Breakfast of late has been overnight oats, which is neither a new invention nor revolutionary discovery in the world of meal preparation. (It even gave purpose to cupboard-ridden chia seeds!) Simply put, it was one of those items that never crossed my mind with a communal microwave available. But since coronavirus thrives off unassuming surface contact, alternate methods were sought out.
My first batch comprised of roughly the same quantities of oats and liquid utilized in standard microwave preparation, which ran soupy in the absence of heat. Consulting the Internet's countless formulas, I quickly learned that a 1:1 ratio would eliminate this issue. The next step is to convert US cup measurements to scale-friendly metric.
The morning meal is most often ingested in a daze while fueling with cold brew, crafted from whichever roast is currently on rotation.
The morning meal is most often ingested in a daze while fueling with cold brew, crafted from whichever roast is currently on rotation.
More caffeine is usually demanded in the early afternoon hours, be it an Iced Americano or Nitro Cold Brew (though Salted Honey Cold Foam is really not the way to go). The inclusion of sugar assists in energy supply such that one can endure past the 5PM mark.
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Recalling feedthebear's heavy preference for chewy ginger cookies, I became inclined to request one as a pick-me-up. Frankly speaking, by my metrics, warmed specimen was too soft, too chewy, and not quite gingery enough.
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On a particularly late day - in hindsight, nearly the entirety of all my working days - where the idea of cooking after ten hours of mental exhaustion was the last activity of interest, I decided to take advantage of a few UberEats offers, utilizing their new Pickup function.
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An assortment of items was requested from Oakville's Danish Pastry House on Cornwall, then obtained through a simple, swift retrieval process.
< Pictured above and below:
< Pictured above and below:
- Gateau Marcel
- Ham & Cheese Smorhorn
- Chokolade Smorhorn
- Vaniljekranse (6-pack)
- Nougat Medalje (3-pack)
- Chokolade Roulade
- Æblesnitte/Aeblestang (Apple Stick - Slice) >
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First to be sampled was the Gateau Marcel, an ample slice of chocolatey-ness (or "Belgian chocolate mousse cake") with a whimsical dusting of shimmery gold specks., an ample slice of chocolatey-ness with a whimsical dusting of shimmery gold specks. The gluten-free cake was as luscious as a brownie yet airier in consistency, akin to a comforting, cocoa-dusted embrace.
Next were the Vaniljekranse, traditional Danish vanilla wreath cookies that had been requested in a pack of six. Had the circular cookies in my trusty Kjeldsens container been larger and spiraled indentations more pronounced, they would have been indistinguishable when placed adjacent. The real deal was, admittedly, more conservative in terms of buttery aromas with a noticeably more friable profile. They were thicker as well, with larger air voids and greater height, presumably owed to a formula with more leavener and fewer packaging preservatives.
Initially debating between the Greta Garbo and the Nougat Medalje (a larger, floral shortbread creation), the latter proved triumphant due to its lower commitment of three pieces, as opposed to the raspberry jam-dolloped six-pack. My decision was in vain however, as the cookies emerged obnoxiously sweet to the point of gagging. Scraping away the rich brown candy layer resulted in immediate appeasement; the thin shortbread cookie halves were rather tasty, albeit rendered at a similar level of sugariness.
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The duo of Smorhorns, otherwise described as "butterhorns", were exceptional in flakiness, be they consumed ten hours after enclosure within a paper box or reheated in a handy toaster oven. A tad plumper than the ones from Hadrien/Third Wave, yet more miniscule, the buttery pastries were as delectable as could be. In particular, the Ham & Cheese emerged as an item worthy of recognition - black forest ham was an unexpected inclusion deepening its overall complexity. Chocolate and custard quantities were indiscernible, though the generous drizzle on top served as (partial) compensated.
A sliver of Apple Stick, the Æblesnitte was a dense pastry bearing the nuttiness of sliced almonds, warmth of cinnamon sugar, and faint crunch of softened apples. Admittedly heavy as a breakfast item, the treat would pair well with a Long Black or, even better, mulled wine or cider.
Bearing a similar presentation to East Asia's favourite Swiss Roll, the Chokolade Roulade was a cake whose appearance proved highly representative of its profile. Tightknit air voids of uniformity, a sturdy, compact exterior, and rigid layers of buttercream were elements indicative of a stiff cake with even stiffer cream filling. Having said that, a single forkful of the satiating scroll was still preferred over the Nougat Medalje.
Bearing a similar presentation to East Asia's favourite Swiss Roll, the Chokolade Roulade was a cake whose appearance proved highly representative of its profile. Tightknit air voids of uniformity, a sturdy, compact exterior, and rigid layers of buttercream were elements indicative of a stiff cake with even stiffer cream filling. Having said that, a single forkful of the satiating scroll was still preferred over the Nougat Medalje.
