How Did I Get Here?
I do wonder how many of us have pondered this question.
The end of December draws close, and with it, a smidgen of hope for the new year emerges. And while optimism is necessary, remaining realistic is equally as critical.
I do wonder how many of us have pondered this question.
The end of December draws close, and with it, a smidgen of hope for the new year emerges. And while optimism is necessary, remaining realistic is equally as critical.
 |  |
Throughout the week, I have been kept occupied with seemingly endless work responsibilities. The week slipped by without much thought given to my items of consumption: Greek yogurt atop last week's failed batch of granola (Hi Larry), Timmies' Hot Chocolate with mini marshmallows, Soy Braised Chicken Drumsticks, Kernels' Christmas Cheer mix, and a terribly tender Ginger Molasses Cookie from Starbucks.
A botched attempt at wielding microfoam resulted in a flashback to Little Pebbles' tragic tadpole rendering.
 |  |
Takeout meals were frequent, as lengthy durations of work prevented meal prepping. Secured from Summit Garden was our four-piece supper set of:
- Braised Grouper with Fried Bean Curd in Casserole / 豆腐斑腩煲
- Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Fish / 鹹魚蒸肉餅
- Fried Grouper with Sweet & Sour Sauce / 咕嚕石班球
- Sautéed Beef with Vegetable / 蔥爆蘑菇牛肉
 |  |
From Chipotle was an incredibly delayed lunch of a Salad Bowl and single taco. Guacamole and sodium-laden tortilla chips were complimentary of UberEats.
 |  |
The second foray into Yin Ji Chang Fen/銀記腸粉's menu yielded congee favourites and an utterly dismal quad of Deep Fried Steamed Buns, likely fried in day- (week-?) old oil in dire need of disposal. The putrid essences lingered, the final product damp and disappointing.
< Pictured above and below:
- C4. Minced Beef Congee 碎牛粥
- C5. Laiwan Style Assorted Congee 艇仔粥
- C8. Pork Blood Jello Congee 豬紅粥
- C9. Shredded Pork and Gold Preserved Egg Congee 皮蛋瘦肉粥
- R6. Marinated Beef with Chives Rice Noodle Roll 豉油王牛肉腸粉
- S5. Deep Fried Steam Bun 黃金炸饅頭 >
Both the Minced Beef Congee and Laiwan Style Assorted Congee boasted delicious toppings of shredded egg and salty, crunchy Chinese peanuts. The latter included the unexpected addition of cha siu, albeit tough bits that honestly better off excluded. My go-to Pork Blood Jello Congee brimmed with the toothsome cubes, and also had an adequate amount of julienned ginger.
Also phenomenal was the Shredded Pork and Gold Preserved Egg Congee, wherein the generous portion of preserved century egg was well received.
Also phenomenal was the Shredded Pork and Gold Preserved Egg Congee, wherein the generous portion of preserved century egg was well received.
 |  |
Tasty was the Marinated Beef with Chives Rice Noodle Roll, though substitution of lettuce for chives had surrendered a certain degree of fragrancy. Moreover, the beef hadn't been evenly dispersed throughout the rice roll, making it difficult to split. The quantity of sweet soy sauce was quite pleasing, though.
 |  |
Creations of the week included:
1) Cocoa Ginger Cookies
Adapted from SK's sugar cookie formula, I quickly learned that the total amount of flour could not simply be adjusted in a 1:1 ratio when using black cocoa powder. Its drying properties caused the dough to harden rapidly, and my initial concept of cocoa cutouts and molasses-less ginger snaps (no, not gingersnaps) melded into one.
1) Cocoa Ginger Cookies
Adapted from SK's sugar cookie formula, I quickly learned that the total amount of flour could not simply be adjusted in a 1:1 ratio when using black cocoa powder. Its drying properties caused the dough to harden rapidly, and my initial concept of cocoa cutouts and molasses-less ginger snaps (no, not gingersnaps) melded into one.
In an attempt to supplement the lack of ginger in the cookies themselves, white chocolate candy melts, a heaping teaspoon of ginger powder, and dash of ground nutmeg were combined to form a peppery icing. It worked quite well, if you ask me.
 |  |
2) Pandan 光蘇餅
Having acquired pandan extract from the local grocer, I decided to take a stab at the coveted crinkle cookies of the season. Instead of chocolate, or the more modern ube, I opted for tropical vanilla undernotes.
Having acquired pandan extract from the local grocer, I decided to take a stab at the coveted crinkle cookies of the season. Instead of chocolate, or the more modern ube, I opted for tropical vanilla undernotes.
For reasons behind comprehension, the cookies had spread atrociously and further adopted a toasty brown hue instead of the anticipated vivid green. Instead of pandan crinkle cookies, accidental 光蘇餅 had emerged. Boasting a profile not unlike Chinese shortbread, the cookies were crunchy on the outside, plush on the inside, and reeked minimally of baking soda.
 |  |
3) Soft, Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Traditional gingerbread cookies were revisited upon review of June's tutorial. I skeptically combined the black pepper, grudgingly grated the ginger, and patiently chilled my dough slabs (for a total of ten hours!). It remained squidgy and challenging to work with, ultimately causing me to resort to thicker - and consequently pudgier - gingerbread men.
Many of the cutouts retained their shape quite well, welcoming the addition of corn syrup-injected icing, melted white chocolate, and multi-toned sprinkles.
Personally speaking, the spice profile was just right. The texture, on the other hand, was less to my liking; their soft, pliable nature ought be reserved for other bakery items. Additionally, molasses has never been a flavour I was fond of.
The ideal hybrid would be spice-laced sugar cookie edition, which may or may not be explored following this home-ridden season of sugar.
The ideal hybrid would be spice-laced sugar cookie edition, which may or may not be explored following this home-ridden season of sugar.
Holiday festivities have adopted a virtual spin this year, unsurprisingly. Though the chilly conditions of the external world can never be properly experienced from within one's home, technology has enabled events originally exclusive to locals to be enjoyed by those around the globe.
The Vancouver Aquarium Virtual Holiday Show attracted viewers from across the nation, and even several from south of the border.
Taking a quick break from cookie decorating, I grabbed Larry and settled by the fireplace. A $9.99 ticket provided us with roughly twenty minutes of educational fun: our host, Nathalie, guided the audience through the various exhibits of the aquarium, assisting Scuba Santa on his quest to "save Christmas".
 |  |
Complete with dialogues from the aquarium's residents and trainers, the experience was short-lived yet very worthwhile. Innovation had played an essential role in its creation, making the pre-filmed show a fantastic family-friendly activity.
RSS Feed