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36 FOOD RESTO OF THE WEEK jar takes a look Rachel Zammit Cuta brings a recipe, wine d at a restaurant an e week. and delicacy of th ur comments on Write to us with yo it your own recipes m restaurants or sub mediatoday.com.mt to rzammitcutajar@ Tal-Familja Restaurant The concept of Tal-Familja Restaurant in Marsascala is just that – family. There is no better way to enjoy the company of your family than sitting around a table enjoying great food. And no one has this down quite as well as Tal-Familja restaurant. Owners of Tal-Familja restaurant in Marsascala and Palazzo Preca in Valletta, the entire family is involved in the business, fuelled by a passion for good food in a homey atmosphere. Charles Preca spent a lifetime in the catering industry as head chef at Le Roy Hotel and Papagall restaurant until he set up his own restaurant in Marsascala. Father to five daughters, he soon had help in the kitchen with Roberta and Ramona helping out in the kitchen and front of house pretty much as soon as they could see over the table. Ramona says that she always knew that her life was gearing towards a career in catering, however Roberta tried some other options first, and graduated from business school. When it came down to the practical side, she found life in the business world dull and was keen to get back into the kitchen. "Creating things was always a major part of what attracted me to the kitchen, food is like art, but better. An artist who works on canvas appeals to only one sense – sight. With food you are appealing to all five senses, you start with your eyes, there is nothing like a beautiful plate of food, followed by the aromas, the taste, the texture and even the sound of different foods broken down in your mouth. "What made me fall in love with this industry even more is seeing how much my own creations were appreciated by our customers." Their older sister Daniela runs the front of house at Tal-Familja while the two younger sisters are showing a keen interest in the family business. Carla, 17, has replaced Roberta in the kitchen while she had her first baby and the youngest, Yana, 14, has a passion for food and has recently won an inter-schools competition for St Joseph's school. The hours in catering are always challenging, and building family relationships is often difficult, but despite working together they still make time to spend together without It's all about family the stress of food service. "Both restaurants are closed on a Monday so we all go out to eat every Monday without fail. Our parents, the five sisters, all our respective boyfriends and husbands, two pushchairs and the dog! Making time to talk to each other about other things is important." When you settle down at your table you will instantly feel like one of the family as the Precas as well as their staff make you feel right at home. They share with you their passion for the freshest seafood around – including fresh oysters – or if you can't take the slimy rawness sliding down your throat, try the battered oysters for a delicious treat. Also on the menu are fresh scallops, vongole, prawns, octopus, calamari crudi or calamari fritti, white bait, mussels, carpaccios or every discription and whole fish depending on the fishermen's catch. Though they specialise in fish, they also serve fantastic meat dishes with specialities that change weekly. Head down to Tal-Familja Restaurant and indulge in some fresh fish and the company of your loved ones. Tal-Familja is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 23:30 Tal-Familja Restaurant Triq il-Gardiel, Marsascala Tel: 21 632161 Web: www.talfamiljarestaurant.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ talfamiljarestaurant Pinot Noir 'Marlborough' – Framingham, New Zealand Framingham's Pinot Noir is one of Marlborough's finest. It is a lovely structured Pinot that invites you in and makes you feel at home, just like Kiwi hospitality. Cherries, soft smoky spices and a sappy, savoury edge make the 'just one glass' rule impossible. Considered as a "feminine" style, with supple tannins and savoury complexity. Strong varietal characters of dark cherry and summer fruit compote with some smoky oak and a long, juicy finish New Zealand Pinot is starting to make the world sit up and take notice and it's not just the wines of Central Otago that are making a splash. This Pinot from Marlborough has us excited with all its varietal charms on offer. It's framed by red fruits, like cherry and cranberry with intriguing savoury characters of smoked meats and spice. It's got a silky mouthfeel with a touch of oak and sleek fruit intensity. It's complexed by notes of mushroom and minerals while balanced acids deliver a punchy finish. CRITICAL COMMENT; "Reasonably light Pinot Noir with red fruits and a hint of fresh herbs. Moderately austere wine with some interesting spice and savoury notes (a percentage of whole bunches were used in fermentation)." Bob Campbell MW - 2013 ACCOLADES: 4 STARS - Bob Campbell MW - NZ CELLAR : 3 years FOOD MATCH: Enjoy with lamb, duck, or even salmon dishes. Imported exclusively by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, B'Kara. T: 2144-4400 Charles Grech & Co. Ltd., Valley Road, B'Kara Tel: 2144 4400