IvanC

Hmmmm.. might just be.. but then again, like a bolognaise, everyone has his own special recipe! Some people use pork and beef mince, some people only beef, some people swear by adding chicken livers, and some people add (tinned) corned beef. Personally, I've tried brain fritters and they're very nice! ← Checked with my good lady and she confirms that I was not under the influence and it was indeed calves brains with pasta. Could be wrong about the name though ←

I'm not surprised - I love it, personally. I drove something like 250 miles for it when I was in Washington DC for an extended period of time, I found out about a pub that had all sorts of beverages from round the world, including Kinnie! Yes they did have it, even though it was horribly inflated in price. Well worth it though! Apparently Malta is one of the only countries in the world where Coca-Cola isn't the biggest selling soft drink - the Maltese prefer their locally-made Kinnie! ←

I'm Maltese - what you're talking about is called Timpana, which is a pasta pie (Atkins diet, my foot!) To be honest I'm not aware of Calves Brains being used as an ingredient, the normal stuff is basically pasta mixed with bolognaise, eggs, parmesan and encased in pastry. It's man food alright - it settles in your stomach like a stone, AND it is at its best ordered from scruffy workmen's pubs!

Thanks, Curlywurly (I love that chocolate/toffee connoction, by the way ) I used to bring pastizzi up to England when I used to visit friends. Used to pack them in newpapers and towels and they used to remain frozen when I got to London. Best to put them in the suitcase as the hold is generally unheated so they stay cold - travellers tip Well, putting parmesan in IS a heresy yes, but I believe that if you like it, who cares! I happen to like these pastizzi that are made at a bakery in Rabat near Mdina, he makes what are known as pastizzi ta' l-incova (anchovy pastizzi) which are flavoured with (you guessed it!) anchovies. Lovely, believe me. In Gozo (the sister island), in some places you can pastizzi made with Fresh Gozo Cheeselets which are small, soft goats cheeselets with a firm ricotta texture.. amazingly good. We don't have the meat pastizzi in Malta but pastizzeriji sell meat pies, with lovely anonymous meat (who knows what animal it is) and the odd bits and bobs. Divine. Had 3 pastizzi yesterday - a Sunday treat!

My wife's family live in NJ and I believe they mentioned that there's a Maltese bakery at Astoria that sells pastizzi and other stuff - figolli (easter cakes), qaghaq ta' l-ghasel (honey rings) and even Kinnie and other stuff - I'm not quite sure what JMJ is though! The Malta Bake Shop in Toronto, I believe, sells by mail order. As it is, trust me, Maltese goodies aren't all that difficult to make.

I'm Maltese - pastizzi are something almost divine - very calorific (400 cals each I believe) but so good, especially with a good cup of capuccino or a Kinnie, eaten in a piazza in the sun of a warm spring day! They're actually quite easy to make - it's the actual formation of the pastizzi shape that's tough. They use puff pastry based upon margerine or even lard, and not butter, (we call it ghagina tal-pastizzi here - Pastizzi Pastry). The mix involves ricotta cheese, some salt, pepper and eggs. You can add some nutmeg and parsley to zing them up. There are also the pea cakes - this is mushy peas, sometimes some mince meat or even anchovies for Good Friday (but this is optional), curry powder, salt and pepper. A dollop of the mix is placed inside the pastry which is quite thinly rolled (but not too thinly) and it's formed into diamond shaped pastizzi about the size of a pack of cards. They cost 8c each in Malta - that's about 25c US.