Out & About #791 | Week #102 Quarantine Update Feat. Strawberry Mousse Cake

It is to be determined whether the pain has yet to subside. The surges of stress have seemingly settled, yet the quietness is unnerving, perhaps alluding to an impact greater and more spiteful than the last.
"You're looking for a new place now?" a concerned comrade asked.
"It takes time." I responded, dispirited. "There are some factors to consider about my progress thus far and which next steps must be taken first."

The week commences with a Cape Seed Loaf from COBS Bread and Cold Brew (unpictured), followed by a lunch of Owl of Minerva takeout. Solace was secured in the bibimbap's delectable sunny side-up and sticky, short-grain rice. Homemade Strawberry Jam is soon constructed to smear atop the craggy slices of toasty, and later repurposed into latte format with Paragon's Genmaicha Powder - buttery and fragrant, I'll have you know. 

We cruise through the week's hustle and bustle with no further cooking ventures. The meals span frozen kale, steamed Pork & Chive Buns from Taste Casserole Rice (derived from the freezer), and the odd post-dinner beer. The Chocolate Chip Porter had been one entailing high expectations, though delivered minimally in the depth and flavour departments.

​Yin Ji Chang Fen satisfies the need for sustenance amidst the mid-week madness. Sticky Rice with Preserved Meat (S24 腊味糯米飯), Pork Blood Jello Congee (C8 豬紅粥), Shrimp with Chives Rice Noodle Roll (R4 韭黃鮮蝦腸粉), and HK Street Style Rice Noodle Roll with Beef Brisket (R22. 牛腩豬腸粉) supply a heartiness and compensate for the noticeably low-iron diet of the previous days.

The dishes are fantastic, as takeout via UberEats has often been. The format may as well be more preferable to the dine-in portions, dare I say.

I finally unveil my inventory of sheet masks from Mikaela Beauty, an Edmonton-based K-Beauty e-tailer with speedier shipping than ebay. Despite having paid for shipping fees, the purchasing process was straightforward and far more user-friendly than that of Nature Republic's BC-based site.

Strawberry Mousse Cake
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The availability of strawberry jam incited a layered creation - an entry point to the realm of lavish-looking cakes and a task to acquire familiarization. 

The general layout was inspired by Cooking Tree and the formula adapted from the ever trustworthy Sunday Baking. Her recipe involved three components: sponge, mousse, and jelly - along with decorative fixtures. My rendition would utilize the same sponge base, though adjustments would be made the latter two aspects given that the strawberry jam on hand already combined the strawberry puree, gelatin, sugar, and lemon juice utilized.

Within the cake were layers of sponge, whipped cream, strawberry jam, strawberry mousse, strawberry jelly, and a chantilly cream to finish.

• Sponge

Plenty of aeration in both the yolks and whites assisted in yielding a naturally leavened cake. Formation of the meringue was simple enough, though attaining paleness and an acceptable degree of volume in the yolks took comparatively longer. The continuous use of a hand mixer was tough on the wrists as the hand remained in a fixed position for an extensive duration. Tingling indicative of compressed nerves was less evident in the sponge-making stage and more apparent after successive rounds of whipping cream for filling.

• Whipped Cream

No more than a basic, sweetened whipped cream stabilized with a fine amount of gelatin, the layers were spread thinly to prevent a sense of satiation. Encased within the cream were dollops of strawberry jam.

• Strawberry Mousse

The mousse layer did not adhere to any specific formula, but merely used the homemade jam as its base. Flavour intensity was sampled and supplemented accordingly with strawberry jam as needed. In review of the meager quantity of whipped cream remaining from the second layer, a block of light Philadelphia cream cheese was summoned to compensate in volume. Once again, gelatin was used to thicken and stabilize to the mixture.

• Strawberry Jelly

Another easy combination of strawberry jam and gelatin, the jelly layer was constructed roughly two hours after the mousse had been poured. This would enable a clean layer boundary and eliminate chances of mixing with soft mousse. The cake was then allowed to set overnight.

• Chantilly Cream

Admittedly, I grew a bit greedy with the cake height, opting to stack one more layer than I had originally planned. There was insufficient mousse to cover the top layer evenly, resulting in a protruding centre. This was later camouflaged underneath swirls of Chantilly cream, a blend of sweetened whipped cream, trace amounts of gelatin, and vanilla bean paste for a delicate, syrupy aroma.

​Appearance-wise, the cake appeared a bit rough at the edges. The swipe of a warmed offset along its circumference would have easily smoothed such flaws, though I feared disintegration due to the cake's preposterously soft properties. For this same reason, the cake was maintained on its springform base for transit and presentation. In hindsight, the diameters of the sponge layers ought to have been larger. Beyond increasing structural soundness, the cross-section would also appear more uniform. Any errors in mousse volume approximations would also be avoided.

