Greg and I are huge foodies. We love eating out, sampling cuisine from all over the world, and tantalizing our taste buds with good eats. That’s why we always highlight the food when we write about our travels. Furthermore, I LOVE to cook and to throw dinner parties. I consider it a therapeutic treat to spend hours in the kitchen putting together a four course meal that’s tasty, colourful, nutritious and texture-rich. When we lived in France I had a small catering business that I ran with two good friends. We made South East Asian food and laughed up a storm. Cooking is a creative outlet that gives me great joy. 

I don’t want to run another catering business. Crazy schedules and challenging logistics are to name but a few of the reasons. But I do want to share my passion for food and cooking with you. I’ll be 43 in July and if I don’t spread my wings and fly now, when is it going to happen?

This brings me to our big news. We’ll be changing the focus of YLF from fashion and style, to food and good eats. Given the recent redesign, this was a difficult decision — the new YLF was obviously created with fashion and style in mind. On the other hand, many aspects of the new design lend themselves to food, which is just as visual as fashion.

To kick things off I’m going to share my recipe for melktert, which is a South African “milk tart”. I have a sweet tooth and this is one of my favourite desserts of all time. Let’s get cooking!

I also should mention Rosie, my little Sous Chef. 

The Crust

Before you begin the prep, start pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here are the steps:

1. Cream together the butter and sugar. 
2. Add the egg, flour, baking powder and vanilla. Add a little water to bind the mixture if necessary. Kneading dough is the BEST manicure by the way. I like the way my hands look and feel after making this crust. 
3. Press the dough into a greased fluted 11 inch tart tin. Pierce the dough several times with a fork to prevent air bubbles from forming. 
4. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes until the crust begins to brown.
5. Set aside to cool.

The Filling

Here are the steps:

1. Mix together the flour, custard powder and cornstarch adding a little of the cream to create a smooth paste. 
2. Place the remaining milk in a saucepan with the sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and cornstarch paste. 
3. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Allow to boil for 3 minutes till very thick. 
4. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
5. Whisk the egg whites till they form soft peaks.
6. Fold the egg whites into the mixture.

The Tart

Time to bring the ensemble together. 

1. Spoon the mixture into the tart tin with the cooked crust. 
2. Sprinkle with cinnamon and top with powdered sugar. I am very generous with the sugar and cinnamon. 
3. Place tart in refrigerator to set and cool for at least 6 hours.

4. Serve cold, or reheat a slice in the microwave for a warm version. I highly recommend both warm and cold versions.

Serve for dessert after supper, at teatime, or even for breakfast. Actually, just have a slice of tart whenever you feel like it. I’d happily skip supper and have two helpings of tart with several cups of Earl Grey tea instead. Tea and tart is one way to celebrate the good things in life.

I’ll be changing my style a little to suit our new direction. For one thing, I’m back to sporting a super short pixie because it’s an easier style to maintain now that I’ll be spending a lot more time in the kitchen. And my minimal, modern and no-nonsense style has become even simpler. Lots of apron wearing over comfortable layers with scrunched sleeves. 

Let the feasting begin. Bon appétit!