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Out & About #717 | Week #63 Quarantine Update Feat. Shrimp Pajeon

5/30/2021

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Long weekends and statutory holidays - two terms that are music to my ears. The additional twenty-four hours grant freedom, relief, and an opportunity to invest in activities that would otherwise be postponed until an era of adequate motivation and rest.

​My 9-to-5 life has morphed into 8:30-to-6:30 as of late, prompting outright indulgence in even the shortest of breaks. Generally, the Tuesday after is quite quiet, as the vast majority struggle to regain bearing.

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Creations of the week included:

1) Shrimp Pajeon

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Seldom are fresh scallions found in our produce drawer. This scenario is usually owed to a need to for readily available inventory, yet insufficient desire/inspiration/time for fulfillment. With this said, one can only imagine my utter delight at uncovering crunchy, fragrant stalks during periods of minimal meetings.​
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Pajeon, also referred to as a savoury pancake with Korean origins, maximizes the potential of the aforementioned freshness, lending an almost sweet take to pan-fried green onions. Truthfully, I've never been one to hop on the jeon train at restaurants, for they seemed atrociously pricey for their ingredient makeup; seeing Maangchi demonstrate the formula confirmed my suspicions, further convincing me to construct the dish at home, should a desire ever arise.
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Astonishly simple with a batter of 1:1 flour and water along with a pinch of salt, the jeon came together with minimal hassle. I had also taken to incorporating a few frozen tiger shrimp into the mix for a semi-haemul pajeon: they were rinsed thoroughly and snipped into nickel-sized morsels before being scattered atop the scallions.
In hindsight, I ought to have seared the scallions for several minutes prior to ladelling the batter, and maintained a single layer for optimal texture.  The scallions in my 새우파전 / sewoo pajeon had been arranged in two layers, then flipped two minutes earlier than intended out of fear of burned batter.

The accompanying dipping sauce was not too vast a departure from the beloved gyoza ponzu: dark soy, gochukaru, apple cider vinegar, honey, and toasted sesame seeds were the base of Maangchi's; I took to the addition of fish sauce for tang and sesame oil to compensate for untoasted sesame seeds.
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2) Glico Curry w/ Pork Shoulder
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The dish an ideal application of Yukon Gold potatoes, though too sweet with a palm's worth of yellow rock sugar.
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Out & About #716 | Edwards Gardens

5/29/2021

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My sole connection to the Toronto Botanical Gardens is an album from the 2000s, where family members had paid a visit to the attraction in my absence. I had set out to realize that experience firsthand some several years ago, ultimately unsuccessful due to unfavourably drizzly conditions.

A second attempt in the early pandemic period was also met with shuttered gates.
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​An equally gloomy predecessor instigated the weekend drive. Hovering about the 15-degree mark with clear skies and ample radiance, the follow-up attempt was deemed the acceptable compromise between hiking and a walk in the park.
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Majority of the pathways were paved, allowing for gradual elevation and depression along the route. Certain areas sported larger pieces of aggregate instead of smooth asphalt, indicating a potentially earlier period of construction.
A portion of the gardens was bordered by snow fences, yet oddly devoid of distinct delineation from the main path. Unbearably narrow and brimming with unmarked trip hazards and exposed wires, it was the singular section that raised concerns towards lack of signage and accessibility.
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View the full album HERE !
​Navigating to a shaded strip along the Wilket Creek, it dawned upon me that I had take the Credit River for granted. Wilket Creek was slightly murky and extraordinary calm, even still in some areas. By contrast is the grandeur of the Credit River - brilliant and tenacious, emboying both power and grace.
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Out & About #715 | Week #62 Quarantine Update Feat. Strawberry Mousse Cake, Shortbread + Cycling

5/24/2021

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​Migraines can be shaken away as easily as mosquitoes on a musty summer day. A pounding pain inflicted by dancing digits and endless spreadsheets, I aspired to dismiss its impacts amidst the neverending meetings. But the missions came, one by one; they were interminable.
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​I've spotted sunlight scarcely, and humid weather at an even lesser degree. A singular Nutella Coffee Frappé calmed cravings for the coveted Vanilla Cone, while an eyebrow-less Larry resided deskside, offering a soft, furry spot for emotional support.

