Out & About #855 | Weekly Roundup: Isle of Coffee + Banana Choc Chunk Muffins (Ver. 2)

​Entering the week with a somewhat suppressed appetite, I requested I Love Pho as remedy.

#215 Lightly Fat Well-Done Beef & Tendon Brisket w/ Rice Noodle Soup aided in alleviating such woes, as it always does, with a flavourful (yet oddly gelatinous) broth, fresh veggies, crunchy bean sprouts, mild acidity from the lime wedge, tender brisket slices, and feel-good rice noodles.

The sleepy polar bear bestowed upon me a container of braised pork and egg from the larger household portion. Small cubes of marbled pork resided within, along with a foreboding-looking egg. Unaccustomed to pork pieces with such high fat content, I relayed my feedback as such; amongst the finely diced sections were either those comprising entirely of fat or those with a 70:30 fat to flesh ratio. Pork belly had been their costly cut of choice, but was hardly my preference beyond its uses in bossam and suyuk.

Despite having prepared myself for the worst, the lone egg was quite possibly the worst egg I had ever tasted in my lifetime. Overdone specimens adorning naemgmyeon had once been slotted in most despicable slot, but eggs braised beyond ingestibility has surpassed these in recent months. A rigid film had formed outside of the egg - a phenomenon I hadn't known to be possible! - while the insides were stiff, relatively bland, and wholly unenjoyable. Horrible was an understatement.

Needless to say, I set out the next day to reinstate my faith in eggs. A written recipe had never resulted from my countless iterations of Soy Braised Eggs, however I recalled the constituents and procedure sufficiently to produce a batch of five.

​Patience is the key to success for this recipe, but more specifically: time and temperature control.
It is critical to remove the eggs as soon as they reach a soft-boiled state, then shocked with cold water to prevent the yolks from cooking in residual heat. The braising liquid should also be allowed to cool fully before submerging the eggs within, for the same reason of preventing further solidification of the yolks. The eggs should then be allowed to rest within the braising liquid, ideally entirely submerged, for 48 to 72 hours.
I had previously tested eggs at 24 hours (inadequate complexity) and 48 hours (passable, but not fascinating), until finally admitting that 3 days' worth of chilling was needed to attain the luxurious, golden goodness of slow-braised eggs.

These scrumptious units were consumed in conjunction with Steamed Tofu with Scallion-Infused Soy Sauce and Vermicelli with Napa Cabbage, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Pork Meatballs.​

Seasonal exclusives from The Flying Monkey were added to the to-drink collection.​  Meanwhile, the final five Pecan White Chocolate Cookies were retrieved from the freezer, then paired alongside Lavender Carbonated Water from NEOB. Frankly, this combination is not recommended due to the potent properties of the cookie and subdued nature of lavender.

In a span of two weeks and three visits to the Yonge-Eglinton client office, I was pretty much onboarded to the project. Neither a handover document nor an up-to-date manual had been provided for my reference. Instead, the "training" process had merely comprised of haphazard meetings with hours upon hours of unsynchronized thoughts. "Talking at me" was the best way to describe it.

But somehow, I made it work. Doing what I do best, information was filtered, organized, synthesized, and gaps in understanding were filled by asking the appropriate questions. Mind you, I didn't receive straightforward answers to several of these inquiries, either due to the predecessors executing the action without ever questioning its value or simply because the required depth of understanding to formulate the answer was beyond their capacity. In retrospect, it ought be declared that I trained myself.

​Information was compiled into notes, which was then supplemented by a flowchart. Manual data entry/manipulation was reduced by formulating a script. Resulting from the end of the three-week onboarding period was a WIP handover document - with proper headings! - that would be continually supplemented with the arising of outlier circumstances.

​An arduous 90-minute commute welcomed me back on the first in-office day of the week.

Lunchtime saw outings to the Merrithew Training Studio and Indigo for research purposes. All hopes of maximizing my downtown time with after-work pilates were shattered as I learned that the studio would not offer classes past 5 PM. Furthermore, the only available slot for a private session was Monday between 4-5PM - a date and time that demanded comprehensive schedule adjustment more troublesome than it was worth.

I then proceeded across the street to Indigo, where the Smitten Kitchen Keepers cookbook event was slated to take place.
​
Upon learning of the event's proximity to the office, I hesitated not in purchasing a hard cover edition for signing. Naturally, I would also be scoping out the venue in preparation.

This Indigo location was exceptionally spacious, spanning two floors, complete with an escalator and curved staircase. Displayed on the ground floor were home décor and seasonal items; the upper level included a Kids' section, graphic novels/manga, and even sections dedicated to board games and Halloween clearance. A friendly member of staff confirmed for me my Plum rewards number, as well as the anticipated location/check-in procedure for SK's book signing.

