...last nite, David came home with a slice of a chocolate cake from IKARI Coffee - it was BLAH!!! - but what caugt my eyes was this saying printed on the BOX the cake was packed in...
KRISPY SKREMES are here - just in time for HALLOWEEN '09!!!
Yep, everyone's tasty, sweet treat donut shop, Krispy Kreme, is wowing everyone once again with their Halloween Offerings: Aliens, Skulls, Spiderwebs, Pumpkin Heads, and lots more.... These are definitive treats for those trickster with really discriminating and ultra sweet taste buds...
...so the MOON FESTIVAL is upon us once again... and this means a few of my FAVE THINGS are back in season....
DRAGON EYES
POMELO 
ASSORTED MOONCAKES
...and a new FAVE, Haagen Dazs Moon Ice Cream Cakes
I know it as ATIS (Atemoya) growing up in the Philippines... it was one of the fruits, that I remember loving and craving all the rime - along with LANZONES & MANGO. I remember it being plentiful and very cheap when in season... and my MOM made sure to get them for me all the time....
Then I moved to the US where CHERIMOYA/ATEMOYA are not easily found... and when you do, they are rather costly... so it was always a TREAT to be able to ahve one now and again... Here, in Taiwan, I see them from time to time... also costly -- not as costly as the US but still on the expensive side...
So, if there is one thing really good about traveling back and forth to Manila lately, it is the chance to be able to eat all my fave fruits, to my heart's content!!!
According to cherimoya.com:
Cherimoya ( Annona cheirimola P. Mill. ) is an absolutely wonderful fruit which is becoming better known in the United States . It is now produced in limited amounts in Southern California . It is thought to be native to southern Ecuador and northern Peru , and is related to some fruits in the same genus which grow in more tropical areas. Cherimoya was probably taken to other parts of the world hundreds of years ago, so it is especially well known in Asia as well as throughout South and Central America . It is produced rustically in many parts of the world, but it is produced in commercial plantings only in semi-tropical areas of Spain , Chile , Peru , California , New Zealand , Australia , and Israel .
Some closely related species are produced in more tropical areas. Atemoya is an interspecies hybrid of cherimoya and sugar apple ( Annona squamosa ). The fruit has some qualities of cherimoya, and grows in hotter, more humid areas where cherimoya cannot be grown, in Florida , Hawaii , Australia , and Israel . Guanabana ( Annona muricata ) is grown throughout tropical South and Central America . It is larger than cherimoya, but has more fibrous flesh, and a very tart flavor. It is better suited to processing, especially into drinks, than to eating fresh. Paw paw ( Asimina triloba L.) is the only Annonaceae species native to North America, in valleys in the middle and eastern U.S.
- g
...from Krispy Kreme...
I guess, a visit to Manila is not complete without stopping by Krispy Kreme for a donut or two... or a box full!!! Since it is not here in Taiwan, I do enjoy the stopover there during my trips... it helps that they have one of their biggest branches in the Greenhills Shopping Center are - one of my FAVE haunts when in Manila... and it is also nice that they seem to be coming up with new things to entice and treat their donut-a-holic followers, such as me...
With Valentine's Day looming, they are pushing their "Share The Love" campaign... Chocolate covers, heart shaped donuts... with a variety of filling and topping... each and everyone of them - delicious!!! This time around they are also offering a cute little tin with a really cute retro print... fell in love with it's sweetness right of the bat...
Yummy Chocolate Covered Heart-Shaped Treats!!!
Yummy homemade Brazo de Mercedes -- must have eaten it all in two days!!! 
was just wondering tonite why I gained weight and a bit of a tummy this Holiday Season -- though I ate not more than I usually do -- I even did a lot of running around for the wedding this past weekend and did not ge to eat much of the feasts....
I believe I finally figured it out... it is all the sweet treats... home made cakes by David & Ace... cakes from Red Ribbon, Goldilocks & Max's... kakanins from just about everywhere.... and now, SEE's Chocolates all the way from America that my friend sent to me after seeing my XMAS wish list -- boy, how I have missed See's candies (Thanks Keeennnnniiiieeeee!!!! For Making Another Wish Come True!!!)...
For Juliana's second nite (Nov. 23rd) in Manila, I wanted her to experience what I have come to love at Barrio Fiesta... not just the GREAT PINOY food, but the whole presentation.... the Filipiniana Decor, the local costumes, and the fun of seeing the waiters and waitresses get into the act and sing songs while serving or in between servings... a REAL TREAT! ALAS, this was not so on this particular nite...
We opted to go to the Barrio Fiesta in Makati Ave... mainly so I can take Juliana around the newly opened A.Venue as well... which is next block to Barrio Fiesta... We met up with my family around 6:30 and were seated for dinner by 7PM.... Right away I noticed there was no entertainment whatsoever -- so I asked??? Was told that, there's some diners that requested they do not sing till after they are done eating and have left...LOLs?? why bother to go to this place then? Half of the FUN is the whole entertainment Experience....
