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Day: 6 October 2022

AS Monaco’s European campaign back on-track

by: luke@monacolife.net
06/10/2022

AS Monaco came out comfortable victors against Turkish champions Trabzonspor (3-1) at the Stade Louis II on Thursday to get their Europa League campaign back on-track. 

The match, as a spectacle was quickly concluded for the second consecutive match at the Louis II. An early double ended Nantes’ hopes of taking any points from the Principality. This time it was a rush of blood to the head that cost Monaco’s opponents on the night.

Just 11 minutes into the match, Maxi Gómez, whilst falling to the ground, extended his boot into the face of Mohamed Camara and was rightly shown red, much to the surprise of the Uruguayan, who claimed his innocence but to no avail.

Only minutes later, Wissam Ben Yedder punished a Trabzonspor, who had to play the game with a numerical disadvantage for over 80 minutes. Philippe Clement’s side could have easily been out of sight by the half-hour mark, but the away side kept in the game due to some profligate Monégasque finishing.

Breel Embolo (24′) struck the bar from just six yards out when he had the entire goal to aim at, Krépin Diatta’s close range effort (25′) was well smothered by the keeper and a second close-range Embolo effort was also gathered by the grateful Ugurcan Çakir.

Monaco did get their second just before half-time when Vanderson was clumsily felled in the box. When Ben Yedder stepped up, there was little doubt about the outcome. The Frenchman sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to double the lead and give Clement’s men some breathing room.

Monaco continued to push early in the second half and were rewarded with a third when Axel Disasi was on the end of a Benoît Badiashile flick-on from a corner.

From thereon, Monaco took their foot off the gas. The team lost momentum as a number of key players, including Ben Yedder and Embolo, were brought off with Sunday’s game against Montpellier almost certainly looming in the back of Clement’s mind.

As the game drifted, Trabzonspor gave themselves a glimmer of hope as an unmarked Anastasios Bakasetas curled past Alexander Nübel from outside the box. However, having been given a minor scare, Monaco held firm to prevent Trabzonspor from further reducing the deficit.

Monaco ran out deserved 3-1 winners, and for consecutive fixtures, the result was ensured from the very early stages. The three points lift the club to second in their Europa League group ahead of their return trip to Northern Turkey next Thursday, where a hostile atmosphere likely awaits them.

Clement’s comments

“We started the match with a good tempo, with a lot of energy and the desire to score early as we did against Nantes. Of course, it’s an advantage to play against 10 men, but it is difficult to manage games like that. There are lots of teams that lose points in those situations. My players were serious and mature to manage that situation well,” he said.

On the return leg in Turkey and the remaining Europa League group stage matches, he said, “There isn’t a big difference between the four teams. That has been proven in these first three gameweeks. Every team has dropped points. Our challenge is to qualify from this group. There are three finals remaining and every match is very, very important.”

Man of the match – Wissam Ben Yedder

Another decisive performance for the French international. Since he was overlooked by Didier Deschamps, he has shown the France manager what he is missing. He now has six goals in his last three games. Just as they were against Nantes at the weekend, his chances were taken in clinical fashion. The first was finished smartly at the front post, and the second converted emphatically from the spot. His turnaround in form has been dramatic and is bearing fruit for the entire team.

 

Photo by Monaco Life

EU proposes massive boost to firefighting efforts amid climate change

by: Stephanie Horsman
06/10/2022

The European Commission has earmarked €170 million to reinforce its rescEU ground and aerial forces after a record-breaking fire season which saw devastation throughout the continent.  

RescEU, the agency set up and financed by the European Union (EU) to better protect citizens from disasters and manage emerging risks, had their hands full this past summer. With forest fires raging in several parts of the continent, the agency was called upon to assist in some of the worst hit places and were counted on to fill in the gaps when local firefighters and emergency management crews simply weren’t enough.

The unprecedented destruction has now prompted the European Commission (EC) to offer more funds to rescEU, in anticipation of more summers like this to come.

“Due to climate change the number of regions affected by wildfires is increasing, going beyond the traditionally affected Mediterranean countries,” said Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič. “The last summers have clearly shown that more firefighting assets are needed at an EU level. By building up our fleet of aerial means and ground forces, the EU will be able to ensure a prompt, flexible response, including in situations where fires are burning in multiple Member States at the same time.”

