Out & About #879 | Nabe, Oriole Park + Carrot Cake

Adulting encompasses a series of tedious tasks, ranging from acquiring survival skills to battling unexpected financial burden. Being trained (and, wired naturally, to some extent) to operate as efficiently as possible from an early age helps in adapting to this evolutionary process.

​Quickly identifying a comprehensive solution is no easy feat. When one despises wasted efforts on trial and error as much I do though, Google serves as your best tool, outlining the past successes (and failures) of others for your own reference and learning.

​Instances of setting foot in the kitchen past mid-2021 for non-baking purposes are rare. As of recently, I regained the temporary responsibility of meal-making. The duty comes hand in hand with grocery runs, for one is unable to cook without ingredients. Early in the week, a Chinese-style stylee nabe was constructed.

I've termed it "Our Household Nabe", for the broth utilizes dried scallops and shiitake mushrooms instead of a dashi composed of bonito flakes, soy, and mirin/sake. I omitted ginger out of sheer forgetfulness, though later realized its significance in combatting the cooling properties of Napa cabbage.

​Marinating 1.3 lbs of pork shabu shabu strips enabled tenderness without overbearing potency. The mixture of salt, dark soy, sugar, and Shaoxing wine helped to draw out excess moisture from the frozen segments while facilitating thawing. These strips were then stir-fried slightly with four stalks of roughly chopped scallions for aroma-acquiring purposes. Slowly but surely, the chopped napa cabbage was then placed into the pot and showered with four cans of chicken broth. Filling the pot to the top with water, the entire array was brought to a boil.

In order to ensure a clear broth, the mixture was simmered over medium to medium-high heat, skimming the foam with a fine mesh ladle as it appeared. Due to the fattiness of the pork shabu strips, the meat remained tender throughout the process.

​The dish was served with udon and a side of Smile(y) fries.

​A round of errands took place early Tuesday evening, assuming the most atypical weeknight act to take place. Visits to the mall, optometrist, and gas station were made; these were then succeeded by an impromptu trip to Nani's Gelato.

Vietnamese Coffee gelato had returned to their ever-rotating roster of flavours. Hesitating not for a split second, I obtained two pints from the newly-renovated dessert parlour. A Sea Salt Chocolate Chip cookie was also procured. Then, off I sped to the sleepy polar bear's. Sharing the cookie was the original intent, though I likely demolished 70% of the specimen while recapping frustrations of the work day.

In exchange for my efforts, I received a bag of Choco Churro Turtle Chips - this time regular-sized.

​There is much glee to be had in showcasing my Sulley merchandise. Appending to my existing collection of printed ankle socks, waterproof (and non-waterproof) travel pouches, USBs, stationery, and more, is an overpriced pair of fuzzy Miniso socks (878), bestowed upon me by the sleepy polar bear in spite of repetitive concerns that the toes "would cause discomfort." They didn't, and, in fact, proved to be the highlight of their showcasing.

​Prior to grudgingly venturing into Midtown, I was met with perspiration-filled nightmares. The vivid scenes in my mind eventually became reality, for I was late to depart and even later to arrive in the office. Congestion on the 401 was atrocious, but, at the very least, TTC was forgiving.

​Having explored orthogonally about the Yonge-Eg intersection, my lunch walk saw a detour just west of Davisville station.

​Oriole Park emerged as a popular pick for dog walkers in the neighbourhood, as expected given its proximity to residential units. Amidst the snowy masses was Neshama Playground, which featured the most ornate of playground infrastructure I had laid eyes on in my entire existence.

Sunny, blue skies and clear pathways made for a relaxing winter walk, and I soon found myself trekking further west. At Chaplin and Avenue, I turned right to head north, not knowing the constant uphill climb that awaited me. That said, it was nothing compared to the winding route leading up to Ink Pots.

​Isle of Coffee was visited for the third time. Again, a Fig & Caramel Scone was obtained. Added to the list was a Whole Wheat Pecan Scone (in the shape of a biscotti) and Cookie Choux.

The latter was consumed within minutes of returning to the office. Vanilla bean-infused cream oozed out; it was airy, thoroughly speckled, but utterly bland. The remaining 15-20% of the creation was the choux pastry, which was soggy instead of crunchy with its signature crackle surface. Needless to say, I was, once again, disappointed. That said, the Mont Blanc still reigns as the singly most anticipated and most disappointing purchase.

The Whole Wheat Pecan Scone, while textured and brimming with specks of wheat, did not boast much of the nut's signature aromatic butteriness. A closer inspection informed of fine fragments of pecan folded into the dough, however its impact on the overall product was minimal.

​At 4:30 PM, I was finally given the go ahead by my carpooling partner to commence packing up. My total stay had exceeded the required eight-hour presence. Dashing onto the first southbound train in sight, I was met with, yet again, another TTC delay. Thankfully, it was brief, but not brief enough to ensure my arrival by 5 PM.

