Many have likened the arrival of 2021 to that of change and new beginnings - a departure from the restrictions imposed by the previous year.
I had expressed remorse towards lost opportunities, slithered away involuntarily under the given circumstances. Looking back, it seems that new opportunities had emerged instead; amongst them were: breadmaking, DIY hair colour treatment, and virtual choreography learning, activities that would have otherwise remained unattempted with a standard work schedule and active social circle.
I had expressed remorse towards lost opportunities, slithered away involuntarily under the given circumstances. Looking back, it seems that new opportunities had emerged instead; amongst them were: breadmaking, DIY hair colour treatment, and virtual choreography learning, activities that would have otherwise remained unattempted with a standard work schedule and active social circle.
A recent conversation with the Thai ahgase sparked memories of airport encounters, had they proven fruitful or futile. In response to my bitterness regarding a lost ASTRO high-touch chance, she made me realize that, had I purchased those concert tickets, I wouldn't have bothered with the airport excursion. And had I not endured the painstaking wait that fateful snowy morning, we would not be acquaintances today.
With this in mind, I officially commence New Year preparations - Chinese New Year, that is.
And I shall gladly pre-celebrate with homemade Matcha 年糕 (nian gao), which was not made by me, for the record.)
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Resolutions commencing from January 1st are overrated. When vision-shrouding thrills subside, reality dawns upon us once more, ̶a̶l̶l̶o̶w̶i̶n̶g̶ prompting us to act purposefully, constructively.
Recounting the past several days are perils of inefficiency at work, munching on more Bokksu snacks, and heavy precipitation resulting in the dreaded snow removal process that is shovelling.
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The clearing of the driveway paved the way for Katsuya, in quite the literal sense.
Soothing our souls by way of katsu, we indulged in a late lunch of insanely crunchy Chicken Karaage with Korean Sauce. The item had made its way to the menu some time ago, despite the trip marking our first sampling session.
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Other constituents of the meal included my regular order of the Crabmeat Cheese Croquette, Original Chicken Karaage with its tangy-spicy-creamy sauce trio, and two Pork Loin Katsu sets.
The spread was irresistible and absolutely scrumptious.
Not being able to resist Gong Cha's 2J Brown Sugar Oolong Milk Tea, I made the 30-minute round trip yet again. Only upon arriving home did I realize the franchise's overcharge...
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Creations of the week included:
1) Financiers
1) Financiers
Neither foreign to my crafting roster nor tasting palate, this batch doubled down on the almond content with the addition of blanched almond slices as topping. For added emphasis, I could have easily snuck in a drop of almond extract as well.
I adhered to the tried-and-true formula of Sunday Baking, who agreed that it was time to invest in a proper pan for the purpose.
2) Tangy Stewed Pork
The initial intent was to create a shakshuka-like dish, with ground pork stewed in tomatoes as its base. I then embarked on a detour, finely dicing the marbled cuts and marinating them in a mix of sesame oil, white pepper, and salt - similar to the first few steps of Cream Corn Pork Over Rice / 粟米肉粒飯. Eggs would be reserved for a separate dish instead, as to maximize the grocery budget.
Fresh tomatoes and onion slivers were pan-fried in a wide, shallow pan until soft, at which point the meat was incorporated. In an attempt to supplement the tomato-to-pork ratio, in went a drizzle of Chinese red vinegar (for both colour and acidity), a liberal squeeze of ketchup (for sweet tartness), and a handful of frozen peaches and grapes (for zesty enzymes). The final yield paired well with steamed rice; though, I would recommend seedless grapes in this usage to avoid interrupted chews amongst unsuspecting diners.
The initial intent was to create a shakshuka-like dish, with ground pork stewed in tomatoes as its base. I then embarked on a detour, finely dicing the marbled cuts and marinating them in a mix of sesame oil, white pepper, and salt - similar to the first few steps of Cream Corn Pork Over Rice / 粟米肉粒飯. Eggs would be reserved for a separate dish instead, as to maximize the grocery budget.
