bigilla

Bigilla.
Maltese broad bean dip.
Or, as I like to call it, "I'm dipping carbs into beans and I don't feel bad about it".

 Having friends over? Bigilla is the perfect appetizer. No friends? These tasty beans won't judge.

Seriously, bigilla is a healthy dip. And not healthy as in eat-a-bowl-of-hummus-and-have-smelly-chickpea-gas. For this, I am happy. I ate this a lot in Malta, either in restaurants or at relatives' houses as part of the dragon-sized hors d'oeuvres spread us Europeans love.

Bean terminology:
Broad beans: you can also call me fava beans. I sort of look like a lima bean.
Tic beans: I'm not sure excactly how I differ from a broad bean, I'm just smaller with a hard shell (but am a sensitive bean on the inside).
Butter bean: I'm a lima bean.

Bigilla uses broad beans or tic beans. If you can't find these fresh or dried, butter beans can be a substitute. They are even lighter on your belly, meaning you should probably eat double the amount. Soak and drain the beans if they are dried first. Then, cook them in boiling water and drain them. You can remove the thin shells that are sliding off the bean if you want, too. Next, mash them with parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne or tabasco. Feeling adventurous? Add a little marjoram and mint.

Serve with crackers, breadsticks, or spread on toast.

Dip away, friends. Because nobody knows you like carbs and beans do.

Cooking tunes: nosnow/noalps "Far Into the Night". This song by indie-maltese-rockers is worth watching if solely for the use of key-tar.

soppa tal-armla

Widow's soup.

Traditionally a cheap, filling meal for a lone widow.

There are various ways to make soppa tal-armla, because often it included left-overs, or whatever was available for cheap or free in the community. Most recipes use either courgettes (zucchini) or kohlrabi, basically cabbage's cooler-sounding cousin. My grocer didn't have kohlrabi and the zucs were nothing special, so I used cabbage.

A defining feature of soppa dal-armla is gbejniet - soft, awesome, sheep's milk cheeselets. Maltese cheese. Seriously, look at this. Gbejniet is usually added near the end, placed in the pot so they are just covered, and left to simmer to soften the cheese. Or you can place a gbejniet in each bowl. No gbejniet on hand? A poached egg has also been accepted.

My dad loves soup. And so do I. Being sick this week, and having it rain, meant soppa tal-armla took over my kitchen.

I literally have an entire freezer of this.

Traditional way:

 onion, garlic, parsley, potatoes, carrots, celery, cauliflower, fava beans, peas, kohlrabi, salt, pepper, tomato puree, gbejniet.

Weird way (if you're into that):

onion, garlic, parsley, potatoes, carrots celery, cauliflower, fava beans, peas, kohlrabi- or cabbage, or courgette,  salt, pepper, tomato puree, poached egg or a dollop of cashew ricotta on top (I am really obsessed with this invention).

Serve hot. Enjoy. 

Cooking tunes: Thingybob's "Girl In the Summer Dress"- Maltese artist Robert Carbonaro sings on a street corner in Valletta. It's lovely.

imqarrun il-forn

Literally "macaroni in the oven".
Also known as Maltese pasta bake.
Also known as my dad's fav.
Also known as "did I really just eat my weight in pasta and cheese".

Imqarrun il-forn is one of those dishes that every family has tailored to them, so it's hard to know what exactly is the "traditional" way. My mom surprised my dad one birthday with this dish, after hearing him talk relentlessly about it being one of his favourite things my Grandmother cooked. But my father is no chef, so discovering the Lena way was a tad difficult. Today, I filled my kitchen with imqarrun il-forn, and it was wonderful.

I couldn't find my rectangular pan. Oh well.

Traditional way:
garlic, onions, beef, pork, chicken livers, bacon, soup stock, tomato puree, salt, pepper (cooked like a sauce)
aldente cooked pasta (my dad said G. Lena used "flat, short, noodles", but I'm pretty sure it was penne)
cheese (G. Lena used ricotta and parmasean)
beaten eggs stirred into the above mixture, poured into a buttered cassrole dish and baked slowly in the oven, with more cheese on top.

Weird way (if you're into that):
garlic, onions, mushroom (shitake, brown crimini mix), soup stock, tomato puree, salt, pepper (cooked like a sauce)
aldente cooked rice-penne
cashew ricotta (actual thing, and actually delicious)
beaten eggs stirred into the above mixture, poured into a greased cassarole dish and baked slowly in the oven, with extra cahew ricotta and nutritional yeast on top.

Cooking Tunes: Stalko's "Grandiloquence" album- a Maltese indie trio I quite enjoy. They describe their band interests as, "interesting scarf & tie combinations, buffet breakfasts, mosquito repellant, good boot space or pocket sized instruments, cushioned seating, warm paper and matches". Enough said.