Have you ever had THIS?—Interesting eats I’ve had the past few months

DD#1 and I were watching Sweet Genius the other day. This is the Food Network show of Ron Ben-Israel (a wedding cake guru from New York), a dessert-making competition using ingredients one would not necessarily mix together. We saw some very interesting candies made from strawberry milkshake with banana wax peppers and lime marmalade. Of course, to make it more complicated, these had to be inspired by a certain theme. These particular set of mandatory ingredients had to be inspired by Dorothy’s ruby red slippers. It was a fascinating show and one--I am happy to note--my daughter found interesting.

This show called to mind the interesting treats I’ve had this past few months. First, my friend gave me some chocolate-covered dried mangoes from the Philippines. Quite yummy. I don’t know how long this has been out in the market but it was the first time I tried it. I love dried mangoes! Having chocolate on it makes it even better! The creamy chocolate went well with the sweet-tartness of the dried mangoes. Now, where do I get more?!

I know, I know...try to look past the shape...

Last December, we also got some chocolate-covered bacon at the Christmas market at the Distillery District. Notice a theme here? People are finding more and more ways to use chocolate. I have tried chocolate-covered potato chips from Royce before as well and they were delicious! As with the potato chips, the bittersweet chocolate complemented the saltiness of the bacon. Interesting? Yes.  Yummy? Definitely. I would say that it was the best of both worlds. Genius! This is something I would like to have once in a while, though not as a staple in our pantry.

At Apple Annie’s in Orillia, we got some Jalapeno peanut brittle. It was the first time I saw a red peanut brittle. It looked pretty spicy! We actually got it for hubby who likes spicy food. At the first bite, it seemed like regular peanut brittle—salty and sweet, with crunchy peanuts. Just when I was about to say, where are the Jalapenos in here, the heat of the peppers hit me and lingered. Soon enough we were reaching for some tissue for our heat-triggered runny noses.  This was a delight to sample, but not something I will be looking forward to anytime soon.

There are many more interesting treats I have yet to try. I know that at CNE, an annual festival here in Toronto, they have offered deep-fried butter and Krispy Kreme burger (a burger where Krispy Kreme donuts are used instead of buns). In some fairs, I have seen some food trucks sell deep-fried Mars (chocolate) bars. Hubby even got to try some wasabi-flavored Kit Kat chocolate from Japan.  I have not had the opportunity to try these yet, but rest assured, I will not decline when I get the chance. And you will be the first to know when I do.