience the time in the studio? What do you like about working in the studio and being on tour as a keyboard player?

We had a lot of fun in the studio. We were recording in Hamburg mainly which also allowed us to focus on the music away from home. I joined the band just a few months before we went into the studio so the time there was very important and we bonded a lot musically and personally. I'm really proud of the album and looking forward to sharing it with people live!

Mimi, you released your second album 'Nothing but Everything' together with your band The Mad Noise Factory in March which you presented on tour this year. You're also a visual artist and responsible for the band's artwork. What's the difference between working visually and as a musician? Is there a different creative approach?

My music is like a release of emotion. I need it as an emotional output. It's honest and it doesn't seem like I have much control on what happens to come out! The artwork is creating a dreamland that I see in my head and takes a long process filled with tiny detail.

What are your upcoming projects and plans for the next months?

Mimi: I have a song coming out with a fantastic new movie called 'Love Rosie' (the song is 'Get Me Back') and I am working on new songs hoping to have something ready for next year. I will also be starting a new Etsy shop selling clothes that I make using fabrics printed with my drawings. The shop will be called 'MiMi says I'm Special' and should be up and running soon!

KD: I have a new album out with a project called Hamlet. It's just me playing piano and my friend, Fran singing. I will be producing a few artists in the near future, and, of course, touring with NÖRD.

Mimi andKD, what did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen?

Spicy Bulgur!

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

Mimi: I'd have my mum make me what she makes when she has just a few things left in the fridge. I don't know how she does it but she can make a few eggs, some random vegetables and rice into an amazing feast.

KD: The Swedish Chef from the Muppet Show to come and make me singing vegetables! That would be awesome.

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

Mimi: A big mushroom and spinach risotto with tons of parmesan.

KD: Whatever Mimi cooks (laughs).

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

Mimi: Curry and still is!

KD: Schnitzel and mashed potatoes and now it's a big bowl of mussels!

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

Mimi: On my own but with someone to chat to.

KD: On my own.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Mimi: Improvised.

KD: Improvised.

Which meal would you never cook again?

Mimi: I used to make Sunday roast back in England… way too much washing up!

KD: I never cooked anything that was too horrible ... yet!

Thank you, Mimi and KD!

meet in your kitchen | The Deyerling's Venison Burger with Bavarian Potato Salad

When I met Anna and Clemens Deyerling for the first time, I noticed the blind understanding and wordless communication between them that only close siblings can have. They know and respect each others roles, in their private life but also in business as they decided to start a company together with their partner Julius, an old friend of Clemens'. In 2010, Sitzfeldt was born, the beginning of an exciting journey and the start of a young online business for affordable design furniture. The Deyerlings come from a family background of furniture and design and they wanted to continue this family tradition, but in their own way. They sat together with designers who already were or became friends over the years and developed various sofa collections. One of them, the Set sofa system, already won the Interior Innovation Award and the renowned Red Dot Design Award.

A few months ago, the young entrepreneurs presented a selection of their collections in one of Berlin's old manorial flats. One spacious room followed the other, separated with large double wing doors, high ceilings decorated with opulent stucco and beautiful timbering on the walls. The siblings chose an amazing location for the presentation but they also managed to create a beautiful evening with great people and food. One of the (not insignificant) reasons why I still remember that day so clearly are Clemens' skills in the kitchen, this man can cook! He treated us to a buffet of various soups and dips, fresh bread and wine and everybody loved it! On that day, Anna was the perfect host, she's not only responsible for the creative presentation of the design which led to a very comfortable atmosphere, but her soft and warm way makes you feel welcome right away. So while her brother was busy in the kitchen on his own (if you read the interview, you'll know why) we got lost in chatting. When I met the two siblings in Anna's gorgeous flat this week for our meet in your kitchen feature, the roles were more or less the same, us chatting while Clemens was cooking.

Clemens made a fantastic venison burger - called Fleischpflanzerl where he comes from - with the most amazing meat from a butcher in the Brandenburg area outside Berlin, accompanied by a light warm Bavarian potato salad inspired by the region where they grew up, the south of Germany.

Venison Burger with warm Bavarian Potato Salad

 For 4 people you need

For the burgers

• minced venison 500g / 1 pound

• white bread, rind cut off, 3 slices

• milk 80ml / 3 ounces

• medium onion, finely chopped, 1

• eggs 2

• orange zest 1/2 teaspoon

• lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon

• mustard 2 teaspoons

• fresh parsley, chopped, a small bunch

• dried or fresh marjoram, chopped, 1 teaspoon

• freshly grated nutmeg

• salt 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons

• pepper

• olive oil

Soak the bread in the milk for a few minutes. Tear the bread into pieces and mix with your fingers.

Cook the onion in a little olive oil until soft. Whisk the eggs, mustard, orange and lemon zest and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Mix the minced meat with the bread/ milk mixture, the onions, the egg mixture, marjoram and parsley and form the burgers.

In a large, heavy pan, heat a splash of oil and cook the burgers on medium heat until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. 

For the potato salad

• warm, waxy potatoes, cooked, peeled and sliced, 1kg / 2 1/4 pounds

• medium onion, chopped, 1

• garden radish, thinly sliced, 4

• cucumber, peeled, cut in half and sliced, 1/2

• chives, snipped, 1-2 tablespoons

• olive oil

For the salad dressing

• broth, hot, 400ml / 13.5 ounces

• red wine vinegar 3-5 tablespoons

• mustard 1 tablespoon

• salt and sugar

Cook the onions in a little olive oil until soft.

Mix the hot broth with the vinegar and mustard and season with salt and sugar to taste.

Slowly mix the potatoes with the dressing (not all at once). Stir in the onions, cucumber, radish and chives.

Serve warm with the venison burgers.

Anna and Clemens, you grew up in the south of Germany, in Bavaria. Both of you studied in Germany and in London, when and why did you decide to move to Berlin?

Clemens: I fell in love with Berlin during my studies and tried to find my first job here. I was lucky. In the meantime our entire family - our sister and our parents - also moved to Berlin.

Anna: We grew up in quite a small town in Bavaria. I always dreamt of living in a big city. Berlin has always been on my list and after having spent a few months during my master's program here, I always wanted to come back. I just love the openness and the variety of Berlin. I finally moved here 10 years ago and since then Berlin became home more and more.

Do you miss the kitchen of the south? 

Clemens: Oh, yes. I miss it badly. Especially the Schweinebraten (pork roast) our grandmother used to make every single Sunday. I still need it at least once a month, but do it myself now. And what else? Pretzels, Pretzels, Pretzels… I will never understand why no one outside of Bavaria can bake Pretzels as they should be.

