I have never seen Dr Schirmo, until recently Direttore of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, in anything but a good mood, wearing a broad smile. It is obvious that he enjoyed the role he was playing and played it very well. Thanks to him we have enjoyed many evenings of beautiful music, talks on a variety of subjects, art and even food. But like every other diplomat after four years, it was time for him to leave and he is now carrying on with new duties in Rome.

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To bid him goodbye the Accademia Italiana della Cucina with whom Dr Schirmo had collaborated so closely, organized a farewell dinner at a fairly new restaurant, La Superba, just off Merchants Street.

The restaurant itself has that squeaky clean look which fills you with confidence that the kitchen too, must be pristine.  It is minimalist but refined with its white, starched tablelinen. It is obvious that great care has been taken with every detail when it was set up in October of last year.

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We dined in the undercroft, if one can call it that, where a long table could be set up comfortably. Upstairs it would have meant sitting at individual tables which is not in the spirit of the Accademia. The whole point is to meet and eat like a community of friends - a cena conviviale.

 After a couple of glasses of Prosecco at the bar, we went downstairs and were served a small glass of crema, this time made with marrows, potatoes and onions, presented with the chef's compliments. It was delicious and filled us with anticipation.

*****

The antipasti were generous and far from the bigella, salami and sundried tomatoes variety, or the mozzarella and tomato boring lot. And soon there will be Parma ham and melon served in most restaurants. (Ufff!). Instead we were served salmon, marinated and specially prepared;  tartar of tuna prepared with avocado and a salad of octopus with potatoes and olives - a meal in themselves.

Next came ravioli stuffed  with seabream drizzilled with a delicate sauce of tomatoes and asparagus. The small portion of green tagliatelle were served with Cacio, the Roman cheese.

The main dish was fillet of tuna with a crust of pistachios and mustard seeds, very different to the tuna I grill at home which I have to admit has now become somewhat boring.

As if that were not enough of a feast, suddenly platefuls of crispy and crunchy fritto misto appeared. This for me was the highlight of the meal as every morsel was perfectly deep fried. We all thought that we had had our fill but once we tasted these delicious morsels there was no stopping us.

For dessert there was tiramisu served with a special kind of wafer, a light as a feather concoction.

I will not go into the wines. Five different wines were served, all Italian. I skipped two of them as it was un po troppo, even if someone was driving me home.

Marino Egisto Paolucci had composed a poem dedicated to Dr Schirmo and read it out in his usual expressive way.

That evening Luciano del Frate was elected Academician with the usual ceremony and clapping of hands.

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At the end of the meal we all agreed that this was definitely one of the best meals we have had since the setting up of the Accademia. The chef had made imaginative use of quality ingredients. So congratulations to the kitchen brigade, chef Alex Lombardi and his assistant Laura Defelice. We must not forget the manager Thomas Giolo under whose baton it all happened and of course, those who waited on us with efficiency and courtesy. Italians have an innate charm which is unfortunately missing in most of us. It makes all the difference to any experience.

La Superba deserves to do well, even in the overcrowded restaurant business of Valletta. Fans of sophisticated Italian cooking could certainly do a lot worse than try this restaurant. Armani as opposed to Versace Jeans I thought.

 

Treasures of Malta Easter 2017 issue

Treasures is constantly improving so I look forward to my copy, the most interesting item I receive in my letter box. Most of the others are newsletters from supermarkets and bills.

This issue contains several articles which interest me. (When there are stories about maps or archaeological remains I have to say, I don't get so excited.)

I enjoyed reading an article written by Prof. Conrad Thake: William Scamp: An appraisal of his architectural drawings and writings on St Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Valletta.

In this article Prof. Thake discusses the history and stresses the importance of this British colonial architectural gem. This is a timely article as St Paul's, so much part of the Valletta skyline, is in desperate need of restoration.

Scamp also built the Naval Bakery in Birgu and Number 1 dock in Cospicua.

 This is a long article and extensively illustrated. Prof. Thake also writes that William Scamp and his partner Harriet Wynder had a daughter in Malta who was christened as Adelaide Frances Melita in the first baptismal ceremony to be held in the new Anglican cathedral.

Another article which interested me greatly is written by Dr Christina Meli: The Church of the Virgin of Porto Salvo in Senglea: the architectural and sculptural patronage of the Oratorians. This is one of the many churches and chapels I have never visited and I have resolved to go and see it after reading this article.

I recently discovered, quite by chance, the Sanctuary of Il Madonna tal-Herba in Birkirkara. What an extraordinary church with an extraordinary history. We are so lucky to have so many riches, many of them hidden, in Malta.

I have to say that I was not the only one who enjoyed the visit as one of my grandsons  who came along loved nipping in and out of the confessionals and sitting on the priest's seat.

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Back to the church of Porto Salvo. Just looking at the illustrations in this article made me want to visit it. Dr Meli writes that 'The rather ordinary façade of the church does not reveal the strong eastern drive of the choir apse decoration, which contains a bursting Gloria, surrounded by angels, putti and cherub heads.

 The oratory of this beautiful church was bombed during World War II but reconstructed shortly afterwards.

Anna Borg Cardona in The Magic of Rattles highlights the various functions and the longevity of these instruments. This is a truly fascinating article delving into the history of rattles through the ages.

In his article Governor Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant: Malta's most talented governor-artist? Prof. Christopher Grech reveals a perhaps lesser-known aspect of this lieutenant-general's legacy. This is the first of two articles on the subject. The second will appear in a future issue of Treasures.

 The author tells us: "Ironically, it seems as though Le Marchant's skills with pen and brush developed out of adversity: just before his regiment was sent out to Gibraltar in 1784 the already impoverished soldier lost 250 pounds sterling (a considerable sum in those days) at cards to a senior officer.  Deprived of enjoying a full social life as a result of his lack of funds, Le Marchant occupied his spare moments in a more economical pursuit: he painted watercolours of the Spanish landscape as well as the distant coast of Morocco." This is another extensive and interesting article which is well illustrated.

In the series My Favourite Object, Prof. Richard England writes, in his usual erudite way, about not one but three objects. I will give you just a few lines of one of the objects: a Sir Basil Spence painting 'of my much loved islet of Filfla which I had long admired in his house in Fawwara and which he had, after his demise, left to me in his will.'

There are other, very interesting articles in this issue. There simply isn't the space to write about all of them. I hope I shall find the time to read them all.

mbenoit&independent.com.mt