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The traditional and old fashioned Dulce de Leche (Caramel Sauce) has been in the pantries of almost every home in Argentina for ages as a somehow well kept secret. Recently or just a few years back the secret got out to the world and big retailers like Haagen Dazs Ice Cream, Yoplait Yogurt or Starbucks Coffee decided to include in the list of products they offer to the public this sticky, sweet, caramelized milk-and sugar sauce as a new flavor for their products. The curious thing is that even cosmetics retailers have felt for the Dulce de Leche fever and even OPI has a nail polish tone in ‘Dulce de Leche’.

The story goes that ‘Dulce de Leche’ may have been invented by Napoleon’s soldiers burning milk and sugar while in the field, or by a housekeeper who forgot the milk on the stove.  Whatever the origin, the flavor is legendary. In fact nobody is sure where it comes from, Argentineans claimed that WE invented it but Mexicans have it too (although they call it ‘Cajeta’).

Sitting at home with a head cold, looking at the clock and thinking about what to make for dinner, I thought about the beautiful cookbooks my sister-in-law gave to me while visiting my husband's family in France for CNY. Mind you, I did not have any intention of whipping up a french dinner in a moment's notice, but I did want to share one of my favorite, and easiest, french recipes that I turn to when short on ideas. It sounds more difficult than it really is, but make it once and you are sure to return to it. I am not that loyal to recipes for I am not good at following them and the measurements drive me crazy, but this one, I can do (even though I still made up my own quantities).

I also thought of doing something along the lines of “Julie and Julia”, cooking up one recipe per month (not per day!) in one of those books. I will think more on that...it will fine-tune my recipe-following abilities; never mind my french!

Tonight's dinner menu:

Carbonnade (the Flemish kind) served over pasta or rice

Low-fat strawberry muffins

Helmed by Brian Tan, a Malaysian, the upscale HoF is a sweet tooth paradise. I like to call it a "dessert bar", because it's a fascinating blend of sweet treats, cocktails and wines. Dark and chic, HoF gets really packed in the evenings, especially after dinner when people roll in for desserts and a cocktail or ten. I've had a love affair with HoF ever since my first bite of their luscious orange chocolate cake with caramel and sea salt - I think this was mid-year when they first opened. A dense, moist chocolate cake ("it's kinda like a brownie, no?" said my girl friend) with a thick drape of caramel on top, and interestingly, sprinkled with a few shavings of fresh sea salt. "To off-set the sweetness and it goes with the caramel", Brian says as he sprinkles it on with a flair. This particular dessert is the best cake I've had in Shanghai. Rich yet fluffy, I simply cannot resist this gem!

Two cafes, both conveniently located in the French Concession, both promising nirvana for the Shanghai chocoholic looking for something a bit more nuanced than Kedi Dove bars.  But which one follows through?Whisk: I know Death by Chocolate sounds hackneyed, but I still think Whisk should rename their Chocolate Therapy, because I pretty much keeled over halfway through.  It's the frosting that does it - imagine super-rich semi-mousse-textured candy bars sandwiched between layers of cake.  I've heard good things about the other desserts as well (if orgasmic sighs=good).  That said, this is dessert by blunt instrument: nothing wrong with the ingredients, but nothing particularly inspired in how they're combined.  Brownie, chocolate cake, tiramisu....you've had all this before.  Which is not to say you won't have it again.