Maltese food and verve:

Thursday, 26 July from 6:30pm – 9:30pm: Cooking and Culture in Valletta - Mediterranean Culinary Academy, Valletta; Thursday, 26 July: Maltese Nights on Thursday evenings – Valletta Waterfront

Sometimes it feels as if the food we enjoyed when we were kids is fast dying out as people’s lifestyles change and no one has enough time to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen. This week, the Mediterranean Culinary Academy is tackling this very problem by offering a session dedicated to Maltese cuisine. You will get to learn about traditional methods, ingredients and how to prepare fish-based dishes. After you’ve cooked up a storm, you might want to get a taste of something else: the Valletta Waterfront is organising Maltese nights every Thursday – an event which is right on theme for this week!

Or some mid-week drinks and music:

Tuesday, 24 July from 8:30pm: Vintage Brew at The Gut – The Gut, Valletta; Thursday, 26 July from 8pm: Fleur de Gin live at The Gut – The Gut, Valletta; Monday, 23 July from 5pm: Malta's 1st Night Market! – Funky Monkey, Gzira

It doesn’t have to be the weekend for a couple of drinks and some live music, whether its blues and jazz or rock. And, with the Malta Jazz Festival sadly over, you might need to find a replacement to keep your week buzzing. The Gut – the revamped area at the bottom of Strait Street – aims to entertain and give you something to look forward to, through their mid-week live music sessions. Tuesday is dedicated to the blues band Vintage Brew while Thursday is being handed over to folk and jazz ensemble Fleur de Gin. But, before all that, Funky Monkey are hosting a night market, serving crafts up with their drinks and live music! Cash at the ready…

Thursday, 26 July – Saturday, 4 August from 8pm: The Farsons Beer Festival – Ta’ Qali

It’s been 38 years since the first Farsons Beer Festival burst onto the scene with music, entertainment and, of course, lots of beer. Cisk it up this Thursday by heading down to Ta’ Qali and experiencing live music from the festival’s three stages: the main stage which will feature Relikc, and Caravana Sun; the rock stage, featuring Decline the Fall, 12th Ode and Forsaken; as well as the Blues and Brews Stage, hosting Narrow Lane Trio, Kersten & Petra. Don’t worry about it being a school night, however – it’s just one day till the weekend.

Maybe a bit of history?:

Ongoing: Etruscan Urns in the National Collection - National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta; ongoing: Valletta and the Dominicans: a common journey - Dominicans Priory, Valletta

The Etruscan civilisation, based on the west coast of Italy, flourished from around 800BC and was greatly influenced by the art and culture of Ancient Greece. Indeed, archaeological relics, such as these four urns on display at the National Museum of Archaeology, are testament to the culture’s rich traditions and influences. Further down the road, but sticking to Valletta, you can also discover a bit more about the Mediterranean past through a collection focusing on the relationship between the religious order of the Dominicans and the capital, with some little-known stories and new perspectives told through the artefacts.

Or simply want to settle down with a good film:

Thursday, 26 July from 7:30pm: In the Fade – Spazju Kreattiv; Wednesday, 25 July from 6pm – 8pm: Happy Hour – Cinebar by Citylights, Valletta; Thursday, 26 July from 8:30pm – 11pm: Cinemoon: At Home – St John’s Street, Valletta

There’s nothing like the magic of the movie screen to lift a standard week up a notch or three. This week, film lovers will rejoice with the screening of German-Turkish director Fatih Akin’s In the Fade at Spazju Kreattiv as well as a festival which includes outdoor projections in St John’s Street: Cinemoon. And you can always catch a drink at the Cinebar by Citylights on Wednesday to catch a glimpse of some movie memorabilia and round off your week with some surprises.