The “build-up” would mean rescEU will have access to 22 planes, four helicopters, and more pre-positioned ground teams. From 2025, more airplanes and helicopters will be added to the fleet, further shoring up their ability to come to the aid of those in need.

Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration, said “While the record-breaking forest fires this summer may have been overshadowed by other crises, today’s proposal to reinforce rescEU shows that the EU budget will continue to support those in need. European solidarity across EU Member States remains strong and we are ready to support this solidarity with financial means.”

Wildfires in Europe have been increasing in size and intensity. Data has revealed a 30% increase in burn areas over the previous worst year recorded, 2017, and more than 170% increase over the average burn area since the EU started recording figures in 2006.

 

 

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

Beausoleil unveils first photos of new cultural centre project

by: Stephanie Horsman
06/10/2022

Images of Beausoleil’s future Charlot Village, touted as “a cultural place promoting social ties, encounters and exchanges”, have been revealed to the public.

Beausoleil is planning an ambitious new community centre that offers more than just the usual fare. Called Charlot Village, the site – designed by Architect Marc Barani, will be home to several civic spaces, including a library, an exhibition trail, a toy room, a space designated for artistic expressions and endeavours, a restaurant and a philosophy café. Additionally, it will eventually house a digital museum that will be called Micro Folie, where visitors can see works from around the globe in their own backyard.

“This is an operation of the Ministry of Culture with La Villette,” said Beausoleil Mayor Gérard Spinelli, according to a report in Monaco Matin. “The place will make it possible to discover the masterpieces of all the museums of the world and the works of art of local actors.”

First glimpses reveal an impressive site with large bay windows offering sea views, green spaces, and an airy, open feel. There will be separate “villas” that house certain aspects of the centre’s activities. Whilst aesthetically it is beautiful, the primary purpose of Charlot Village is to promote social ties amongst the citizenry and create a place where people meet and discuss ideas, carry out their work and have freedom to come and go.

Village Charlot, image by architect Marc Barani

Villa Chêne is being designated as a centre to bring together all the social services of the city, as well as a training space, a mediation area and a digital laboratory. Villa Émilie will be an artist’s space with five separate accomodations, a co-working area, and four workshop areas that will be devoted to art and culture.

“We want to create links between artists and people who sometimes encounter difficulties in life,” says the municipality.

The project is set to take 25 months to complete and is estimated to cost €15 million. It is a joint effort by the French Ministry of Culture and the city of Beausoleil, and to a lesser extent, by the South Region, the Department of the Alpes-Maritimes, the Agglo Community of the French Riviera, the Family Allowance Fund and the Heritage Foundation.

 

Image above source: Architect Marc Barani

 

 

 

 

Superyachts: the kitchen brigade

by: Claire Griffiths
06/10/2022
When superyacht chefs got the chance to share the tricks of the trade and ‘on message’ menus at a series of master classes during the MYS, it showed that – believe it or not – the basics are back

The Monaco Yacht Show is a veritable smorgasbord for networking and new ideas, and the MYS Captains and Crew Lounge is a popular locale for industry professionals. It is here where, over the course of four days, Maison Del Gusto and Amandine Interntational Chef Placement hosted a series of masterclasses by hand-picked chefs. 

And it appears as though pricey flavours have lost a bit of favour.

Ok, so it wasn’t ‘Bye bye’ to abalone, jamón ibérico de bellota, edible gold, or white Alba truffles exactly… but it was definitely ‘Hello’ to the seriously simple.

These folk waxed away about beetroot, celeriac, pumpkins and potatoes and chose food that could speak for itself; meddling is not à la mode.

Something fishy

Rarely do superyachts end up angling for food on the aft deck, but regularly do owners and guests want a ‘little fishy on their little dishy’. And there lies the catch…

Which is why head chef onboard 80 metre yacht MY Chopi Chopi, Manoel Crisanto, had an audience of fellow chefs eating out of his hand when he recently explained how to dry age fish. This Brazilian from Rio cut his teeth in the Michelin starred restaurant Le Pré Catalan (Rio) and has over 10 years’ experience serving up sensations on board the superyachts.

Says Crisanto, “Dry ageing fish is a very old technique, but now it’s getting its place in the market again. It’s not just about the clever way you can change the characteristics of the fish, making it tenderer, creamier and keeping the fresh taste, it’s also about minimising food wastage.”