Anna: I used to miss it, but fortunately the southern kitchen became quite popular in Berlin over the last few years. So there are good places all over Berlin. When it gets really bad again, I go to Meierei in Kollwitzstraße or I hope for a lunch invitation for Sunday by my brother.

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

Clemens: I am not quite sure. I guess, I used to cook with our Mum when we were children. But the first real remembrances to consciously cook was my grandma making the Schweinebraten every Sunday.

Anna: I guess, it was only Clemens who cooked with our Mum... At least, I did not. Because I remember always calling my Mum to ask for help once I lived on my own. And this was for the very basic things, like cooking pasta…

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

Anna: Soluna in Gneisenaustraße, Market at Südstern, Markthalle 9, Meierei, Nansen, Restaurant Obermaier, Massaniello, Txokoa Gastro Bar, Hoastaria del Monte Croce.

Clemens: Markthalle 9, Fräulein Dickes in Stargarder Straße

You started Sitzfeldt, an online company specialised in affordable designer sofas in 2010 together with Julius, an old school friend of Clemens'. What moved you to work in the field of designer furniture?

Due to our father’s business, we have always had a great affinity to furniture and design. At the end, it was this affinity combined with the business potential of selling furniture directly to the end customer via the internet. And of course the wish of building up our own company.

Your father established a successful furniture business and you continue this family tradition with your own company. How does this affect your work? Do you feel responsibility, is the family tradition a gift or a burden?

Anna: Once, someone called Sitzfeldt the 'Unternehmensnachfolge 2.0' (Business successors 2.0). That is pretty much how I feel. Without my father and his experience, we would not have been able to build up Sitzfeldt so quickly. But it makes me proud, that we have always done it our way. And: It makes me happy to see my father proud. Of course, he is happy that something he built up is continued somehow. So, it is a gift – for sure.

Clemens: It is easier to be an entrepreneur, if there are other entrepreneurs in the family. I feel supported and challenged by my family at the same time. And it helps that worries and doubts are understood and shared. The family tradition is a gift – no burden – because it really helps to build upon failures and successes.

Two of your collections have been nominated for the German Design Award 2015. Who are the designers you're working with at the moment and how do these collaborations start?

Anna: The designer we work with the most, is Steffen Kehrle. He actually is an old friend of Julius' who we all met in Milan in 2010. That was the year when the volcano in Iceland was active, so our flights were all cancelled. Steffen had a car and three free seats, so we drove together from Milan to Munich. During that ride we talked a lot about our plans, visions and ideas. When we arrived, it was clear that we would have to work together. That is when we first started to develop our sofa system Set which won the Interior Innovation Award 2013 and the Red Dot Design Award. Since then, we work together with Steffen a lot. We developed the new table GAME with him and are planning many more projects. Sebastian Herkner is a good friend of Steffen, that is how we met. HEIM is the first project we launched with Sebastian.

Clemens: In the end, we decide if a designer fits to Sitzfeldt. Our philosophy and their philosophy need to match. So it definitely helps that we are good friends with Steffen. It is fun to work on both of our ideas and plans and it is even more fun to see that people actually like what we do.

What are your plans and visions for Sitzfeldt?

Clemens: We want to work hard in order to strengthen our market position and our brand. Of course, the long term vision is that everyone who is looking for a sofa takes Sitzfeldt into account (laughs). No seriously, there are three basic elements Sitzfeldt is built upon: design, sustainability and fair prices. We work on all areas and think in small, realistic steps. In the end, we want to continue our journey of the last four years.

Anna: I cannot add anything to that, besides one thing: I hope that we will always enjoy what we are doing.

Anna and Clemens, what did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen and why?

Warm Bavarian Karfoffelsalat (potato salad) with cucumber. Why? This tastes like home and is so delicious with the right potatoes. Coming with a Boulette made of Dammwild (venison burger) from Brandenburg. There is no way of enjoying meat more sustainably and the Boulette is also well known in Berlin. This all comes with Preiselbeeren Salsa (lingonberry salsa).

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

Anna: Our grandmother is getting older and she is the only one who knows how to make Wuchter (Bohemian dumplings) as they should be. Clemens, we need to learn this! So, it is my grandmother.

Clemens: Angela Merkel, no matter what...

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

Anna: Pasta. And to be honest, it is also pasta for not-so-spontaneous dinners.

Clemens: Pasta. The entire year, there is always something good to have with pasta. And if they really surprise me, I always have homemade pesto in the fridge.

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

Anna: Childhood: Wuchter – a special kind of the Bavarian Knödel (Bavarian dumplings). Today, I still die for Wuchter.

Clemens: Bayrischer Schweinebraten (Bavarian pork roast).

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

Anna: I prefer to cook on my own, but love being entertained by friends and wine while cooking.

Clemens: I love to cook for others, but I can’t stand any 'assistant' in my kitchen. You can ask my wife …

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Anna: Planned.

Clemens: Planned and it really bothers me when I forget something at the grocery store.

Which meal would you never cook again?

Anna: Bayrischer Schweinebraten (Bavarian pork roast) – my brother’s is just better …

Clemens: Gluten-free pasta.

Thank you Anna and Clemens!

meet in your kitchen | Cristina's crunchy Gooseberry Crumble

It was mid July, a few days before I changed my Berlin kitchen for the one in the Mediterranean, when I got an unexpected  message from Cristina. She said she would be in Berlin for a few days and asked if I would like to bake together with her. She is a very close friend of my Maltese sister Emma, both of them love to bake and I have seen the two girls working on delicious cake and cookie creations quite a few times. Whenever I met Cristina in the kitchen we used to talk about German food as her mother is from the south of Germany and her cooking is influenced by both the Maltese and the German cuisine.

Emma and Cristina became friends on a film set a few years ago, they were booked for a few scenes in a big film production on the island and they bonded straight away. They are both exceptional beauties, so it didn't take too long for them to become well known models in Malta, and against all clichés, their friendship managed to survive this business.

I was happy that Cristina got in touch to meet for a baking session, a meet in your kitchen changed to a meet in my kitchen! We decided to go for a fruity crumble. She suggested an apple crumble but in the end we went for gooseberries, they are in season at the moment and she had never tried these tart little berries before. I bought very ripe red berries as they are less sour than the green ones, I didn't want to shock her too much with her first gooseberry experience! She loved them and they were a perfect addition to her cinnamony crumbles, juicy and fruity at the bottom and crunchy on top!

While we were baking and chatting in the kitchen, I asked her a few questions about her modeling, her studies and her recent travels to Marrakesh. Cristina just finished her bachelor of Science in Earth Systems, the past years of studying influenced her consciousness about environmental issues and affected her lifestyle strongly.

