Out & About #876 | Calgary Souvenirs + Ganache Lava Cake Attempt

Returning from vacation brings about a new slew of stresses. While having all laundry completed, items re-arranged in their original position, and luggage stashed back into the storage room constitutes the "end goal" of a successful trip, the incredulous quantity of raw footage rests upon my shoulders, demanding attention.

But, in the very least, access to my trusted array of tools is reinstated. Coffee - be it in espresso or filter format - can be crafted at will. Should Hot Cross Buns be desired, I have the option of venturing out, in my own car without the pains of connecting to the decidedly dreadful Android Auto.

The days after my return consisted not only of laundry and unpacking, but also the slow evaluation of my purchases.

Both the gargantuan bag of Choco Churro Turtle Chips and Mango Passion Fruit Tea mix from H Mart were deemed worthy despite the troublesome transport back. The former was far more economic than any sale in the GTA, especially given Alberta's province-wide 5% tax. As for the jam mix, it boasts a loose consistency ideal for incorporating into chilled beverages. That said, a little does not go a long way. In the meantime though, it should suffice in place of CoCo's Bubble Gaga.

Without any particular desires to leave the house, I spent them housed in my room, attempting to regain whatever energy was drained over the five-day duration out west.

Homemade meals were my soul food, in particular a Tomato, Potato, and Pork Soup that simultaneously soothed and nourished the iron-deficient soul.

The readily available status of fresh produce and juicy oranges was another welcoming aspect.

Highly anticipated was the reveal of my Cococo haul. The sustainable chocolate shop had intrigued me in its assortment, leading to the purchase of a 12-piece "Best in Show" gift set, a 250 g pouch of Ruby Couverture, and an affordable box of Dark Chocolate and Almond Biscuits.

The "Best in Show" box contained six varieties of truffles, with two pieces of each for a total of twelve. It ought be remarked that, in spite of cococo being a chocolate boutique, the truffle casings were rather thin, with the fillings occupying a substantial proportion of the bite-sized morsels.

• Apricot Lavender: Layers of velvety floral and refreshing, almost juicy jelly blanketed within a delicate, crisp dark chocolate casing.
• Earl Grey Tea: Impeccably smooth with subtle hints of tea flavour (oddly described as green tea instead of black tea with bergamot)
• Honey Anise: The least palatable of the selection, this one is not for the faint of heart, nor those averse to notes of licorice.
• Nutmeg Orange: Overall quite sweet and moderately citrusy; the addition of Cointreau contributes complexity
• Passion Fruit Caramel: A splendid pairing of tart, refreshing passion fruit caramel to neutralize the innately sugary properties of its white chocolate casing.
• Sea Salt Caramel in Milk Chocolate: Far too sweet and far too sticky with a generous dusting of sea salt.

​The household was less than impressed with the selection, and reasonably so. Priced half as much was the small box of Dark Chocolate and Almond Biscuits, which succeeded in delivering a far greater degree of satisfaction. These slivers were more reminiscent of brittle, chocolate-covered toffee sheets than dense chunks of nuts - my preference, really.

​I was reluctant to resume my in-office schedule, yet mustered up the determination to tackle yet another Monday commute.

Alas, TTC delays were witnessed again. Congestion on the 401 had been generally minimal, but mechanical errors and out-of-service trains set me back at least twenty minutes in delays. 

​Low energy levels persevered for the remainder of the day, leading to a condensed lunch walk of twenty minutes, primarily for the purpose of procuring lunch and exploring the newly-opened Galleria Express.

​Against my better judgement, I took a bottle of Miero Fiber from the refrigerated drink display. The obnoxiously sweet, orange-flavoured beverage was consumed in conjunction with a Carnitas Salad from Chipotle - complete with sodium-laden guac.

The combination led to unwarranted bloating and stomach pains that persisted for up to two days.

In order to validate the dough quality of CJ's packaged hoddeok mix, I took to the original flavour for testing, and vowed to obtain results in advance of the expiration date printed on the box.

​The sleepy polar bear had responded positively to my proposal of a relaxed Valentine's Day celebration. Curry Udon was the suggested menu, for both of us had longed for MeNami yet didn't wish to bother with the commute. While one of us prepared spinach, pork shabu, and curry with carrots, potatoes, and sweet yellow onion, the other began to browse recipes for lava cakes.

