Out & About #826 | Weekly Roundup Feat. Ube Loaf + "Ugly Cookies"

For the past few weeks, I've finally secured a position in technical duties. I declare this proudly, yet not without an edge in my tone. It had been a grueling, ongoing challenge to even escape the political claws of pretend project management, and I had been pushed to my wit's end before any transitions could be made.

​Various feelings ensued as a result of this assignment:
​
1) Inadequacy
Being a short-term assignment spanning no more than several weeks, the tasks assigned were relatively small in scale. There was more flexibility in terms of its delivery time, for the allocated working period also encompassed the beginner's learning curve. Truthfully, it was more of a blessing than a curse, for I was provided more guidance and mentorship than ever in my past 1.5 years of requesting the change in work content. However, this did not feelings of inadequacy, for there was likely a quicker way of completing the tasks, but I simply hadn't acquired the necessary skills to be useful to the project (or as effective as I wanted to be, anyway).

2) Impatience
Closely related to the first response - and likely its cause - was impatience. It stems from an urge to build upon one's skills in short period of time. Once again, the end goal was to be useful, and consequently productive.

3) Regret
The mentor that had graciously taken upon the process of teaching and providing tips was being transitioned off the project within a few weeks' time. It was a shame to have such a patient member of the team not only departing the project, but also the Great White North as a whole. Consistently open to discussions and help sessions, it would be a loss to my CAD development for him to be absent following my return from fieldwork.

​With the remaining time I had before being transitioned to a fieldwork assignment, I made it a personal mission to fill my technical voids as much possible, even if it meant longer working durations, forgotten breaks, and reduced brain capacity for other tasks. I even compiled a flowchart to digest and solidify my newfound knowledge, only to be told that overlapping shallow and deep utilities would still pose potential conflicts as far as the design phase goes.

At home, I continued munching on my freezer stash of baked goods and remnants of the weekend past.

​Around the middle of the work week, I ventured out to the office, where I loathe to be. A constant chatter fills its floor, with its eavesdropped content rarely deviating from proposals of social gatherings (not compensated by corporate, of course) and gossipy exchanges.

I channel all concentration to the utility drawing at hand, engaging briefly with my mentor, for we had managed to successfully coordinate our in-office schedule. Nine long hours pass me by. A lunch break is forgotten; only a hurried trip to Starbucks for caffeination separates me from my hotel desk, external monitor, and finnicky VGA cable.

​The Chocolate Cream Cold Brew is indulgent, yet astonishingly potent. Shivers begin creeping up my fingertips, next seeping into my stomach and summoning appetite.

​​In a daze, I pull into the closest McDonald's parking lot to commence my mobile order. A Quarter Pounder BLT with extra lettuce and Medium Fries - free for National Fry Day! - are delivered to my passenger window some ten minutes later.

I munch on the duo gleefully while voicing the days' concerns to my Birthday Buddy.

​​Eventually, I change into workout attire, reach for one of the warming eye masks bestowed upon me by the sleepy polar bear, and decompress before continuing with delayed exercise.

The mask fit Larry as well!

Creations of the week included:

1) Ube Loaf

The not-very-violet loaf was adapted from SK's infamous marbled banana bread, but swapped out bananas for 130g x 3 of ube spread, removed all spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, etc.), and added in ube extract instead. The coppery mauve hue was not one I had expected at all; at first glance, it appeared identical to banana bread, but denser and hence devoid of much rise. 

In contrast to the visuals, the slices actually seemed a bit dry on the first day, but grew tastier with time. By the third day though, they did dry out, and the surface was no longer crunchy from the coarse sugar.

​I'd be more than willing to revisit the concept of an ube loaf in the future, but perhaps with a recipe that heightens its moistness and signature striking tone. 

(blue sky bran muffins were also constructed in parallel. But this space has had plenty of talks regarding them.)

2) Ube Coconut Jelly

Constructed from leftover Aroy-D, several spoonfuls of ube jam, a generous drizzle of ube extract, and simple syrup, a righteously purple block of Ube Coconut Jelly is formed.

Sliced into asymmetric rectangular prisms, the bite-sized pieces were ideal as an afternoon snack - until they were forgotten and grew mouldy.

3) Chocolate and Matcha "Ugly Cookies"

Not all "ugly" by any means, Sunday Baking's latest release was of immense instant interest to me. The elaborately decorated specimens were chunky and unapologetically ornate. I took to attempting the chocolate and matcha renditions, and topped them with, quite literally, whatever I had on hand, as per her video directions.