Cristina's Gooseberry Crumble

• gooseberries, cut in half or whole, 500g / 1 pound

• plain flour 300g / 10.5 ounces

• Demerara sugar 175g / 6 ounces plus 2 scant tablespoons for the berries

• butter, at room temperature, 200g / 7 ounces

• ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon

Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F and butter a 20cm / 8" baking dish.

Combine the flour and sugar, add the butter and mix with your fingers until you have a crumbly mixture.

Put the gooseberries in the baking dish and mix with 2 tablespoons of sugar mixed with the cinnamon. Spread the crumbles on top of the berries and bake for 45 minutes, turn the oven up to 200°C / 390°F and bake for further 15 minutes or until the crumbles are golden brown.

You live in Malta, your father is Maltese but your mother is from the south of Germany. How did these two cultures influence your life and personality?

I don't really feel closer to one or the other. Actually I do feel like I am properly half Maltese and half German. I feel inspired by both cultures, I tend to cook more Mediterranean when it comes to savory food. When we're in Germany I really enjoy how green it is and I spend more time outside in the countryside than I would in Malta.

What are your favourites from the Maltese and German cuisine?

From the Maltese cuisine, I love the typical Maltese Ftira bread with its filling (no fish). This is the food I really miss when I'm abroad, as the type of bread is so unique. From the German cuisine it would have to be the typical German dish called Milchreis.

What did you miss the most about Maltese food when you lived in Berlin? What did you discover here that you reallly enjoyed?

The Ftira. I love that in Germany, in Berlin in particular, there are little bakeries at every corner. I have a sweet tooth, so I love buying all kinds of pastries and cakes.

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

I don't remember, but my family makes quite a big deal about birthdays. Every year, we all bake a special birthday cake for each other and take time in finding the perfect cake to bake and also work a lot on the decoration and make sure each cake looks different from one we had already done.

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

I like places that promote fresh foods, preferably healthy ones also. The view and setting of the restaurant is also important. One of my favorite go to places for lunch, dinner or just any snack is Mint, in Sliema. They offer daily fresh options (and vegetarian ones too) and display their menu for the day in large refrigerators, so that people can see before hand what the food looks like. I recently also discovered the farmers market, where you can buy all sorts of local and fresh fruit and veg, straight from the farmer himself!

You've just finished your bachelor of Science in Earth Systems, can you explain what this is about? How did your studies effect your daily live and your environmental consciousness?

My course is an environmental based subject, which includes studying different branches of the environment, such as biodiversity, geology or hydrology. The course really changed how I think about a lot of things in our world. Apart from the obvious things such as being more environmentally aware, I am starting to reduce what I purchase, in terms of where things are produced, what I eat etc.

I know that you love to travel and you've just come back from Morocco, what were your strongest impressions? Did you make any new culinary discoveries?

Morocco was a wonderful place and very different to what I imagined. In the large cities, the people are not as conservative as you might think, and most citizens are super friendly. With regards to food, I felt that in the main cities such as Marrakesh, there was not much variation, particularly for vegetarian dishes. They mostly served couscous, vegetable tagine or omlettes. All meals however were always colourful in appearance  and accompanied by a mix of olives and flat bread.

Besides being at university during the past few years, you also became a successful model. What do you like and what do you dislike about this job?

I just do some modeling in Malta as a hobby, and an easy way to make money rather than a job.  Its fun to dress up for a while and play a different character, but I'm not someone that likes to spend time and money on clothes or new accessories. The industry also creates a large demand on animal trade, in particular furs or jewellery made from (for example) rhino horn. I am completely against this, and would refuse to model such items.

What or who inspired you to become an environmentalist?

The course I studied opened my eyes to the problems in our world, but I would say that it originated from my childhood. When I was young (and still now) our family outings always consited of a lot of outdoor activites, such as hikes or picnics in the countryside. When we visit Germany, we always go skiing in winter time and hike different mountains or cycle by lakes during summer time. The school I went to was also situated in a very green part of Malta and a lot of our activities consisted of interacting outside with the environment.  This really influenced me.

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

I chose an apple crumble, which Meike interestingly suggested to make a goosberry crumble since the fruit is now in season. I actually came up with this recipe with a friend of mine when we were living in Berlin. We tweaked it so that it would really be ours, and we found it so delicious from the first bite. The streusel, or crumble, is really crisp and just the right texture to complement the slightly softened and flavoured fruit underneath.

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

It would have to be Ina Garten from the cooking show Barefoot Contessa. I watch all of her cooking shows and have her recipe books.

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

A nice quiche with grilled vegetables, pasta salad with vegetables and crunchy apples and a strawberry cheesecake.

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

My mother used to make pasta with sugar for us sometimes. When I have it now it just really reminds me of when I was younger. Something I would always have an appetite for now are my homemade brownies with nuts and white chocolate topping. Once I ate a whole portion in one day!

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

I like cooking with others if they know how to cook. It's not so much fun with people who don't really know how to cook or who are not really in the mood.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Improvised!

Which meal would you never cook again?

Once I cooked a chocolate coffee cake and I must have put too much coffee in. Since then the cake put me off coffee.

Thank you Cristina!

Basil and Mint Lemonade and organic farming on the island

My Maltese brother Alex has been telling me about his own juices, lemonades and non-alcoholic cocktail creations for months and when I saw him in the kitchen, chopping herbs and fruits, crushing ice cubes and working on new colourful compositions every few days, I asked him if he would like to come up with a refreshing lemonade recipe for eat in my kitchen.

It was a hot afternoon and I had just come back home from my visit to a farm in Bahrija. I had a peppermint plant in my hand which I got from Peppi Gauci who runs the Bahrija Oasis farm and Alex decided to mix a chilled basil and mint lemonade for me. It was delicious, not too sweet, fresh, lemony and with strong herbal flavours! You should try this recipe on one of these hot August afternoons, you just need to mix everything in a blender and within a few seconds you'll have a drink ready to revitalise your senses!

In the past few weeks I went to two farms in Malta which have completely different visions and approaches to farming. One of them is Bahrija Oasis which is a bio dynamic farm with organic produce (although not certified organic). Bahrija is part of the Permaculture Research Foundation Malta project, a holistic design philosophy which aims to create "community eco-systems in which plants, animals and human beings, and all forms of ecological diversity interact to produce a prolific, ecologically-sound and regenerative system that can support itself and life indefinitely". The idea is to provide all we need to live, like food, water, shelter, energy and health consistent with the Earth's natural balanced ecosystems, symbiotic and synergistic. This project brings together likeminded people with interests in green issues, ecological designers and students and the Bahrija Oasis provides the ground and platform for this work.

Eleven years ago Peppi got the land from his family and it wasn't cultivated at all at that point, just rocks, some weeds and steep hills, but over the years he managed to establish a working permaculture project. He changed the dry and arid landscape into a fertile farm, a biotope with a much greater biodiversity producing organic crops such as sprouts, herbs, seeds, medical plants and vegetables. Many students and volunteers visit the farm to learn more about sustainability, eco-education, wildlife and permaculture at the workshops hosted at the farm.

