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Out & About #643 | Week #15 Quarantine Update Feat. Third Wave + Mall Runs

6/28/2020

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A gustatory experience is a sensory undertaking - one that ought to be anticipated, savoured, and then relished in the subsequent moments.
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The act of devouring corresponds to the presumption of pleasure, oftentimes boasting an inversely proportional relationship to rate of consumption.
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Imagine a world without appetite.
Devoid of desire, dereft of drive, and dearth of delight - the mere contemplation renders shudders down my spine.
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​To succeed as an entity offering fare for the people, one must first define a niche market. The next step is to grasp an understanding of the demographic, their baseline, and inclination towards dispense of disposable income. In today's class of Basic Business, we shall review a case (study) of two cafés - one notably new to the St. Lawrence neighbourhood, the other established in East York.
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​mon K is a longtime occupant of its primarily residential district, offering Japanese-inspired French pastries in a cozy coffee shop context. Parking is an anxiety-inducing nightmare for driving disciplines, and, while available, is subject to payment by the meter. The patisserie is as renowned for their elaborate cakes as their dissent of credit cards; cash and debit are the preferred methods of money exchange, though e-transfer is also offered (no PayPal here).
The pastry selection is quite vast, spanning from macarons to complex dome desserts. A similar approach was adopted for the beverage menu, though it sufficed to say that there was but a single row that succeeded in instigating appeal.
​Service was lacklustre on both occasions, as was the quality of the $2.95 twelve-ounce cups containing what couldn't possibly be Iced Coffee, the meek paper straws, abhorrent abundance of ice, and weak, watery profile indicative of the staff's commitment to customer satisfaction. Regrettably, the bakery items revealed no distinct difference: overpriced, soggy, and bearing atrociously minimal filling was the Pistachio Custard roll; relentlessly sugary to a fault was the $5.95 Mont Blanc. T'was indeed an 이불킥 moment for yours truly.
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As the sole physical retailer for Momo Tea, I had considered bestowing upon the patisserie second chance, yet it was just one more than deserved. The experience was anything but endearing, leaving behind an unequivocally negative impression.

​​Stomachs filled but contentment levels unquenched, an alternative named Third Wave Coffee was sought out.
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Out & About #642 | Week #14 Quarantine Update Feat. Marbled Banana Bread Minis

6/21/2020

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​Our household has always had coffee drinkers. Once upon a time, we even did daily Timmie's Drive-Thru runs and, if I remember correctly, my go-to choice was either an Iced Capp or Vanilla Yogurt. The menu has undoubtedly undergone several changes since then, and so have we, whom no longer pay for the painstakingly watery cups either.
However, coffee drinker statuses never waver. We simply seek the next caffeinated thrill, whether it be iced lattes or affogatos.
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​No summer is complete with a trip to Port Credit, and no waterfront experience is complete without ice cream, especially irresistibly creamyartisan flavours.
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​Solely operating during peak sunshine season, Scoops is a local favourite that took to offering sugar/waffle cones in a cup and 500 ml or 1 L takeaway containers in the face of the current pandemic.
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​Although Piña Colada sorbet was quite a dismal pick, Cappuccino Crisp did not disappoint. The velvety Maple Walnut we brought back was another winner that incoporated the best of conventionally Canadian maple ribbons with crunchy walnuts in a luscious vanilla base.
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​The return trip marked my first visit to McD's since Vancity Blitz three months prior. And while probably not the most health-conscious choice, Chicken McNuggets with honey and BBQ sauce were the ideal companion for makgeolli.
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​Loyal visitors of this space may be familiar with Ark + Anchor, or more specifically their croissants from de la terre.
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​As the yearning for pain au chocolat surfaced, my mind instantly flew to the website of my favourite stall in the Hamilton Farmer's Market. Lo and behold, free home delivery was being offered!
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Out & About #641 | Surf & Turf BBQ

6/19/2020

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​Frequenting the Smitten Kitchen University for last-minute dinner ideas with insert ingredient name here prompted me to realize the cooking constraints of a small accommodation. Fortunate enough to reside where space is ample and oven operations occur independently of thermostat changes, it also led to a second realization: It's officially summer, yet we haven't been particularly eager to hop on the barbecue train this season.
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​But, to be frank, isn't that how most humans function? Mere mortals tend to perform daily tasks on "auto-pilot", completing activities out of habit from a fixed roster of aptitudes. Alas, I am one to promote growth and positive change.

