Out & About #895 | The Pilates Body Session #3 + Black Sesame Scones

As my PTO days wither away into the abyss of unrecoverable time and space, I often find myself questioning whether I've completed any task of value with my paid period of freedom. A friend of mine once pointed out that the concept of productivity isn't always one of maximized potential. But, for me, it very much is, and will continue to be.

​My diet continues to consist of "soft" foods for eased digestion. Udon replaced white rice, while lightly seasoned pork continues to serve as my primary source of iron.
T̶h̶e̶ ̶y̶e̶t̶-̶t̶o̶-̶b̶e̶-̶n̶a̶m̶e̶d̶ ̶C̶o̶w̶ ̶P̶i̶g̶  Ferra observes all household happenings from afar.

​With Monday comes another Beginner Reformer class at The Pilates Body. I departed much earlier than necessary, and made the impromptu decision of swinging by LA Fitness. Time was limited, but any activity would be better than sitting in the waiting area idle.

The Stairmaster was revisited for the first time since my CN Tower Climb training. Climbing up to speed - no pun intended - was much easier than the first time (884), and I'd like to think that I'm adapting better to the machine due to seldom instances of toe clipping.

Ten minutes of stairs at a relatively quick pace assisted in raising internal body temperature and doubling as a pre-pilates warmup.

I had taken to the Ladies Only area once again, and made the consistent observation of only one of two Stairmasters being functional. The other simply bore an error message and was left unreported by gym-goers that attempted usage. Compared to my previous 7 PM visit, the early evening hours also saw higher volumes of traffic, namely high schoolers or local university students.

​Rainy grey skies had cleared to yield azure and sunshine in a matter of twenty minutes. Pulling into the asphalt lot of The Pilates Body, I took a quick glance at the new signage before dashing inwards. But, of course, the class did not commence on time. Supposedly advertised as one-hour sessions, I've repeatedly noticed that class tends to start late and end early.

The format of the third session was essentially identical to last week, to the point where I questioned whether the instructor had referred to the wrong set of notes. "Setting up for footwork" automatically ascertained three red springs and the stopper in second of third position, depending on body length. However, most students merely slouched onto the Reformer Carriage upon entry, barely budging until the instructor declared any announcement.

The warm-up series was identical to the first and second sessions, engaging the thighs, ankles, and calves with extension/contraction followed by pulses. While the order of upper body and glute were switched, we executed the exact exercises as last time: upper and mid back extensions while lying face down on the Long Box, internal and external rotation with the elbows affixed to one's side, and upper rotation while facing perpendicular to the Carriage. There was, frankly, little to no progression in terms of complexity nor speed.

​One of the stockier girls in the class asked whether she should be signing up for the Intermediate class immediately upon completion of the Beginner course. The question came as a surprise to me, for it was obvious that all participants of the session were not only new to the Reformer, but pilates overall. Without adequate understanding of pilates fundamentals and a sustained mind-body connection, it is ill-advised to progress further. Perhaps she had associated difficulty level with spring tension, though pilates is not quite that shallow.

Although the core exercises were, personally, not very stimulating, I enjoyed that the class forced my uptake of upper body exercises. Internal and external rotation had been assigned by my physiotherapist for shoulder stabilization, though it was often met with reluctance and overlooked amidst my needs for upper back, core, and glute med conditioning.

When returning the Reformer Box, I slammed my leg on the underside of the frame, yielding a pained yelp and temporarily distorted demeanour. The rest of the equipment was sanitized as directed, with the exception of the springs; one of the co-owners, who happened to be present during the class, noted to avoid the springs, for the cleaning solutions apparently cause discolouration.

​Evaluating energy levels following the class, I swerved back into the LA Fitness parking lot. Swiftly swapping footwear, I managed to make forty minutes of the fifty-ish-minute Zumba class at 7 PM.
It was great fun, but the class was tremendously chaotic. Seemingly regular participants, it was astounding how offbeat their moves emerged. Attendees were younger than those spotted in the weekend morning classes and presumably diligent, given their familiarity with those around them. That said, few could follow the instructor's gestures. Even fewer were those that looked at their own movements in the mirror. Apparent to me was a wad of uncontrolled energy and forgetfulness.

Needless to say, I was undeterred, but had a good laugh anyway.

​Instead of journeying to new, unfamiliar territory, my time off was primarily utilized towards errands and chores. A mid-morning Costco run was one of them.