To get to the farm, we had to walk along a little stream covered with tall bamboo for  about 10 minutes. This water is home to the very rare, endemic Maltese freshwater crab, Qabru. Their population is declining steadily and we were lucky to find one  in the shallow water looking at us!

My second visit brought me to a beautiful place in Ahrax in Mellieha which is owned by Louis Cini (you can see his farm in the last 10 pictures). It's been in his family's hands for generations and his concept is completely different. It's a certified organic farm producing a great selection of wonderful fruit and vegetables. Organic farming isn't as established in Malta as it is in northern Europe but Louis is one of the pioneers. His fields produce some of the best grapes, figs and tomatoes I've ever eaten. He also grows sweetcorn, various kinds of lettuce, cabbage and marrows and much more, this farm looks as peaceful and welcoming as Louis' smile!

What made this visit very special to me, apart from meeting Louis, was being able to see the old rooms at the back of the farm which are no longer used and where his relatives used to live. Louis decided to leave them untouched, in the exact way they looked when his uncle who was the last to live there, passed away. It felt like traveling in time, to see the old furniture, the small, very basic kitchen working without electricity in the olden days, colourful enamel cookware in shelves that have been rusting for years, battled boots from the times of war, manual farming tools under piles of dust, quilts and pillows, photographs eaten away by time, by the wind and the salty air. Louis told me to take pictures, and I took many but at first I wasn't sure if I should show them. It felt like such an intimate insight in someone's life who isn't even here but Louis encouraged me, he feels proud to share his family's heritage. This is what life in the Mediterranean looked like 100 years ago, nothing changed in these rooms, this is a great gift!

Basil and Mint Lemonade  

For 500ml / 1 pint of lemonade you need

• fresh big basil leaves 10

• fresh mint leaves 20

• water or soda water, chilled, 500ml / 1 pint

• freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 big lemon

• granulated sugar 1 teaspoon plus more to taste

• ice cubes for serving

Put the ingredients in a blender and mix well. Fill the lemonade in big glasses with ice cubes.

This is Louis Cini's beautiful farm in Mellieha

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.

meet in your kitchen | Arnold, the Beekeeper and Peaches filled with Honey Basil Ricotta

Last summer, I read Arnold Grech's name on a jar of golden Maltese honey for the first time. I had visited Antoine Vella, one of the last artisan weavers on the island who makes beautiful carpets with traditional patterns. He is one of Arnold's close friends and he had suffered from allergy problems for years. His friend, the beekeeper advised him to take a spoonful of honey collected from the area where he lives twice a day. Since that day the weaver has been cured and there is always a jar of honey to be found next to his weaving loom!

A year has passed and finally I find myself at Arnold Grech's house to talk about bee keeping. Everybody I asked recommended him to learn more about bees and the island's delicious honey! Malta is supposed to have its name derived from the Greek word for honey, meli, the ancient Greeks called the island Melite (meaning honey-sweet) and later, the Romans called it Melita. Malta has always been famous for its production of a unique honey due to its endemic species of bees, which also led to its nickname, the land of honey!

I looked forward to meeting Arnold and to listen to the man with 65 years of beekeeping experience, he is known to produce some of the island's best honeys! When we met the first time to drive up to one of his apiaries in the north, a pinched nerve got in our way and we had to change our plans. I interviewed Arnold at his bed-side as he couldn't move at all. We spoke for hours and I was fascinated by his stories, his knowledge and passion. He told me so much about his beloved bees that it was hard for me to wait until we could finally drive up to Mellieha where many of his colonies of bees live at the moment. One of the many stories which amused all of us when we imagined the scene was the mating of the bees. When the Queen leaves the hive to mate, she makes a shrill noise to inform the drones (the male bees) that she is ready. She leaves the hive, followed by hundreds of male bees, accelerating constantly until there is just one drone left which can keep up with her. She tests him further by speeding up a bit more to make sure that he's the right one. When her choice is made he's allowed to dock onto her!

So finally the day had come, Arnold felt much better and we met in his "honey kitchen", his apiary in Mellieha which looks like a place in heaven! It's right under the famous Red Tower which was built in 1649, the sparkling Mellieha bay lies to the east and the Ghadira Natural Reserve spreads to the south and west. I learnt so much about the bees, the colony's organization, the different honey flows and much more! Arnold keeps his bees in a few apiaries, he produces his own honey but he is also the island's main Queen (bee) breeder which he sells to other beekeepers. He makes various kinds of exquisite honey throughout the year and we didn't leave him without taking a couple of them home with us, Wild Thyme and Orange Blossom honey.

There is a high demand for Maltese honey, its unique taste and quality made it very popular, in and outside Malta. You should only buy the island's honey from trusted beekeepers as there isn't always Maltese honey in a jar when it's written on it. This is a  problem that occurs in every country that creates a high quality product with a limited production. If you're unsure about a certain honey's origin, just get in touch with Arnold who has been an agriculture consultant in Malta for decades and who knows Malta's honey producers and their production like no one else! When we went to Gozo, he told us to visit one of his students in Gozo, Joey Xuereb. He has a beautiful apiary right at the harbor in Mgarr and sells delicious honey as well!

One the many recipes I tried with Orange Blossom Honey are Peaches filled with Honey Ricotta and Basil - just divine! Fittingly, a bee decided to have a taste as soon as I served them in the garden!

Peaches filled with Honey Ricotta and Basil

For 4 people you need

• ripe peaches, cut in half and pitted, 4

• ricotta, drained, 250g / 9 ounces

• flowery honey, such as orange blossom, 2 tablespoons plus more to taste

• basil leaves, cut into thin slices, 8

Whisk the ricotta and honey, sweeten with honey to taste and fill a tablespoonful into each peach half. Sprinkle with the basil and, if you like, pour a little more honey on top.

When and how did you become a bee keeper?

I had to sit for a competitive Grammar School examination way back in 1950. I used to visit my uncle who was a bachelor, frequently. On hearing that I had to study hard for this examination, he told me that if I passed on my first attempt, he would give me a colony of bees. He had three colonies in his garden. Each one was housed in an Earthenware pottery jar. After successfully passing the exam, my uncle kept his word and put one of the three colonies of bees he had at my disposal. I used to go to his house so that together we see the bees. And from then on I never looked back.

How many colonies of bees do you keep and how often do you visit them?