On a final note, it is recommended to line the internal circumference of the pan with an acetate ring, if available. I, in fact, do have acetate rolls on hand, but worried over the mousse layer escaping underneath the film and splitting as a consequence. Straining the jelly layer prior to pouring would also likely remove any unwanted bubbles; evidently, I had not performed this quick but critical step.

Flurries were witnessed yet again towards the end of the work week. Following in their footsteps was another layer of snowfall.

I concluded the last of my work activities in the early afternoon, then escaped before another task could be sent my way. The remainder of the day was spent indoors relaxing with Nyanko-sensei, fueled by the crunchy edges of pan-fried gyoza, sweet nectar of Rubicon mango juice and Maeil Biofeel, and an icy finish of Ube Melona (who knew it had existed?!)

With an overflow of counter, kiosk, app, UberEats, and DoorDash orders, the crowds at McD's had been atrocious. That said, the crew had combatted the volume surprisingly well. With a little patience, a Medium Premium Roast was redeemed. A Crispy Chicken Wrap Happy Meal with Small Fries was also secured (for 2x the points!).

After a late (yes, even later than last time) evening of impromptu happenings came the arrival of Sunday morning - it was time to head to pilates. Groggy and bare-faced, I shriveled into new AIRism gear and my coveted LINE Friends exclusive jersey hoodie to prepare for the eastbound drive.
Joining me this time around was, again, another duo of beginners. While I had seen one of them in an earlier class slot in the weeks prior, the other was noted as a first-time partaker in a group session, having completed only the introductory private session before. Verbal instructions were more thorough than past classes, with a heavy emphasis on alignment, form, and pilates fundamentals. Even at a beginner level though, pilates is really never easy if the correct muscles are being engaged.

​The warm-up comprised of a modified Bosu series. We would commence with marches (x20) and running (x20). My familiarity with this routine has undeniably increased over the weeks at Studio Bon; the others expressed confusion over using the starting foot for each rep. Truthfully, it was no different from the Wii Fit Aerobic Steps module; it demanded coordination minimally and instead served to build habits of core engagement and even weight distribution through the feet. Modifications took the form of side leg lifts, oblique crunches, and trunk rotations while facing perpendicular to the Bosu. These exercises would assist to activate the hips/side glute, obliques, and transverse abdominals.

​We then transitioned onto the Reformer, lying face up on the Carriage and legs in tabletop position. Hundreds would be executed on light tension (1 red spring only) with the hands woven through the hand straps, pelvis in imprint position, and the head rested. Maintaining tabletop position, two more exercises were performed in this position: adduction of the arms and tabletop crunches. I was reminded to deepen the imprint and, once again, keep the rib cage tucked and attached to the "mat".
In a side-lying position, a foam block was slipped underneath the head for support. Detaching to the obliques from the Carriage, we proceeded with several thigh and hip exercises with the top foot placed through the hands traps. Frequent form reminders were extended to assist the two beginners, which also served to instill awareness in my own body alignment. A lifted chin and stacked hips were required to ensure isolation of the correct muscle(s) and prevent lower back injury.

With the Reformer Box in the long box position, we positioned ourselves face down such that the gaze could peek through the arm handle of the box in a resting position. The legs were lifted to the outer corners of the box and raised to hip height for engagement of the lower back and hamstrings. Upper back ("gather the wings!") and tricep exercises were reviewed; praise was extended for my overall improvement since previous classes, though performance may actually be owed to loosening of the neck and shoulders via a massage as opposed to dedicated practice of my rehab exercises. The legs were arranged in a diamond shape for slow, stable grasshoppers upon returning the hand straps.

Oblique and lat stretches in mermaid position and a final standing rolldown concluded the class.

​"Are you okay?" Both instructors had inquired of me at the end. "You look tired!" And frankly, I was - very. The duller appearance came as a stark reminder to stock up on sleep in advance of the work week.

An unexpected Tofu Pudding (豆腐花) delivery graced my front door some several hours later. Clad in the airiest of exercise gear, I shrugged into my shedding down jacket to welcome the sweet surprise. The homey stall had been mentioned in conversations past, and I, having not heard of the business previously, was elated at the still-warm container. The tofu was unthinkably smooth, having been stabilized in the container rather than portioned out from a larger batch. Relatively light in density, it did not harness the same potency of soybean as other traditional shops - an aspect enjoyed by some. Personal preference lay with this modest, velvet rendition, which was enjoyed thoroughly with a drip-proof cup of ginger-infused syrup.