OO Butter Croissants

 Croissants should be made with butter, and butter is what makes the croissants.     This particular croissants, however, has extra lite Olive Oil raw roux and butter as my test for the alternative to the full butter block croissants.    In the past experiments, a pound of butter is used to make the butter block.    Since then, I have learned to make croissants with half pound or less butter.     One of the reason is the home oven.     It behaves differently than the commercial convection oven, and all the butter are just melting out of the croissants.    The croissants turned out flaky outside.    Inside layer texture is replaced by bread crumb like texture.   As for the taste, it could use half to three-quarter stick more of the butter.    The silpat remained quite clean without a puddle of melted butter wasted.
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Dos Coyotes' Salad

During my office lunch hour, I occasionally dine out at the Dos Coyotes.     I love their Adobe Cob Salad.    There are plenty of fresh greens, corn, cherry tomatoes, black beans, jacama strips, etc.   And I love their salsa station where you can enjoy varieties of salsa sauces. 
Here are two of the salads we enjoyed.     I love the friendly and cheerful servers.    

India Oven Buffet - Taste of India

I have been to a couple of India's buffet in the Bay area before.   Each time, the most exciting food that I always hope for is the flatbread - Naan or chapati or whatever breads.     Here in my neighborhood, a couple of Indian restaurants have been opened a few years ago.      I finally took courage to visit "India Oven".    As my friends have pointed out, it serves buffet.   And yes!, there it is, the flatbread in the buffet line, and the waiter brought a basketful of piping hot bread to the table.  Great!   Wow!   it tastes so good - we had two basketful.      I wish I know all the names of the dishes I ate, but they all tasted so wonderfully good that I was too busy eating than remembering them - practically, I ate names of the food and hidden them.     I have gone back to the place since my first visit, and I am sure I will go back to dine, again.

Texas Road House - Fairfield. Y'all stop by there, now

I drove pass Texas Road House in Fairfield for many years, and each time I pass it, I was hoping to give myself the biggest excuse to dine there.     It finally happened one afternoon after a physical exam with fasting a night before.    I eagerly ordered side dishes of cup of chili, steak and baked potato.    Before it arrived, I had a bucketful of peanuts to munch on and some  baked hot soft buns, mug of cold beer as a starter.    The steak was so big and thick, I was worried that it maybe under cooked, but I was so surprised, it was grilled perfectly.   On top of it, it was 'tender'.      It tasted quite good.    The rib was not one of those that's been "waiting" and "waiting" dried barks, but nice, juicy, finger lickin' good.   The attending crews even line danced to the music and made my long waited expectation a great relief and say, "I am coming back, again."   And I sure did with my family.     Y'all stop by there, now.

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.