Out & About #946 | Halloween Decorations, Japanese Curry + Kale & Bacon Quiche

Be it a result of Mother Nature's whimsy or climate change, or both, fall this year has revealed itself uncharacteristic and inconsistent.
In one hand could be a Pumpkin Scone from COBS Bread, yet before me fully clothed trees, either bearing all yellow foliage or a gradient of ashen olive, muted mustard, and somber copper.

Some parts of the city are starting to show leaf fall, yet the sight is not necessarily synonymous with colour change. Venturing towards the north side of city centre for a souvenir from Yellowknife, I saw murky skies but ample sunshine. Oh, and lots of construction.

Heading into downtown presents another series of weather-dependent woes: How does one dress for single-digit mornings, a potentially frigid office, and sweltering afternoons?
A light jacket would neither suffice for the morning trek, nor be needed for 4 PM walk back to Union. A cardigan would be adequate when stationed at one's desk, but too cozy for lunch walks.

​My coworker, who has recently returned from a two-week long vacation in Japan and Korea with ashy blonde treads and decidedly oversized attire, presented the team with mini KitKat and micro Pokémon gummies as souvenirs. In response to my request for pickled sakura blossoms was a 30 g container, supposedly obtained in a Kyoto convenience store.

​Over lunch, I scoured the vicinity in search of a festive, spooky cauldron to display my Halloween Finger Cookies.

​Northbound to MARKTS 777 I would venture once more. Dollarama, while extensive in their selection of Hallmark holiday fixtures, failed to provide a cauldron of appropriate material (matte finish, not reflective plastic) and size (it was smaller than my palm!).

Routing through College Park towards Yonge, an elaborate display of pumpkins was observed at the east entrance of the park. The harvest-themed installation served as both a BIA-reflective decoration and photobooth.

​Continuing my search in the AURA retail building, I ascended onto the second floor towards IKEA. The front display had already been populated with holiday merchandise - red, green, white, and shimmery.

After perusing both floors, along with the kids' section, I was stumped to find not a single Halloween item. Engaging with a member of staff informed me that all items had been "accidentally" shipped out already, and that the only pertinent items remaining would reside in the "As-is" section of the store, if any.

I found nothing there, though succeeded in making an Orangutan friend before departing.

​A final attempt was made by ascending one more level towards the joint Marshalls & HomeSense store. Again, I was shocked to find Halloween items on clearance. That said, not even the two shelves by the checkout carried the cauldron of my desires.

Besides an ostensibly overpriced holiday ornament organizer, the journey had left me mostly empty-handed.

Stopping by Cotti Coffee for another Pampas Blue Coco Latte, the other hand was soon occupied.

In-app purchases were merely $2.50 plus tax, earning the franchise a distinct advantage given the current market prices of handcrafted beverages. The latte was still as flavourful as its grand opening period, though the number of staff within the store has decreased significantly, resulting in a slower preparation time than anticipated.​ ​Nonetheless, amicable service levels were maintained. The feeble paper straws, on the other hand, were an element worthy of revision.

​The return route led me past the entrance of Canadian Tire. Into the store I strode for a gander at their Halloween offerings. Variety was very limited, with most of the assortment compacted and shoved in a corner. Staff were noticeably less helpful as well, directing me between the lower and ground levels of the store without providing assistance in locating my item of interest. One of them, a stout, tanned bespectacled inventory stocker, had avoided eye contact completely and abandoned his station to escape further inquiries.

Naturally, the mission would lead me to seek alternatives. Michaels was home to an impressive 60% off sale, completed with markdown guide.

There, I found a large cauldron, various decorative squashes, eyeball hot chocolate bomb molds, lined cupcake liners, and more - all of which proved better quality than Dollarama price-equivalents.

​Following my late morning Zumba session at LA Fitness, yet another Dollarama would be perused out of curiosity. Alas, beyond plastic drinkware and flimsy string lights, there was little remaining of the black-and-orange collection.

A Grapefruit Yakult with Coconut Jelly was acquired from CoCo, then I slowly meandered back through the watermain construction zone. Joint restraints had been affixed to the storm pipes, shoring was in place, and crews were on site. Though, termination of the erratic lane reductions didn't appear imminent.

The aforementioned construction happenings, general congestion, and despicable audacity of slow drivers resulted in my missing of the GO train the following morning. Despite having sped across the slick, rain-covered surfaces of the painted asphalt and tactile indicators, the doors closed right before my face, just as I landed on the platform. On the other side of the passenger car, a middle-aged man gazed at me blankly. The GO train began to pull away; I was the last - and only! - commuter left on the platform.

​​Nearby was a stocky woman with a white bob. Her hi-vis vest read "Customer Service". I approached her in hopes of determining the arrival of the next express train, only to have her scowl and make me repeat myself. "What?!" She retorted sharply, as if unable to hear me on an absolutely empty platform. Without glancing up from the device in her hand, she mumbled a time.
"Ok, thank you." I dryly thanked her for her insolence and navigated down the platform. It was an undoubtedly miserable start to the day.

​But, upon arriving in the office, things gradually unfolded for the better. One coworker paused on his way to sip coffee to lend an ear to my rant, while another graciously presented me with an exclusive slice of homemade Molasses Cake - the same recipe we had discussed previously.

 ​Her rendition was the epitome of harmony: a sturdy, rich frosting boasting enough creaminess to offset the dark, dense decadence of black strap molasses. I was grateful for the sampling opportunity, and even more appreciative of the considerate gesture.

