Hi Guys

Well it's been a very busy Friday. I could not sleep very well due to a tropical storm which lasted most of the night, not hectic, but with unusual thunder and lightening and showers of rain, so I decided to get up at about 4 am and ice the "cupcakes" that had been ordered from me. I made my butter icing in my faithful magimix, iced the cakes, decorated them and put them into the fridge,by which time the perspiration was already running down my back! Living and cooking in Mauritius is very unusual, as where in the world do you find a cook in her bikini and sarong, and plastic thongs (not a gstring, shoes) cooking up a storm? Certainly not in the top hotels or restaurants in the world but in my own private kitchen in Tamarina Mauritius! I don't think the likes of Lesley Faull who started the cooking school I attended for 3 years would have been too impressed, but on second thoughts she did have a wonderful sense of humour so maybe she would have approved of me cooking in this fashion.

I then made my 14 year old daughter Sammy's school lunch, which I might add is quite a mission, this will be another story, made my early morning cup of tea, and sat on our patio watching the birds and contemplating what else I had to do in the kitchen today.

I decided to take a trip to the Medine Farmers Market which is about ten minutes away from our home, and shopped up a storm! Red and yellow peppers, beautiful leeks, spring onions, white onions, parsely, thyme, carrots, garlic,and looked around to see what else was available from the different vendors. Loads of wonderful produce, a couple of very interessting Mauritian vegetables which I will go into another time, and then came home to prepare my "Lamb Shanks" for our dinner party tomorow night, and to bake our family favourite "Torte Tart", of which I will give the recipe to you today.

This dessert has been in our family for about 40 years, and my Mom who can actually cook really well got it from somebody and passed it onto all of us. I have 2 sisters Glyn and Angie who both cook really well, and all 3 of my daughters Nicky, Ash and Sammy are very capable cooks, having learnt from me, watching me from when they were little cooking passionatly all the time.

Torte Tart

6 egg whites
2 cups castor sugar

Beat the egg whites till stiff in your mixer with the balloon whisk like you are making a meringue and when they are stiff add the castor sugar in batches till mixed in.

Then fold in the following

28 broken up Cream Crackers (chunky)
2 cups chopped (not too finely) walnuts or pecan nuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Once folded in together place the mixture in an ovenproof dessert dish, and bake for 1 hour on 160 degrees. Leave to cool in the oven. Decorate with whipped cream, about an hour or two before serving, and sprinkle on chopped chocolate, cherries, anything you fancy! Keep it i the fridge until it is to be served.

Delicious

I have prepared the "Lamb Shanks" from the latest "Cook with Jamie" and I am cooking them tomorrow afternoon slowly for our dinner, and I will let you know how they tasted.

Have a good weekend

Yours in Cooking
Sue xx