fresh.

Whenever I crave something sweet it always ends up with a pairing of fruit and chocolate. Always.

After a long day of walking in the most amazing city in the world (if you have to ask, we aren't friends) I was too tired to cook or shell out money for an overpriced meal, so this was my dinner three nights ago. I could not have been happier.

I'm pretending that it was a well balanced meal because the chocolate is organic (Mast Brothers goodness!), has hazelnuts in it, and of course green tea and a perfectly ripe peach are two of Mother Nature's greatest gifts.

Sometimes it is nice to throw formality out the window and just eat what I'm craving and forget about all the reasons why peaches and chocolate may not be the most appropriate dinner.

Because in all honesty, it rocked.

Reading Terminal Market

Yesterday I took a trip to one of Philly's greatest features - Reading Terminal Market.

The place combines a produce and meat market with an international food stall fair. Everything from Mediterannean cuisine to Italian ovens to Polish butcher shops and Indian restaurants situated alongside stalls bursting with homemade Amish pastries, butters, jams. Oh, and there are a couple of traditional and simple greasy spoon diners thrown in as well.

Roaming around the place brings a bevy of smells and sounds that would excite even the most indifferent consumer. I loved viewing the unique offerings of fare and produce for sale. One of my favorite things about being a food lover is the amount of fun you can have with discovering new ingredients, recipes, preparations and combinations of food that you've never seen before.

For instance, it was fate that led me to stumble upon a glorious counter that sold pounds of cheese and just so happened to have on display a chunk of brie stuffed with pine nuts and pesto. Yes. Brie cheese. Stuffed with pesto. And pine nuts.

Honestly, it is as if someone translated my epicurean fantasies into a creamy, irresistible reality.

And it would be neglectful of me to forget to mention the numerous cases of freshly baked sugar cookies and double fudge brownies and almond glazed morsels.

Jackie and Johanna treated themselves to desserts of perfection in the form of buttery flaky squares of baklava. I managed to restrain my wild urges until we made it to South Street in order to devour a wonderful cup of peanut butter Phileo yogurt topped with walnuts, blueberries and chocolate chips.

Yesterday was a whole lot of eye feasting and mouth watering yummy fun.

Philadelphia, you have successfully satisfied my often insatiable desire for all things decadent, organic, beautifully crafted, and stupidly delicious.

summertime...

With the best summer festivities just around the corner for July 4th I can't help but daydream of the delicious warm weather treats I'd be enjoying if I were in America.

Luckily my new favorite Thai dessert, mango and sticky rice, can keep me very good company while everyone at home munches on sweet watermelon and hot dogs on the beach.

photos via canelle et vanille