Well, I spoke too soon... as when the entertainment finally came - it left me sooooo disappointed... two musicians who played for about 15 mins before they were joined by one waiter singing... He was good, I will give him that but where are the others? Why is the entertainment soooo SKIMPY??? I was sooopo frustrated and felt BAD as I ahd already mentioned to Juliana how nice & entertaining this place was... Maybe I should have taken her to the one in PASAY or even the one in MEGAMALL, which we have frequented before and always left us satisfied - both our tummies and our eyes & ears.....
In fairness though, the food was still good -- tasty and very authentic... we ordered Kare Kare, Crispy Pata, Adobo, Pinakbet, Bicol Express... a wide variety and considered staple Pinoy dishes... So at least, on that part -- my hunger for the Barrio Fiesta Experience was SATISFIED!!
Beard Papa's (麦の穂, Muginoho?) slogan is "Fresh'n natural cream puffs" -- and boy do they LIVE UP to this!!!! This Japanese company that is about a decade short, founded in 1999, has over 250 stores in Japan and 300 worldwide.
When I was first introduced to them last year, I instantly fell in love with their trademark product: Cream Puffs with Custard filling. This choux pastry shell is usually filled with whipped cream custard, available in vanilla, chocolate, and specialty flavors such as green tea, strawberry, pumpkin, Earl Grey Tea, Èclair, and coffee -- just right up my alley.(The one located at the Newest SOGO Department Store in Taipei!)
(Freshly Baked Everyday in Every Location!)
(Delicious Custurd Filled Cream Puffs)
Their cafes island wide are usually small and located in shopping malls -- but this serves them just fine as most people stop by to get boxes and boxes full to take home and share with the family, myself included.Beard Papa Taiwan
Beard Papa Worldwide
So True, So True what they say about POTATO CHIPS...
I could never get enough of them when I was in school in the US.... then somehow I outgrew them... This was good for my health, not to mention my allowance.... but Man, Oh Man!!! These trips to Manila have changed all that -- go to any supermarkets, corner shops, 7-11 and you will be SHOCKED at the variety of chips offered -- Baked, Fried, etc.... and one will go nuts at the different choices, not just REGULAR, BBQ, or CHEESE flavoured types anymore... now there is Bacon Chips, Spicy BBQ, Steak BBQ, and my personal FAVE Sour Cream" to name a few...
(Samplings of the LOCAL BRANDS of Chips - Piattos --top row- are my FAVE of all the ones available in Manila!!!)
With all these choices, who can ever stop with just one bag???? The craving for these chips have been rekindled... I now find myself stocking up on them each trip, with the excuse that David & I will be sharing them with the other roomies... NOT!!! Instead they are devoured at the movies... at home watching TV or doing work... SELFISH??? Yes, but can you BLAME us??? (^_*)
Pichi-pichi is a Filipino dessert made of coconut and cassava or kamoteng kahoy (Yam), another delicious cake or “puto” enjoyed by many Filipino, especially in parties. This Filipino delicacy was introduced in Quezon province, Philippines.
Thanks to our visit to Sandy's house this past month - we were introduced to the delicious version of made by Arny Dading's (see above photo), already a FAVE dessert of mine - it just became even more so with this version... it is lighter... cheesier... and just the right amount of sweetness.... am pretty sure I ate half of what was there... LOLs!!!
Totally recommended and I cannot wait to get back for more....
One of the things that I could never, ever, give up from my diet has got to be one of the most fattening things there is for me, as well... heck, it is fattening for anyone... but what's a few more km to run, laps to swim, calories to burn when you can enjoy the flavours of cheese... any kind of cheese.....
In my opinion, they are some of the most SAVORY things ever invented to spice up most dishes... from cookies to sandwiches... to cakes to pasta dishes.... I cannot even tell you how many macaroni and cheese lunches I had throughout High School... Okay, even well into my college years.... and then I discovering GRILLED CHEESE sandwiches during one of my late nite, after clubbing food stops with friends... WOW, I was like a PREGNANT WOMAN craving it anytime of the day... and nite!!
Through my travels I have had the pleasure of trying all kinds of cheeses... from exotic ones to unpronounceable named ones -- but the ones I still crave from time to time, and still stock up as much as I can, when I can are the different types of Cheeses made locally by Magnolia, from The Philippines... they are nice and creamy, easy to slice, and made from natural cheeses - so that has to be a good source of Calcium eh... and BEST of all, it brings the familial aspects to me having spent my younger days in The Philippines - where I first discovered, and fell in love with, Cheeses...
Bawan is Taiwanese for Rou Wan and is also known, amongst foreigners like me, as Taiwanese Meat Ball.
This Taiwanese delicacy is such a popular street food, and is actually one of David's most favorite street style dishes. They are basically dumplings stuffed with meat, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, with the glutinous outer part is of sweet potato flour or steamed rice dough (for me, the BEST PART of the dish!). There are also regional variations to this dish but for the most part it is consistent to the ingredients above. 
The sauce, am told, is made of 3 different kinds of things... no one - to date - has been able to tell me what they are, but it is definitely good.