As we began to navigate towards the exit, the warehouse's hot dog deal caught my attention. The combo included a soft drink (with refill!) and choice of a Polish Sausage or All Beef Hot Dog - all for an insanely economic price of $1.50! Meals under $15 were rare even prior to the pandemic, thus one could picture our shock at seeing a grand total of $3.15 on the receipt.

​Both hot dogs were delicious: the Polish Sausage possessing comprehensive seasoning and mild notes of black pepper, and the All Beef boasting better texture overall. Large paper cups were filled with carbonated combinations of Brisk Iced Tea-Brisk Lemonade and Mountain Dew-Brisk Iced Tea-Ice Water.

Tim Hortons was the final stop of the day, for Smile Cookies were back and looking wonkier - and paler - than ever.

​Personal work tasks continued throughout the week: medical check-ups before the expiry of benefits, home inventory restocking, and overdue spring cleaning.

​Early conclusion of one appointment allowed me to check out Akko Cake House's mid-morning selection. My childhood bakery hadn't seen any renovations over the years, and instead preserved the original bun and cake posters I recalled from uniform-clad, after-school purchases.

​The interior décor mattered minimally to me, for the bakery's offerings outshone all local and distant contenders. Two delectable Hot Dog Buns, a magnificent Pineapple Bun, tray of Mini Coconut Buns, standard-sized Coconut Bun, and teensy pouch of Mini Cupcakes were acquired. Unfortunately, my coveted 排包 were nowhere to be seen.

Beyond being notably more budget-friendly than Lucullus' $4.75 rendition, Akko's $3.50 bundle was moist, buttery, and positively sublime. Admittedly stouter in comparison, the Mini Cupcakes featured the degree of moistness I had expected from Lucullus, but found absent. ​Both versions are delicious, but I'd choose Akko's in a heartbeat.

Meals of the week comprised of Stir-Fried Eggplant and Minced Pork, Choy Sum, Udon and/or Spaghettini, Egg Salad, and the odd dusting of Parmesan.

​A ketchup face-donning Hash Brown and dreamy pint of Laker Red constituted a well-deserved, post-dance treat. The Hash Brown, while emanating the most vile of greasy fumes throughout the kitchen and beyond, was perfectly crisp and delectable. Laker Red, a rare red lager sighting, boasted a breathtaking coppery-crimson hue, velvety head, and smooth drinking profile.

​My stash of fruity favourites and timeless lagers/ales have been accumulating as of late, encompassing everything from Umeshu to East Asian classics of Sapporo, Tsingtao, and, most recently, Singha. Alas, one can only consume as much as the body can tolerate.

Larry bid farewell to his cousin this week - perhaps the sole existence that both of us will be missing collectively.

Following an asset handover as problematic as the corporation itself, I headed over to CoCo for a celebratory White Grape Smoothie. Little had I known that the franchise had replaced their clear plastic cups with paper ones instead. At first, I expressed confusion, for I had not requested a hot beverage that needed the insulative lining. Next came a surge of annoyance: We eat first with our eyes, and an opaque cup eliminated the satisfaction of seeing slushy layers and the toppings arranged within them. I was unable to spot the grape pulp or  ̶s̶c̶a̶n̶t̶y̶ ̶q̶u̶a̶n̶t̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶o̶f̶  Crystal Pearls; ultimately, bubble tea-goers were robbed of associative visuals for their purchase(s).

Paper straws, while not unfamiliar to the food industry these days, are honestly just despicable, especially for slushies and smoothies. The top began to curl just a few sips in, then wane in structural integrity as the dissolution process commenced in double-digit temperatures.
Naturally, I swapped out the dysfunctional tube for my own wide Stainless steel one upon reaching home.

​The weekend commenced with an early morning Zumba session, taken over by the Wednesday evening instructor instead of the regular Saturday trainer. It was observed that the Monday and Wednesday sessions incorporated traditional elements of Zumba - primarily in terms of instructor gestures and music choice - and were led with the instructor facing the students as opposed to the mirror. Though the turns were initially puzzling, I grew accustomed to mirroring the side body and footwork after a few repetitions.

Under the guidance of a different instructor, the class was noticeably more energizing than the rest. Movements were larger, and adopted distinctly Latin influences with Bachata footwork, fluid hip movements, and powerful chest pumps. These comparatively dynamic movements were also met with more frequent water breaks to sustain endurance. Towards the end of the class were brief toning segments incorporating lateral jump squats, lunges, and plié squats, complete with reminders to modify where necessary; "Leave the crazy to me!" declared the instructor cheerfully.
It suffices to say that I've developed a newfound interest in attending the Wednesday session.

