Entering the tenth (!!) week of quarantine, the GTA has been met with an extraordinary heat wave. Needless to say, many have tossed social distancing policies through the window at the arrival of such balmy conditions.
I've more or less maintained my regular schedule of work and chores, and have taken the liberty of remaining in the air-conditioned indoors for my overall wellbeing. Humidity is, honestly, not my closest friend.
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Re-entering my life are runny soft-boiled eggs, which previously emerged overdone without reasonable explanation. Other ingested items include: DELISSIO Deluxe with a spongy crust, a Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher from Starbucks, and more Chocolate Chip Cookies - baked at 25 degrees Fahrenheit higher for extra crunch.
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Things I learned during Corona (Rev 4):
- An incline in mercury levels have a seemingly proportional relationship with alcoholic beverage purchases; lineups outside both LCBO and The Beer Store were witnessed on a scorching Friday afternoon.
- Driver impatience - in addition to general recklessness - were frequent sightings amidst the climate change as well.
- Perhaps the greatest source of "culture shock", should I be able to depict it as so, was the utter absence of a helping hand in a public environment. Having queued for my turn at the empty can return entrance and suddenly experienced a tumble of empty beer cans, I was almost appalled that not a single member of the lineup came to my assistance. However, the realization dawned upon me nearly immediately: COVID-19 is centred about contact surfaces, after all.
Reviewing my creations of the week, the standout item is undoubtedly my Matcha Shokupan. Adapted from Bake For Happy Kids with the inclusion of matcha powder and dried berries, the result was delicate and stringy, though far too moist for sandwich bread usages.
Along the way was an error on my part, even though the root cause is undetermined as of yet.
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BnC Bakery, otherwise known as Tokyo Cheesecake Cafe, stands its ground as one of Mississauga's best kept secrets.
The family-operated cafe has undergone a few rounds of renovations, with the most notable changes being reflected in their
assortment of Korean shaved ice and caffeinated beverages. Keeping up with snack trends originating from the motherland, recently spotted were the popular basque cheesecake and POGO-style spicy cheese corn dogs.
assortment of Korean shaved ice and caffeinated beverages. Keeping up with snack trends originating from the motherland, recently spotted were the popular basque cheesecake and POGO-style spicy cheese corn dogs.
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< Pictured above and below: Cappuccino Shaved Ice (Regular), Vienna Coffee (Cold), Iced Cappuccino >
A triple dose of coffee was precisely what the doctor ordered. A Regular shaved ice was a splendid portion for two (or even three after a heavy meal); crunchy bits of chocolate wafer cookies adorned the surface of our Cappuccino bingsoo, along with a faint smear of sweetened condensed milk along the rim of the Styrofoam container. It was tricky to distinguish whether the dessert had employed the conventional method of alternate layering, for it was on the milder side of the flavour gamut, even between sips of iced coffee. Successfully resisting rapid dissolution amidst sweltering external conditions, we were able to polish off the contents of the container before their eventual ice lump evolution.
A triple dose of coffee was precisely what the doctor ordered. A Regular shaved ice was a splendid portion for two (or even three after a heavy meal); crunchy bits of chocolate wafer cookies adorned the surface of our Cappuccino bingsoo, along with a faint smear of sweetened condensed milk along the rim of the Styrofoam container. It was tricky to distinguish whether the dessert had employed the conventional method of alternate layering, for it was on the milder side of the flavour gamut, even between sips of iced coffee. Successfully resisting rapid dissolution amidst sweltering external conditions, we were able to polish off the contents of the container before their eventual ice lump evolution.
Harnessing great similarity to a latte, the sans-foam Iced Cappuccino comprised of a single shot of espresso, lending a primarily milk taste to its 16 oz. profile. In contrast, the Vienna Coffee was a concentrated solution presented in a 12 oz. cup; bearing a double shot ("doppio"), luscious cream cap, and delicate drizzle of syrup, it was not a far cry from ToPresso in terms of presentation.
Albeit the city-wide ban on park entry, countless residential streets prove worthy of the Kariya Park blossom hype. With this in mind, it is my humble hope that residents are able to find flower-admiring solace in their local community, because a second wave of coronavirus is beneficial for none and detrimental to all.
Continuing on with the cooking tidbits: Behold Dace Fish Balls (at long last!) and boiled bibigo dumplings.
Cha Siu Chicken Thighs and Roasted Root Vegetables proved to be another hit.
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The seasonings were simple:
- Salt, pepper, olive oil, and a dash of onion salt for the veggies;
- Lemon zest marinade and a cha siu glaze for the chicken
Stick around for next week's edition, where I may or may not delve into the formula for Black Sesame Soup (without the matcha latte).
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