Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/278185
34 RESTO OF THE WEEK FOOD Emanuel's Bakery ANYONE who has ever lived abroad can appreciate just how wonderful Maltese bread is, par- ticularly when it is still warm. Of course, everyone should appreciate it but it's not until you have to live without it that you fully understand how comforting Maltese bread re- ally is. The only thing that can make bread even better is melted cheese. At Emanuel's Bakery they mix the two, using fresh bread dough to make pizzas. Fresh, warm and ooz- ing with gooey cheese and lots of toppings, they are the perfect com- fort food on a cold and windy day or the perfect cure for a hangover. Just outside Emanuel's Bakery in Qormi a crowd of people hurry back to their cars and turn their dashboards into makeshift tables while they sink their teeth into the soothing comfort of the Gozo- inspired pizzas, topped with sliced potato and sesame seeds. Qormi bread has a reputation for being the best on the island. And the Mangions at Emanuel's Bakery carry that beacon proudly. Mat- thew Mangion tells me about life at the bakery. Emmanuel Mangion set up the bakery over 60 years ago. Since then, very little has changed, though his son Edwin and, later, his grandchil- dren - Matthew, Mark, Joseph and David - took over the running of the bakery. The secret, Matthew says, is sticking to tradition. The wood oven is the most im- portant part of any bakery and the one at Emanuel's is made from a rare stone from Gozo, which radiates the right amount of heat for a crispy loaf, with a feathery-soft inside. Insofar as ingredients go, there is little that goes into Maltese bread – wa- ter, flour, yeast, salt and of course a portion of sour dough made from yester- day's batch. The traditional oven is still used as it was years ago when few people had their own ovens – for the Sunday roast. "People still bring their roast over to us in the morning before they go to Sunday Mass to slow cook in our ovens for three or four hours." Just imagine the smells of bread and a variety of roasting meats on a Sunday morning! Enough to make your mouth water! Although the hobza Maltija is at the heart of the bakery, it is not the only thing on the menu. Over the last year, Matthew has developed a following for his phenomenal pizza ftiras. Like the ones from Gozo, these hunks of bread contain all sorts of toppings and have garnered a following from as far away as Mel- lieha. Pulled pork, barbeque chick- en or the Italian-style Parma ham and rucola are just some of the top- pings available at Emanuel's. And of course, the real Gozo influence can be seen in the finely sliced potato that covers some of their pizzas. "Working in a bakery is tough. The hours are long and it can get really hot in here. But what keeps me coming back is the satisfaction of people who really appreciate our product. A loaf of bread isn't just a loaf of bread. People come for our bread from all over the island and that, in itself, is a great reward." This isn't a restaurant as you know it. The pizzas come out of the oven and go straight into a box so you have to take them home to eat them. I challenge you to make it to your destination without taking a bite or five out of dinner! Emanuel's Bakery is open from 3:30pm until 10pm for bread and from 6:00pm until closing for piz- zas. Rachel Zammit Cutajar takes a look at a restaurant and brings a recipe, wine and delicacy of the week. Write to us with your comments on restaurants or submit your own recipes to rzammitcutajar@mediatoday.com.mt Charles Grech & Co. Ltd., Valley Road, B'Kara Tel: 2144 4400 Boschendal 1685 Shiraz, Stellenbosch, South Africa 100% Shiraz with 91% from Stellenbosch and 9% from Paarl. These vineyards mainly grow on decomposed granite, and alluvial soils. The age of the vines vary from 4-27 years. It was a great vintage that delivered wines with excellent concentration and complexity for Boschendal and the Cape winelands at large. Fruit ripened later and our Shiraz grapes were harvested over six week period from end of February into middle April. The components all finished fermentation on the skins, taking between 10-20 days to ferment completely. Some of the young wines underwent Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels (around 25%) and the rest completed fermentation in stainless steel tanks before being transferred to oak. Of these oak barrels 85% were French Oak, with 15% being from America, and 22% being new oak. Exuberant yet still delicate red fruit on the nose with fresh raspberries, cherries and a touch of pomegranate. The palate delivers a combina- tion of white spices, ranging from star aniseed to white pepper and lovely dark roasted oak flavours. The aftertaste is vibrant and enduring. Enjoyable on release yet full of richly textured for great complexity and potential for up to 8 years. Exclusively Imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, B'Kara T: 2144-4400. The warm comfort of bread and melted cheese Emanuel's Bakery Triq il-Mithna, Qormi Tel: 21482239 Facebook: Emanuel's Bakery