Migraines can be shaken away as easily as mosquitoes on a musty summer day. A pounding pain inflicted by dancing digits and endless spreadsheets, I aspired to dismiss its impacts amidst the neverending meetings. But the missions came, one by one; they were interminable.
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I've spotted sunlight scarcely, and humid weather at an even lesser degree. A singular Nutella Coffee Frappé calmed cravings for the coveted Vanilla Cone, while an eyebrow-less Larry resided deskside, offering a soft, furry spot for emotional support.
It's been consistently tough, with seemingly tougher days scheduled ahead.
It's been consistently tough, with seemingly tougher days scheduled ahead.
Creations of the week included:
1) Strawberry Mousse Cake
1) Strawberry Mousse Cake
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The tale takes off with the acquisition of discount strawberries ($3.49 for 2 lbs!). Seasonal produce is forever finnicky, demanding timeliness of use for maximum potential. Preservation by way of freezing, fermentation, or reduction over heat are standard practices to prolong their shelf life, though none particularly useful when freshness is diminishing. Driven by the constraint of instant consumption, I unleased my inner Cooking Tree to undertake a layered Strawberry Mousse Cake.
Besides the "Mom" chocolate plates, the venture assumed the first opportunity to deploy acetate sheets for cake construction. Cooking Tree provided insight on visual presentation, while other sources supplied guidelines for thought and adherence. The cake base originated from Sunday Baking's Animal Crossing bûche, which I've referenced on countless occasions, for good reason. Embodying a rich, chocolatey aura across a perfectly plush plot, the foundation was sturdy, unsusceptible to overwhelm by strawberries.
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Based off of sheer intuition, the mousse base was constructed of heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, homemade strawberry jam, and a small amount of gelatin. Taring on a not-so-steady surface resulted in a large excess of cream, which was then portioned out into smaller mousse cups (with little to extremely minimal cake shreds).
Strawberry bits that failed to justify integrity for decoration were finely chopped and incorporated into this mixture, along with a single drop of pink food colouring for improved hue.
Strawberry bits that failed to justify integrity for decoration were finely chopped and incorporated into this mixture, along with a single drop of pink food colouring for improved hue.
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Construction involved two layers of chocolate sponge doused with a simple syrup infused with strawberry jam, a thorough smothering of strawberry mousse between each, and a final arrangement of strawberry slivers. The "main cake", as I have dubbed it so, further boasted a translucent jelly layer of strawberry jam (and the obvious gelatin). A primary fault in this step was failure to strain the air bubbles completely; an adamant aversion to removing textured bits from the jam led to a foamy surface. Also less desirable was the unexpected rigidity of this tier, which ought be remedied with less gelatin in future attempts.
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2) Shortbread
The thought of this cookie brings about mild distress: a certain admiration for its fancy English origins muddled with a distinct dislike for its chalky, crumbly, and commonly dull characteristics. Sunday Baking swooped in shortly to rectify these qualms.
The thought of this cookie brings about mild distress: a certain admiration for its fancy English origins muddled with a distinct dislike for its chalky, crumbly, and commonly dull characteristics. Sunday Baking swooped in shortly to rectify these qualms.
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Her formula, as with all her productions, was wonderfully straightforward. Cake flour, icing sugar, and a pinch of salt were blended with butter to create a tender crumb, with milk gradually streamed in towards the end to prevent gluten formation. The tutorial in question involved a food processor, however a pastry blender worked equally well for my lack of dish rack space.
Under the promise of an improved profile, I surrendered my last stick of cultured butter - one that I had been reluctant to use given its steep price point. It was 13 grams more than specified, which was likely the cause of spreading. That said, the tart qualities presented truly warranted its dedition. Delicate, delicious, and only a tad crumbly, the toothpick-dotted segments were exemplary of a classic shortbread - the most redeeming shortbread biscuit of the land. All hail Sunday!
Under the promise of an improved profile, I surrendered my last stick of cultured butter - one that I had been reluctant to use given its steep price point. It was 13 grams more than specified, which was likely the cause of spreading. That said, the tart qualities presented truly warranted its dedition. Delicate, delicious, and only a tad crumbly, the toothpick-dotted segments were exemplary of a classic shortbread - the most redeeming shortbread biscuit of the land. All hail Sunday!
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3) Banana Bread
During last week's grocery run, I uncovered a suppressed desire for banana bread. The initial quarantine classic that had been dismissed with the surged interest in breadmaking and braising made a tenacious comeback.
During last week's grocery run, I uncovered a suppressed desire for banana bread. The initial quarantine classic that had been dismissed with the surged interest in breadmaking and braising made a tenacious comeback.
Although I hadn't sprinkled the top with raw sugar, nor folded in chopped walnuts for added texture, it was phenomenal as is. Slightly heftier chunks of banana introduced moisture without dampness, nixing the need for oil altogether. Suffice to say, the title of "Best Banana Bread" is debatable, yet designed to delight nonetheless.
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4) Bran Muffins
A familiar sight on this space, bran muffins have gained immense popularity as a breakfast item given their diversity. There is a tendency to formulate batches when faced with soon-to-expire yogurt or sour cream, then freeze them for later consumption. This rendition used sour cream instead of buttermilk in SK's tried-and-true blue sky recipe, though I really ought to have opted for the sour cream edition to combat the despicable lingering essence of baking soda with molasses (or more acid).
