This is where Chuck ordered a truffled grilled cheese sandwich for Serena while they exchanged barbs in the kitchen. And to capitalize on the publicity, Gilt did eventually concoct a version for any GG fan to order - at a princely sum of $50!

Gilt is inside The New York Palace, 455 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10022

Jacques Torres chocolate at that!

As we entered the chocolate store/factory…

This was the kitty cat that greeted us at the door!

Scary or cute? What do you think? Haha!

If you fancy yourself a chocolate connoisseur, then you must know what Jacques Torres chocolates are all about! After all, he is a renowned French pastry chef known for his chocolate confections!

So a couple of days ago, Dear Hubby, our friend Donna and I went to his chocolate factory at 50 Hudson at King Street (Store hours are Mon - Sat 9:00am - 7:00pm. Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm) in downtown Manhattan.

No, there were no oompa loompas there. We saw human chocolate experts on the job! Heehee!

Of course, the factory was just a prop to the scrumptious spread of chocolates that were laid out for ME!

But, we decided on just getting a small sampler of their best sellers, because seeing all those chocolates made it so hard for me to decide!

There’s a chill in the air these days that signals the start of fall!

Before I start packing up our shorts and sandals, join me in giving a toast to summer by keeping these images of a Brooklyn backyard BBQ…

Till the next summer!

If you don’t feel like eating fresh lobster, then there’s always a hot lobster roll, or some steaming lobster bisque to fill your grumbling tummy at Abbott’s!

Fine, it may not look appetizing, but trust me when I say this is sooooo good!!! I can’t wait for the next spring/summer season and get my fill of lobster yumminess from Abbott’s!

If you’ve seen the movie Mystic Pizza (starring a very young Julia Roberts), then it might interest you to know that this is the place where it was filmed! Mystic, Connecticut!

It’s such a charming and quaint little town, filled with historic homes, picturesque scenery, hints of a fishing lifestyle…

…and of course, great food!

Unfortunately, I still haven’t tried the very popular Mystic Pizza (also known as a “Slice of Heaven”) because we drove farther down to nearby Noank, CT for this:

Their specialty being…

Let’s just say, Abbott’s restaurant is only open 6 months in a year, so Mystic Pizza can wait! Anyway, pizza will always be there year round, hahaha!

Garrett Popcorn was chosen twice by Oprah for inclusion in her exclusive 2002 and 2005 “Favorite Things” !

Since I was on a tour bus with my in-laws, we didn’t get to check it out personally! But I definitely will as soon as I pass by a Garrett Popcorn Shop next time!

I’ve always loved eating beef nilaga, but can’t seem to cook it right. I’ve tried Filipino cookbooks, online recipes by Pinoy gourmands, friends’ recipes and all that but can’t seem to do the dish any justice. Let’s just say I just didn’t have the knack for it!

Surprisingly, I found the best recipe in a foreign site called Momsmenu.com!

I just altered the recipe a bit, but here it is for all of us to enjoy!

1kg Beef Short Ribs
1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
2 teaspoons Whole Pepper Corns
Potatoes
Cabbage
Green beans

1. Immerse beef bones in water and add fish sauce and peppercorns in a large saucepan.

2. Bring to the boil for 15 - 20 minutes, skimming the top of scum as it cooks.

3. Reduce to a simmer for a minimum of 2 hours (the longer the better!). Replace lost water from evaporation so that ingredients are immersed.

4. Taste stock occasionally adding fish sauce (instead of salt) & peppercorns to taste. For some zest add whole fresh chilies.

5. Add vegetables, potatoes first so that they have cooked when you are ready to serve.

Voila! An honest to goodness, beefy nilaga! It was soooo good, I ate like a kargador! Think 2 cups of rice swimming in the broth! No kidding!

I don’t know if this be a chewy kind of lip balm (just like with Nerds candy) but I’m thinking this will be quite good huh?

For BubbleYum fanatics (like me! When I was in high school, I always had a pack in my bag, which I only ate after school hours of course, hehehe) this is the logical choice! The BubbleYum lip balm in Original flavor!

It also comes in other flavors like Cotton Candy!