Recently, work has become life, and life has become work. Or perhaps it's been that way for a while, but reality has merely dawned upon me at this very moment.
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My perspective seldom shifts, and only from second-floor study views to first-floor kitchen views if at all. Swapping out toast and granola for steamed taro and black sesame buns with condensed milk as breakfast was the extent of introducing variety into my daily routine.
Days of frequenting the downtown core after hours with friends has become a distant memory, an experience that grows more foreign with each passing day.
Spring has sprung, yet COVID cases have bloomed in place of blossoms.
Spring has sprung, yet COVID cases have bloomed in place of blossoms.
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With the primary team member absent for the week, my workload was significantly more manageable. As such, I managed to squeeze in some time in the kitchen - the sole outlet for diversification of the quarantine lifestyle.
Creations of the week included:
1) Rice Krispie Squares that emerged following its sighting at a long-awaited Costco run
Creations of the week included:
1) Rice Krispie Squares that emerged following its sighting at a long-awaited Costco run
2) Grape Jelly, with seeds removed for ease of consumption
3) Sakura Cutout and Lemon Linzer Cookies w/ Grape Jelly
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Adapting my go-to sugar cookie recipe to include lemon and lime zest from the freezer (mind you, they didn't smell of anything) and lemon extract, a Lemon Linzer cookie was born. The omission of almond flour and icing sugar to top may raise eyebrows in regards to authenticity, however I quite enjoyed the softer snap.
The dough was more malleable than anticipated, thus several pans were rotated in and out of the freezer until ready to bake. Due to daily limitations of time, the ordeal spanned three days: one to craft the filling, one to shape the dough, and the last to bake and assemble. That said, the process was tedious, but not arduous, and furthermore yielded delicious results. It also provided an opportunity to utilize my newly-acquired OOMOMO mini cookie cutters.
Several of the cookies began leaking amidst the piping process, confirming the need for chilled storage. And while I don't mind cold cookies, it was undeniable that the cookies gradually absorbed moisture from the jelly, leading to thicker tops and bottoms and regrettably thin centres.
Gong Cha's BOGO offer on Wintermelon Milk Tea incited a Friday afternoon breather.
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The Sussex Centre location has recently marked its four month of operations, finally introducing a points system separate from the Vicinity program. It is beyond me why their orders are processed at such a sluggish tempo, though.
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UberEats, while pricey without promotions, is decidedly helpful in certain circumstances. With assistance from the food delivery application, my morning was graced with a Cheese Pullapart Loaf, Apricot Delight Log, and Italian Herb Turkish Bread with a sheer tap.
The Apricot Delight Log was a creation that greatly piqued my interest, for the loaf was spectacularly dry in spite of its high dried fruit content. The Turkish Bread offered a focaccia-like texture and paired optimally toasted with Tzatiziki sauce.
Towards the end of the week, I was determined to embark on the first Scoops journey of the season. The day started sunny, prompting no more than a T-shirt for the neighbourhood venture. To my dismay, the skies rapidly grew cloudy, replacing beaming balminess with a stark chill in the air.
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We first stumbled into Tokyo Cheesecake Cafe - my suggestion for a pre-ice cream coffee run. As luck would have it, the espresso machine was under maintenance. Rather than the caffeine boost I had been hoping, we emerged with a pack of Cinnamon Manju and triad of Chocolate Madeleines, each priced at a hefty $5.50 before tax.
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The Mont Blanc cake was the item I had truly been hankering for, but was ultimately abandoned out of consideration of existing climate conditions and travel time. Neither the white bean paste-filled confection nor hastily coated chocolate madeleines succeeded in satisfying the void; while the former was decent, it was not declared an item worth revisiting. As for the madeleines, they bore the distinctive hump and ridges that French madeleines ought be equipped with, though possessed a hollow, cakey consistency far from my liking.
Starbucks was secured en route just prior to arriving in Port Credit.
Given the chilly conditions, the queue for Scoops was quite minimal.
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A Cappuccino Crisp in a Waffle Cone and Coconut in a cup were obtained in a matter of minutes. The Pina Colada blunder from the previous run would not be repeated.
With suppertime creeping up, I resorted to Papa Giuseppe's for pizza and pasta.
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I must say that the single unit of garlic bread was disheartening, though not unexpected given the single order of Nonna's Pasta. Given that slice wasn't nearly as pungent nor nearly as cheesy as before, I suppose it barely mattered. Fragrant Italian sausage and a slightly-softer-than-al-dente fettuccine coated in an olive oil-based tomato sauce were well received in our household.
Similar comments extend towards the Tuscana, one of the local eatery's trademark thin crust pizzas. The slices were topped generously with proscuitto, sundried tomatoes, and sweet, tangy onion bulbs known as cipollini. We munched away, entirely in awe at the crispiness of the crust.
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