The numbers of colonies of bees fluctuate from time to time. I am the main Queen (ed. queen bee) breeder of the Islands of Malta. I rear Apis mellifera ruttneri queen bees only, the Maltese honey bee. Today, there are many beekeepers who import Apis mellifera sicula from Sicily. Having ten months of sunshine and good weather, plus two months of mild winter, I take advantage and keep rearing Queen honey bees throughout the year. This is coupled with eight honey flows in a continuous honey season beginning from 1st September and finishing on the 31st of August the year after. The honey flows occur in October - carob trees, then in December asphodel. In January the bees forage on borage flowers and in February it's red clover. In March, we have white thistle and in April orange blossom. From the last week of May and all June it is wild thyme.The last honey flow would be eucalyptus in late August and September.At present I have 183 colonies and some 38 Virgin Queens in the mating period. This year I have already reared 600 Queen bees. More than half of my Queens are normally requeened after the second year. And some of my customers are understanding the tricks of lessening swarming in the apiary. In European countries this could be done after the third year, since they have a shorter period for honey flows.

You have called the bees "your drug", what about them fascinates you so much? What did you learn from them?

During the last 50 years (I've been keeping bees for the last 65 years) I've been studying beekeeping in Israel, England, Spain, Switzerland and Tunisia. I have won all these scholarships through CHIEME. I have also studied Apitherapy on a personal basis. Together with Prof. Walter Sheppard of the Washington State University, Prof. Maria Arias of Sao Paolo, Brazil, I carried a study (DNA) on the Maltese honey bee i.e. Apis mellifera ruttneri. We gave it the name of a German scientist who worked on many a DNA of honey bees. Today, I can say that I have studied a wide sphere of beekeeping in European and North African countries.

As I have already stated, our beekeeping season is stretched throughout the year. Nowadays, when a honey flow is nearing, I prepare to move a number of colonies of bees to the area. Already set with Supers on (where the honey nectar is stored), the only inspection takes place three days after moving them. Then, according to the progress of the flowering period, another inspection takes place fifteen days later. What fascinates me is the way they build the comb. From experience I know how to introduce new foundation in the right time. Bees do not produce beeswax if there is no honey flow on. You can also help the colony in increasing the amount of nectar collected.I do not use chemicals to treat Varroa jacobsoni (ed. a disease). Today we know that apart from Varroa jacobsoni there is Varroa destructor which is immune to certain chemicals. I use drone brood. A Queen, in her first year, does not lay drone eggs. By keeping a couple of old Queens, you can produce sets of unsealed drone brood which one can distribute to 1st year Queens. As usual, before the brood is sealed the varroa mite enters the cell to meet the larva. Both are sealed in. When the larvae are nearing to emerge from the thin cocoon (after 24 days), I take them off without bees and see the varroa is killed. Thus saving money and I get a better crop -organic.Another thing which really fascinates me, is the way they accept irregular spacing in Supers which I make and how they keep expanding on the same comb. Thirdly, I can create a situation in the brood chamber where the Queen increases her laying powers and arrives earlier in her top numbers of eggs (worker bees) by four to five weeks before the honey flow. This is done on a work phase of 28 weeks beginning from the 1st week in October to March. The end results in a peak of flying bees before the honey flow in April (orange blossom) and wild thyme (June). From the bees you have seen in Mellieha (ed. where Arnold keeps some of his colonies, in the north of Malta), I estimated that the crop is nearing 200 kg (400 pounds).

Could you give a short description of the cycle of a bees life and the inner workings of a colony?

The Queen bee is an egg laying machine. The drone supplies the goods when needed in case of a Virgin Queen. The worker bees do all the rest. The worker bee, in her first three days after emerging from the cocoon, cleans the empty cells preparing them for the Queen to lay. In the following three days, having developed a gland in its head, the bee prepares and feeds what is called the bee-milk. In the next three to five days, the worker bees will be supplying the Queen with royal jelly. After the 11th day, they can produce beeswax, through thin pockets beneath the abdomen. On the 16th day, they begin guard duties at the entrance of the hive. They begin practicing their way to and from the hive by making orientation flights until on the 21st day they begin foraging. These bees follow scouts which had left the hive before to find new pastures. When these scouts arrive home fully laden with nectar and pollen, they do not drop their goods in cells and leave the hive to bring back more. They begin going on a pattern on the comb challenging new foragers to follow. As these new recruits are identified they are given a taste of the goods. Then they keep following her to get more information, where the new source is situated, if this is in front or behind the hive, how far it is by means of the shaking of the abdomen and by using the sun as their compass to find their way back (ed. this is called the dancing of the honey bees).Search for "Dancing of the honey bees" on the internet to get a detailed scientific description of theses scouts and their way forward.

What is the biggest threat for bees today? What do you think we must change about how we treat our environment?

There are many factors which are threatening bees worldwide. In Malta, one factor is the rearing of undervalued Queen bees. Other beekeepers are importing Queen bees from Sicily which is a different race/ species from the Maltese one, with a different orientation.Beekeepers don't settle for bee's honey flows but need more. Stress takes over and the end result would be diseased due to stress. They are feeding bees early in the season whilst normally Queen bees are left to lay during the year, according to the honey flows. They also tend to keep the bees without medication when they need it, so they get weak and are attacked by stronger colonies robbing their honey and spreading diseases. In Malta, insecticides are controlled and spraying in fields is controlled too.

What are your favourites in the Maltese cuisine?

My favorite dishes are cooking rabbit in different ways and using honey to get a better blend and aroma. I also prefer to have white fleshed fish such as grouper and sea bass and tuna. Again cooking in different styles, especially steamed, I only use honey, sauces are optional. Spices are rare in my cooking.

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?

Home cooking was the best as it was 20 or 30 years ago, I'm still doing it today. As a matter of fact you don't see me using milk, yoghurt and such items in my cooking. Plain and simple is the best.

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

I have been cooking since I was eleven. Being the elder child in a family of ten, you have to put your hands in to help. My first dish was fried pork and chips.

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

I am not a fan of eating out. But there is a time when I feel having a go at either Michael (Michael's in Valletta, he is called Il Re del Pesce), known for his exceptional cooking of fresh fish, or Il Gillieru, Tony Cremona, in St Paul's Bay.

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

I have already spoken about my choice, definitely it's Michael.

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

By time, you increase your experiences and add to your list. When I was a bachelor, I used to catch pilot fish and cook for another 20 or 30 bachelors. We used to meet in one's house and I would cook grilled pilot fish with a special tomato uncooked sauce - the Maltese way.

Thank you Arnold!

meet in your kitchen | The Cini Salt Pans and Sun-dried Tomatoes in Gozo

Gozo is one of the most magical places I know, it's Malta's silent and peaceful sister island, full of natural beauty. Whenever the ferry reaches Mgarr harbour in the south of the island after a 20 minute crossing of the channel between the two islands, I feel overwhelmed by its serenity and happy to be there again!