It's been consistently tough, with seemingly tougher days scheduled ahead.
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Creations of the week included:

1) Strawberry Mousse Cake
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​The tale takes off with the acquisition of discount strawberries ($3.49 for 2 lbs!). Seasonal produce is forever finnicky, demanding timeliness of use for maximum potential. Preservation by way of freezing, fermentation, or reduction over heat are standard practices to prolong their shelf life, though none particularly useful when freshness is diminishing. Driven by the constraint of instant consumption, I unleased my inner Cooking Tree to undertake a layered Strawberry Mousse Cake.
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Besides the "Mom" chocolate plates, the venture assumed the first opportunity to deploy acetate sheets for cake construction. Cooking Tree provided insight on visual presentation, while other sources supplied guidelines for thought and adherence.  The cake base originated from Sunday Baking's Animal Crossing bûche, which I've referenced on countless occasions, for good reason. Embodying a rich, chocolatey aura across a perfectly plush plot, the foundation was sturdy, unsusceptible to overwhelm by strawberries.
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Based off of sheer intuition, the mousse base was constructed of heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, homemade strawberry jam, and a small amount of gelatin. Taring on a not-so-steady surface resulted in a large excess of cream, which was then portioned out into smaller mousse cups (with little to extremely minimal cake shreds).
Strawberry bits that failed to justify integrity for decoration were finely chopped and incorporated into this mixture, along with a single drop of pink food colouring for improved hue.

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Out & About #714 | Week #61 Quarantine Update Feat. Cookies + Bossam

5/16/2021

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I've seen enough teensy cells and spreadsheets for the next foreseeable future. Yet, it'll be likely that I'll see them again shortly.

All awareness of time and space magically vanish in the face of meetings and work duties: hunger is postponed, parchedness goes unnoticed, and calluses begin to form underneath the mouse-maneuver digits. Homecooking is infrequent under these circumstances, along with exposure to the world beyond my window.
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I proceeded to polish off the remnants of my now-shriveled wheat bread before darting for JIF, jam, and a supple fresh loaf.
A single egg yolk resided in the fridge from granola-making, prompting production of SK's Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, which just happened to demand this additional dose of fat.
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Roughly chopped Surfin replaced chocolate chips, baking powder instead of baking soda, and ground almonds for 25% of the all-purpose flour. These swaps had been incorporated on the bases of convenience and past experience (with unreacted baking soda). Sugar levels were also reduced by a fraction, however the final mounds were still reasonably sweet. The texture was also deemed somewhat crumbly, likely a result of the lowered gluten content.
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Highlights of my week never stray too far from grocery runs. This session was succeeded by a Chicken Nuggets Happy Meal from trusty ol' McD's and a container of White Castle Butter Cookies.
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While Danisa is sweet and Kjeldsens is aromatic, the Malaysian brand's was stiff and bland, with a dull snap.
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Out & About #713 | Westwood Park Blossoms + Oakville Confectioneries

5/15/2021

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One of the first things that come to mind around this time is florals - the marvelous magentas of May.
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​I've come to associate these picture-perfect pink petals with a particular district in Oakville, in the vicinity of a certain café.
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Yearning to relive the excitement, we set out on a sunny Sunday afternoon for Kerr Street Cafe.

Two of the street parking spaces had been removed to make way for a streetside patio, while the inside had been re-configured to showcase merchandise, wines, and beans from Brother's Coffee, their choice of local roaster. Following brief perusal of the shelves, we took to a Cappuccino and Iced Latte, both priced at $4 each.

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​Drinks were slid towards us, one by one, from underneath the plexiglass shield. The size of the beverages had initially caught me off guard, for they were well under the standard ten ounce. Height of the disposable cups proved less relevant as sips were had, given the potency of their contents.
It is worth noting that the barista was not particularly friendly during our visit and reacted quite coldly at our requests for straws and sweetener, slightly tossing them in our direction instead of awaiting reception on the other side of barrier.
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​Our memories served to remind us of the blooming buds on Westside Drive. The two lonely trees bordering the asphalt lot were indeed in full bloom, although some cross-breeding (cross-pollinating?) had seemingly taken place. Sprouting from the same trunk were branches of varying hue and thickness, with clusters of white and blush.
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Splashes of pink were spotted further down the street, thus we proceeded along the gusty path.
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Lining the west edge of Westwood Park were a handful of cherry blossom trees that many stopped to admire on their way about and around the space.
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View the full album HERE !
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Out & About #712 | A Mother's Day Mission