​In place of natural cocoa powder was black cocoa powder, which gave the cookies a darker tint but minimal chocolatey-ness. Chopped almonds and Oreos boasted a nice crunch, though the cookie was otherwise bland.

Matcha was substituted with Paragon's genmaicha and Valrhona yuzu white chocolate with Surfin Blanc and a few drops or orange extract. This version was much more preferable, with earthiness from the genmaicha and a subtle, citrusy tang from the extract. What a splendid alternate use beyond Cranberry Bliss Bars! I'd recommend pressing the white chocolate couverture after baking the cookies, as she notes, for the centres melted and more reminiscent of eyeballs than crunchy, attractive garnishes. (Not that I had any issues with cookies resembling Sulley's longtime partner-in-crime, of course.)

​With the week's tasks demanding tremendous static concentration, my neck, shoulders, back, and hips suffered severely. I hesitated not in scheduling a much-deserved full-body massage, and eagerly awaited the arrival of Saturday morning.

The masseuse was fabulous, environment clean, and services rendered promptly. Bonus points were acquired for hazy light projections (the more economic Aurora Borealis) as well as the fuzzy carpet beneath the massage table, which provided a soft surface for transitioning back to outdoor shoes.
​Kaizen was pricier than most local establishments offering RMT massages, though the experience was undeniably superior.

I picked up Hiroi Sushi on my way back, finding extreme pleasure in sinking teeth into their thick, shiny slices of salmon and wasabi mayo-topped Big California Rolls.

The next order of business was meeting a fellow July baby at Celebration Square for Philippine Festival. My arrival back home was delayed though, and by the time I had relieved myself from baby oil, she had declared the event dismal and navigated into the mall instead.

I opted not to venture out altogether, for clean hair and humidity are never great as a pair. We resolved to exchange "Ugly" Cookies for a mostly melted Halo Halo from the Seafood City stall. ​The cup was sticky around its lip; within the blurred layers were sturdy leche flan cubes, insanely sweet melted ube ice cream, and plenty of green jellies and coconut jelly threads. Truthfully, I couldn't taste much besides sugar. Freezing it didn't lesson the headaches either.

​Sunday morning was populated with a series of erranded. From groceries to lozenge-hunting to retail returns, majority of the tasks were completed well under the allocated slot. The sole exception was participation in M Cha Bar's Grand Opening special.

​We joined the queue within Oceans around the 11:57 AM mark. With just three patrons before us and three minutes remaining till their opening hours, we had assumed the ordeal to be relatively quick. Complications ensued at the cashier, cascading back to the barista. Around forty minutes would pass us by before daylight would wash over us again.

Their Strawberry Slush was passable: fresh fruit had been used in its construction, but, similar to the Mango Pomelo, it lacked depth. Beyond blended strawberries, ice, and milk, there was little incentive in to warrant a second sip.

​My go-to of Roasted Oolong Milk Tea with Coffee Jelly had been made obnoxiously sweet, and dared to incorporate tapioca pearls. I had avoided the QQ Roasted Oolong Milk Tea for this reason, but could not escape the unwanted topping.
The bonus bottle of Peach Milk Tea had been advertised to contain mini tapioca. Unveiling it at home, I learned that it not only contained normal tapioca, but was equally sickeningly sweet.

M Cha Bar had executed my go-to order impeccably during my last weekday visit, despite the cashier bearing little knowledge about the drinks. It was unthinkable that a follow-up stop would bring about more irritation than enjoyment, more inaccuracy than efficiency, and more grumbles than compliments.

With fury in each step, I rushed to complete the remaining errands before succumbing to hunger.

Tim Hortons was my closest stop en route. The party opted for a Cilantro Lime Chicken Loaded Bowl and another iteration of the Roasted Beef & Cheddar Sandwich. Despite not being particularly keen on repeating the same item within a span of seven days, the Mississauga outpost's was surprisingly tastier and of a larger portion than Niagara. Moreover, there were distinct char markings on the deli beef slices.

​New and atrociously pricey, Tim Hortons' Cilantro Lime Chicken bowl radiated the essence of chickpea curry, but mild. Crispy bits (of batter?) were intertwined with rice and quinoa as the base; lettuce and a few bits of chicken were sprinkled on top. Diced cucumber and tomato gave the illusion of a Greek salad component. It was a balanced meal, but frankly, the smallest $8.99 portion of fast food sustenance I had ever laid eyes on.

​Back home, Braised Chinese Daikon and Pork was prepared and consumed over steamed white rice to ensure sufficient iron intake.