Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/702141
44 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 JULY 2016 Newly-refurbished Madliena Lodge launches delicious seasonal menu MADLIENA is arguably the setting of one of Malta's most idyllic res- taurants – Madliena Lodge. Set in the countryside with unobstructed views of the sea and easy private parking, it combines the beautiful blues and greens of the Mediter- ranean with a dynamic new menu that has been crafted to make the most of the freshest flavours and best seasonal produce. Madliena Lodge was taken over in 2015. The new team chose to completely transform this historic lodge by introducing a contempo- rary new style and working with a highly professional team to present an elevated-yet-informal dining experience to their guests. "Refurbishing Madliena Lodge was our first priority, so as to make it a space that our clients can really enjoy," explains Duncan Barbaro Sant, one of the directors. "The restaurant is now split into various areas, including the courtyard and terrace dining spaces, which serve top-quality dishes in a relaxed at- mosphere. "We also introduced a lounge bar, which is a more laid back space where friends can gather for a cocktail or glass of wine, accom- panied by delicious bar food and platters. Both areas are casual; our focus is on ensuring our clients en- joy themselves, so they leave here feeling as fantastic as possible." The team has worked hard on the new summer menu, which ex- cellently reflects their dedication to innovative cuisine and high- quality ingredients. Highlights in- clude their Parmesan Panna Cotta, Avocado King Prawn Salad with Gazpacho, and Drunken Mussels Casseruola to start with, followed by the Scorzone Truffle Risotto, Grilled Red Maltese Tuna or Tag- liata of Rib-Eye. Dessert is also a delight, with favourites including their trademark Ferrero Roche Mousse and Aperol Spritz Sorbet. "I have to admit that it can be hard to narrow it down when choosing a dish to try!" Mr Bar- baro Sant continues with a smile. "So we've thought of that too. For clients keen to sample a bit of eve- rything, we've created a seasonal Degustation Menu that allows our kitchen brigade to showcase their signature dishes and techniques. Guests can taste an array of small dishes, served one after the other, which will really highlight the best of our menu and what's in season." Meanwhile, the Lounge menu also has something for everyone. Dishes here include the Panko- Fried Camembert Bites, Madliena's Slow Cooked Single Ribs and the Gourmet Homemade Burger, ac- companied by a vast range of beers, wines, spirits and cocktails. "The Lounge is the perfect place for a more relaxed meal, whether while watching the latest football game or listening to live music every Fri- day. It's also ideal for pre- and post- dinner drinks, and private events. "Everything about Madliena Lodge today has been crafted for pleasure, and we really do hope our guests experience that. We hope our guests wonder whether they are actually at home or at the Lodge! Our goal is to make them feel completely at ease during their time with us," Mr Barbaro Sant adds with a smile. Reduce food waste and understand 'use by' dates WE consume food every day. However our lifestyle rarely per- mits us to purchase the food we consume on a daily basis. Euro- pean and national legislation on the food information to be pro- vided to consumers is destined to recognize such, as well as to pro- tect consumers themselves. Peo- ple tend to confuse the difference between 'use by' and 'best before' date markings, often using them interchangeably and thinking that they mean the same thing. It pays to understand the key differ- ences between these two dates in order to reduce unnecessary food waste, which in turn saves money on your grocery bill. The European Commission defines the "Best before" mark- ing as indicating the date until when the food retains its ex- pected quality and the "Use By" marking as the date until when the food can be eaten safely. As a rule, food with a "best before" label is still safe to consume after the indicated date, as long as the storage instructions have been followed carefully and no damage has been done to the packaging. "Best before" markings are about retention of quality timelines, af- ter which that product may lose its texture and f lavour. It is also important to follow any associat- ed instructions such as "eat with- in three days of opening", once a food with a "best before" date on it has been opened. Any food item which carries a "Use by" date is likely to be highly perishable and may go off after such date. Typical products carrying "use by" markings in- clude fresh fish, fresh meat, dairy products and pre packed salads. For the "use by" date to be valid, it is essential to follow storage instructions such as "keep in a refrigerator". If you fail to do so, the food will spoil more quickly and the risk of food poisoning will increase. One way of extending the life of food beyond its "use by" date is to freeze it at home soon after purchase. This will extend the lifetime of the food but it will not make it last