Category: Shopping - Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger

Out & About #689 | Week #45 Quarantine Update Feat. Lap Cheong Rolls + Hodo Kwaja

1/24/2021

Within the first few months of the pandemic's arrival last year, it was brought to my attention that distancing restrictions imposed actually brought about a great deal of relief. Those that thrived on moments of self-reflection were exempt from their dreaded gatherings, while those that thrived on social interactions were exempt from FOMO repercussions. For better or for worse, there arose the freedom for selective communication. And while one could reap its benefits by escaping unfavourable situations and potentially eliminating toxic relationships, the theory cannot be applied so simply in the virtual workplace.

It is through gritted teeth and a hanging head that the existing situation remains relatively unchanged as far as Ontarians are aware. Yet, it is my personal hope that those who hadn't been particularly skillful in the department of communication have adapted accordingly in the past eight months, and that those who haven't shall summon an effort from this point on. Technology exists to ease our day-to-day activities, rather than preclude opportunities for efficiency.

Creations of the week included:

1) Steamed Tofu w/ Scallion Garlic Soy Sauce

2) Steamed Salmon Steak

3) Steamed Lap Cheong Buns / 臘腸卷

The incarnation of this classic dim sum plate stemmed from the unexpected acquisition of lap cheong (臘腸), otherwise known as preserved Chinese sausage. The description read fiery, thus the vacuum-sealed package had originally been reserved for chorizo-like usages, likely to be consumed alongside tortillas from St. Jacobs.

However, the household supply of groceries was gradually being depleted. An absence of yogurt was witnessed, followed closely by milk, bread, whipping cream (yes, this is essential), and eggs. Ingredients were minimal for the construction of the suitable breakfast item, yet flour was aplenty.
I set out to craft the buns one chilly morning, combining the yeasty foundation of one source with the method of another. The dough was, surprisingly, easy to work with, requiring little to no dusting of flour and elongating in the desired worm-like shape.

Given the fears of the supposedly spicy five-pack, I separately prepared an equal count of Honey Garlic Smokies. These were admittedly less delicious in their tough, sinewy casing and better suited for buttery milk buns bearing a glorious egg wash sheen.
I'll also admit to the exaggerated - and glaringly obvious - meat-to-bun ratio. Though, with both sausages being of relatively mild nature (it wasn't spicy after all!), this mattered less on an overall tasting note.

Particularly worthy of mention are the layers boasted by the dough itself - the sole element wholly indicative of my efforts.

Out & About #686 | The Decade Turns One

1/1/2021

Happy New Year!

Another 365 (+1) days have passed us by, and we've arrived at yet another period of sappy recaps. (But is there even anything to recap?) The last nine months have likely been as vague for me as any other human requiring to interact with the outside world, with the COVID virus and its prominent, indefinite presence.

A time of reflection comes with each year's end, but rather than recounting those that rouse regret and resentment, the approach ought be constructive. Too soon have I noticed those on the interweb bidding riddance to the year of 2020; optimism should be carried forward, but not without comprehensive review of the year's happenings.

Over the course of the pandemic, the global community has been stretched with no expected end in sight. Majority of occupations were shifted to that of a virtual working environment, with the exception of the essential services that support our lives silently in the background. And the non-essentials, some of which I shall not deny contempt of, dissolved - either out of lack of need or lack of financial support. The shift towards electronic processes for municipal and provincial services were well overdue, yet materialized only in the wake of a crisis.

But, as a civilization, we are dynamic creatures, adaptable and resilient in the face of change. The show must go on.

I'll admit it:
I missed experiencing work life in the flesh, whether it entailed office-bound overtime or not.
I missed the opportunities to engage with members of my social circle, whether we were on tight terms or not.
I missed outings that didn't involve running back to the house because I had forgotten a mask.
I missed the potential trip to see GOT7's domestic anniversary concert.

Most importantly, I missed the daily activities we took for granted. Every instance was a privilege, from every step to every living breath. Mere survival is already an opportunity. COVID couldn't depict more clearly that having health is having wealth.

Throughout these "trying times", I blamed not once the incarnation of such a lethal bug. In a society employing the survival of the fittest, our fate alters only with the actions we choose to execute, irrelevant of third-party stimulants. We, as a species, are given two options: live to learn, or learn to live.

From here, the only way is up, up the knowledge chain on a quest to conquer coronavirus and re-instate the activities we loved and will love again.

Out & About #685 | Week #41 Quarantine Update Feat. Breath of Love : Last Piece

12/27/2020

On the eve of Christmas, the world welcomed a dusting of frosty precipitation. Flurries commenced in the late evening hours, continuing throughout the night, such that the next morning we would awake to a weighty cloak of white on our porch, driveway, and backyard perimeter-lining pine trees.