This one above we drove around looking for in Yulin, for about 20 minutes, we specifically stopped by this area to taste this - which is the town's special dish -- and it was worth looking for, indeed!
One of the BEST THIRST QUENCHER ever, in my opinion: ORANGINA!!!!
First discovered it back in my High School Days in San Francisco -- and have loved it ever since!!! One look at the glass bottle and I was captured. It was almost a daily treat for me throughout HS.... it was the best way to satisfy my thirst.... love the actual pulp in the drink, and the not-too-sweet taste of it... it was simply heaven... a bit of a get away from my school sched.... After HS, my LOVE for ORANGINA never waned... though my budget did.... so I would grab a bottle now and again... not an everyday occurrence anymore - SADLY! And when I moved to Taiwan, it altogether disappeared and became just a memory... or occasional trip to the US and/or EUROPE... that is until last month when ORANGINA was introduced in TAIWAN!!!! So my LOVE for it was rekindled and at basically US$! a bottle... alas, though it retained the sexy shape - the bottle here i plastic not glass... actually in TAIWAN, it is available in 2 sizes of plastic bottles - original shape and a taller skinnier version, see photo below... plus a canned one...
The Drink is not just tasty - it is actually fun -- the BOLD COLORS of the drink and label.... the FUN ads - both PRINT and COMMERCIALS... the of course, the routine of having to shake it to revive the great Pulpy Taste!!!! So next time you are in the supermarket - be sure to keep an eye out for this stylish bottled drink... you will LOVE it - for sure!!!!
-and this SEXY, SMOKING HOT French advert... MUST SEE!!!
So this last trip I got to reacquaint myself once again with the HOT PANDESAL -- Filipinos most FAVE breakfast bread - that is just as good at any time of the day!!! It really is a Spanish bread called Pan De Sal (literal translation: Salt Bread).
Growing up, breakfast is never complete without the HOT Pandesal on the table... they can be eaten with slices of cheese, CHEEZ WHIZ (a type of cheese spread), or go even more Native and serve them with Vienna Sausages and some fried fish ( as seen in the photo). As for me, it is just as good by itself and with a strong cup of coffee in the morning or dipped in Hot Chocolate in the afternoon. It's soft, powdery texture is attained by its' core ingredients: flour, eggs, lard, yeast, sugar, and salt.
Pandesal has been around since for many. many years... and from the taste of things - it will be around for much more....
Each year, I so look forward to the Mid Autumn Festival as I know it will be raining moon cakes once again.... everywhere and in my house especially.... one of the PERKS of having two roomies working as journalists for leading newspapers in the country... each holiday comes a deluge of gifts, and at this time of the year, it is boxes and boxes full of moon cakes...
Moon cakes have always been fave of mine... Hopia in the Philippines... and in the US - Chinatowns everywhere serves them all year long.... so they become a regular thing for me... but having moved here, I have come to love them once again... and make sure that I wait for this time of the year to really get my fill... and feasts for the tummies they are!!!! Worth mentioning that the packaging they come in are also f\feasts for the eyes... colorful... intricate and beautiful... you almost want to savour them as much as you do the contents.....
WIKI Definition: Mooncakes (simplified Chinese: 月饼; pinyin: yuè bĭng) are Chinese pastry traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Typical moon cakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm thick. A 
thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin (2-3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. Mooncakes are rich, heavy, and dense compared with most Western cakes and pastries. They are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea.
Possibly my HANDS DOWN FAVE this year is the one from STARBUCKS - not only is the packaging beautiful, the flavors the moon cakes comes in are truly delicious and different... imaging coffee flavored moon cakes -- YUMMY!!!
Grass Jelly Drinks have always been a fave of mine - it is more than a refreshing drink... it is a dessert.. in the Philippines the version is called GULAMAN... and this was something I crave and looked for growing up in San Francisco... normally we have to hit a Filipino Bakery or Restaurant in the South San Francisco areas to satisfy the craving... that is, till I discovered that in Chinatown - one can get the Grass Jelly drinks... they are not as sweet as the Filipino Gulaman... which makes them a bit better... and healthy too.... here in Taiwan, there is an abundance of stalls that sells them - and for this am quite HAPPY!
Grass Jelly is made by boiling the aged and slightly fermented stalks and leaves of Mesona chinensis (member of the mint family) with potassium carbonate for several hours with a little starch and then cooling the liquid to a jelly-like consistency. This jelly can be cut into cubes or other forms, and then mixed with syrup to produce a drink or dessert thought to have cooling (yin) properties, which makes it typically consumed during hot weather. The jelly itself has a slight bitter taste, a light iodine lavender flavor, and is a translucent black. It can also be mixed with soy milk to produce a milky white liquid with black strands in it.
In China & Taiwan, grass jelly was traditionally served with sugar syrup. Now it is often served mixed with other ingredients, such as mango, sago, watermelon, cantaloupe, and other fresh or canned fruit, and evaporated milk.
My roomies, Lyn, David & Shaun enjoys their glass jelly drinks after the movies....
