Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger
  • ~ Home ~
  • ~ What I Think ~
  • ~ What I See ~
    • Events
    • Food
    • People
    • Places
  • ~ What I Make ~
  • Blog Series
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

Out & About #705 | Week #55 Quarantine Update

4/4/2021

0 Comments

 
It's been a long short week - the exemplary oxymoron.  ̶P̶r̶i̶m̶a̶r̶i̶l̶y̶  Wholly owed to the unexpected undertakings of the four-day pre-Easter weekend, I suffered a tremendous amount of fatigue, perhaps even greater than I thought possible. With the passing of every call, every email, and every meeting, and every assignment, my contact with sanity grew frailer, till it withered down to but a fine hair-like strand.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​My sole release was an escape to obtain lunch takeout. Weather conditions welcoming and clouds minimally present, I switched my status to "Away" and bolted out the door for sustenance acquisition. But virtual barriers are flexible - movable, so to speak - and failed in obstructing incoming messages amidst the period of personal commitment.​
Picture
The journey to Square One was relatively calm (read: accompanied by minimal traffic volumes). Meal components had been pre-ordered via Ritual to improve efficiency, should an urgent email prompt a reluctant immediate return. To my dismay, however, preparatory work hadn't commenced until my arrival. In addition to the specified wait time, the ordeal involved some ten minutes more of idling about the empty food court, absorbing the cooking fumes of stalls in operation.
Picture
Picture
​It wasn't as if I had received a promotion either; the entire assortment was the equivalent of a Summit Garden supper set for three. Both the Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thais were obnoxiously spicy, albeit the mild rating that had been declared. Neither the Pineapple Rose Soda nor Passion Fruit Lychee Soda bore even the slightest resemblance to the Oakville location, and could easily be described as flat water - something along the lines of a two-day-old SodaStream creation. The Bangkok Meatballs served to redeem the meal, but not drastically. A microscopic portion for $5.95 plus tax, the meaty morsels sported identical toppings to the Pad Thai boxes and offered fire-exempt flavour. The Classic Peanut sauce was, thankfully, completely mild and tolerable.
Picture
​To soothe our quivering tongues, I suggested popping back into the mall for ice cream. Differing preferences led me to make two stops: Super Kid at Laura Secord, then Maple Walnut and Brownie at Purdys.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​My nostalgic childhood favourite began melting in a matter of minutes, which only grew more frustrating as I anxiously paced about the mall, masked and gloved and unable to enjoy the treat in its solid state. Egress from the establishment permitted eating, though the Single Scoop had deformed to a lumpy mess with red streaks trickling down my forearm by that point. From the stale chocolate topping to the less stellar tri-colour formula that my mind had recalled, I vowed to conclude all affection towards Super Kid from that moment onwards. The vanilla-scented waffle cone was the only aspect worth relishing.
In stark contrast was Purdys' creamy, luscious Double Scoop topped with crushed almonds. Only a tad costlier, the Maple Walnut and Brownie combination was absolutely fantastic, and gratifying as ice cream ought be.​
Picture
Picture
Creations̶ of the week were limited to one:

1) Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
Picture
​By the 5PM mark on Thursday, my brain had ceased to function any more. The hellish week was winding down, and the soul craved nothing more than the rich qualities of cheesecake, boosted with heavy cream, then enhanced by a silky chocolate ganache. Most importantly, the cake was decidedly simple.
Picture
​I foregoed recipe-researching altogether, for my eyes could handle reading no more. A 2:1 ratio of crushed Maria biscuits and melted butter formed the crust, which was then placed in the refrigerator to set. Roughly 200 g of Philadelphia cream cheese was beaten with granulated sugar; not to be excluded were the typical additions of lemon juice, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. The mixture was then combined with whipped cream for a mousse-like texture and finally incorporated with melted chocolate (a 1:1 mix of Lindt Surfin and Callebaut Recipe N° 811).​ Sealing the surface was a chocolate ganache utilizing precisely the same ratio.
In my haste, I had forgotten gelatin, my safety net for no-bake desserts. Though, this omission was ultimately proved as non-critical.
Picture
Picture
​The cake resided in the fridge for about 3 hours before the first cut. A soft centre prompted return to chill overnight. While initially having emerged with a shimmering, glossy top, the lengthier chill time introduced a significant number of air bubbles and unseemly white specks. These flaws may have resulted from inadequate tempering or non-uniformity across ingredient selection, or both. Nonetheless, depth of flavour remained impeccable. And given that the total active time hadn't exceeded forty minutes (clean-up inclusive), I will admit to being quite proud of my handiwork.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​I have little else to share from the week, as the bulk had been spent perched in a C-shape at my desk. Shifting my focus back to the real world, I found small joys in ahgase-themed (Shoebill-adorned) stationery sets from OOMOMO and the sweet treats from Issho Bakery's Easter Box.
Picture
​orangecane and I had each taken to half of the assortment, along with three Canelés.
Being preservative-free, it was inevitable that certain items had succumbed to changes in consistency between creation and consumption.  It was a risk that I had willingly assumed during the scheduling process (and dragged orangecane along for).
Picture
Picture
The Canelés were still crisp on the second day, yet damp and noticeably sweeter than when sampled fresh. By the third day, they had grown soggy, as with the Sesame Matcha Granola Cluster (still delicious!) and reduced-integrity Rhubarb Pastry. The Hot Cross Bun embodied zesty qualities, its dryness combatted with a glass of Cold Brew.
​
​​To be frank, the least anticipated item of the box was probably the Bonbon(s). Creme-filled Easter eggs are known to be notoriously sugary after all. That said, the Passionfruit & Marshmellow Bonbon was a delightful surprise of tart passion fruit filling and non-intrusive marshmallow fluff.
Picture
From this experience, I would recommend that silica gel packets to placed in the same container for prolonged periods of consumption. It is the reason why packaged snacks such as (gag-worthy) Choco Pie and intriguingly chewy 찰떡파이 (rice cake pies) can be sustained on grocery shelves.
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Who Am I?

    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    Categories

    All
    Ahgabond Adventures
    Ahgase
    Arctic Aquarium
    Atlantic Canada 2018
    Barrie
    Beauty
    Birthday Buddy
    Calgary 2023
    Chinese New Year
    Conquering COVID 19
    Daily Randoms
    Eyes On You World Tour 2018
    Food
    Friends
    Hallyucon
    Hamilton
    Hong Kong
    Iron Ring
    J Movie
    K Drama
    K-Drama
    Korean Beauty
    K Pop
    Los Angeles 2017
    Macau
    New York 2018
    Ottawa 2019
    Pilates
    Random Rant
    Restaurant Review
    Seoul
    Shopping
    SSMC
    Taiwan
    Vacation
    Vancouver 2013
    Vancouver 2014
    Vancouver 2015
    Vancouver 2016
    Vancouver 2020
    Vancouver 2022


    trazy.com

    RSS Feed


WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

Contact ME

​Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now
© Quirky Aesthetics. All rights reserved. Last modified: August 10, 2015.