Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/483475
VIII maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 MARCH 2015 Food Brut Premier Non Vintage – Louis Roederer Champagne, France The classic non vintage Brut Premier is blended from six different vintages from over 40 individual plots in a cuvee composed of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier. The champagne is made in a style that is refreshing yet with a satisfying depth of flavour. It is matured for three years in the cellar and rested for six months after disgorgement to perfect maturity. The house has been conducting trials with organic and biodynamic viticulture across 40 ha and currently has the largest landholding of such vineyards in the region. Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Decanter Magazine - 'Gold Medal and Trophy for Best NV Champagne' Emanuel's Bakery Anyone who has ever lived abroad can ap- preciate just how wonderful Maltese bread is, particularly 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 under- stand how comforting Maltese bread really is. The only thing that can make bread even bet- ter is melted cheese. And at Emanuel's Bakery they mix the two, using fresh bread dough to make pizzas. Fresh, warm and oozing with gooey cheese and lots of toppings, they are the perfect comfort 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. Matthew Mangion tells me about life at the bakery. The bakery was set up by Emmanuel Man- gion over 60 years ago. In that time very little has changed, though his son, Edwin, and later his grandchildren, Matthew, Mark, Joseph and David, took over the running of the bakery. The secret, Matthew says, is sticking to tradi- tion. The wood oven is the most important part of any bakery and the one at Emanuel's is made from a rare stone from Gozo that radi- ates 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 – water, flour, yeast, salt and of course a portion of sour dough made from yesterday'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 ftajjar. Like the ones from Gozo, these hunks of bread contain all sorts of toppings and have garnered a following from as far away as Mellieha. Pulled pork, barbecue chicken or the Italian style Parma ham and rucola are just some of the toppings 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 before dinner! Emanuel's Bakery is open from 3:30pm until 10pm for bread and from 6pm until closing for pizzas. Rachel Agius 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 Resto of the week Emanuel's Bakery Triq il-Mithna Qormi Tel: 21482239 Find them on Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/pages/Emanuels- Bakery/308149465977946 The warm comfort of bread and melted cheese