The plane door closes in one country and opens in another. New people, new places, and over here, it's cold enough to freeze an egg in mid-flight ... well, that's an exaggeration, but this is from someone who lives in the tropics and likes it that way. How can it be so chilly here and sweltering in Manila? There should be some kind of climate balance in the world. While traveling, the days meld together: dates don't exist and it's all I can do to just keep track of the new time zone I'm in. I find myself looking at my watch and counting forward "x" hours, calculating what time it is back home in Manila. Jet lag is another reality in itself. When I first got here, it felt odd to be eating lunch when my body was used to being asleep at that time. Take offs and landings are my absolute favorite parts of an airplane ride, the bumpier the better. Heheh. Last night while waiting for my plane to take off, I saw five other planes take off and land in different directions. It reminded me of the line that's made when one completes a row in tic-tac-toe. Watching ...

I’ll be out of the country (in this case, the Philippines) for two weeks, so there will be a lull in posting. I’ll keep my destinations a secret for now – you’re bound to know anyway when I return. Expect a plethora of food photos then, but for now, get your fill of gastro porn here. I’ll have quick access to my inbox, so feel free to email me. Until then, eat dessert first.

These photos are from Katrina, a loyal visitor to this website with a sweet tooth that can rival mine. To my mind, she also won the best dressed award at the Tea Party for her incredible hat. As you can see, her photos match her quirky, irresistible personality. I simply added the tongue-in-cheek captions. Even the "Virgin Mary" thinks Imelda's triple hazelnut mousse is heavenly. A healthy serving of dessert keeps the doctor away. The secret to melt-proof desserts: special ice that only Ricky's mango torte has.

This photo of the tea party bakers was taken by Ravi, Roshan's husband. Thanks Ravi, for sharing your shot! (l-r) Chester of Taste Temptation, Sharlene, friend, Sally, Imelda, me, Karen, Jamie, Gerald, Ricky. Roshan is in the front. Roshan in the spotlight. You gotta love Carlos -- look at his moves! These photos are taken by Bubut, one of the guests at the Tea Party. Thanks Bubut, for sharing your shots! mirror mirror on the wall... Karen, ready for her cakewalk Karen on the catwalk interviewing the master baker mixed cheesecakes in miniature Qitchen's desserts in silhouette...

And so it goes that after two and a half months of planning, the Tea Party finally came to be. Instead of posting a write-up, I'm going to let the photos speak this time around. Feast on this for now and expect more photos shortly. All photos seen here were taken by my Bin. If you have any photos that you'd like to share, please send them my way and I'll be sure to credit you. Click here if you'd like to view the entire (40 photos) Tea Party photostream, either as a slide show or one by one. Thank you to everyone who was there! I hope you got enough sugar in your system to kickstart your week. URGENT PLEA: One of the guests at the tea party lost a brown envelope containing a power- of-attorney document. If anyone took it by mistake or if anyone just happened to pick it up, please email me right away. This guest will be ever so grateful. me addressing the crowd ...

After more than two months of planning, the Dessert Comes First Tea Party is finally happening. For those of you who received a confirmation email from me, here are the details you need to know: March 12.2006. Sunday. 3:00PM. Unit 24, North Syquia Apartments 1991 MH del Pilar, Malate, Manila 1006 Php500.00/person (to be paid at the door)For those of you bringing a vehicle, the best place to park is near Aristocrat restaurant on Roxas Blvd. Parking isn’t allowed on MH del Pilar St. Once you’ve parked, there is an Aristomart (the convenience store right beside Aristocrat restaurant), turn right on MH del Pilar and North Syquia will be on the right. More directions here. Please be prompt. Registration will begin at exactly 3:oo pm. Registration is necessary for you to be allowed entry into the tea party, and makes you eligible to win a raffle prize -- either a cake donated by one of the Tea Party bakers or one of my favorite food photographs, artfully framed and ready for hanging. I can’t wait to meet all of you!

Note: Cordillera Coffee is the beverage sponsor for the upcoming tea party to be held on March 12. While in the thick of accepting tea party reservations two weeks ago, I received an email from someone whose subject heading was ‘Tea (?) Party.” Apart from some other stuff, she asked why I was calling it a tea party when in fact, there would be no tea, just coffee. Calling the March 12 event a tea party is purely arbitrary. The phrase itself naturally pops into mind when describing an afternoon eating event. And I can’t help but love how quaint it sounds. Tea or no tea, I’m proud to have Cordillera Coffee as the beverage sponsor for Dessert Comes First’s exclusive dessert event. I take every chance I can get to promote anything local, and this little coffee shop has won me over. Located in a cozy little store along Xavierville Avenue, it’s far enough away from the university madness that is Katipunan Avenue but close enough for those who want something more than the usual big-chain javas. Cordillera Coffee is the kind of place where you leave with everyone knowing your name ...

Note: This is the final installment in a 7-part series on the bakers whose confections will be featured in the upcoming tea party. Vanilla Bean is one of those very few commercial establishments whose desserts are at par with those of my favorite home bakers. To my mind, it’s because this little neighborhood bakery in Salcedo Village owned and run by Trina Tiaoqui-Imperial is run like a home business. A compact glass pastry case displays the day’s sweet offerings that I often pair with one of their over-sized cups of cappuccino which I particularly love because I can smell the coffee with every sip. It was in that display case that I first set eyes on a chocolate behemoth. Massive in appearance and weight, there it sat – a hunk of a block of what looked to me like chocolate fudge with an oozing caramel sauce and what looked to be an eruption of sorts of nuts and chocolate chunks. It had a simple name tag, “turtle cake.” Like a girl who couldn’t read to understand, I ask Trina who happens to be behind the counter at the time. “What is ...