La Maison du Chocolat, Mi Amor

Only the bag made it home with me.

Spotted: starstruck Jersey girl walking down Madison avenue with an empty La Maison du Chocolat bag. That can only mean one thing.

You should be proud because I made it three whole blocks before I devoured the bag of haute chocolates. La Maison du Chocolat would be the Tiffany's of the chocolate world, I suppose. There was something so fancy about the upper east side boutique, the atmosphere felt regal enough for a curtsy. This Parisian chocolatier mastered the art of chocolate making a long time ago. You can tell his chocolates were meant to impress.

They look so pretty.

I spent a good 10 minutes gawking at their glass-enclosed display table where the chocolates were laid out like diamonds. Being a penniless writer with no (lucrative) job, I had no right, absolutely no right, spending $12 on a mix of dark and milk chocolate pralines ($12 buys you six teeny weeny pieces). But I did anyway (eh...life is too short for bad chocolate). My favorite was the dark chocolate Figaro, which was a combination of hazelnuts, almonds and caramel all crushed together.

The chocolate shell snapped confidently, and the soft praline center did what it was meant to do—tease with a seduction as silky as cream, hinting at a roasted aftertaste. It was very tiny, no more than an inch long and wide, but it had the perfect proportion so as the nutty filling did not overpower the chocolate that housed it. *Figaro! Figaro, figaro, figaro!* It was the stuff of dreams, that praline. Sweet, sweet, dreams.

La Maison du Chocolat, I bow before thee.

XOXO.

- Kris Alcantara

P

Please pardon the inexcusably dorky picture.

No-Bake Mondays: Sweet Avocado Soup

 Avocados the way my grandma used to make 'em.

Today I'm sharing a secret heirloom recipe from my grandmother.

...except that it's not really a secret, as every Filipino in the world probably knows how to make this (what's up, Manila!) Let me start by saying I had the best grandmother in the world. My lola Liling ("lola" is grandma in Tagalog) was a great cook and she served a mean chocolate cake, but more than that she was really good at spoiling her kids and grandkids rotten. She was the kind of grandma who made sure everybody had their favorite food for dinner while she painstakingly slaved away in the kitchen. She had a nice laugh, my grandma. And a very big heart. 

So anyway (before I completely tear up), this is how we eat avocados in the Philippines. We don't usually put them in salads and sandwiches like people do over here—we eat them with cold milk and sugar. This, to me, is comfort food. Don't knock it til you try it because if you haven't had avocados this way before, well, I kind of feel bad for you.

No-Bake Mondays: Sweet Avocado Soup
Makes: One bowl
In Minutes: 10

Ingredients
1 small avocado
1/2 cup skim milk
2 packets of Splenda
walnuts

Procedure
1. Using a spoon, scoop out avocado into chunks.
2. Add milk, sugar, and walnuts.
3. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Tip
You can mash the chunks up for a creamier finish. You can also pour the mashed up mixture over ice trays, freeze 'em, and serve them as ice cream pops.

Do you know how good avocados are for you? Insanely. Click here to read about the avocado advantage.

There's no week like this week to enjoy a green dessert. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!


- Kris Alcantara

PS
To those who missed No-Bake Mondays last week, I'm super sorry!You know I'll make it up to you.