The word “diet” has dogged me for as long as I can remember. I have learned a few things from it; I’ve also held on to a few beliefs that worked, and many more others that didn’t. You read this column because, like me, you love a good meal or anything yummy.
From a friend, I picked up a belief I adhere to this day. “If you’re going to indulge yourself in something fattening or unhealthy anyway, might as well have the best.”
So, in terms of meat, I will have only the most superior steaks; the most tender, crunchy or sticky pork or lamb.
Or, I’ll go for the most delicious fried rice or the tastiest dessert.
I am no longer a sucker for eat-all-you-can buffets. I have only one pitfall: sweets. From experience, I know that one can cut down on meals, but will succumb to sweets; bagsak ka!
Chocoholic’s dream
Just last week, I experienced three desserts I will remember forever. The first is a Valrhona chocolate cake made by a coffee shop along Quezon Boulevard. Chocolatte offers some nice pastas and sandwiches, but its killer dessert is Valrhona chocolate cake—rich and most sinful, not too sweet and with a flaky crunchy crust. This is a chocoholic’s dream come true.
Chocolatte is on the right, just before Hi-Top Supermarket, if you’re coming from Quiapo.
Another treat I had was this chocolate mousse-like dessert at the new Wild Flour restaurant at the Fort. It had caramel and cream with a bit of sea salt. The bitter sweetness of the chocolate combined with the creaminess of the textures, plus the sudden pop of the sea salt, is a winner.
It raises the bar for desserts of such kind!
San Marcos Crème Brûlée
The last cake I want to mention is what I had at a Cornell get-together. It was brought by a champion badminton buddy, Benny de Guzman, and is called a San Marcos Crème Brûlée. It’s like a light butter cake, not too sweet, with a slender creamy icing between the layers and a crusty topping similar to an ordinary crème brûlée.
I understand it’s now one of the most popular cakes in the Metro. I brought one to a bible study last week. When I got to the venue, I was told the event had been postponed. I missed my spiritual feeding, but I had a whole cake to myself. Yummy!
The three goodies I experienced are hard to beat, which translates into a little less effort in dieting. As I always say, the best time to plan a diet is when you’re full, because then you are so determined to do it.
Happy eating!
Crème Brûlée Cake made by Camille, contact tel. 0916-7457729 or 6243083.
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