​With roughly twenty minutes remaining, I sauntered about Eglinton Avenue. Heading west, I found a number of narrow pedestrian detours. For a short stretch, the sidewalk was open for foot traffic, but the other side of the intersection would be closed due to construction. Traffic control signage pointed pedestrians to the north side of Eglinton, then the south, then north again.

​In-boulevard, uni-directional cycle tracks had been partially paved, but not yet completed. Fallen signs and debris were placed within this corridor, yet its incomplete status had not been revealed to cyclists that attempted to use it, causing confusion and frustration.

​Just prior to heading back, I entertained the idea of a Pumpkin Spice Muffin from Timmies. Given the lack of time though, I resorted to a Cranberry Orange Muffin from the nearby McDonald's, a tiny outpost frequented by Crosslinx labourers and residents of the streets.

​Heading home was a grim journey, as it filled with the head-on glare of sunset, then eased into an all-around darkness. By the time I had reached home 100 minutes later, the sun had vanished completely. The skies were dark, just as they had been at my time of wakening.

​My elongated heart-shaped biscuits from Punto Gelato were unveiled later that evening. Crispy and aromatic, they served as superb gelato toppers, contributing textural contrast to Matcha Gelato from Nani's and Chocolate Ice Cream from Baskin Robbins.

​Collapsing into bed early as a result of a pounding headache, I emerged less fatigued the next day. Departing five minutes earlier than the previous day granted me a significantly shorter commute and, consequentially, an earlier departure.

​Over lunch break, I undertook the westward sojourn to Eglinton and Avenue Road, once again navigating through the various pedestrian detours and sidewalk restrictions. Isle of Coffee, which has likely been bookmarked for several years now, would be my ultimate destination.

​The neighbourhood was observed to alter drastically west of Avenue Road: the scene was calmer, cleaner, and boasted an absence of homeless citizens.

Within Isle of Coffee was bar seating by the entrance, a stout shelf of brewing merchandise and specialty beans, a quieter seating area towards the back. Upon navigating closer to the bar/cashier area, one would find the drink menu framed on the wall and the day's assortment of baked goods in a glass display case. Additional seating could be found at the bottom of a staircase, untraversed by yours truly.

< L to R: Marble Pound Cake, Ginger Whole Wheat Cookie (2 pcs), Black Sesame Sable, Coffee Sable, Lemon Bear Madeleine, Salted Caramel Madeleine, Truffle Honey Madeleine, Mugwort Madeleine, Matcha Madeleine, Coffee Madeleine >

All the madeleines were noted to be equally popular, in spite of the noticeable scarcity of the Salted Caramel variation. I inquired whether a box would be provided with purchase of pastries, and received confirmation that a six-pack mix-and-match of Madeleines would indeed constitute grounds for a paper box. That said, the option was limited to madeleines only and would incur an additional charge of fifty cents. Naturally, I settled for individual paper bags instead, and emerged from the café with six items in a stamped brown bag.

The shop's offerings were priced reasonably. Madeleines were individually associated with $2.99 price tags. A 2-pack of Whole Wheat Ginger Cookies range in at $3.10, while the Fig and Caramel Scone at $3.50. These rates were lower than market value, should you ask me, and I had initially contemplated the Vanilla Cookie Choux as well. Eventually, I decided against the idea, in fear that the icing sugar-dusted creation would not survive the subway trip (and extensive drive home).

The Truffle Honey edition was sampled en route home - on the highway to boot! In spite of its upscale impression, it was, regrettably, the version earning least affection. Encased within the pastry was a creamy honey filling, which contrasted with the generous dusting of a savoury truffle powder. The addition was stifling rather than complementary, and presented a fishy aura that I was none too fond of.

One of two Whole Wheat Ginger Cookies was enjoyed later that evening. The heart-shaped cookie boasted a snappy texture with mild undertones of ginger. Citrus zest (or extract) was a likely constituent of the creation, for a tingling sensation on the tongue could be felt following consumption. The addition of whole wheat offered heartiness - a delightful, craggy composition to contrast against its smooth surface.

The Mugwort Madeleine was nutty, with its thorough dusting of injeolmi powder heightening this property. That said, the incorporation of these traditional Korean flavours contributed minimally to fragrance and moistness, as it masked the impact of honey.
Flavourful was the Coffee Madeleine, though its roasted qualities were offset by distinct sugariness. I presumed a high proportion of granulated sugar to obtain the pastry's wipsy, crisp edge.

​The café's signature Lemon Bear Madeleine was a laudable purchase. Flawless in its execution, the adorable bear bore the trademark hump of classic Madeleines while stimulating visual appeal. Refreshing and not too sweet, we thoroughly enjoyed its zestiness and honeyed moist crumb.

