Land Ocean Restaurant? sink or swim

This is one of the restaurant that our office staff visited for a birthday party.     We thought we will give it a try with an interesting name like "Land Ocean Restaurant".     My reaction to the menu choice at a glance was - What!? is that it?     It took me a while to just decide on the ordinary 'Roasted Chicken' served with mashed potatoes.    When it arrived, I had a difficult time finding  the interesting angle to take the picture of this roasted chicken breast.    I think you know what I mean.    I watched Jamie Oliver do the magic with food with some touch, but this one is "je ne sais quoi"     It is another one of "I can do better than that" reaction.     Mashed potatoes was quite salty.   I could not eat it.    I requested that it  be replaced with less salt.     The manager returned with the plate after five minutes stating that they tasted the mashed potatoes, and it tasted fine to them.   And that it would take a long time to make another serving.    I said, I could wait.    He went back to the kitchen.    He returned with the plate.     He said, it's made as a batch, so they could not make a new batch, and offered me something else.     I requested French Fries without salt.      Well, the French Fried tasted with salt - obviously the scooper or the tongue had salt that was not wiped off.     I think they need Chef from the hell's kitchen to fix them straight.    What a disappointment!

Sal Thai or Sad Thai

There will be several postings of the Food Adventure trips in the next few posts.   I like to take pictures of the food that I ordered and admire how well some of the dishes have been prepared and presented to me.    After all - food is sight, aroma, touch, and taste.   It's almost like doing YOGA - the food experience gives us the exhilaration and appreciation in every bites you take.  But it's always an ordeal when I go out to dine, even to the ones that your friend recommended.    At least anyways, it is a big deal for me because I only have one stomach and once it is filled with that "something" - good or bad, it is in my system.     I was quite brave and explored a few restaurants that I have never been to this month.     Of course, there is the "Yelp" site that I could go do the postings, but my objective is to learn 'hospitality' management and of personal interest in the culinary adventure.
Here is one - a disappointment at one of the restaurant that I have visited twice before with a good experience with my friends.   I was very delighted to meet up with my friends after work one evening at the Sal Thai.   Ordered one of my favorite - stir fried eggplants with basil and shrimps.   We also order a fish dish.    But to our surprise, the eggplants dish is prepared totally different from the usual with all the ingredients that were in the fish dish.     What's with that!   If I can say, "I can do better than that!" then, this place no longer has anything 'special' to offer to the customer.... maybe I am judging harshly....  but I was disappointed.

Bake Along Challenge - Chocolate Shortbreads

Finally, I managed to bake this wonderful Chocolate Shortbreads for the Bake Along Challenge.  http://divyasculinaryjourney.blogspot.com/2012/05/chocolate-shortbread.html http://bestofmykitchen.blogspot.in/2012/04/bake-along-challenge-my-cook-book.html       It was an interesting recipe.    It turned out to be a moist chocolaty treat enjoyed by my 'testers' at my office this morning.    I imagined that shortbread would have a texture of dry cookie, on the contrary, the amount of butter and egg gave it the soft cake like texture.   I put 2 tablespoons more of the nuts on the top to give it a fuller, richer appearance.     And I am happy to have found another use for this bottomless fluted tart pan.    It was fun making it.
(Double click on the image to view in larger size and notes/comments.)

 

 Shifted flour and cocoa powder thoroughly 5 times over two sheets of parchment paper, alternately.

 

 I love mixing butter and sugar, but I have to watch myself because I sometimes over beat it.

 Hand mix in the cocoa powder with spatula until incorporated or you will be smoking the powder in the air.

 I cut out a parchment paper and placed beneath it.    It's a bit tricky to spread the batter, but I held the parchment down with a tip of one finger.    I released my finger from holding onto the paper and continue spreading with the the small offset spatula once the batter has clung onto the side of the pan.

 

 

 The bottom of the pan is still at the bottom of the shortbread until it is completely cooled.

Looks like there are  two slices missing.... well, I ate them right after I took the pictures.    They were delicious.   I think the bitter chocolate glaze on the top rounded the flavor of the shortbreads and intensified the chocolate flavor in the shortbread; and the nuts and chocolates complimented each other well.     Maybe for the next time, I am thinking to slip in a layer of raspberry 'jam' or something raspberry right under the chocolate glaze.... maybe dehydrated raspberry or top with fresh raspberry... hmmmm.... I have to think about that.

Japanese Style Loaf Bread with Golden Raisins and Almond Paste

I have been baking bread for home so long that the only bread you see in my house is the ones that I bake.... well... you would think, after a couple of years refining the skills and techniques of baking bread.    What is important at the end is all the same, wonderful delicious bread with all the goodies you like.       This is another recipe that I have been testing and testing for the last two years after learning from the other blogger.      I even went to the Asian market to compare the crumb texture -- just to be satisfied for the effort.   

 

 

 Golden raisins and homemade Almond Paste fillings.

 I use two Square Brownie pans to bake this bread since I don't have a Pullman's bread pan with lid.

 Cover the top with the other brownie pan to let the dough rise.

 When ready, bake covered with the brownie pan on top.   Remove the pan the last 5 minutes or so just to get a bit more browning.     *This depends on the dough amount and oven temp because I change the batch size or double the recipe.

Good excuses.....

While I got my Internet connection resolved, I have been venturing to visit a few restaurants, test cooking here and there, including testing "Spicy Brinjal Tomato Curry" that Mahas made.     I am so pleased with the spices in that recipe that I even made my own concoction tonight with the cauliflower.... this and all others I have, yet, to find time to upload the photos and share my journal with my family and friends.     I also got the e-mail for the May Bake Along Challenge, too, so I have a lots of things to catch up with, and not to forget this is "May is Bike Month" here in California.   I need to ride 50 more miles to meet my goal.    It's really good to see a lots of different recipes from all around the world and finding new cooking methods and techniques to prepare the food.   A broccoli or cauliflower would remain as just that if it weren't for all the spices and cooking methods.    I recall throwing them away a couple of times in my life with the full intention of cooking them when I bought them, but only to find it not so attractive and motivating to cook them into a  same old dish.     So, Cook Away!  Have fun cooking with the family and friends!