Keeping fish fresh long enough for popular dishes such as sushi or ceviche is impossible on yacht charters or crossings (or anywhere else for that matter). Frozen fish for raw dishes doesn’t cut the mustard, which is why Crisanto started experimenting with dry ageing.

“I started to develop this technique to try to preserve the fish for longer, with salt and water solution and ice. Salt in the Med is about 4% so that is what we aim to use in this process.”

Dry aged fish by Chef Manoel Crisanto

Crisanto combines salt and water with the ice to create a physical reaction that brings the temperature below zero. He explains, “Then you de-scale the fish, gut it, and put the fish in the solution for approximately one hour for a 4-5 kilo fish. Pat it dry and you hang it in the fridge. The optimum temperature needs to be at -2.” Those without a fish fridge can place the fish on a rack lined with kitchen towel that must be changed everyday. The same process can be done in a normal fridge on a rack with kitchen towel underneath, which must be changed daily.

He reveals, “What makes the fish smell is humidity. Dry aged fish is creamier, cleaner, tender and fresher than anything other than the ‘just caught’ version and can be kept from 10 to over 50 days, depending on fish size and species. This year I ordered my fish through Maison del Gusto from a source in Normandy. I made sure he knew I know about fish! You can’t rely on the Mediterranean catch anymore.”

Crisanto leaves the fish in the fridge for a minimum of four days. “But first thing I do everyday in the galley, even before I turn on the lights, is I sniff it because you never know, fish can be contaminated.”

He uses the process to age dry any fish but it works particularly well with  amberjack, yellow tail, king salmon, tuna, sea bass and sea bream. 

Peruvian Ceviche, Mexican tiradito and fish tartare, as well as sushi are menu favourites of the minute. Crisanto served up three raw fish dishes to his fellow chefs: wild salmon with olive oil and lime, decorated with edible flowers; sea bream with dried tomatoes and Iranian pine nuts; and himachi with sesame oil, freeze dried yuzu and soya flakes. The dishes were accompanied by wines from Sacha Lichine’s vineyards at the Château D’Esclans near Fréjus.

Antonio and Fabrizio Mellino, photo by Kate Emery, Founder of Amandine international Chef Placement

Pasta perfect

Class act Antonio and his son Fabrizio Mellino own and run the two Michelin starred restaurant Quattro Passi (four steps) at Nerano on the Sorrento coast. Papa Mellino was born in Buenos Aires but raised in Nerano. He opened Quattro Passi in 1984, had his first Michelin star in 2000, and the second in 2011.

Fabrizio has worked as head chef in the kitchens for the last five years. He studied at the Institute of Paul Bocuse at Lyon, France, and went on to sharpen his skills and his knives at Monaco’s Louis XV at the Hôtel de Paris. Then he moved to Spain’s three-Michelin starred Quique Dacosta, before a spell in Japan at Tokyo restaurants Tsuiama and Sushi-Go.

He says, “Each restaurant and chef gave me a different experience and I don’t have a favourite. Now I prefer not to copy anyone but find my own way and conjure up the memories and tastes from my grandmother’s dishes.”

His favourites of hers include insalata di pomodori, parmegiana di melanzane, and polpette al sugo. “There are no secret ingredients in the cooking, it’s the choice and quality of the produce that makes the difference.”

Which is why he and his father selected the simplicity of local dish pennino alla Nerano to impress this ‘kettle’ of exacting cooks.  Washed down with wines from Comte de Monte Carlo, the dish combined pasta with zucchini and zucchini flowers, basil and black pepper.

“I think my favourite dish is gnocchi alla Sorrentina with mozzarella cheese on top, and my favourite to cook is spaghetti with fresh tomatoes. But you have to have the best ingredients.” Mellino spends his winters haunting the olive mills to source the best oil of that year’s season. And he won’t go to work without his Sicilian salt: “It flavours the dish without the harsh aftertaste you get with other salts.”

 

Pennino alla Nerano by Fabrizio Mellino

Serves 1

80g pennino (penne pasta)

35 g french butter 

1 courgette sliced

2 basil leaves 

2 courgette flowers 

15 g parmesan cheese 

Black pepper 

 

Method:

Fry the courgettes and put aside for a day

Boil and cook the pasta

Revive courgettes with two tablespoons of pasta water

Discard water

Melt butter, add courgettes, pasta, cheese, flowers and season with black pepper.