Fresh tomatoes and onion slivers were pan-fried in a wide, shallow pan until soft, at which point the meat was incorporated. In an attempt to supplement the tomato-to-pork ratio, in went a drizzle of Chinese red vinegar (for both colour and acidity), a liberal squeeze of ketchup (for sweet tartness), and a handful of frozen peaches and grapes (for zesty enzymes). The final yield paired well with steamed rice; though, I would recommend seedless grapes in this usage to avoid interrupted chews amongst unsuspecting diners.
3) Seafood Mushroom Omelette
The eggs were reserved for a slightly-firmer-than-soft-scrambled omelette, wherein seafood mushrooms and green onions sautéed in butter until fragrant before the mirin- and milk-enhanced mixture was slowly whisked into the pan. Steaming on low heat, covered, for ten minutes allows for delectable fluffiness; to achieve a creamier finish, reduce the cooking time and/or omelette thickness accordingly.
The eggs were reserved for a slightly-firmer-than-soft-scrambled omelette, wherein seafood mushrooms and green onions sautéed in butter until fragrant before the mirin- and milk-enhanced mixture was slowly whisked into the pan. Steaming on low heat, covered, for ten minutes allows for delectable fluffiness; to achieve a creamier finish, reduce the cooking time and/or omelette thickness accordingly.
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4) Hot Dog Buns
Bake for Happy Kids never fails me, yet I was still keen to modify her guideline as I had just finished my can of condensed milk. Instead of cranking open a new can, the sticky, partially synthetic substance was swapped for a mix of honey (669), more milk powder, and a generous splash of milk that was, in hindsight, more daring than conservative.
Bake for Happy Kids never fails me, yet I was still keen to modify her guideline as I had just finished my can of condensed milk. Instead of cranking open a new can, the sticky, partially synthetic substance was swapped for a mix of honey (669), more milk powder, and a generous splash of milk that was, in hindsight, more daring than conservative.
The dough emerged from the breadmaker exceptionally damp, thus I proceeded to knead in flour afterwards. It was an additional step that resulted in a relatively dense roll, overshadowing the innate buttery properties with a distinct heaviness. Honey Smokies compensated for the less-than-ideal texture, however I'd advise against the ingredient exchange to start.
After shaping the buns, I opted to retard the fermentation process by cold-proofing. As declared by several sources, delaying the rise by up to 18 hours is generally unlikely to spoil the intended product. The technique aligns with what I can recall of my Grade 12 Chemistry class and furthermore granted me more flexibility between various work-from-home tasks.
Honey Smokies is my go-to sausage variety, given their versatile profile and ready-to-eat state, though halving slender ball park wieners would be a more fitting substitute for bite-sized buns.
5) Chocolate-Covered Mochi Truffle Attempts
Inspiration was summoned from Cooking Tree's Condensed Milk Truffles, but with a twist: a chocolate shell would replace the outermost cocoa powder dusting.
Inspiration was summoned from Cooking Tree's Condensed Milk Truffles, but with a twist: a chocolate shell would replace the outermost cocoa powder dusting.
I had merely watched her videos for the sake of pure entertainment following several flops (including unpuffed cream puffs with orangecane), and it ought to have remained so. Against my better judgement, I undertook the endeavour, only for my efforts to be rewarded with failed mochi dough and a disastrously malleable condensed milk core. Dunking the now golf ball-sized mounds into melted chocolate did, in fact, provide the snappy surface I had yearned for, however simultaneously melted the enclosed components. Neither a drizzle of white chocolate nor chopped almonds could salvage the abomination.
That said, I'd likely re-attempt the dessert, with a different recipe, of course.
That said, I'd likely re-attempt the dessert, with a different recipe, of course.
6) Crispy Granola (with no added sugar!)
I had never fully understood the steep retail prices behind microscopic satchels of granola. Be they "organic" or "superfood-containing", the costs could never be warranted, especially when its ingredients were anything but rare. Compiled on the basis of pure intuition were quick oats, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and chopped almonds.
I had never fully understood the steep retail prices behind microscopic satchels of granola. Be they "organic" or "superfood-containing", the costs could never be warranted, especially when its ingredients were anything but rare. Compiled on the basis of pure intuition were quick oats, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and chopped almonds.
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Thankfully, the egg white was not omitted this time around.
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