​By the time we returned, some fifty-ish minutes later, I concluded that pilates could no longer be accommodated. In response to this, I proposed a visit to BTrust, promptly reallocating my Saturday towards undisturbed slumber.

The next morning saw snowfall - nearly a foot of dense precipitation that would persevered into the early evening hours, once again clouding our asphalt driveway in white.

​An inadequacy of sustenance inspired the compilation of a "loaded" miso soup.

King Oyster Mushrooms would be diced and sautéed in salted butter until fragrant and light beige in hue. Then in went the carrots, followed by closing the pot with a lid to encourage moisture dissipation from the shrooms. The steam would serve to soften the carrots gradually, while I blanched spinach in a separate pot.

​King Oyster Mushrooms would be diced and sautéed in salted butter until fragrant and light beige in hue. Then in went the carrots, followed by closing the pot with a lid to encourage moisture dissipation from the shrooms. The steam would serve to soften the carrots gradually, while I blanched spinach in a separate pot. Once the carrots were mostly soft (and accidentally charred), I added in three heaping spoonfuls of miso paste, a dash of Shaoxing wine, and enough water to cover the entire mixture. The soup would be simmered on medium heat, then sprinkled with scallions upon finishing, as to preserve their green hue and crunchy properties.

​Simultaneously constructed were Potato Scallion Fritters, adapted from the great SK. My rendition used several small Yukon Golds, 3 eggs, 2 tbsp of cornstarch, and the remainder of my White Cheddar Powder. The batter was loose yet tacky at the same time; comprising of significantly fewer spices, it boasted a savoury yet unidentifiable scent.

Fatigued by this point, I opted to dump the entirety of the bowl's contents into the skillet instead of hovering about pan-frying individual fritters. Alas, I had compromised crispy edges in exchange for convenience. The diameter of the singular gargantuan fritter was at least three times that of my spatula, and crumbled in my first and only flip attempt. I managed to salvage the creation by breaking the fritter into smaller rounds, discovering them to be shockingly delicious with pungent punches of scallion and chewy chunks of potato embedded within.

​My BTrust carrots, having been unveiled to possess rotten cores, were handled appropriately the following day. Beyond its usage in miso soup, I reserved 200 grams for my first-ever Carrot Cake. Naturally, I would trust no one but Sunday Baking for this pursuit.

Her formula involved pulsing the carrots in a food processor until fine, rather than passing whole carrots through a grater. I preferred the simplicity of this method, for it delivered both uniformity and speed without resulting in additional dishes. That said, carrots are quite pigmented - even after an hour of soaking, their vivid coral hue remained stained in the plastic compartment of my food processor.

In the absence of certain ingredients (and the presence of snow outside my window), I opted for several untested swaps. My changes included:

• Blending Dole pineapple rings with the carrots, rather than adding them into the batter chopped
• Using golden yellow sugar instead of brown sugar, then adding in a splash of molasses (roughly 30 g) to make up for any potential loss of caramel-y tones
• Omitting the coconut flakes, for I had none on hand
  
• Increasing the amount of flour from 100 g to 170 g to compensate for the addition of molasses
• Using a small, unmeasured amount of coconut milk and gelatin in place of whipped heavy cream in the frosting, simple since I did not have heavy cream on hand. The frosting emerged distinctly runnier than Sunday's, which translated into wonky-looking carrots adorning the surface.

Source: Sunday Baking

​The cake sheet itself was tastier than any walnut-topped, raisin-containing carrot cake I've had from a bakery, as it was devoid of the spice-laden foundation and greasy heaviness that I despise. Pineapple was a very unexpected ingredient, but one is able to comprehend the reason for inclusion upon sampling the cake: it added slight acidity as well as unmistakable freshness to the cake. As expected, oil prevents the cake from drying out in the fridge.

The gelatin-containing cream cheese frosting had a runny consistency at first, but thickened after chilling. That said, I would recommend adhering to the original formula for flavour, texture, and volume. Being based mostly of liquid and stabilizers, the frosting exhibited cracking the next morning. Despite slicing with ease, it had, undeniably, dried out over time. The effects of using stabilizers only grew more obvious in the subsequent days, as each passing hour yielded thinner layers of frosting and tackier consistencies.

I'd declare the trial a success, all while being an unexpectedly fitting creation for Easter. The cake is moist and supple, as Sunday's creations are often known to be. As for the frosting, let it be known that coconut milk cannot be used in substitution of heavy cream and shredded coconut.

Leftover AROY-D was mixed with rock sugar and gelatin to form a coconut jelly. Despite its sweet, silky, and creamy qualities, it earned few favours in the household. Perhaps an improved presentation would have boosted its marketability.