There are certain times in life when everything seems to be coasting along nicely in a certain direction and life is predictably sweet. The heavens are aligned and everything seems to be falling into place. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, the universe throws you a curve ball and you're left scrambling as you try to make sense of your current reality.

Gobsmacked, punch drunk, dazed and confused are but some of the words that spring to mind.

Well that's been life, as we've known it for the last four months or so. You see we were set on a certain path and that journey looked something like a permanent relocation to San Francisco. Needless to say, Stephen was excited about expanding his career into North America and I was looking forward to farmers markets, the Napa Valley and getting to know and hanging out with Denise, Lenny, Sean and Alison.

 I won't bore you with the tedious, bureaucratic details, because there are many and it's complex. But suffice to say that when one door closes another one usually opens and behind that door is immense creativity, infinite possibility and incredible satisfaction if you so choose.

This year is going to be huge for the Johnson, so before we launch into it we decided to pack ourselves off to New Zealand for a couple of weeks to bask in the sun and play in the surf, whilst diligently upholding the art of Aperitivo. Hence, I have absolutely no intention of blogging, writing or being online whilst on Waiheke Island, but rather I plan on working on my tan and getting through a book or two.

However, I have packed my camera, so when I do resurface I promise to share some of what I have seen and eaten with you!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! May the year ahead be filled with abundant joy, hope and new adventure.

If you happen to be as fortunate as Sarah or Cenk and have easy access to gorgeous, local pomegranates - then more power to you! The only 'fresh' pomegranates we have access to at the moment are flown in from America and they are downright woeful. I have never been able to bring myself to buy them as they look like they've been sitting in cold storage for the better part of six months.

We do have quite a few miniature pomegranate trees growing in our Italian neighbours gardens, but unfortunately these trees are under constant surveillance. Hence, these fruit bearing trees are fiercely protected by omnipresent Calabrian grandmothers and I wouldn't dare dream of helping myself to their fruit, even if it is growing in abundance on over hanging branches, lest I be wrapped over the knuckles with a wooden walking stick and forever branded as a thief around these parts.

So when it came to making my own pomegranate sorbet I chose the safer option and used POM juice instead, as this alternative was far less threatening. The end result was an incredibly tangy and refreshing sorbet that would make a perfect end to any meal.



Sorbetto di Melagrana - Pomegranate Sorbet

Ingredients

1.4 litres of POM juice

Juice of one lemon + one lime

300g of raw caster sugar

Method

1. Stir the sugar and two cups of pomegranate juice over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Take off heat and combine with the remaining pomegranate juice. Add the lemon and lime juice and stir to combine. Taste and see if the mixture is tart enough as you may want to add more citrus juice if you prefer a sharper tasting sorbet.

2. When it is cool, place the mixture in a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Put the mixture in your ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturers instructions.

There are certain flavour combinations that compliment each other so well that when one is presented without the other, it just doesn't seem right or complete. For instance, I find that I can't have tomato without basil or lamb without rosemary, dark chocolate without burnt caramel, lemon without the tart, quince without the blue cheese, gin without tonic and white chocolate without raspberries.

There are also certain times during a woman's cycle that can only be endured and made right with chocolate.  Thus, over the decades I've tried all manner of suggestions,  supplements and homeopathic treatments to help curb this craving, but at the wise old age of forty-something I've decided to throw caution to the wind and just roll with my hormones and enjoy the chocolate too.

One of the ways I explain away or justify this 'phase' of my cycle to those around me (including the little people), thereby making my food choices appear more responsible, is to pair the chocolate craving with a fruit. Hence, this white chocolate and raspberry clafoutis is a perfect example of me trying to convince everyone, that what I'm eating is in fact both healthy and nutritious because of the inclusion of fresh fruit, organic eggs and almond meal.




White Chocolate and Raspberry Clafoutis




Ingredients



1 cup fresh/frozen raspberries



80g unsalted butter



120g self-raising flour



100g almond meal



3 organic eggs



200ml thick cream



100g good quality white chocolate, chopped into chunks



120g caster sugar

Neatly tucked behind the market in Victoria is the centrally located little green grocer called It-Tokk. The name is derived from the Maltese word tokk, which means central or meeting place, thus the store was originally named It-Tokk after the Pjazza t-Tokk.

For both locals and frequent visitors alike, It-Tokk is synonymous with Independence Square, which up until recently was called Pjazza t-Tokk. This popular store, that I love to frequent when in Gozo, has been situated in Independence Square for more than fifty years.

Current owner, Jimmy Gauci, has been running It-Tokk for over twenty years and he is passionate about using local ingredients and keeping traditional recipes alive. Apart from fresh, local fruit and vegetables, It-Tokk also specializes and stocks a great variety of local wines and liqueurs and traditional, homemade products that are indigenous to the island.

Hence, all of the products that are sold at the store are made by Gozitan families in their homes, using traditional, time-honoured methods. Jimmy's shelves are constantly stocked with local olive oil, capers, kunserva, stuffed olives, fażola bit-tewm, ġbejniet and Xwenji sea salt. You will also find carob syrup, sundried figs, nougat, local honey and bambinella, pomegranate and prickly pear jam.

My greatest frustration about visiting It-Tokk is firstly, trying to figure out how I'm going to fit these goodies into my suitcase and transport them safely back home and secondly, how on earth am I to get them past Australian customs!


A Mediterranean Feast of the
Mythic Islands of Malta & Sicily

June 7th-17th, 2011
Ten day fully escorted gastronomic tour

 
Download 'A Mediterranean Feast' 2011 Tour Brochure ( 111kb pdf)

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