forever. A handy way of remembering what you froze first is to write the date on a packet in marker before freezing it. Always follow any instructions on the pack, such as "freeze up to the use by date", "cook from fro- zen" or "defrost thoroughly be- fore use and use within 24 hours". Approximately half of our waste is food-related waste. Whilst some food-related waste such as fruit and vegetable peels and egg- shells are unavoidable, a signifi- cant quantity may relate to food which has gone past its 'use by' or 'best before' dates. In the case of the latter, a portion of that waste could have been avoided simply by understanding the implica- tions of these two food mark- ings. Always keep an eye out for these dates to ensure that food is prepared within the indicated dates. Raid your fridge and food cupboards before going shop- ping to cook a meal with those items closing up on their 'use by' or 'best before' dates! And, when shopping, make sure that you can prepare the food you are purchasing within the indicated markings. In that way you save waste from being generated and you will save money too. For more tips on how to reduce food waste visit http://www. dontwastewaste.gov.mt/ Farsons looking eastwards FARSONS Brewery this year exhib- ited its premium range of award winning beers at SIAL China, Asia's largest food and beverage ex- hibition, held in Shanghai. Featur- ing almost 3,000 exhibitors from 67 countries and regions, the an- nual exhibition attracts over 70,000 visitors over a three-day period and is an important showcase for major food and beverage players from around the globe. Michael Farrugia, Chief Busi- ness Development Officer said that "this year we wanted to take the opportunity to launch and showcase our new range of premi- um beers and packages, following our significant investment in a new beer packaging facility." Farsons has had a presence in China since 2010 and while this was not the first time that the brewery had participated in the exhibition, Farsons substantially scaled up its presence this year to launch its revamped international portfolio. "China is today the world's larg- est beer market, which has seen remarkable growth over this past decade, within both the domestic and imported beer segment. This presents us with an opportunity to tap into a niche of the beer import market as consumer demand for quality imported beers continues to rise," re-affirmed Stephen Sul- tana, Head of International Busi- ness. Following its participation at SIAL China, which was sup- ported by Trade Malta and Malta Enterprise, Farsons has further strengthened its sales network in China, particularly in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. A mar- ket test is underway with one of China's established national beer importers and if successful, the plan is to roll out the company's flagship brand Cisk to a number of national retail chains during the next 12 months. Matz Maersk makes first Malta call MATZ Maersk, one of the world's largest vessels forming part of the Triple E class, made its maiden voy- age port call at Malta's Freeport Ter- minal on 5th July, 2016. The Dutch flag containership is the ninth vessel of the Triple E series built for A.P. Moller, Maersk Group in 2014, and was essentially the larg- est ship in the world, with a capac- ity of 18,270 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), but was subsequently surpassed by even larger ones built in 2015. The name "Triple E" is derived from the class's three design prin- ciples: "Economy of scale, Energy efficient, and Environmentally im- proved". These ships are not only the world's longest ships in service, but also the most efficient container ships per TEU of cargo. Triple-E ves- sels, which broke the world record in container ship capacity without re- quiring more engine power, are de- signed and optimised for lower speeds. These ves- sels reduce CO2 emis- sions by 35% per con- tainer moved, compared to industry average on the Asia-Europe trade. Matz Maersk is arriv- ing from Far East via the Suez Canal, prior to crossing the Atlantic. After reaching the port of Marsaxlokk it shall continue its journey Felixstowe, UK. Matz Maersk has extraordinary dimensions including a length of 399 metres, a width of 59 metres, a draught of 16.50 metres, a dead- weight tonnage of 196,000 tons, and a maximum 18,270 TEU capacity. The average vessel capacity han- dled at Malta Freeport Terminal is 15000. Though, with the delivery of new cranes in late 2015, Malta Free- port Terminal has been able to ef- fectively handle 18,000 TEU vessels and over. With these cranes Malta is the only hub in the Mediterranean capable of handling 18,000 TEU vessels and larger. Maersk Line is the world's largest container shipping company, oper- ating 605 container vessels. It is the core container liner shipping activi- ty of the A.P. Moller, Maersk Group, which is renowned internationally not solely for being the most secure and reliable container shipping company, but also the most envi- ronmentally friendly. Maersk Line is exclusively represented in Malta by Thomas Smith Group since 2009. Dining under the stars at Madliena Lodge