There is so much to write about Gozo, so many places to introduce you to and I will do that in the next few days, but for now I will show you just one of them which is very special to me. It's a place that produces a product which I use every day in my cooking, Gozo sea salt. I buy my salt at the Xwejni pans in the north, owned by the Cini family. Rose Cini's family has been harvesting sea salt for five generations. She herself has worked in the pans which are cut into the porous rock, all her life until the family almost stopped using them in the early sixties. Together with her husband Emmanuel, their daughter Josephine and David, their son-in-law, they have revived this tradition.

Salt pans have been in this location since Roman times. The position, the climate, the rock and the good quality of the sea water are perfect for salt harvesting.

When Emmanuel married into the family most of the pans hadn't been used for a few years and they weren't in the best state. He decided to repair and clean them and to continue the family tradition in 1969. He built up a little family business which is now run by the four family members Emmanuel, Rose, Josephine and David. The four of them keep the pans filled with sea water between May and September. In June and July, the peak of the harvest season, they carry up to 3 tonnes of salt off the 300 pans each week! Sea water contains about 3.7% of salt, the water in the pans about 5%, as soon as the water is pumped up it will take around 7 days for it to evaporate. 24 liters of sea water are necessary to harvest 1 kg / 2 pounds of salt.

Emmanuel Cini has always wanted to keep the traditional way of harvesting the salt, work which is mainly done by hand; it demands lots of passion but also physical strength. In 1974 he made a decision which was considered very modern at that time in Gozo, he was the first to pack the salt in plastic bags with his name printed on and sold it in shops all over the islands, he became the Salt Baron from Gozo!

When I asked him if he sees his work as the perfect job he said "Yes, of course!". Although it's physically very straining, he never complains, as his daughter says. The whole family works at the pans, fills them, empties them and carries the salt up into a little cave which is cut into the stone to store the salt, the salt shop. That's where you can buy it, or from the little table under an umbrella which they put out on the street from 10:30 to 17:00, every day, that's where you can find the Cinis between April and December.

Gozo sea salt contains more than 80 trace minerals, I love the crystal's flaky texture and the fine taste for my cooking!

I have been buying my salt from the Cinis for many years and when I asked them if they would like to share a recipe on eat in my kitchen, Rose said that she would show me how to make sun-dried tomatoes in her mobile outdoor kitchen outside the salt shop. It takes between 4-6 days to sun-dry the tomatoes and the final result tastes divine! You need a hot climate and constant sun for this period of time to dry the fruits!

Sun-dried Tomatoes by Rose Cini

All you need is

• ripe tomatoes

• coarse sea salt

Rinse and dry the tomatoes and cut them in half  (crosswise). Spread them on a metal grid (cut side up) and sprinkle each tomato generously with sea salt. Leave the tomatoes out in the sun for 4-6 days, covered with a mosquito net by day and with a plastic sheet by night (to protect them from humidity).

When the tomatoes are dried, rinse them and dry them in the sun for an hour. Store them in sterilized jars when they are completely dry with a handful of coarse sea salt. You can also preserve them covered in olive oil.

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!

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!

meet in your kitchen | Pan roasted Bread with Sam Cremona's Olive Oil and fresh Oregano

A drive through the countryside, over barren hill tops and streets lined with blossoming pink oleander leads us to a tiny village in the north of Malta, Wardija. We stopped in front of a big, green iron gate in the shade of majestic pine trees, their woody smell caught my senses as soon as I left the car! It was around noon, the sun was at its peak and the air was shimmering. The scene was peaceful and silent when Sam Cremona opened the gate and welcomed us with a big smile on his face. He is a man in his sixties, his skin darkened by the Mediterranean sun, and I had been looking forward to this meeting for months!

Sam produces his own olive oil of extraordinary quality and managed to revive an ancient kind of Maltese olive, the Bidni olive. This species has been cultivated on the island for at least 2000 years but it was on the brink of extinction, just 25 trees were left when Sam started his research. He was looking for olive trees to plant on the 1 hectare of land that surrounds his beautiful country house and the story and quality of this olive caught his attention. It's rich in antioxidants, the concentration is so high that the eggs of the olive fruit fly, one of the biggest pests for olive trees, never hatch in the fruits. The antioxidants also cause the oil's tasty bitterness and its positive effect on the immune system.

When Sam decided to work with the Bidni olive in 2002 he started a program called PRIMO, Project for the Revival of the Indigenous Maltese Olive. He uses cuttings from the few old trees left on the island and grafts them onto other trees. 40 producers joined him, hundreds of trees have been successfully planted and a wonderful olive oil has come back to life. Sam had to set up his own small olive press as there was none on the island at that time. This allows him to pick the fruits and press them on the same day, another reason for the oil's high quality. 

Sam invited me to his kitchen to taste two of his olive oils, one made of the Bidni olive and another that's a little less bitter in taste. Both were wonderful, fragrant and rich. I could smell citrus fruits, pine trees, tomatoes and thyme, all embodied in these delicious Wardija Olive Oils! I was so impressed that I bought some of his oil straight away, if you would like to do the same or  if you would like some more information about Sam's oil and project, you can contact him at matty@vol.net.mt.

After tasting the oil we enjoyed some with a few slices of Maltese bread, one of the best ways to savor a good olive oil, but I already knew what I would use it for as soon as I got back home. I discovered a very simple, delicious little snack when I was in Sicily. Pan roasted bread, dipped in olive oil and cooked with fresh oregano leaves. When the bread is golden brown and crunchy on the outside, you take it out of the pan and sprinkle a little more oregano, black pepper and coarse sea salt on top. As always, when a recipe is so simple, choose the best quality bread, olive oil and sea salt you can get and pick fresh oregano leaves if possible. It's divine!

Pan Roasted Bread with Olive Oil and fresh Oregano

For 4 people, you need a small loaf of sourdough bread, thickly sliced, olive oil and coarse sea salt to taste, crushed black peppercorns and a handful of fresh oregano. Brush the slices of bread with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with the herb, leave a few leaves to put on the bread when it's done. Heat a heavy pan and cook the bread for a few minutes until golden brown on each side, sprinkle it with some salt, pepper and fresh oregano.

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!

meet in your kitchen | Phia & Josh bake Mum's French Cake

This is the start of a new series of features on the blog - meet in your kitchen! I will be meeting artists, chefs - people with a great passion for what they do, in their kitchen, to cook or to bake while we talk about their culinary life, current projects and inspiration.

I'm very excited to start with two artists who I first saw live a couple years ago, Phia and Josh! Phia performed on a houseboat on a big lake outside Berlin and mesmerized me with her singing, her Kalimba and the loops she created during her show.