The latter was obviously me.

​The Ruby Couverture callets from cococo were fruity and tropical, just as depicted. They dissolved readily into warmed heavy cream, showing faint traces of separation due to the inclusion of citric acid. A second ganache filling was formulated with 100 g each of Surfin and heavy cream. Once homogenous, the mixture was spiked with 11 ml of Bacardi Gold Rum to emulate the effects of the coveted Chocolate Rum Cake brought back via the sleepy polar bear's short-lived Halifax sojourn.
​These mixtures were then poured into silicon baking cups and allowed to freeze overnight.

​A heart-shaped cake topper would be crafted in the meantime (for a twenty-pack of Dollarama picks were too extravagant of an investment).

​In the absence of ramekins, I thoroughly buttered and cocoa powder-ed vintage muffin tins. The cake batter was constructed as per Joshua Weissman's But Better formula, then poured over generous rounds of ganache. Excess batter was poured into a mini cupcake pan filled with heart-patterned liners.

I had made a grave error while forming the cake base and simultaneously listening to Hazel McCallion's state funeral. ​Truthfully, it hadn't dawned upon me until my mini cupcakes promptly deflated after being removed from the oven.

"Why does it look like this?" I pondered silently. "It should have structure from the flour - "
I had omitted the flour entirely.

The mini cupcakes were fine, in that the liners did not adhere to the cake and the texture was airy and merely soufflé-like. However, the same commentary could not be extended to the ganache-containing cakes in the muffin pan.

Due to my excessive 7:3 ratio of ganache to cake, the rounds lacked structural integrity, splitting at their centres in a gooey, chocolatey mess. Though the rum-infused portions were still decadent, the ruby centres were particularly disappointing. Any fruity accents had disintegrated into the cake, resulting in obscene, dimensionless sweetness.

​Exasperated at having wasted both couverture and alcohol, I began to consider alternate dessert options while scrubbing away at the soiled plates and pans. Working quickly, I compiled a second rum ganache with 50 g each of Surfin and heavy cream, followed by 5 ml of Gold Rum. This would be set in a small glass bowl doubly lined with plastic wrap. To my relief, the mixture successfully set in under three hours.

At that point, I hastily assembled a half portion of Sunday Baking's Mochi Brownie recipe - sans mochi and previously scaled down for my Oat Fudge Bar attempts. A sprinkle of baking powder and splash of heavy cream were used to lighten the formula, in hopes of injecting cake-like properties. Erring on the side of caution, the cake was kept in its 4-in springform pan until the point of unveiling.

​Around the 7:15 PM mark, I entered into a dining room with a surprisingly clean table. The Curry Udon was ready.

​The sleepy polar bear's efforts had amounted to the teensiest portion of blanched spinach and an even smaller quantity of blanched pork shabu. The udon, which had only been drained and rinsed with cold water at my time of arrival, was mushy. Similar remarks were cast on the curry ingredients: sandy potatoes resulting from lack of soaking, carrots that cooked too quickly due to increased surface area, and onions that were blackened without crunch. Overall, the pot's contents lacked depth; I was later informed that neither salt nor cooking wine had been incorporated into the mixture.

​My disdain for the mushy meal prevented me from seconds. I instead accepted a frozen sticky rice wrap instead, for blanching more pork shabu strips and spinach would take far too long for my liking. The pre-packaged, palm-sized specimen comprised of rigid grains of rice and minimal meat.

​Constructive criticism was documented for future reference. Then, I took to unveiling the dessert of the hour.

​The second attempt bore improved visuals before heating, yet was overly decadent as a post-supper dessert. Still, my feedback was positive, and remnants were packed away for consumption the following day.

As per tradition, Meet Fresh beverages had been obtained for the occasion. My desire for beer had trumped longings for Lemon Wintermelon Tea, so the drink was brought home instead. Other snacks included Binggrae Banana Milk and Coffee Milk, as well as Cow Chips from our trip.

​Conclusively speaking, neither of our concoctions had earned full marks. With that said, the ultimate objective of a comfortable evening in was attained.

I will likely be revisiting the chocolatey creation once the craving surfaces, but reducing the sugar content and maintaining structural integrity prevail as issues for further investigation. In regards to the Curry Udon, we may be better off with a demo from yours truly (or simply revisiting MeNami).