There are only green Christmases in memories of recent years, although perusing the archives revealed discrepancies. Regardless, the just-freezing temperatures were quite welcome, for the tone of the holiday had been established.

In fact, the comparatively mild conditions even prompted the purchase of an Irish Cream Cold Brew. Advertised countless times by the Thai ahgase, the beverage was indeed as delicious as she had vouched for. It was creamier than expected, with a dash of nutmeg and hints of Irish Cream (in the absence of alcohol). Personal preference still lies with regular cold brew though, given the inhomogeneous properties of flavoured cream cap.

Appeasing the last-minute scramble of grocery runs and pre-Christmas cooking was the timely arrival of my fangirl package. A kind soul from Korea had shipped it two weeks prior, and the delivery date happened to coincide with the season of gifting.
A gift to myself, for the skirt of our tree is relatively barren this year.

My status as a devoted MyDay was declared as of 2018's "Youth" tour. Further confirmed was my position as a Wonpil stan, and now I have a Pil to my name to prove it!

(The teensy feet are the best.)

I had also teetered on the decision for (yet) another lightstick. Adopted as symbols of commitment, I ultimately proceeded with the Robong order.

"It's a promise to myself that, one day, I will see them live in concert." I had stated.
"So a placeholder!"
"Yes!"

Out & About #682 | St. Jacobs Farmers' Market

12/19/2020

Holiday markets are as customary of the Christmas season as hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.

I miss it all - even the subzero jitters and consequential chilly cheeks, even the trembling fingertips and joule-generating antics. Without these elements, winter festivities just seem...a little less festive.

Which I suppose is a fair declaration for the ninth consecutive month of COVID co-existence in the human realm.

Venturing beyond the boundaries of Peel, Toronto, and York, I suggested a trip northwest. The St. Jacobs Farmers' Market had been excluded from our Kitchener drive during the summer due to lack of time, yet was rightfully re-instated this time around. Fully compliant with provincial guidelines, the market enforced masking and further guided visitors using directional arrows both inside and out of the market buildings.

View the full album HERE !

Parking was complimentary and frankly quite close to the Farmers' Market and surrounding structures. We pulled in just after noon, at which point damp flurries began to descend.

Out & About #681 | Week #39 Quarantine Update Feat. In A Bowl

12/13/2020

Nine months into the coronavirus pandemic, it is likely for the population to have entered countless phases of highs and lows, with higher highs and lower lows in between: turmoil, followed by acceptance, adjustment, and compliance, then optimism, and ultimately the current phase of restlessness.

Even in the face of these fluid circumstances, perhaps you've registered one new skill (or even more!) onto your roster of capabilities. Perhaps you learned that technology is an enabler of equal opportunity, rather than an unspoken barrier buried within the generation gap. Perhaps you thank your local grocery store cashier now, for it's dawned upon you that their societal role is fraught with danger. And perhaps you've grown more modest, more humble, and more respectable.

Speaking from a personal note, I've conquered my fear of bread-kneading and raw meat-handling. I've explored a larger quantity of cookie recipes than I've ever had the luxury to in the past. I've established an effective method of communication with coworkers, where misunderstandings can be kept to a minimum even without facial expressions in play.

Without a doubt, I've learned more than enough about my own poor posture, all whilst conjuring innovative workarounds to technical travesties.

Creations of the week were few, given the looming work deadline ahead. For the most part, I resorted to simple snacks to refuel. Allocating a portion of dough from the Everything Bagel attempt and incorporating roughly chopped semisweet chocolate yielded a ready-to-bake batch of chocolate chip cookies. I've also grown particularly fond of Lindt's seasonal Peppermint Cookie truffles and Chocolate Mousse cups, which are constructed from two ingredients and nothing more.

My Black Friday order of couvertures included callets from Callebaut and hexagonal Lindt Piccoli plates. While I have yet to determine superiority, it can be concluded that both varieties are delicious and diverse, suitable for suitable for an assortment of applications.

Callebaut's Velcro-esque bag closure was an added bonus feature.

Alas, I have yet to confirm a foolproof formula for chocolate mousse. Stay tuned as I modify the ratios with each iteration.

Long, grueling hours on the laptop oddly spurred a desire for granola. Yet, with none available, I settled for a standard slice of toast then proceeded with its creation, haphazardly if I may add. The ceaseless vibrations and meeting alerts had me frazzled and led to the omission of a binder. In my haste, egg white had been forgotten; the result was crumbly and ridiculously greasy, with bitter, charred raisins to boot. Nonetheless, it was a crunchy batch - even passable, dare I say, when paired with vanilla yogurt.

