2012 - Stockton Asparagus Festival

It was really fun visiting Stockton's 2012 Asparagus Festival, and viewed the Asparagus eating contest first handed.      (Click on the image to view in larger format.)

 

 Serving with Smile!

Deep  Fried Asparagus with Tabasco Sauce and Parmesan Cheese.

 Any way you look at it, it weighs close to a pound - more Tabasco, please!

 Asparagus Eating Contestant's Feast Table

 The Contestants

 The Asparagus Crown

 Faces - to be a Champ

 

 

 

  I think the Woo Long  tea would have been better to cut all the grease!

 & Finally, the 2012 Asparagus Champ!

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.
(Click on the image to view in separate window)

 

 

 

 

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.