​Thus, we set out to hold the household's first ever Surf & Turf BBQ.
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​The term induces flashbacks to childhood suppers at our local Red Lobster - complete with warm, crispy Cheddar Bay biscuits and purple crayons. As a matter of fact, it makes reference to a two-part course: one hailing from the waters ("surf"ing seafood), the other originating from grassy "turfs" of land (red meat in some format).
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Out & About #640 | Week #13 Quarantine Update Feat. Pancakes + Lemon Curd Pound Cake

6/14/2020

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Work-from-home duties have not only buried me alive, but proceeded to sprinkle its seeds in preparation for eternal embedment. I've seen more of spreadsheets than happenings of the outside world lately, which  ̶a̶p̶p̶a̶r̶e̶n̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶ appallingly isn't surprising amongst the working group of which I am acquainted.​
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My response to a friend's inquisition of "Did you want more tea bags?" prompted the realization of a newly-founded dependence on caffeine.
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​Cooking and kitchen compilations can be viewed as chores to some (many?), however they are personally interpreted as moments of creative release. Bearing more nimbleness than artistic expertise in the fingers and limbs, the creation of comestible compositions between frenzied work tasks is not nearly intimidating an undertaking if scheduled judiciously. The reasoner within appreciates gustatory genesis, for it serves the dual, or rather, primary, function of providing sustenance.
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1. Pancakes (hotcakes?) cravings curbed with the help of honeykki
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My endless fascination with tall, fluffy pancakes has been imprinted in my memory with the testing procedures of countless pancake recipes (only one bearing fruit). A few years have since passed, and while I've accepted my fate, the craving for warm, syrup-drizzled flapjacks does creep up on me.
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​Maple syrup courtesy of Maple Syrup Fest, because that's just how Canadians do things.
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Out & About #639 | Week #12 Quarantine Update

6/7/2020

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I'm an advocate of simplifying matters. You know, like math. Drama fits best in media productions, dispensable in daily life and enjoyed as a form of entertainment instead. I also believe in unique opinions. Everyone can have opinions; whether you choose to voice them is up to one's own discretion. Silence is not synonymous with a lack of awareness, and furthermore warrants no personal attacks. Neither one to condemn expression or suppression, it is my belief that sharing opinions in the absence of agreement is absolutely fine.

​Moving onto a lighter note - as should we all with negative news popping up left and right - allow me to present several creations of the week:
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1. Egg Salad with Pickled Celery
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I shall forewarn about my auntie-esque attributes: Scoring two stalks of celery for $2.59 was my most glorious grocery-running moment last week. This boast-worthy endeavour was then quickly put to use with none other than the first recipe to emerge under SK's "celery" category. Shallots were an unexpectedly wonderful touch; Dijon mustard was swapped for wasabi and boiled potatoes were added for substance.
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2. Matcha Madeleine w/ Milk Chocolate Matcha Glaze

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French pastries adopt very precise shapes, with very specific contours, which, in turn, demand very particular apparatus. At the mention of brown butter, my mind tends to drift towards financiers (Third Wave's financier, to be exact), then to my own attempt, and then to the possibility of crafting financiers in madeleine molds (how sacrilegious! I know, I know.)
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Of course, the traditional madeleine does not employ brown butter as a staple ingredient, but rather baking powder and a decent amount of patience - an aspect I cannot pride myself with possessing. The need for uniform portioning and additional wait time for glaze-setting were other elements that led to pastry's hedgehog-back demise.

At least, there was pizza to save the day (feat. a pizza paddle acquired nearly half a decade prior and promptly forgotten upon its entry into the house).
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3. Ginger Blueberry Soda w/ Homemade Blueberry Jam
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This was enjoyed while hermitting indoors, unboxing a much-needed package from Nature Republic and securely shielded from the repulsiveness that is thirty-degrees-plus-humidity weather.
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4. Soy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
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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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