To commend myself for yet another torturous period of report-compilation, I bestowed upon myself the opportunity for fresh air.

Out & About #680 | Week #38 Quarantine Update Feat. Green Tea Scones + Lemon Dill Salmon

12/6/2020

The last month of the fiscal year had previously meant nothing more than frigid fingers and the end of another school semester for my studying acquaintances. Holiday hangouts were customary though not events typically associated with the arrival of winter. Upon boarding the bus of full-time employment, December equated to an entirely different experience - one characterized by endless evenings of physical and mental exertion.
These happenings also have a tendency to creep into one's subconscious state, where its side effects conclude a psychologically taxing state. (Have you ever dreamed of being chased down via emails?)

In the face of COVID-19 though, there are few things deemed more critical than stable income and general health and wellbeing. Working from home may not offer the most ideal circumstances, yet it allows for the isolation of issues that probably weren't granted much attention in the past. Moreover, it encouraged the development of new skills, a silver lining in the midst of widespread pandemonium.

Creations of the week included:

1) Green Tea Scones
Continuing the pursuit of the perfect scone, I progressed onto a green tea variation sourced from the ever-dependable Sunday Baking.

Egg was swapped for additional heavy cream and Mediterranean yogurt (10%) as to keep them moist and adhere to the egg-less formula of traditional tea scones. The dough was fairly easy to construct and binded together without excess dampness. I didn't re-roll the dough, but instead separated the disc into triangular segments as illustrated in the original recipe. Just as advertised, the sections exuded rich green tea flavour and was ideal paired with sticky matcha-white chocolate drizzle. Utilizing an egg wash of only whites helped to preserve the luscious colour - a 끌팁indeed!

Albeit misaligned after baking, the pieces bore only a single crack around its midsection, as scones ought to.

The scones were delicious, and best enjoyed a milk-enhanced espresso beverage. All hail the timely arrival of my Black Friday Balzac's package!

2) Homemade Rice Krispie Squares Two Ways

As like many North American children, tri-colour Rice Krispie squares were an essential element of every end-of-year school potluck. I wasn't able to locate the holiday edition of the puffed rice cereal, but instead made use of the Brown Rice variation for this nostalgic Christmas treat.

Out & About #675 | Week #34 Quarantine Update Feat. Takeout Takeover

11/8/2020

Allow me to first address the elephant in the index: Week 33 of life amidst COVID-19 was consolidated into the past weekend's Halloween-centric entry. Now, moving on.

In response to progressively worsening pains in the wrist and fingers (that later began propagating from the tendons to large muscle groups), creations of the week were kept to an absolute minimum, with majority of the items of consumption outsourced.

Once the morning of November 1st rolled in, I set out on a(n online) quest for Halloween clearance merchandise. Contrary to my expectations, minimal stock graced the shelves of both online and in-store retail shops. Decor and baking tools were oddly difficult to track down this time around, yet holiday furnishings were already in abundance.
I skipped over the microscopic section of tea towels and spooky garlands; secured instead was a thin, satin-y vampire cape fringed with fraying threads, aimed to incorporated into the following year's unpredicted festive ensemble.

Nearby was Timmies - the same location from which I had previously secured a Smile Cookie after a tedious ten-minute wait. I summoned forth a Small Mocha and Raisin Bran Muffin for afternoon snacking, the latter proving excessively sugary with minimal cragginess. The Mocha, on the other hand, was admittedly delicious; its 1:1 ratio of hot chocolate and brewed coffee was superior to the likes of both Starbucks and McDonald's, establishments reliant on tacky-tasting chocolate syrup.

Shedding the spotlight on the very few creations of the week: Egg Salad and Chocolate Mousse were the prominent ones; baking off cookies from the freezer and pour-over crafting are contenders less likely to fall within this category, though shall be mentioned nonetheless.

More Timmies was secured on a trip to the east end, following physio and before errands.

Forgiving weather enabled an outdoor dining experience just beyond the Drive-Thru corridor. Chicken Wraps and a piping container of chilli were enjoyed in gloriously sunny conditions uncharacteristic of pre-snowfall periods.

During this visit, we learned about the franchise's removal of the Chicken Salad Sandwich, otherwise known as my coveted childhood favourite, from the menu. Additionally, it was concluded that altering the 1:1 ratio in the Mocha(s) did not necessarily yield better results.

