Escaping The Summer Heat????

Summertime is upon us once again.... sun shining brightly.... the heat... the humidity - all these adds up to one biiig headache for me..... the heat makes it harder to move, go out, or do anything for the fear of SWEATING..... there is nothing ICKIER than to just finish showering, getting dressed for an appointment, and feeling like you need another shower just from getting ready..... and wait till you step out - within minutes - you will indeed wish to go back in and shower again!!!

But summertime is not all bad... as it also brings out a few of my FAVE things -- delicacies.... Fruit Juices.... Ice Creams.... and most especially Halo Halo (English translation MIX MIX) , a Filipino sweet concoctions of different sweet things (preserved or cooked) mixed in together with crushed ice and milk for a cool, refreshing dessert....

But living in Taiwan I have to scour high and low a bit, most Asian countries I have been to has their own version of Halo Halo.... some comes close to that I crave from the Philippines... and some are not worth having again.... LOLs... here in Taiwan, I have come to love their version of Halo Halo, Ba Bao Bing (8 Treasure Ice)... which is pretty much available all year long but one thinks of it mostly during the summer months... it is pretty similar to the Halo Halo in the Philippines but less sweet... and no milk added - just (not so) sweet syrup.. well for 5NT$ more you can have the milk but it really is not neccessary.... it is quite cheap & filling.... and oh-so-tasty....

3 SIMPLE STEPS FOR TAIWAN's HALO HALO<

Step 1: Choose from the various ingredients - one is given 8 choices to each order.

Step 2: The Laoban (the Seller) adds the crushed ice and syrup.

Step 3: You mix it all up yourself and VOILA - all ready to ENJOY!!!

Happiness is.....

...a DAY at the Supermarket!!! Marketchow goes shopping!!!

The only person I know who is soooo HAPPY to spend a lot of time at the SUPERMARKET!!!

CHOCOLATE: HEAVEN SENT!

Chocolates.... truly a category on it's own... for some it is already a meal unto itself.... I love it... you love it... we all love it!!!!

Growing Up I am what you may already call a chocoholic - chocolate lover to the very bone....... from the very first time I tasted it I was won over.... no matter what kind it is: milk, bitter sweet or semi sweet; white chocolate or dark chocolate; with nuts... with fruits... or both like the CADBURY ones; they are all good to me.... and once I start on one - there is not stopping me till I devour them all.... so deliciously addicting....

I like chocolates in cookies, like the ones, my very first employer in America, Mrs Fields, makes.... I love them in Cakes (mousse, Bavarian Cake or just good old brownies) and Pastries (Chocolate croissants is a favorite!).... and even for dipping fresh fruits ala Chocolate Fondue.... but really nothing beats just eating a regular bar of chocolate.... satisfyingly good....

if I were to choose a favorite, I would have to say, I love deep dark chocolates most of all. I love the feeling I get as I pick up a piece of dark chocolate and unwrap it, slowly putting it in my mouth... the smell... the texture, as it melts in my mouth and gently trickles down my throat... such sensations it sends to my brain, and from it to the rest of my body......

Kakanin: Filipino Sweet Treats

Some of the things I look forward to when going back to Manila (am sure my family will understand that some things precedes them - hehehehe) are the sweet desserts I remember growing up with.... the KAKANINs (sweets desserts).... I always say - I can forgo the actually meals... just give me cassava cake, bibingka, halo halo, etc.... I can have them every single day am visiting... and will be just fine... well, maybe not the tummy region, as they are all fattening, but I always figure -- I will just BURN all the excess calories later on..... as soon as I get back to my regular life and routine....

Living in Taipei it is a bit harder to find these.... but now and again, when I am able to attend church services at St Christopher's in Chang Chun Rd - I get to treat myself with whatever is available from the local , really small, Filipino community nearby... mostly Ginataan, turon (fried banana) - LOVE IT!, or puto & kutsinta.....

My BEST new FIND or HANG OUT is the mini-bibingka stall at the Shangrila Mall - Edsa.... these sweet piny cakes have always been a favorite of mine... no longer had to wait for XMAS to have them - which is what we did growing up in San Francisco.... but when in Manila, and for only 45pesos - just a tad over US$1, I can have it everyday -- and I DO!!!

am sure all these names are foreign to most of you -- but next time you happen upon a Filipino community, restaurant or grocery store - do check them out... try any of it... you just might find a new favorite dessert.... and believe me - they are all GREAT at all hours of the day!!!