Out & About #632 | Week #7 Quarantine Update​ Feat. Bread, Onions, and Chocolate chip Cookies

Boredom is a state to which I cannot relate.

The thought of being idle is appalling.

The thought of being unproductive is repulsive in every aspect.
The thought of being lethargic and proceeding about without purpose does not entice me.

So while there are those that have been involuntarily bound to their homes without much work, the same simply cannot be stated for the remainder of society. At one end of the gamut are unconstrained souls, leisurely spending their days browsing Netflix while inverted on their sofa, and at the other are front-liners and employees working remotely in essential services.

With that said, being unduly occupied still overrules the inactive lifestyles led by many during this quarantine period. We're growing accustomed to the work-from-home procedures, inclusive of its around-the-clock responsibilities.

Things I learned during Corona (Rev 3):

• The only thing more incredulous than the ever-arduous grocery store visit is the bills that result from them: Food expenses have surged - trifold, I should say. Our local community has passed the stage of "panic purchasing", though citizens have not refrained from hauling items as they become available. After all, the waiting has already happened.
• When paired with extended periods of mousework, shortened cooking frequencies have introduced the return of my long-time enemies, untreated RSIs. During such times, all members of the immediate household ought to pull their weight in terms of chore distribution. However, this is far from an ideal world, and reality is  ̶u̶n̶n̶e̶c̶e̶s̶s̶a̶r̶i̶l̶y̶ ̶ oddly kind to those that fail to make equal contributions to mankind.
• Elaborating on the previous point, imbalance exists on this planet, and will continue to exist. As mere occupants of the planet, it's strange to think that mortal creatures such as ourselves subconsciously generate obstacles that prevent attaining harmony with the existing physical environment and surrounding creatures. 
• (On a lighter note,) Non-essential retailers remain open - just opt for curbside pickup!

Amongst my endless endeavours in the kitchen this week are the following:

1. Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (thanks SKU!)
Because cookies and sanity go hand in hand - in my dictionary, anyway.

2. Tangzhong Bread Rolls
Nonuniform portioning aside and slightly saltier profile than desired, these golden brown provisions were perfectly chewy and delectable.

Whether the inclusion of tangzhong results in stringier loaves is debatable. In retrospect, the additional step requires very minimal effort, ultimately leaving the complexity of the formula to the baker.

These pull-apart rolls vanished promptly after their incarnation, almost depressingly so. They endured a short-lived lifespan of four days in the face of a mastication monster. (Clearly not me.)

3. Shallow-Fried Onion Rings
I owe my onion experiments to the 10 lb bag of onions that entered the house. Panko and egg on hand, I opted to try my hand at Onion Rings, only regretting my decision several hours too late. Rings neatly cut and extremely pungent, I began beating the egg and pouring away half the container of bread crumbs. The tedious coating process commenced, then terminated with foul-smelling fumes and hot oil injuries to the hand and face.
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The outcome of the project was dismal, warranting none of the time, effort, and staple ingredients it entailed. For such cravings, should they ever surface in this lifetime ever again, I shall be ordering takeout from my local Harvey's - no ifs, ands, or buts.​

4. Baked Fries crafted from baby red skin potatoes
5. Sweet Pickled Onions which, dare I say, are capable of rivalling Bick's.
6. Turmeric-Mascarpone Shrimp "Curry"

​7. Financiers formed in mini muffin molds
In reminiscence of my fantastical Third Wave experience (and sparked by Sunday Baking), I set out to brown butter and separate egg whites for the creation.

The result was sweeter than I would have preferred and admittedly quite subpar in comparison to the tender crumb of the St. Lawrence cafe's buttery specimen. Two chocolate-melting hiccups later, I surrendered the pieces to the fridge for preservation.

8. Matcha Dalgona with aquafaba proved beany and demanded far more matcha than the standard Matcha Latte

9. Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies
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​​Smitten Kitchen has done it yet again! Truer words regarding recipes have never  ̶s̶p̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶written.
Boasting an unbeatable aroma, soft and chewy interior, and the most satisfying crunchy exterior to ever grace my cooling rack, this 11-year-old recipe is a keeper.

​Taking orangecane's tip of flash freezing, I now have gourmet cookies on demand. Not only does the tactic assist with portion control - because, let's be real, moderation is a nonexistent beast when it comes to cookies - but further prevents unwanted leaching.

​Peeping into the BTS ("behind the scenes", for clarity) setup, I won't deny that the burst of illumination garnered several stares from post-supper saunterers in the neighbourhood.

​It is with much regret that I still have yet to delve into my DYE albums at this point in time.

​A cursory review of my albums informed me of a stunning photocard selection: I had somehow managed to pull not one, but two (!!) Jinyoung mirror PCs!

Along with these rare probabilities was a Double B set and an adorable Youngjae selca.

​Moreover, I had secured an item from six out of seven members! Our dear leader opted to not make an appearance this time around, in spite of his triple threat during the Lullaby era.