Incessant Cravings

Without the rain, Ilocos can become oppressively hot and humid. For three days straight, I’ve been having godawful cravings for, of all things, Dippin’ Dots bubble gum ice cream, Happy Lemon rock salt and cheese green tea and Pinkberry green tea yogurt, which are not in Ilocos just yet (ah, dreamin’)! Hahah, there’s no possible way to fake a nitro-frozen dessert, I don’t know with the salty, cheesy tea, I bet this an original recipe and I am almost tempted to make my own version, maybe with Pasuquin salt and some melted cheese. Well, I heard LA’s phenomenal Pinkberry is opening in Greenbelt soon, or has it opened (with the same Philippe Starck chairs and Le Klint lamps, I hope)? I wonder if they are bringing in the berries as well?

Image credit: Happy lemon on Facebook

The Colors of Easter at Cupcakes by Sonja

Cupcakes by Sonja are not your ordinary cupcakes. I’d like to call them couture cupcakes, inspired by New York’s famous Magnolia Bakery, where the owner, Ms. Sonja Ocampo, apprenticed before opening her own shop in ritzy Serendra at the Fort Bonifacio Global City. The Magnolia Bakery cupcake fever was made famous by Carrie and Miranda’s cupcake eating scene in SATC. Hyped as well as pecked at, the pretty expensive little cakes by Sonja are still being chased by sugar junkies since after they were introduced in the Philippines four years ago — proof of the icing on the cake.

I have a thing about cupcakes. Part of my collection are printed cupcake liners even if I don’t bake. In fact, I made a huge 3-layer cupcake stand to hold store-bought cupcakes for Alexa’s rubber ducky-themed baptismal party when cakes in Laoag were still synonymous with marshmallow frosting. The visit to Sonja’s was wonderful bliss, a feast for the senses! Names such as Lemon Drop, Peppermint Patty, Southern Pecan Cupcake Pie, Pistachio Berries N’ Cream, Crème Brûlée Cupcake Tart, Valrhona Chocolate something, etc., were symphony to the ears. It felt like forever spring inside.