dessert on the half shell

continuing on the mini-theme of food in Taiwan, I don’t think I’ve ever had creme brulee presented in a shell before:

unfortunately it didn’t taste as good as it looked. i guess the irregularies of the shell didn’t provide an even cooking vessel for something that’s supposed to be custardy like creme brulee.

pineapples of all shapes and colors

courtesy of cooking_fan at home-and-garden.webshots.com
So apparently in Taiwan, pineapple cake is something like the national dessert. Pineapple cake isn’t really a cake per se, but a single serving sized, usually rectangular pastry with pineapple jam in the middle and a shortbread-like crust on the outside. there’s always the debate of what the ideal filling:crust ratio is, [...]

apple of my eye

i’m tidying up a bit and a new header is up! those are apples from Japan that I saw at a grocery store during a trip to Taiwan.
full photo here:

They are huuge, almost the size of a small cantalope. And Japan being Japan, each apple comes with its fruit net and a little foam square to [...]