CONFECTIONING MACARONS WITH THE PROS

Who can resist the macaron? Two airy, meringue-like cookies (there's some almond powder thrown in for good measure) sandwiched around a creamy ganache filling. Today, March 20, is feted across France, and other sweet-tooth countries, to honour these addictive confections. Started in 2005 by celebrated pasty chef and chocolatier Pierre Hermé to raise funds for cystic fibrosis, the honorary day is known as Jour du macaron or "International Macaron Day." In this post, I share my experience meeting the illustrious Macaron Man and making macarons for this first time. It was a sweet day indeed.

FILIPINOS DON'T MERELY CHOOSE BABY NAMES, WE DESIGN THEM

Ah, the frustrations of finding that perfect baby name. Even before conception, parents debate the potential doom of names like "Richard" (oh, but then they'll call him Dick), "Lise" (no, no, no, it rhymes with sleaze) or "Penelope" (my ex-girlfriend's dog was Penelope) - this last one being a double whammy. For a name not only decides the identity and fate of an innocent baby, it demonstrates the creativity, originality and sophistication of his or her parents. My family could, single-handedly, win awards in all three of these categories. We Filipinos, you see, are masters of name poetry. We don't simply choose names for our children; we design them.

EXHIBIT SHOWCASED PARISIAN DESIGNER’S KEY FASHION MOMENTS

Yesterday, one of the fashion world’s giants slipped away to the other side. After Balenciaga, his mentor, Alaïa and Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy’s passing whispers yet another farewell to a fading, glamorous era of haute couture. In the autumn of 2014, I was fortunate to catch a retrospective on Hubert de Givenchy at the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum in Madrid. Givenchy had a special place in my heart because for my very small and intimate wedding about one year earlier, I had chosen to wear a simple Givenchy cocktail dress - in black. (I was a rebel bride.) This LBD is one of my prized possessions and, conveniently, I wear it all the time.

FASHION WEEK IS EVERY WEEK IN THE CITY OF STYLE

Paris Fashion Week may be over, but Paris never quits her full-time role as Fashion Capital of the Universe. There are five museums that I highly recommend for those of you enchanted by the history of fashion. See fashion houses Yves Saint Laurent, Chloé and Louis Vuitton up close and personal, plus discover two more museums that regularly hold fashion exhibits. And as an added luxury, because fashion is all about treating yourself, I've included my favourite cafés and restaurants nearby. 

THE GLORY OF K-BBQ, A.K.A. KOREAN BARBECUE 

Affectionately dubbed as K-BBQ - just like K-pop (Korean pop music) or K-beauty (Korean cosmetics and skincare) - Korean barbecues are tiny carnivorous feasts grilled right at your table over a central bed of hot charcoal. Oh sure, I had eaten at K-BBQ restaurants before (namely in Los Angeles, Berlin and Toronto), but never before in South Korea. So coming to Seoul for the first time and indulging at a galbijip in its Motherland was not only a big check off my foodie bucket list, it was also a major highlight of my trip to Seoul.