5/9/2021

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Historical records have revealed that food and flowers are the quintessential elements of Mother's Day celebrations. 
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I set out to redeem the previous year's exceptionally moist Layered Mocha Cake (with my newly acquired roll cake knowledge, but also couldn't resist tacking on a few more kitchen undertakings throughout the weekend.
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​First was a Scorched Shrimp with Fresh Tomato Sauce, crafted entirely from whole ingredients. That's right - Not an aluminum can in sight!
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​Unashamedly instigated by a sale on frozen shrimp at Loblaws, the package was slowly defrosted in the fridge overnight then marinated as per orangecane's Toowoomba formula. There had been intent to assemble her dish as intended, however divergence was deemed necessary in the face of ample rice. Flavours of gochujang, gochukaru, and soy permeated my protein of choice for at least thirty minutes; cayenne was excluded, as I neither had any on hand nor did I hail from a spice-loving household. The shrimp was then scorched in a smoking cast iron pan, then set aside.

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Out & About #711 | Week #60 Quarantine Update

5/8/2021

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Spring in Ontario is never predictable. At times, we receive gloomy conditions rivalling Raincouver, while others be brazenly bitter and breezy. The unwonted ten-degree-plus greets us as Mother Nature pleases, leading many to seize the seasonal opportunities as they reveal themselves.
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Prior to the work-from-home reality - that I pray once more to be temporary - brisk walking consumed my weekday lunch hours. Nowadays, it constitutes a maximum of twenty minutes of any one particular workday, should I be able to escape for such a period at all. Oftentimes, I'll seek an excuse for my outing; more often than not, this excuse adopts the form of an essential service: CoCo, without parking.
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I've preached the concept of gratefulness throughout this pandemic, whose concept has only grown clearer with the warmer weather upon us. Navigating this life oughtn't be complicated: mobility in good health, liberty in outdoor saunters, and happiness in creation.
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Larry makes a special appearance!
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Creations of the week were few, and limited to previously executed cookie prep, strawberry jam, granola, and a Whole Wheat Loaf adapted from the almighty breadmaster.
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Since depleting my stash of white bread flour, I've been dabbling in the realm of whole wheat bread-baking, albeit without much success. Most loaves emerge dry to the touch, yet damp at its centre.

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Out & About #710 | Week #59 Quarantine Update Feat. Revisiting Recipes

5/2/2021

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​The fifty-ninth week of the pandemic pilgrimage coincides with the same duration of work-from-home practices. It's stifling to say, in the least, with only an increasing number of meetings, calls, and "pings" - as they call it - to worsen the unintentional overtime.

"Why do I have so many meetings in my calendar?!"
"It means you're important." I responded dryly, fully aware of the frustrations behind these back-to-back virtual events.
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In these fifty-nine weeks, I've requested a total of three vacation days: one for CNY preparations (read: cleaning the house), one for sanity, and one to assist with family activities (read: mid-afternoon Costco run). Quite frankly, I'd love some several weeks more, ideally away from my house and breathing West Coast air.
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But those days are denoted with dubiety. While in-person theatre and fansign events can safely occur in other areas of the globe, the same cannot be said for our nation, where those demanding "liberation" proceed to preach their beliefs on the regular.
Creations of the week included:

1) Matcha Almond Cookies

Modified from the buttery, nutty hearts and bears first attempted some few months ago, I introduced matcha powder and straight edges. They were even stamped for additional flair, not that these designs were carried through the baking process. The Lego-sized pieces also failed to align at right angles, and were observed to spread a teensy bit more than the last iteration.
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2) Lavender Pound Cake Minis (Round 2)

I awoke to a deceptively sunny Saturday morning with cravings for cake. As with any of my cravings, they were precise, with a distinct image of the final product established in my mind for reference.
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Revisiting Sunday Baking's no-fail flour-batter method produced mini pound cakes with crisp edges and a delicate, tender crumb. Rather than milk, I had taken to steeping the lavender buds in cream, contributing an undeniable richness to the batter.
Cross-sectional cuts appeared more uniform than before, which was to be expected given the wire whisk to hand mixer swap. However, given its thickness, I would recommend employing a wire whisk (on a good wrist day, of course) to prevent the batter from wrapping about the beaters.​
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​The formula yielded a consistent deliciousness, albeit a profile eggier and noticeably less floral than the last.
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    Who Am I?

    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



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WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

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