 

Buon appetito!

 

 

 Photo above of Chef Manoel Crisanto by Monaco Life

 

 

 

 

New funding initiative to channel donations to Pelagos Sanctuary

by: Cassandra Tanti
06/10/2022

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has joined forces with UBS Optimus Foundation Europe and UBS Monaco to accelerate climate action and strengthen marine mammals’ protection in the Mediterranean.

On 30th September, in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, UBS Optimus Foundation Europe, UBS Monaco and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation signed a partnership agreement to increase climate mitigation and adaptation thanks to the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems in the Pelagos Sanctuary.

Projects supported through this alliance will be dedicated to promoting the reinforcement of marine protected areas and no take zones as well as the restoration of coastal ecosystems. Special attention will be given to the protection of marine mammals, conservation of biodiversity and resilience to climate change, but also to the engagement of coastal communities.

“Joining forces with UBS Optimus Foundation Europe and UBS Monaco, with whom we share the same vision of impactful philanthropy, is an honor for the Foundation,” said Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. “Accelerating collaborations and scaling-up solutions for a greater preservation of marine species and ecosystems is vital to tackle the issue of climate change. That is why this support is so meaningful for us in our mission to progress ocean and planetary health.”

The collaboration takes place in the framework of the Pelagos initiative launched in 2021 by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation alongside its partners WWF, IUCN and Medpan, with the aim to strengthen conservation projects within the Pelagos Sanctuary.

The Pelagos Sanctuary is a marine territory of 87,500 km2 in the waters of the Principality of Monaco, France and Italy. The Sanctuary is home to a remarkable biodiversity, with many species of marine mammals such as dolphins, cachalots, and fin whales.

To achieve the goal and create a dedicated funding window for climate-oriented projects, UBS Optimus Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation each commit to one million euros in support of projects conducted by civil society to protect marine mammals in the Pelagos Sanctuary and promote this iconic area of the Mediterranean – a conservation action that will also enter the portfolio of sustainable projects proposed by UBS Optimus Foundation Europe to their clients. UBS Monaco will top-up to match the donations that will be made by their clients or employees to UBS Optimus Foundation towards the Pelagos Initiative, with 10% or more.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Prince Albert II Foundation to raise awareness of and funds for the Pelagos Initiative which is advancing credible, scalable solutions to protecting marine areas,” said Alejandro Velez, UBS Country Head Monaco and Head FIM Europe. “Together, we can make a bigger environmental impact and, in support of this important goal, UBS have committed to add a minimum 10% match to all client and employee donations.”

On 29th September, an exclusive event was organised for the launch of the partnership, at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, addressing conservation issues in the Mediterranean Sea and better protection of marine mammals. The high-level panel event started with welcome remarks from Olivier Wenden and Alejandro Velez, followed by discussions with Suzanne Gallon, Scientific Manager at MedPan, Hannah Wood, Program Director Climate and Environment, USB Optimus Foundation, and Marco Lambertini, CEO of WWF.

 

 

 

Breast cancer front and centre during Pink October

by: Stephanie Horsman
06/10/2022

The month of October is decidedly pink, the colour of breast cancer awareness, as health authorities in Monaco offer streamlined, free screenings for women.

Breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in women, with an estimated one in eight being at risk of developing the disease.

The best chance for survival is early detection, with a 99% success rate at the five-year mark.

The Prince’s Government has once again enacted a breast cancer screening campaign aimed primarily at all women aged 50 to 80 who are covered by Monaco health care, utilising some of the most advanced equipment available.

To encourage more women to get a screening, the government, in conjunction with the Principality’s social security organisations, this month will cover all the costs of an examination, wavering the need for a medical prescription.

Meanwhile, the Princess Grace Hospital Centre is undertaking its awareness campaign this month with a team of professionals on hand to talk about prevention, diagnosis, care and support.

The next information session will take place in the Place d’Armes on Saturday 8th October from 9am to 12pm.

Word is also being spread by AS Monaco, whose game last Sunday against Nantes was dedicated to breast cancer awareness.

Pink October is being organised in conjunction with Pink Ribbon Monaco.