The two artists grew up in Melbourne and decided to move to Berlin three years ago to grow as artists and touch new musical ground. They soon found that their ideas worked well together and the time was ripe for a colaboration. Phia, the singer who plays the kalimba and Josh, the guitarist and producer understand and enhance each other and in a few months they will share their musical vision on the first Phia album!

Although the two are very busy in the studio at the moment they took some time out and invited me to their Berlin kitchen. They arrived in the city with little more than a suitcase and had to piece together everything from scratch. The furniture and every single pot, plate and mug has its own story, mostly coming from friends who moved back home or flea markets, a unique space full of soul and personal memories.

Phia's family is very passionate about cooking, both her parents love to be creative in the kitchen. She chose to share a very special recipe with me that she used to bake with her mother when she was a child, a recipe rich in young kitchen memories! It's Mum's French Cake, a spongy and fruity cake which is as delicious as it is quick and easy to bake, a perfect candidate for those spontaneous late night (or early morning) baking sessions! Phia covered the cake with apples, but plums are another of her favourites for this recipe.

Mum's French Cake

"I chose a really simple cake recipe that my mum taught me. I’m not the most confident baker but this one is so simple. Depending on how large you want the cake, you take 1-3 eggs and weigh them, then put in the same weight of flour, melted butter and sugar. Then choose whatever fruit you want to put on top. My mum actually brought the recipe home from a French class she was in when I was younger.  So the first time we made it we did it in French: “… deus oeufs ...” etc!"

For an 18cm / 7" springform pan you need

• apple, quartered and thinly sliced, 1

• organic eggs 2

weigh the eggs with their shells and measure the same weight of the following 3 ingredients:

• plain flour

• butter, melted

• granulated sugar

  plus

• baking powder 1 tablespoon

• a pinch of salt

Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F and butter the springform pan.

Combine the dry ingredients. Mix the eggs and butter for a few minutes till fluffy and add the dry mixture, mix until well combined. Pour the dough into the springform pan, arrange the apples in circles and bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Serve warm!

You both grew up in Australia, what are your food memories? 

Josh: Australia is a fairly wealthy country with really good weather and at various times a great influx of immigrants from around the world (although not currently because of our extreme rightwing government). This has meant that food is in wide variety and really great quality. You could find Indian, Afghan, Vietnamese, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Turkish, Thai, African, Lebanese, Japanese and a lot more (as well as modern fusion) to a beautiful standard all within close proximity. Restaurants just don’t survive if they’re not doing it the way it’s done in the home country. I guess we’re spoilt in a culinary way. This standard or commitment to food is still lagging very much in Germany which I find surprising because there are a lot of people from around the world living there. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist but I still have not found a decent curry.

What effect did the move to Berlin have on your cooking?

Phia: I’ve become a lot more confident since moving here! Last year I became really bored with the recipes that I knew, so I bought a couple of cookbooks and made some new meals. My favourite was Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Plenty”, a vegetarian cookbook. He has this delicious soup made with chickpeas based on a Tuscan ribollita which I make a lot now.

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

Josh: I started lifting weights after high school, trying to get buff. At the time I was known as “Mr. Vegetarian” because I was pretty big but still vegetarian. My memory of cooking by myself (that wasn’t frozen dim sims or pizza) was a taco filling that was packed with kidney beans and chickpeas for protein.

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

Phia:We are really spoiled for choice in our part of Neukölln. All of these are within walking distance of us:Favourite coffee: Five Elephant, a super nice place in ReichenbergerstrasseDelicious and cheap tapas: Gaston on WeserstrasseBest gelati: Fräulein Frost on PanierstrasseFresh fruit and veggies: the turkish market on Maybachufer

Josh: Everything Sophia has said plus ‘Il Casolare’ - excellent pizza and atmosphere by the canal.

You live and work in Berlin at the moment, what are your upcoming projects?

Josh: The Phia album is still in full swing, still producing… we’ve mixed some of the tracks and still going over the editing and post-production stuff for quite a few of them. Final mixing should happen at the end of August. 

I’ve been producing some music for a few other artists too.

I’m also working on my own project ‘Josh The Cat’. I sing songs, tell stories, dance a little bit with my guitar. Influenced by Bowie, TuneYards and Radiohead but people say it’s sounds a bit like The Whitest Boy Alive with a loop pedal and I look like the guitarist from Incubus. I recently heard The Whitest Boy Alive have disbanded so maybe there is an opening for me.

What or who inspired you to become musicians?

Phia:I grew up in a household filled with music. My mum and my sister and I used to sing three part harmonies, I learnt piano, sung in lots of choirs and did musicals. It never occurred to me that I could be a professional musician though. At school I thought I would be a teacher, or a writer. After high school I made a spontaneous decision to enter a music university rather than the law degree I had been accepted into. I thought I’d complete a year and then go back to academia, but I stayed!

Why did you choose Berlin as the place to live and work?

Josh: I wanted to shake up my life a little. I’d played in a few different bands in Melbourne ranging from Synthpop, FreeJazz to Instrumental soundscape. It was either NYC, Tokyo or Berlin and Berlin won. It’s a great base for branching out, there’s a lot of creatives to bounce off and I find the East meets West, the old crashing into the new, inspiring.

You just finished recording your album, what were your biggest influences during the writing and recording process? 

Phia: The songs on the record definitely reflect the period of change of moving from Melbourne to Berlin. Some were written just before the move, and some after, and I think you can hear a continuous thread throughout the album of conflicted feelings change brings. The joy of expanding our experiences to the pull of homesickness. 

Our lifestyle has been so different since moving to Berlin. The people we’ve met, the places we’ve toured, even just day-to-day living in Neukölln and having the luxury of working on music. You can definitely hear that on the album.

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

Phia:I chose a really simple cake recipe that my mum taught me. I’m not the most confident baker but this one is so simple. Depending on how large you want the cake, you take 1-3 eggs and weigh them, then put in the same weight of flour, melted butter and sugar. Then choose whatever fruit you want to put on top. My mum actually brought the recipe home from a French class she was in when I was younger.  So the first time we made it we did it in French: “… deus oeufs ...” etc!

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

Phia: Merril Garbus from Tune-yards. I bet she’d have some killer recipes.

Josh: The RZA from Wu-Tang Clan comes to mind. It would be good to have a chat with him too.

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

Phia:Definitely a big salad, maybe with orange and chickpeas, lots of wine, maybe some roast veggies or a baked dish.

Josh: Depends what is in the house. I find lentil soup very satisfying and hopefully the guests would too.

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

Phia: I wasn’t the most adventurous eater as a child so it was probably that Australian staple borrowed from our Italian immigrants - spaghetti bolognaise. Now I love eating new foods from the countries we go on tour. Last year I tried perogi in Poland for the first time, which was amazing.