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Constituting my first foray into the world of Danish pastries, the assortment succeeded in paving the path for further exploration. One can never stray from the buttery flakiness of croissant-like creations, nor the ever-addictive Vaniljekranse.
Housed within the same plaza was Longos, wherein services such as Ritual and UberEats had infiltrated. The pickup process was fairly straightforward: A staff member directed me towards a countertop by the prepared food section and I emerged with two neatly packaged parcels of rotisserie chicken several minutes later.
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Each container weighed in a supposed 1 kilogram - a value I couldn't resist verifying upon its dinnertime reveal. The poultry varied in size, with one at 947 g and the other 1161 g - their difference in mass nixing any potential for monetary loss.
In comparison to my own roasted renditions, the skin was softer, the insides slicker, and the meat more tender. Our only grip was the generous dose of sodium and powdery breast of the smaller chicken.
In comparison to my own roasted renditions, the skin was softer, the insides slicker, and the meat more tender. Our only grip was the generous dose of sodium and powdery breast of the smaller chicken.
One of the oddest occurrences of late would be the disparity between temperature and changes in physical environment. More often than not, the emergence of fall foliage is associated with milder climate - the kind suitable for autumn hikes, not not AC-ed grocery walks.
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The mere exposure to humidity had me searching for a source of serenity. Even the closest CoCo wasn't that near; a murky Brown Rice Green Milk Tea with Oat Milk and Grass Jelly from Chatime was secured in an attempt to relieve the heat, yet ultimately proved dismal.
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A crunchy Chocolate Chunk and thin, feeble Brownie RMHC Cookie tied me over until the end of the workday.
Back at home, seasonal Ontario craft welcomed me with open arms.
I had my fair share of body-less brews from Starbucks Reserve's No. 21 beans throughout the week, thus delved into research with the aim of producing a better cup. Little had I known that espresso was the sole method to be excluded from the Brew Guides. I set out to make Cold Brew almost immediately.
I had my fair share of body-less brews from Starbucks Reserve's No. 21 beans throughout the week, thus delved into research with the aim of producing a better cup. Little had I known that espresso was the sole method to be excluded from the Brew Guides. I set out to make Cold Brew almost immediately.
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The concept of free delivery (and no service fees!) never ceases to pique my attention. With a limited time offer running until the following Monday, I entered my go-to order with fast fingers and proceeded with my regular routine of sanitization. The Chipotle app operated with the assistance of DoorDash, or presumably whichever carrier was closest
In contrast to my previous order, my half Carnitas-half Steak Salad was a messy mishmash of items and inferior portion of greens and guac. While beans were bountiful, scarce were sightings of "supergreens".
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Creations of the week were next to none, given the extreme fatigue of attempting to juggle meal preparation and in-office times the previous week. It wasn't until towards the end of the week that sweet treats were compiled for the sake of sanity.
1) Marbled Banana Bread
1) Marbled Banana Bread
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The chocolatey spin is a longtime favourite of the official SKU ambassador, with its formula recommended to me on several occasions. Yet, the thought of a marbled loaf is intimidating - for reasons beyond me, seeing that my resume encompasses not only multi-layered cakes but marbled banana bread minis as well.
Quite the non-lover of chocolate chips in cakey creations, with the sole exception of use as toppings (ie. Timmies' Chocolate Chip Muffin), I proceeded to swap the final ingredient with roughly 30g of chopped pecans. They lent a milder flavour to the banana bread than classic walnut, exhibiting a subtle sweetness and toasty aroma.
Quite the non-lover of chocolate chips in cakey creations, with the sole exception of use as toppings (ie. Timmies' Chocolate Chip Muffin), I proceeded to swap the final ingredient with roughly 30g of chopped pecans. They lent a milder flavour to the banana bread than classic walnut, exhibiting a subtle sweetness and toasty aroma.
2) Impromptu Tiramisu
It all started when I emerged from The Real Canadian Superstore with two packs of ladyfingers in hand. I had not a tub of mascarpone, nor cream cheese, though it didn't matter. In place of the painstaking process of whipping up Italian meringue (aka stabilized eggs), I resorted to the ever-versatile pastry cream: custard and whipped cream were the two primary components. I later opted to alternate the filling with layers of chocolate and coffee cream; one emerged too viscous, while the other too thin. The result were dry, cakey slabs greatly reflective of my six-storey Mocha Cake.
It all started when I emerged from The Real Canadian Superstore with two packs of ladyfingers in hand. I had not a tub of mascarpone, nor cream cheese, though it didn't matter. In place of the painstaking process of whipping up Italian meringue (aka stabilized eggs), I resorted to the ever-versatile pastry cream: custard and whipped cream were the two primary components. I later opted to alternate the filling with layers of chocolate and coffee cream; one emerged too viscous, while the other too thin. The result were dry, cakey slabs greatly reflective of my six-storey Mocha Cake.
It wasn't half bad. However, it wasn't entirely delightful either. It was merely another compilation succumbing to the theory of osmosis.
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