Creations of the week included:

1) Black Sesame Scones

The idea for scones infiltrated my subconscious after a failed attempt at Dalgona (yes, again.). Accidentally stirring the solution with the thermometer had resulted in the formation of sugar crystals. When I returned to Sunday Baking's recipe for pointers, I was immediately distracted by the scones. And, after browsing the channel, I was determined to attempt her Black Sesame Scone recipe.

​Undertaking the project allowed me to deplete the final 45ish grams of my unsweetened black sesame paste. Having merely dumped the remnants with the egg and heavy cream, thorough mixing of the wet ingredients took considerably longer than necessary. That said, it is recommended to combine the settled black sesame paste and oil overlay thoroughly before adding into mixture.
Sunday had also recommended grinding the black sesame seeds, but, for the sole purpose of reducing the dish count, I took to leaving them whole and folding in after toasting. Pleasantly surprised was I to discover the impressive crunch that the seeds contributed to the final product.

​Similar to the Green Tea Scones and Houjicha Scones, the triangular mounds toppled a bit after baking. I opted to glaze them with the scrumptious white chocolate layer from her Condensed Milk Pound Cake formula that I had visited on several back-to-back occasions. Scaling down the glaze ingredients by a factor of 5 yielded 50 g of white chocolate couverture and 7 g of oil, however the resulting emulsion was far too loose in consistency. Nonetheless delicious, majority of the glaze resided on the silicon mat rather than the scones themselves.

​As with any of Sunday's creations, they were flavourful and flawlessly showcased the properties of the highlight ingredient. Far from being dry, the scones were nutty and indulgent without causing satiation. Lightly browned edges offered crunchiness, while the glaze a subtle dose of sweetness. Though, the best pairing was undoubtedly the chocolatey glaze and toasted black sesame seeds. Further renditions shall see a reduction in oil and potentially utilize biscuit cutters for more uniform scone shapes.

2) Injeolmi Tiramisu (attempt)

​Truthfully, this project had stemmed from last week's unfulfilled desire for Injeolmi Tiramisu from The Cups (album), which should come as no surprise for regular visitors of this space. Compiling and scaling different elements from Sunday Baking's No-Bake Biscoff Tiramisu and Favourite Tiramisu recipes gave rise to my first attempt at the soybean-based, Korean-Italian fusion dessert.

​Creating the ladyfingers was easier than expected, but piping shall forever be the bane of my existence. The first three strips appeared fine; the rest became wonky and lacked uniformity. Not withstanding my overall aversion towards piping, I'd like to think that I was on the correct path, until crafting the mousse layer, that is.

​Beating together 60 grams each of injeolmi powder and sweetened condensed milk had been a bad idea. The mixture became impossibly thick, making it difficult to beat. A splash of half & half cream did not assist in restoring smoothness. As I began to fold in whipped heavy cream, I found the taste to be a tad strange: It was bitter, with aftertastes of old banana that clung onto one's tongue. Nevertheless, I proceeded, as it is simply what I do.
The remainder of the cake was fairly simple to assemble, from the Kahlua-infused syrup to the three layers of ladyfinger sponge. In the absence of a rectangular mould, I wrapped an acetate sheet around the bottom layer of sponge, then fitted it into my expandable square mould. Any gaps were filled with crumpled wax paper for structure. Given that the mousse layer was quite thick, this method worked very well. For looser formulas, be it mousse or jelly layers, I'd suggest scaling the recipe to fit the mould on hand instead, as to prevent leakage.

Source: Sunday Baking

The final product looked promising: alternating layers of syrup-soaked sponge and smooth mousse. However, the creation failed to deliver in terms of taste. The mousse layer was bitter, horrifically so, and its astringency had permeated the ladyfingers, utterly eradicating the fragrant aromas of coffee and airy, naturally leavened sponge.

Frankly, I have little to say about my blunder, for utilizing ancient injeolmi powder was probably my first (and likely only) mistake. The cake simply could not be salvaged, in spite of the efforts I had chanelled into the multi-component concoction. The ladyfingers were actually quite delicious on their own; for cake-making, it is probably best to keep them relatively thin as to enable even penetration of the coffee syrup. And yes, the amount of liquid looks extravagant, but is rightfully required.​

Future attempts shall see a plain (vanilla/unflavoured) mousse layer with variations infused into the syrup and garnish only.