Josh: My favorite food is Indian or Sri Lankan, I love the spices they use and the vivid flavours. Although I’m not vegetarian I prefer vegetarian food and this goes well for me with all the lentils, vegetables, chickpeas and the occasional paneer their food has. I don’t remember particularly liking food as a very young child but I guess I’ve liked any food from Asia since about the age of 12 or 13. I’ve always hated asparagus and it still makes me gag.

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

Phia: When I wasn’t so confident I needed to do it on my own, I didn’t like being watched! But now I love learning from others and it is fun to cook together.

Josh: I think someone who is good with food generally needs patience or at the very least a sensibility for how all the elements interact. I don’t really have that. Or perhaps my problem is that I usually try to ignore I’m hungry until I am absolutely ravenous and by that point I have no patience for preparing things properly. So cooking for myself comes out of necessity and cooking with others is probably more fun because it has probably been planned ahead. By others, I mean Sophia, who has good ideas generally, plans ahead and never allows herself to get so hungry as to become irrational and hasty as I do.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Phia: I’m definitely a meal planner - no improvising in the kitchen for me!

Josh: I would admit that conceptually a planned meal should work out the best but I haven’t properly tried that.

Which meal would you never cook again?

Josh: When I was at university I was known by my housemates for my signature dish: “bachelor’s special” which ingredients consisted of pretty much everything cooked in a saucepan served over some sort of carbohydrate. I think I’ll leave that one in the past.

Thank you Phia and Josh!

Here you can listen to Phia and Josh's music and find out when the album will be released: www.listentophia.com

A visit to Reims and the Mystique of Champagne

Paris, Reims and Champagne, I had an exciting start to the week! I was invited by Champagne Jacquart to join a Vins Clair tasting in Reims, the pure, still wines which form the foundation of every Champagne and I was happy to get a little insight into the mystique and the making of this wonderful sparkling drink from the northeast of France.

I was lucky, my trip started with a bright Sunday in Paris. Warm and sunny, it couldn't have been better, I walked down the boulevards, along the Seine passing the beautiful Musée d'Orsay. The charm of this city is contagious, it just puts a smile on my face! I took a rest at a romantic bistro on Rue du Bac in the VIIe arrondissement and enjoyed an amazing Terrine de Canard accompanied by a glass of Sancerre. Life at its best, wonderful! A visit to a boulangerie and patisserie reminded me of my love for the French baking tradition. I left with bags full of bread, a delicious dark loaf and a fine Pain Platine and, of course, some sweets. I'm obsessed with Éclairs au Café, so as soon as I stepped out of the boulangerie, I opened the bag and had a big bite of my favourite éclair. It was delicious, as expected! In the evening, I joined a few other bloggers and journalists at dinner who were also invited to learn more about Champagne. We were all excited about what the next day would bring!

Diane from Jacquart welcomed us to their headquarters in Reims. Her sweet and lively way and her love for Champagne made me curious to find out more about this legendary place. Reims is located in the Champagne-Ardenne region, 130km / 81 miles northeast of Paris. We took the TGV high-speed train and arrived just 40 minutes later! After a short drive we turned into the Boulevard Lundy in the center of historic Reims. We stopped in front of a beautiful villa, with a curved pebble stone driveway surrounded by boxwood bushes. I walked through the iron gates and entered another world! The house, called "Hotel de Brimont", was simply stunning. It was built in 1896 and is surrounded by all the other prominent Champagne houses. In this prestigious neighborhood, a few houses form the center of the Champagne world!

Jacquart's history is different to other big Champagne houses, it was written by a few visionary growers who decided to form a cooperative to launch their own Champagne instead of supplying their grapes to other Champagne houses in 1964. In the late 90's, 3 regional cooperatives of growers united to form the Groupe Alliance Champagne and bought the established Jacquart brand. Today, 1800 growers make up this alliance, all together owning more than 7% of the surface area of the Appelation Champagne, 60 crus (villages) in the Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Bar. 10 of them are classified as Grand Crus and 22 as Premiers Crus assuring grapes from the finest terroirs in the Champagne! It started as a vision and led to great success, the growers holding shares in the brand guide its direction and development!

The grapes used for Champagne are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, they ripen on the slight hills, rich in chalk, and make the cuvée, the blend for the Champagne. The secret of each cuvée lies in the composition which is where Jacquart's oenologist Floriane Eznack comes in, she's young but very experienced, open minded and absolutely passionate about her product. Together with her team she finds the right composition for the different cuvées every year, mixing them in graduated tubes, trusting their fine senses to feel the wines' temper and style, to let them express themselves within the blend carefully, without letting a single one becoming too overpowering. It's a science but above all, an art!

Directly after the harvest which is made by 100.000 pickers every autumn, the grapes are pressed separately for each cru and filled in stainless steel tanks. The first fermentation creates the Vins Clairs (clear or still wines) after a filtering process. Around 4 months later, the oenologist assembles the different Vins Clairs to create the cuvée. For example the Cuvée Brut Mosaïque, is made of 50 different wines. I tasted 7 different Vins Clairs at Jacquart and it's hard to imagine how one can develop a memory for so many different tastes! When the right composition is found, the wine is filled in bottles together with a small amount of yeast and sugar. In the following 8 weeks, gas starts to develop in the bottles turning the still wine into sparkling wine. After more than 15 months (or 3 years for the Brut Mosaïque and 5-6 years for vintage wines) in a horizontal position, the bottles are repeatedly shaken for 21 days (the remuage or riddling), gradually tilting the bottle neck down and drawing the sediments into the neck. These sediments are eventually removed by freezing the bottle neck through a quick cooling process. This forms a plug of ice which shoots out when the bottle is opened leaving behind a bottle of sediment free wine. Sealed with a cork the Champagne is ready to be sent into the world!

I learnt so much about Champagne, the grapes, Vins Clairs, I could write about so much more but Champagne is best when experienced personally, the region, its history and of course, the drink as well. So I can only recommend a visit to Reims!

As we enjoyed a wonderful lunch together, Floriane declared that Champagne is the celebration of the moment. I agree!

Here's the wonderful menu we enjoyed for lunch, created by Maison Schosseler in Taissy, and the accompanied selection of Champagne 

• Oysters in cucumber jelly with Aquitaine Caviar - Champagne Jacquart Blanc de Blancs 2006

• Butterflied roasted langoustines, with a citrus and coriander infused olive oil - Champagne Jacquart Rosé Mosaïque

• Braised sea bass with shellfish sauce and French garden vegetables - Champagne Jacquart Cuvée Alpha 2005

• Finely sliced Comté with rocket - Cuvée Champagne Jacquart Nominée 2002

• Apple pear and lemon éclair - Cuvée Champagne Jacquart Demi-Sec