Braving the musty, humid outdoors, my lunch walk would involve an approximate twenty minute trek to Union Station. The sole purpose was a firsthand experience of the Haribo Pop-Up within the heritage portion of the transit hub.

These days, limited time events, most often those taking place in tiny, cramped quarters, are glorified via snippets on social media. The TIFF Studio Ghibli Pop-Up had, without a doubt, fallen into this category. Time and time again, FOMO dominates the subsequent actions of social media addicts, leading to surges in customer volumes, even when the event is mediocre at best.

For the Haribo Pop-Up in question, I was curious, but unlikely to undertake a dedicated visit under circumstances bereaving me of time and money.
Beyond two sample packages of the rock-hard Goldbears, the interior wasn't at all awe-inducing. Inside the dimly lit space were royal blue wallpaper, faux cobwebs, supposedly spooky music, and an exceptionally small assortment of Haribo candies.

The products themselves weren't particularly special, for I had witnessed the packages at Shoppers on countless occasions. Likely exclusive to the pop-up were the tote bags, non-bear-shaped Roulettes, and twenty-two-dollar Halloween Packs.

​I took to the most economic option of 2 Roulettes for $1.50 plus tax, then proceeded to route back to the office.

Along the way, internal body temperature began to rise steadily. The sight of Hazukido's Peach Refresher equated to a zesty, cooling effect, justifying its three-dollar price tag with ease.

Since the late summer months, the menu has been updated and streamlined to a singular sheet. The new format promoted legibility with clearly defined categories, sorted in order of popularity. From left to right, top to bottom were listings of: Coffee, Milk Tea, Refresher, Berry, and Tea.

The day was concluded by our weekly team meeting, the depletion of matcha Finger Cookies, and the presentation of a mini garbage truck stress toy.

Creations of the week included:

1) Japanese Curry
​
The apparent youshoku staple, Japanese curry has grown in popularity across North America over the last decade. While it remains a niche find in the GTA, the dish has been embraced along the West Coast comprehensively.

With the household now equipped with short-grain rice, another iteration of Japanese curry was deemed fitting. Yukon gold potatoes, three medium carrots, one small yellow onion, and a handful of shallots were chosen to pair alongside S&B's Mild Golden Curry. The protein of choice was none other than pork, as to salsify my iron needs.

Prior to commencing, I was diligent to consult Just One Cookbook for advice. In reading her detailed recipe, I learned that the Japanese had taken to adding grated apple, chocolate, and even espresso powder to improve the complexity of the dish. Heeding her advice, I took to additions of: One grated Gala apple (which oxidized with astonishing speed), mirin, a squeeze of ketchup, and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. These elements would contribute to sweetness, acidity, and depth of flavour.

2) Kale & Bacon Quiche

Constructed in parallel - with some difficulty, admittedly - was a Kale & Bacon Quiche. Coordinating the creation of a tart crust while simultaneously defrosting raw meat and keeping a watchful eye on the stove was definitely no easy feat. It dawned on me that, while baking projects could be planned strategically to align all active and inactive efforts, cooking was an all-around active process - and not exactly one that permits temperature control in a shared space.

The tart crust was formed using Sunday Baking's Pumpkin Tart recipe, given my recent confirmation of its delectability. Even after an approximate sixty-minute rest in the fridge, the tart dough was comparatively more crumbly than the previous version. Although one could argue that it was my hastiness in rolling that caused breakage, I'd argue that the dough had been compiled in an identical manner as the first time, thus ought boast similar, if not identical, properties. Ultimately, I ended up pressing patches of the dough into the tart pan, for rolling did not ensure a uniform slab.

Based on SK's Quiche Lorraine recipe, three eggs assumed the standard unit count for a 9-inch tart pan. My adaptation would utilize four eggs and one egg white (left over from the tart crust), heavy cream, half & half cream, frozen chopped kale, frozen dill, bacon strips, and a generous teaspoon of nutmeg (as specified by SK). 

In fear of shrinkage (and in the face of time constraints), the tart shell was not blind-baked. As a consequence, the mixture filled the pan perfectly, though rendered the bottom of the crust slightly soggy.

​Having been frozen beyond recent recollection, the dill had, more or less, lost its herbiness in entirety. Bacon provided a pliable savouriness, while kale a much-needed dose of green. The egg filling was creamy without being satiating, though a handful of cheese would have elevated the emulsion extravagantly.

The tart shell was crumbly beyond belief, and even more so after the filling showed signs of pulling away (evidence of over-baking). Its downright sweet qualities contrasted against the generally savoury filling components, initially evoking some confusion. However, its likeness to Cantonese Chicken Pot Pie (雞批) was determined shortly afterwards, bestowing a sense of familiarity and fondness.

3) Pan-Fried Bacon

Any remnants from the quiche would be snipped in half, then pan-fried until crispy. Rendering fat is a tumultuous task; as such, it is avoided as much as possible. Many high-pitched yelps and hot oil splatters later, each strip had attained a nicely crisped perimeter worthy of BLT status.

Wrapping up the week was a grueling ordeal of moving tires, followed by another trip to the gym. I excitedly smiled at the Zumba instructor's choice of Maníaca, for I had eagerly taken up learning the choreography on my own upon being introduced to the track. She also promised a new track in the upcoming week's class - Yay!

And, with that, Halloween lights, hoddeok, and housekeeping ease me into another round of weekend chores.