Out & About #674 | Halloween Happenings (COVID-19 Edition)

10/31/2020

The time has arrived for trick-or-treating. Despite health and safety concerns surrounding the event, the act of making neighbourhood door-to-doors was not banned by public officials; it was merely a matter of operating safely within COVID guidelines.

Older generations such as myself have not partaken in this particular act for well over a decade, though circumstances may differ depending on the spectrum of ages housed within one residence. Less inclined to the fearful aspects of the holiday, my Halloween festivities normally revolve around last-minute costumes and the occasional themed treat.

Mississauga's alternative approach to celebration involved a self-led scavenger hunt at the City Centre's go-to outdoor event space. Celebration Square, which now features social distancing circles, was decorated, minimally - if I may add - with a Monster Fitness Course and trivia questions referring to various parts of the city. Installations such as the Queen of Halloween and Monstrous Mum Living Mural were striking displays of colour fit for photo-taking.

We spent just under twenty minutes parading the perimeter of the square, after which chilly conditions prompted our return indoors.

Out & About #672 | Week #32 Quarantine Update Feat. Halloween Cookies

10/25/2020

With cooler weather upon us, it is only natural to drift in the direction of warm, cozy lattes and steaming mugs of cider. Naturally, cold brew production has also lessened, either being substituted with pourovers hot espresso-based beverages or acting to supplement mid-day cookie cravings.
The opportunity has, in turn, enabled me to try my hand at microfoam art, yet again witnessed with minimal success.

Remnants of the previous week's Oatmeal Bread and Pigs in a Blanket were devoured promptly. A Coconut Cream Einspänner reared its head in response to leftover AROY-D, much to the approval of orangecane.

CoCo was acquired from the location nearest me. New masks were tested by Larry.

Halloween fast approaching, I took upon the mission of obtaining black cocoa powder for undecided creative endeavours. Any previous attempts to locate Dutch press cocoa powder at the local grocer had been in vain; seeing that Amazon seemed even less economically-prudent for the ingredient, I sought out a local wholesaler in the east end of the city.

McCall's was further from any POI than I could have anticipated. Firmly nestled in a series of brick-and-mortar commercial buildings, which were, interestingly enough, not that far from the paintball destination of nearly two years prior, was their extremely modest side entrance and "parking lot".

Out & About #671 | Week #31 Quarantine Update Feat. Pigs in a Blanket + Farewell Playdium

10/18/2020

Growing up, my favourite season was summer - as probably every kid's was. The balmy months were often tied to keywords such as "summer break", "no school(!)", and "vacation". With the coming of age though, there is an undeniable shift in favour of cooler temperatures. Autumn's breezy conditions and saturated shrubbery offer a sense of serenity - an emotion disparate from the sweaty bustle of summer. There's just something extremely satisfying about traversing across crunchy leaves post-abscission.

Creations of the week included:

1) Apple Cider
...or rather, Mulled Apple Cider. With majority of our stash allocated towards Apple Pie, the remaining 802 grams of fruit thereupon constituted the base of an apple cider attempt. Alas, I was far too generous with the spice blend; the brew was stripped of its luscious, juicy tartness and made spicier than need be. Serving it cold in a 3:1 ratio with water was the resulting solution.

2) Oatmeal Bread

For me, it would be an understatement to declare that craggy, fibrous - and oftentimes healthy - items are joyful to consume. Thus, one can imagine my enthusiasm upon perception of the words "I need to eat healthier."
I first began scouring the World Wide Web for a gluten-free loaf utilizing oats, partially for the sake of experimentation and partially to eliminate white bread flour altogether. After landing on several formulae that listed pre-soaking of steel-cut oats as the first step, I reverted to the Queen of Breadmaking for a hassle-free endeavour.

Bake for Happy Kids has done it yet again! Not only was the dough was extremely easy to handle, but the kneading process was comparatively much shorter as well.

Admittedly, the loaf doesn't resist moisture dissipation as efficiently as the standard sugar-laden loaves. It also failed to the same height. Fluffiness was gradually lost over the course of twelve hours. Thankfully, this aspect mattered minimally, for slices were toasted till crisp and smothered with Knotty Coppertop's fabulously floral unpasteurized honey.

3) Pigs in a Blanket - the puffed edition

Success seen with SK's revolutionary pie crust, we began to contemplate a savoury edition. The conception eventually materialized in the form of wiener sausages coiled within thin, flat strands of buttery pie dough, then finished with a dash of dried parsley.

The first one, a highly unfortunate, dust-covered prototype, was topped with flaky sea salt and a pinch of turbinado sugar. Additional sodium was omitted from the latter batch upon the discovery of the sausages' existing salty profile.

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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