A familiar sight on this space, bran muffins have gained immense popularity as a breakfast item given their diversity. There is a tendency to formulate batches when faced with soon-to-expire yogurt or sour cream, then freeze them for later consumption. This rendition used sour cream instead of buttermilk in SK's tried-and-true blue sky recipe, though I really ought to have opted for the sour cream edition to combat the despicable lingering essence of baking soda with molasses (or more acid).
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5) Butajaga / 豚じゃが
Inspired by Just One Cookbook's Nikujaga (肉じゃが or Meat and Potato Stew), I took to clearing out scrawny, molding carrots in a similar fashion. Onion and snap peas were swapped for scallions and a small knob of ginger, while beef was substituted with a partially depleted bag of frozen pork shabu shabu and thinly-sliced pork shoulder slices. The mentori technique was omitted, for I'm not one to encourage generation of food scraps (nor thoughtful enough to re-purpose them later throughout the work week).
Inspired by Just One Cookbook's Nikujaga (肉じゃが or Meat and Potato Stew), I took to clearing out scrawny, molding carrots in a similar fashion. Onion and snap peas were swapped for scallions and a small knob of ginger, while beef was substituted with a partially depleted bag of frozen pork shabu shabu and thinly-sliced pork shoulder slices. The mentori technique was omitted, for I'm not one to encourage generation of food scraps (nor thoughtful enough to re-purpose them later throughout the work week).
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The meat was allowed to marinate in sesame oil and soy sauce (both dark and light) for a few minutes. During this time, the white portions of the scallion and ginger were sautéed in vegetable oil with our household's beloved black bean garlic sauce and minced garlic. Two cans of chicken stock and a glug of white wine were added as the pot came to a boil; in hindsight, one of those cans ought have been replaced with water, for the final product was on the salty side. The dish can be served alongside rice, shirataki noodles, or, in my case, leftover e-mien egg noodles and sweet corn kernels, if one so desires.
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Rollerblades have (re-)gained affection as of late, as made known by social media. Exploring opportunities in the outdoors were made possible without bike maintenance processes, albeit limited to areas of zero slope. Following much internal debate, I too succumbed to investing in a pair, only later to realize their inadequate fit and eventual out-of-stock status.
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Meals of the week comprised mainly of takeout, an inevitable consequence of excruciatingly lengthy work days.
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A Banquet for Two from Summit Garden yielded mediocre quality offerings that I shudder towards even in recollection. Stiff, shriveled steamed buns, sodium-laden greens, and slurry-derived Shark Fin Soup were amongst the set that shall never again be revisited.
Fridays have, oddly enough, geared towards weekly errand runs. Detours shall seldom ensue, work- and email volume-permitting. In these rare instances, I suggest treats to soothe a haggard soul: McDonald's for a quick fix, or traversing a bit further for bingsoo where possible. Tokyo Cheesecake Café's assortment had been trimmed to include only Injeolmi, Matcha, Strawberry, and Tiramisu, eliminating the Cappuccino flavour that I direly desired. It was delicious nonetheless, though additional condensed milk and the insertion of mochi bits would have been readily welcomed.
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An early evening tour of P.A.T. for Victoria Day weekend specials led us into suppertime. After giddily scoring reduced bags of shabu shabu meat, we joined the winding queue. From the corner of my eye, Haru Chicken was spotted, and the reasonable set of actions was to peek, inquire, and potentially purchase.
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A Half & Half set me back $30.99 plus tax, on par with other chicken retailers in the vicinity. The box was accompanied by a container of pickled radish (무 / mu) and a can of Pepsi.
Contained within were approximately eleven pieces of each variety: the Fried (프라이드치킨) on the drier side exuding odours of fryer oil, and the Special Sauce (양념치킨) conclusively more enjoyable with a sweet, gochukaru-laced lacquer and dusting of sesame seeds. Freshly fried and completely crunchy, we had few complaints beyond the fact the questionable quality of the individual chicken parts. Where most establishments would utilize thigh or drumstick, the box was a peculiar medley of wing, knuckle, and jointless limbs, with the pieces growing gradually outlandish at greater depths. A few bites were even rewarded with dangly bits that could neither be chewed nor removed.
Contained within were approximately eleven pieces of each variety: the Fried (프라이드치킨) on the drier side exuding odours of fryer oil, and the Special Sauce (양념치킨) conclusively more enjoyable with a sweet, gochukaru-laced lacquer and dusting of sesame seeds. Freshly fried and completely crunchy, we had few complaints beyond the fact the questionable quality of the individual chicken parts. Where most establishments would utilize thigh or drumstick, the box was a peculiar medley of wing, knuckle, and jointless limbs, with the pieces growing gradually outlandish at greater depths. A few bites were even rewarded with dangly bits that could neither be chewed nor removed.
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The three-day long weekend was an outlier in terms of activity scheduling. Where past occurrences would have automatically entailed friend sightings with a side of hiking, the pounding pains of the week past have steered me towards recovery of the mind.
Tranquil solo cycling adventures proved successful in alleviating these screen-induced stresses, though awareness prevails that these evils are eternal - instigated by industry interests, inescapable in my daily duties.
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For those looking to embark on a similar journey, I'd recommend familiarizing oneself with the locations of trails (gravel and paved), MUPs, and bike lanes in the city. Trust me - sidewalk bays are best avoided when on wheels.
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