​Surpassing our expectations was the Fig and Caramel Scone. There was little caramel to be tasted; instead, toothsome pieces of diced fig had found their way into the dough. A lightly charred, open-faced slice adorned the surface. Oftentimes, scones are found to be excessively dry (a sign of overworking), too sweet (COBS' editions), or reeking of alkalinity (too much baking soda). Isle of Coffee had succeeded in crafting a balanced product: crunchy at first bite, then buttery and fragrant upon munching. Fig pieces distributed sweetness without overwhelming the overall configuration, while its seeds kept the texture interesting.

While Yonge-Eglinton, in its current state of Crosstown construction chaos, is largely unsuitable for accessible, stress-free strolls, Isle of Coffee likely warrants the undertaking of pedestrian detours. The experience was, admittedly, better than expected. 

​I pulled into the driveway just short of 5:30 PM that evening, and proceeded with my regular routine of exercise, dinner, and dishwashing. Around the 8:20 PM mark, an audible crash was heard. Peeking out from our first floor window, we vaguely saw tumbled trees and the faces of other concerned neighbours. The situation hadn't seemed to affect us, thus we reverted to our standard activities. Not long after though, the sound of sirens could be heard. Two fire trucks and one ambulance appeared on scene.

We continued to observe the scene, altering between the first and second floors for a more comprehensive view. It wasn't until the caution tape was extended to our property that I experienced a wallowing sense of foreboding. I immediately geared up in attire fitting of early November nights and dashed outside.
Lo and behold, our tree had been smashed - unearthed from its base and shattered to pieces beyond recognizable. Lone twigs and branches enveloped my car, which assumed a permanent position on our driveway.

​In discussion with the neighbours, we learned that their front yards had also seen similar damage: their tree severed from its base and fallen, but still intact. The man next door directed our gaze towards tire tracks that commenced two houses down. It would appear that the vehicle had driven onto the sidewalk and traversed a total of six houses before slamming into a parked car on a driveway and trapping the driver within it. The incident had missed my car by a few feet, but annihilated our tree, our neighbour's tree, the neighbour's neighbour's tree, and scratched the trunk of a fourth tree. The man who had been sitting in his vehicle was pushed to the next house, trapped inside between the house and another tree.

As I gazed in horror at the scene, a second ambulance arrived. Traffic control vehicles and tow trucks also hovered nearby. Through traffic was minimized while EMS vehicles remained on site. About eighty minutes later, they began to depart, one by one. At 10:38 PM, crews - presumed to originate from the City's Forestry division - arrived to remove fallen trees from the affected driveways. Shrill grinding of gears could be heard along the street for the dismemberment of lengthy branches. Then, at 11 PM, peace was restored once again.

​The next morning, I set out to survey the damage under illuminated conditions. As I swept away from the perimeter of my vehicle the forgotten branches and dust, chips in the sidewalk were observed. Previously not present, mental notes were made to monitor the chipping and notify the City for restorative measures should the damage exceed a depth of 2 cm. 
​
Horrifying had the incident been, and even more terrifying was the speed at which the vehicle had been travelling. To induce such a tremendous degree of property damage and not halt movement until slamming into its fifth (or sixth) obstacle, it was impossible for us to stop pondering "Just how fast was this person going??".

Banana Choc Chunk Muffins (Ver. 2)

Three very ripe bananas warranted revisiting of this recipe. Unfortunately, a portion of the sweet, fleshy goodness had rotted before I had a chance to salvage, leaving the remaining quantity to account for roughly that of two large bananas.

Adhering to my previous recipe notes, I reduced the egg count (from two to one), used a mix of butter and oil, and also decreased the flour content. In order to determine the amount of flour, I calculated the amount proportional to 270 g of bananas (270/390 = 0.69). Then, I reduced that amount by 25% (231 x 0.75 = 173g) and rounded up to make 180 g.

• 270/390 banana ratio = 0.69
• 0.69 x 334 g flour = 230 g (directly proportional)
• 230 x 0.75 = 173 g
• 173 g rounded up → 180 g

​The batter was portioned out between twelve Halloween-themed muffin liners, using an ice cream scoop for minimal hassle. The tray was then subject to the same baking pattern as before: 400 F for 5 minutes, then 350 F for 18 minutes. A toothpick was threaded through the centre to check for doneness; it emerged clean. Soft pockets of chocolate were still acceptable.

Perhaps the most obvious difference was the moistness of the muffin. Swapping out half of the melted butter for oil had yielded a lighter, moister profile, inclusive of gooey chocolate pockets. Despite having used an identical amount of Decadent chunks, the overall chocolateyness had been amplified. However, as the binding ingredients (egg and flour) had been drastically reduced, oil pooled at the underside of the liner. Greasy fingertips could not be escaped, even after reheating the muffin.

The muffins were delectable, though on the damp side with an extremely delicate crumb, especially in the subsequent days. Toasting the muffin just prior to consumption led to a crisp surface and soft, crumbling cross-section. Further iterations shall maintain the egg and butter-oil combination, but increase the amount of flour. It is with optimism that this adjustment will restore its crunchy, coarse sugar-coated top and keep excess moisture at bay.

