Run-on Cracker Marketing Alert

Ok... seems all the recent posts have been about food! Hmmm. Here is one more. The following was found on the back of individually wrapped cheese-flavored cracker packaging (in all capitals, as is shown- punctuation also not edited):

SUCH OF THESE NICE SERIAL CAKES OF CTC DIFFERENT DELICIOUS TASTES SHALL MEET YOUR APPETITE, THE KIND OR PIECE EACH IS FULL OF AROMA & FINESS, WELCOME TO TASTE IT & COMPARE IT WITH THE OTHERS, ALL OF THE CAKE ARE UNDER A STRICT QUALITY CONTROL FOR SERVING YOUR TASTE, KINDLY GIVE US YOUR ADVICE BY CONSUMER TELELINE OR BY MAIL FOR OUR BETTERMENT, THANKS.

The Best Chocolate Stores in New York

I can't imagine I arrived and left NYC without visiting ANY of the shops listed at this link: The Best Chocolate Stores in New York. Normally I would stock up on chocolate on any trip outside Asia. I guess I was put off chocolate by Christmas overindulgences: I don't know why (perhaps living in Asia or just getting older has changed my taste buds), but all those chocolate stocking-stuffers that tasted good when I was a kid are almost unbearable now: Ferrero Rocher (sickly sweet with oily aftertaste), Quality Street (even more sugary with sticky texture), etc.

But now that I am back in Taipei, I am wishing I had picked up a few of my favorites: for example, Lindt 80% - dark and delicious. I keep a little stash in my desk drawer for particularly high stress days. I call this Chocolate Therapy. I figure it is cheaper than Shopping Therapy and healthier than the Xanax or Zoloft options. I will DEFINATELY be checking out Lunettes et Chocolate on my next trip to New York.

Black and White Cookies

Just back from NY and had many a revelation there this time, one of them being the black and white cookie. Do you know what a black and white cookie is? you probably do, but I didn't. Every morning in NY, I crossed the street to pick up coffee at Fluffy's Deli. I stood there staring at all the unfamiliar and decadent-looking sweets behind the glass while other patrons pushed past in a hurry for their weak, watery coffee (now I know why Asia refers to weak coffee as "American coffee") and black and white cookies. Because of my indecision, I felt about as welcome as a non-Korean-speaking window-shopper in front of a shop in a Seoul night market (where the vendor will yell if you loiter more than 3 minutes without buying something).

After hearing, "one coffee and a black and white cookie" a million times, I decided to try. What a waste of $2.00! It is a large cookie that tastes kind of like cake (lemon?) with hard vanilla icing on one side and chocolate on the other. And to think I could have had an apple turnover or a cinnamon muffin!

Anyway, now back in Taipei and already thinking about all the things I didn't have time to do in NY, I popped in Season 6 of Sex in the City.... and there it was. Carrie sitting on a bench near central park sharing a black and white cookie with Charlotte! Unbelievable! Next time in New York, I will have to see if there is a particularly good place to buy these so I can try the "best" of this particular favorite and see if second try isn't better.