Out & About #660 | Week #24 Quarantine Update: Involuntarily a Homebody

​With full confidence, I declare that majority of us have become homebodies as a result of this ongoing pandemic. Involuntarily in the case of eager adventurers, the transition from daily downtown discoveries to dormant, deskbound drudgery was far from facile.
​The inevitable "quarantine fifteen" prevails even in the face of countless up-and-coming online workout channels. And while homemade meals tend to prove more flexible and budget-friendly, the act of composition isn't entirely easy, especially when slotted between periods of tremendous anxiety and impromptu teleconferences.
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I'm looking to start the roundup with several of the week's creations, as time in the kitchen has constituted for the vast percentage of my waking hours, whether it be a frantic fury of dinner assemblage or the undertaking of sweet treats for the sake of stress relief.

Creations of the week include:

1) Chocolate Chip Cookies​ - the last of the Epicurious batch, to be precise.
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​Baked in the oven at 350 F for roughly 15 mins, the yield was softer than toaster oven with, oddly, sweeter results. My preference lies with the toaster oven, for it maintains height, limits spread, and leads to an overall crisper cookie. Furthermore, it nixes the need for preheating (and its associated energy wastage).

2) Financiers
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After adhering to a 12-hour chill - as directed by Sunday Baking - the batter was spooned into madeleine and mini muffin molds. Despite a small mishap along the way (ahem misreading the baking temperature), the results remained stellar.

​In an attempt to recreate my fave specimen from Third Wave, I proceeded to coat a handful of the pastries with melted chocolate and chopped, toasted walnuts; it was a regrettable decision that contributed an excess of moisture, dissimilar to the King East coffee shop's heavenly incarnation. That said, the mighty morsels managed to disappear quite rapidly.

3) Penne with Chicken Breast using last week's fresh tomato pasta sauce
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I won't even lie: work happenings resulted in complete obliteration of the starchy pantry staple from the grocery list, prompting me to run back for its sole acquisition. The pasta was enjoyed alongside defrosted kale and a shredded Edam & mozzarella blend.

4) Garlic Snow Peas (not pictured as they had disappeared all too swiftly)
5) Braised Beef with Carrots
The combination of beef stock and other aromatics wasn't as tender as Jikoni's recipe, yet still triumphed over all the last formulation.

6) Pan-Fried Fillet with Sweet Corn Sauce / 粟米斑塊

A classic Cantonese that, when executed well, is scrumptious to no end. (Well, I suppose the supply does end - rather rapidly, as a matter of fact.)

​7) Blueberry Jam
Crafted on the stovetop versus my default breadmaker setting, my method entailed spoonfuls of intact berries however lacked a spreadable viscosity.

8) Homemade Granola

Granola is essentially an unmeasured compilation of rolled oats, dried cranberries, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, raisins - really, anything goes, and the list goes on. Its formulation stemmed from yet another morning hankering for crunchiness and drew origins from the previous iteration with brown sugar and olive oil, though with the addition of egg white (leftover from cookie-constructing) for structure - a tip acquired from June.

​9) Mochi Brownie

Unmistakably the most mindblowingly decadent brownie to ever materialize from my fingertips, Sunday Baking's Mochi Brownie was a stunner, summoning immediate adoration (sworn allegiance?) from not only with members of immediate household, but other fellow dessert diehards.

​Boasting a gooey, moist interior, effortlessly crackly surface, the layered concoction was unparalleled even from the perspective of one devoid of a particular fondness towards mochi.

​​Though initially dubious about my response, it appeared a great recipe to tackle the abundance of forgotten glutinous rice flour accumulating in the cabinet. The sheer fact that it demanded no special flours (looking at you, Mochiko) was fantastic. Topped with flaky salt, the avant-garde brownie was absolutely sensational.

​The entire process is ridiculously easy, but be wary of the clean-up process. Much like the gluten strands developed in breadmaking, mochi is a tough opponent. To facilitate the process, it is recommended to grease the bowl prior and be liberal with the cornstarch. Any leftover amount can be adopted into the brownie recipe.

​A square or rectangular pan is recommended as well, as mine could have used more mochi at its centre; thinner and flatter is better in this case. Unlike me, do not attempt to layer the mochi. And while a loaf pan was not ideal, the outcome was nonetheless impressive.

10) Butter Cookies revisited with a generous handful of flour. (Too dry, if you ask me.)

A mid-week conversation sparked a sudden itch for Herbal Tea, thus we set out to Meet Fresh.