Coffee Agar Jelly from BTrust was also formulated as per the directions on the box. Adding nothing more than 3 cups of water to the powdered mixture, the jelly proved extremely rigid after refrigerating overnight. In spite of this, it bore a respectable degree of bitterness that shone through with the addition of sweetened condensed milk (our six cans of evaporated milk had expiry dates of late 2020, early 2021, and just-passed days of 2022).

​In order to maximize time for Christmas tree setup, lunch was sought via UberEats. From In A Bowl, we took to Gyudon, Yaki Ramen with Chicken, and Salt & Pepper Calamari.

The order arrived swiftly, considering its physical location in Oakville. Neatly wrapped with the receipt tacked on the bag, the portions were as generous as they had been when purchasing in-store.

​The Gyudon comprised of dashi-infused short-grain rice, beni shoga, and plentiful strips of tender beef. Yaki Ramen, which had been requested completely mild with a one-dollar addition of chicken strips, was less starchy than the typical Stir-Fried Udon and significantly less greasy than the Cantonese classic of 乾炒牛河 (Beef Chow Fun). Embodying the essence of soy and attitude of wok hei, great pleasure was derived from this dish. Furthermore, the pieces of chicken were sizable, well-seasoned, and supple.

​Salt & Pepper Calamari had arrived soggy, and didn't see much improvement even after toasting. Its accompanying dipping sauce evoked the illusion of plum sauce, spiced with chili flakes.

​In the early afternoon, the sleepy polar bear swooped me up for errands and general favours. Assistance had been enlisted to support the acquisition of Christmas baking supplies. Over the past few days, I've been entertaining holiday project (which is presumed to entail more work than I would like to undertake as an independent "campaigner"). Materials and supplies were needed to support this idea; after perusing the online aisles of Amazon, I proposed additional stops to evaluate market prices.

Last year's festive dollies were replenished with the inclusion of a medium-sized candy-cane themed rendition. The same would apply to treat bags and mini muffin liners. ​Cookie boxes and tins were a tad pricier than I would have preferred, thus I resorted to further investigation before committing to the purchase at Dollarama.

​bulk barn assumed the next stop, though there were few items falling within the festive category. Almond powder, black cocoa, and dried cranberries were obtained here.

​Photos with Santa had also commenced in the centre court, with online bookings made possible through a QR code. We took to marvelling at the lofty tree and fireplace installation instead.

Finally, we ventured to Michaels as the last option for cookie boxes.

 More festive décor was found, along with Halloween clearance in the form of candy corn wreaths and paintable canvas totes.

​An amusing find were scented sticks, termed "Scentsicles", that could be added to one's home for olfactory interest. Pairing a fir-scented stick with an artificial tree had the power to relieve decorators of the neverending holiday dilemma: choosing authenticity (and dealing with constant pine needle fallout) or embracing faux shrubbery for convenience and sustainability.
That said, I didn't emerge from the store with any more than BOGO bracelet straps and charms. The Scentsicles rang in at $12.99 apiece, a steep price in spite of its BOGO offer.

In the absence of Lychee Yakult from all CoCo stores in Mississauga - and the unavailability of Brown Sugar Pearl Matcha Milk Tea from my preferred location - I grudgingly agreed to resort to Starbucks before heading back.​

​​I opted not to sample sleepy polar bear's Caramel Brulée Latte in fear of caffeine jitters and instead took to a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino. The beverage succeeded in satisfying the brewing void for pepperminty chocolate creations.

A Ginger Biscotti was also spotted near the cashier; being under three dollars, it was added to the bill. Expectations were high given the observation of candied ginger bits, coarse sugar, and thorough drizzle of icing. We later deemed the biscotti capable of satisfying those without a strong penchant for ginger - aka not me. I would, as a consequence, begin contemplating my own biscotti and, through it, amplify both the herbaceous properties and overall contentment factor. Orange zest, dried cranberries, freshly grated ginger, coarse sugar, and chopped pecans are the highlight ingredients being analyzed.

​After much delay, our efforts were concentrated on charm configurations. My indecisiveness towards the preferred arrangement was called out, however I refuted the claim on the basis that such supposed "indecisiveness" had not been met with abeyance, but rather continuous re-alignment until the emerging result certified satisfaction.

By chance, the sleepy polar bear happened to pass by CoCo's newest location in the Mississauga Chinese Centre (788, 823). There, my coveted Lychee Yakult was obtained. Anticipation towards the exclusive beverage had been undeniable, but the turnout proved absolutely dismal. The combination did not extend beyond lychee juice from concentrate, lychee pulp from a can, and a yakult base that would be subject to settlement after refrigeration.