Mabe, thats because he is French and I am English
French and English go way back and not in a good way. Luckily for us, it works.
He was brought up drinking his morning hot chocolate from a bowl and dipping in his baguette spread with butter and jam.
I was brought up with a cup of tea and toast - no dipping for me!!
Ok, back to the tart.
I find myself craving good old English food. Yorkshire pudding, mash, gravy and all the vegetables to go with it. Even though its 32°C, I know its not exactly your cool salads and light meals but sometimes, I just give in to the cravings.
So today I fancied a custard tart.
A tart known as milk tart is also made in South Africa and is a delicious anytime treat . Milk tart is topped with cinnamon and custartd tart is topped with nutneg.
Milk tart seems to have a thicker, creamier filling , I think this comes from adding cornflour to the egg mixture and cooking it until it thickens. While the custard has a 'dare I say' lighter feel to it and a wobbly look to it.
Like I say Alex is always kind of reluctant to try any English food.
This is from his earlier years. He was about 14 years old and he done the usual trip to London where you stay with a family for a week.So many French kids used to do it. I don't know if we'd be so keen now to ship our kids off to a family we know nothing about!!
At the time they said it was to learn English. I can only laugh at this as its not in one week that you learn to speak English. More like introduce them to the English language, English people and some of our weird and wonderful ways.
And lets just say that when I met my hubby, his english was good but not that good.
So off he went to stay with a family and it was one culture shock after another.
Firstly, only tea or coffee for breakfast and out of a proper cup with a handle. Followed by cereal OR toast.
She would send him off with a packed lunch. One half of a peanut butter sandwich and one half of cheese, ham or cucumber sandwich. Don't ask me why only half of each?? Those were always binned. Here, he was introduced to peanut butter - you either love it or loathe it. I really don't like the stuff and him neither , so another shocker for him.
Beans on toast - same again, you either love or loathe!! and him.....no suprise, loath and me too!!
Then came the dreaded steak and kidney pie. He still has the shivers when he talks about how she cut it open and the odour from it sent him gasping for air.Apparently everything she cooked was store bought and frozen so I guess the quality wasn't so great.
Him and his friends became regulars at the neibourhood restaurant.
So his first encounter with british cuisine wasn't that at all. So when we're at his house and they all laugh about british food, I do stick up for 'real' English cooking, because we do have some cracking good food and produce!!
He said that when I first cooked for him he was worried and then suprised that I made normal food - cheecky bugger!! It was roast chicken - easy peesy - roast potatoes and a salad!! Bingo!!
I was less impressed when he cooked for me. Mind you he cooked once in from work so made do with the groceries he had on hand.
Pasta - good. Vegetable macadonia - but veg from a tin - no, no, no! And fois gras but....from a tin.
I wasn't a big 'paté' fan.
All seved with a sauternes sweet wine. And fresh fruit for dessert.
When I think about it now, its wasn't too shabby, except for the macadonia thingy!
I have a Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management that I got from my dad and love it. Recipes of patés, potted meats,how to cure meats and the real traditional, country style cooking.
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