Members of the European Parliament have spoken about how impressed they were by the barbecue skills demonstrated yesterday by Helena Dalli during her grilling to become European Commissioner for Equality.
New European Commissioners are chosen every five years at a barbecue in Brussels attended by a select committee of MEPs, a gathering known as The Grilling.
During The Grilling, commissioner designates must show off their competence in cooking burgers, hot dogs, and other barbecue staples.
“Dalli performed very well,” said Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, the chairwoman of the European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality.
“Her burgers had just the right amount of seasoning, and her lemon and cumin chicken thighs were charred to perfection. I had no hesitation in approving her nomination,” she added.
“While I wasn’t thoroughly convinced by the Maltese pink sausages she cooked, I loved her lamb kebabs. The accompanying yoghurt and mint sauce was divine”, enthused Slovenian MEP Milan Brglez, a member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee.
“I appreciated that she also made three different salads to cater to vegans and vegetarians. It was a perfect example of the commitment to equality that this role requires,” said German Green MEP Katrin Langensiepen.
Maltese MEP David Casa was less impressed by Dalli’s showing.
“Helena Dalli’s performance at The Grilling left much to be desired. Her smokey pulled pork was too smokey and too pulled. And the soy-glazed duck was decidedly un-European,” he tweeted after the event.