​Situated in the forever bustling Mavis and Eglinton plaza, the Taiwanese dessert shop can be found in the same section as McDonald's, directly across from the neightbourhood favourite of Sam Woo - er, now Magic BBQ.

My previous findings had eased me into yet another order of Herbal Tea and Signature Icy Grass Jelly. The former regrettably could not be requested in the absence of sugar, as it had been mixed in advance. Revealing no signs of variance from my UberEats delivery, the latter was deemed the single most suitable dessert bowl off the menu - there is no shortage of red beans, mung beans, peanuts, and glutinous rice varieties in my house after all.

We also took to a Wintermelon Tea with Lemon, which was as refreshing as the name implied.

The interior was spacious and furnished with a kitschy light fixture, wood panels, spotless grey couches, and power outlets along the perimeter. Every other table had been taped off for compliance with social distancing rules; patio tables had also been arranged outside for patrons to enjoy the final days of summer. A visitor form was observed by the cashier, though we had not been instructed to input our contact details.

Service was prompt and friendly at our time of visit, though the same attitude was not be extended towards the part-timer fulfilling a weekend shift.

​As mentioned in numerous earlier entries, humans are dynamic creatures. In reality, they are as dynamic as they wish to be, with schedules as flexible or rigid as their heart dictates.

​A last-minute turn of events led to an afternoon at Square One, and a consequent visit to The Rec Room. I had been antsy to check in on the new reality of arcades since Cineplex's re-opening announcement and was pleased to see that game consoles had been rearranged throughout the dining floor and lower level stage (originally intended for live music performances) for improved circulation. Moreover, alcohol wipes and disposal bins were positioned throughout the space with sanitary guidelines posted above: Players were now required to sanitize each game's contact surface after use, similar to the format of many gyms. Pasted on the floor were arrows denoting one-way traffic. 

Instead of a nominated representative, every participant of each party were required to complete a visitor form upon entry, inputting their name, phone number, and time of entry with a pen that failed to be Lysol-ed between uses, unlike COWS. The rule was presumably due to the fact that most visitors do not belong to the same household. Masks were to be worn at all times within the space, which visitors seemingly adhered to without issues.

It is unclear whether an entry limit was imposed, however there were noticeably fewer people occupying the premises than before.

I proposed sushi in commemoration of the long-awaited return of the pink princess who, as one could guess, arrived attired in none other than a dusty, baby pink.

​Tomo Sushi had undergone substantial renovations since my last encounter. Equipped with brighter bulbs, fewer barriers between individual rooms (no more curtains!), and a more-or-less consistent layout, the upgrades had induced a further hike in prices.

Frankly, the preference is to remain outdoors while dining for improved air circulation. That said, the evening temperatures began to plummet from the moment of our arrival, and dining within prevailed as the more reasonable alternative. Customers looking to dine underwent a temperature check and customary "Have you travelled out of the country in the last 30 days?" inquiry.
At each table were disposable utensils and paper placemats; positioned along the separator was a QR Code, from which the menu was accessible.

Similar to Meet Fresh, every other table remained empty for distancing purposes. Bathrooms were also limited to one person at a time, a sensible policy given that the facilities possess only two stalls and two sinks, one of each now closed off. Garbage disposal remains available within the stall, though the sighting of masks inside the bin was heavily questionable.​

< Pictured above and below:

• DD 04 / Unagi Donburi ($23)
• BR 13 / Negi Otoro Roll ($16)

• SD 08 / Chirashi Regular ($26) >

Between our shared Chirashi, Unagi Donburi, and Negi Otoro Roll, it was an understatement to say that Tomo Sushi has succumbed to massive inflation with quality deterioration. Species contained with the Chirashi bowl was limited and of mediocre freshness, while the Negi Ototo Roll was delivered with an appalling absence of scallions and weeping cuts of mashed tuna. The silkiness generally associated with ootoro was nowhere in sight. The Unagi Donburi was still tasty, however undeserving of its twenty-three-dollar price.

​Prices having surged without explanation (or enhanced gustatory virtue), it is safe to say that I shall not be returning again to Sushi Tei 2.0.

We concluded the evening at The Alley upon the pink princess' request, leading to the discovery of the Taiwan-based, Hong Kong-famous chain's own rendition of herbal tea - known as Dark Knight.

Needless to say, it was neither as complex nor addicting as Meet Fresh, though not indecent at its cost.

​The next day, I proceed to recap my myriad of souvenirs from Vietnam, inclusive of a 5-in-1 hot cocoa mix, oh-so-coveted Vietnamese coffee packs, and turquoise unicorn plush that is allegedly suggestive of my presence.