OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - could rival those of MRS. FIELDS - REALLY!!!
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...
the following HEAT BUSTERS!!!
Counter Clockwise from the Top: Halo-Halo, Mango Bing, 4 Treasure Ice, & Scoopery Ice Cream
...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!!!)...
YOWZA!!! I never even knew there was such a thing as Open Faced Pancakes!!!
When David told me he was making pancakess for breakfast one morning; then I was served these flat croissants; I thought for sure he had messed up somewhere.... and that he was just making it up when he kept calling them Open Faced... so I had to google it later on, and Lo and Behold, they do EXISTS!!! 
and I can honestly say, I like this version sooooo much more... it was tasty and endless possibilities as to what to eat them with....
so keep the surprises coming, Marketchow!!!
Am missing them already..... got to TASTE a few of these SWEET SNOWMAN TREATs being offered by Krispy Kreme for the Holidays... Guarantee, once you have one Krispy Kreme Doughnut - you cannot stop... soooo addictive....Juliana and I were able to have this Holiday Tasty Treat last month, we each had one, plus another extra FAVE... told you you cannot stop with just one!!!
Of course, my first Krispy Kreme Experience was in the Bay Area a few years back... then each and every visit, we would make sure to stop by there for some DOUGHNUT treats.. deliciously fattening but who cares!!!
Since last year though, branches of this sinful place opened up all over Manila... am sure they know the Filipinos are BIIIG on SWEET THINGS -- I could not be HAPPIER, as am able to have their treats at least once, each and every visit...
Another concoction of DAVID with a WOW factor!
One nite, David came home from work sooo excited and could not wait to gather all his ingredients for what he promises something different, tasty and good for you... something he just knew I would LOVE! and boy was he right on!!!
The cake is your basic one with flour, baking powder, sugar, egg mixed in with delicious French White Chocolate by Michel Cluizel and for the twist of something unexpected, roselle, in tea form.
Roselle are wild-grown flowers usually found along the side of pure and unpolluted hills and gorges. More often used to make tea and much more common in European countries, as well as, in South East Asia. In the East it is commonly referred to as "Oriental Beauty Fruit" due to its reputation for promoting good skin. Roselle is also known for its ability to dispel the effects of alcohol and amends circulatory insufficiencies.
So on all counts -- "different, tasty and good for you" -- David delivered.
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
In the Ardeche region of France, situated between Lyon and Avignon, one will find the famed Maison Sabaton at Labégude -- leading French producers of Jams, jellys, purees.... Founded at the beginning of the century, Sabaton has been preserving and transforming the Ardeche fruits since first going into business. Based in the heart of the region known for producing chestnuts, Sabaton has gained a worldwide reputation for making the best “Marrons Glaces”. Sabaton produces a variety of Chestnut-based products such as: Candied Chestnuts for Pastry, Chestnut spread, Chestnut puree, and whole Chestnuts.
Recently, we were treated to an array of their famed fruit & nuts spreads (jams & jellies)... 8 different flavours to be exact... and each one, just as delicious as the other... so you can see it was very hard to choose which one to use - each and every morning... but no matter which one one chooses, couple it with freshly bakes bread and it will be "si délicieux" -- GUARANTEED!
With Halloween just looming around the corner, I have been dropping hints, almost everyday, about what I miss most about this HOLIDAY - more than the costumes, more than the festivities, I miss Just Desserts' Pumpkin Cookies & Cakes.... and probably because he is soooo tired of hearing me go on and on about it, David actually made some PUMKIN treats for everyone... and for two consecutive days, too!!!
Yesterday he made us all Pumpkin Flats (pictured above)... simple and healthy with sprinklings of Cranraisins (who invents these stuff?)... and tonight his variation of the Pumpkin Cookies (Pictured Below)... some topped with white chocolates... some with cherry preserves... so you see, it helps to drop hints... okay, whine about these kind of things... 
Okie Dokie... now that I have satisfied my Pumpkin Cookies desires - bring on the REAL HALLOWEEN!!!!
...who cares... it IS Delicious!!!!
Yesterday, Saturday the 18th I was able to TASTE what I think is, something fresh and different... and combines two of Yilan's BEST offerings: Taro Ice Cream & Candied Peanut...
Not sure what the name is - as most just refer to it as, Wassen hen bing chiling (peanut and ice cream), very original.... and simple... but there is nothing simple in the making of this delicious treat.... as a matter of fact, each and everyone made took a lot of laborious preparations... even though the two main ingredients, -- taro ice cream and the candied peanut -- are already pre-made....
Shaving the candied peanut alone took so much labor, and if one has to make so many of these a day to make a living - you will have one really tired vendor at the end of the day.... an ample amount of shaved peanut are put on the lumpia wrapper, then two scoops of Taro ice cream... and add a sprinkling of cilantro for additional flavor and aroma, too... the results is one heavenly treat... total delight to the taste pallet...
Am told that this was first invented here in YILAN - a few years back... so it became one of their most famous delicacy.... and it is apparent as all the little towns surrounding Yilan that we went to had their own offerings of this refreshing treat....
Last nite, David came home with a wonderful dessert called Canele... I had never heard of it before but am sure I have seen it at one point in bakeries in the US, if not Europe or Asia... but it was never anything I cared to order as it did not even look good -- as you can see in my accompanying photos (or maybe my photos are just bad... lols) -- anyway, it was never one to tempt my sweet tooth.... it looked like a miniature size pound cake that was a bit burnt from over baking....
I cannot even tell you how glad I am that DAVID did bring it home -- it was like biting into a piece of heaven, SWEET HEAVEN!!!! The brownish shade of the outside is due to the caramelization of the crust... But one bite into it and you will surely enjoy the soft and tender, savory taste of the custard center. Like my other favorite dessert, Flan, caneles are made of egg, milk & flour... and rum and vanilla are used to caramelize the outer part.
So this just goes to show me, once again, "I should never, ever "judge a book by it's cover...", this French dessert will surely become one of my all time FAVE!!!!
Our choice was Dairy Queen.... something different for the family as they have never had it before.... Haagen Daaz is much more available in Shopping Malls in Manila... though I know of this place growing up in the Bay Area (California, USA), I did not get to have it again till I went to Vancouver to visit David, who was studying at the Culinary School at the time.... his rented home happens to be walking distance to a Dairy Queen.... and no matter where we are headed, we seems to be walking by it... so enticing but alas, always too crowded and busy... We did manage to enjoy it a couple of times though... once while suffering through the long lines... and another time in LANGLEY with Larraine and Jill (With David in photo above)... such a sweet treat and very much lining up for!!!
And a bit more INFO according to WIKI:
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!!!
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!!!
Over the weekend - I was wowed by the rhubarb preserves used to top off our roasted pork meal.... I was in heaven... it was the right touch of sweetness and sourness all combined... I loved it..... and all I could think of is "why did I not try anything with "rhubarb" before? am thinking it has to be the name itself... does not sound too good.... the vegetable itself is pretty -- especially the reddish stems.... but all that green (the actual leaves) are not appetizing looking.... so I look them over all the time for more safer known veggies....
I must say though, after having it for the first time last SUNDAY - I find that I have been missing something really good all this time..... and to WET and APPEASE my appetite some more - David baked a Rhubarb Pie last Sunday, from scratch - DOUGH INCLUDED.... boy was that devoured FAST!!!! Who knew that an ugly sounding vegetable can actually be one of the best and tastiest filling for pies.... and there is so much more one can make with of rhubarbs...
so that is one of the advantages of living with a foodie - you do get to try to eat things you would have normally skipped...
