2010 Dec 01 - Winter Buffet Student Chef

2010 Dec 01 - Winter Buffet Student Chef
San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, CA


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It is time for the Annual Winter Buffet at the local Community College. It is put on by the Culinary Arts Department and profits from it and tips from the Student Chef are used to fund a Field Trip to one of San Francisco's upscale eateries for all of the students.
This year there are carolers as we enter

The Culinary Arts program is run by Mark Berkner who also owns and operates Taste Restaurant in Plymouth, CA. But that is still not enough to keep Mark busy he and his partner also own and operate the Union Inn and Pub in Volcano, CA.

The Pasta Station where you can order a pasta dish made to your order.


The poached salmon is presented in this unique fashion.


There are prawns and oysters on the half shell.


In the back are a rolled turkey breast and a boneless prime rib roast. In the fore is a whole roast pig.


A favorite is a smoked barbecue pork over collard greens.


There is also a sushi station where you can also order custom rolls.


Canapes.


Other appetizers.


The dessert table.


Art and Barbara were sitting with their friends.


The creme bruleé.


Winnie and Holden eating appetizers.


Patti and Elsa fill out our table of five.


My first of three dessert plates.


This is Elsa's dessert plate.


Almost all of the items are excellent. The Vietnamese spring rolls were one of only a couple of disappointing items.

There were two main course items that I did not get photos. They were the baked chicken on potato pancakes and the baked salmon.


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2010 Oct 21 - Breadfruit Tree and Movie

2010 Oct 21 - Breadfruit Tree and Movie at UOP
Stockton, CA

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Tonight was Elsa's idea. But she managed to schedule two things on the same night and bailed out so it was just Ken and I.

A part of a week long Japanese Festival at the University of the Pacific (UOP) here in Stockton is a free movie, Tokyo Sonata playing at 8:00 PM. So the plan was to have dinner at the Breadfruit Tree a Caribbean restaurant. They had stopped serving lunch so this was a chance for the Lunch Bunch to sample the restaurant.
The Breadfruit Tree located at Paradise Point Marina


Ken and Louis Bynoe, the owner


The daily menu, but he also had Jamaican Curry Goat and Carribean Style Oxtails tonight


The interior


Looking out at the outdoor seating which is used more during the Summer


Outside the back window are boat docks


Another view of the outdoor area and gazebo, which also has a BBQ grill


Ken orders the Goat and I have the Oxtails (which I had special ordered). We also ordered the Seafood Peleau to share between us.
The salad dressing was unique and very good


Here is Ken and Louis just after he brought our dishes


The Seafood Peleau


My Oxtails


Ken's Goat


My Oxtails with some Peleau added to my plate

All the dishes were very flavorful and the meat was cooked until very tender.

As is my usual case I asked the two young couples at the next table if I could take a photo of their food. Of the four dishes one had the Goat and one the Oxtail, so I only got to take photos of two more dishes.
The Jerk Chicken


The Caribbean Style Pork Chop

Dinner was delicious and since we had the added Peleau very, very filling. Now we had to drive back into town to the UOP campus and the Janet Leigh Theater.

The theater is a 168 seat full screen theater that shows movies on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM. The admission is free to students, $3.00 for staff and alumni and $5.00 for the general public.

Tonight's one night only showing of Tokyo Sonata (a subtitled Japanese film) was free as a part of the week long Japanese Festival.
Ken entering the theater


The entrance marquee


The billboard for tonight's movie


The interior of the theater


Ken leaving


Too bad Elsa had to cancel. She loves oxtails. The movie was good, too. And the popcorn was only $1.00 and a 12 ounce can of soda was $0.75. :-)

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2010 Oct 11 - Student Chef

2010 Oct 11 - Student Chef
San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, CA
Also 2010 Nov 09 at bottom.

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Today five of us are headed to the Student Chef at the local Community College; Elsa, Jenni, Patti, Gobo and I.
Parking in the Handicap Zone at Shima 1 Parking Lot


Walking in toward the back entrance to the Dining Hall


It is a beautiful, calm day with the temperatures in the high 70's and there are diners in the al fresco area of the Student Chef.
Three tables in the outside patio


We have the round table in the middle of the dining room.
To the left of our table is a group of retired employees from the California Parole Board that Gobo knows


The sign in the hallway where the entrance to the Student Chef is located


The Menu changes from month to month and this semester the Student Chef is open for lunch only and only from Monday through Wednesday.
The October 2010 starters and main courses


The dessert and drink page


Here we have our drinks and are waiting for our starters.


The Starters.
Pork and Pepper Empanada


Corn Chowder


Heirloom Tomato and Mozzerella


Hummus bi Tahini


They tossed in a freebie Hawaiian Pizza


Green Goddess Salad


Eating the starters.
Gobo had the Hummus


Jenni had the Heirloom Tomatoes


Elsa and I had the Corn Chowder


On to the Main Course.
Jenni had the Potato Gnocchi with a side of Collard Greens


I had the Lamb Chops


Elsa and Patti had the Smoked Pork Chops


Gobo had the Buttermilk Fried Chicken


Elsa, Patti and Gobo


The Salmon from the next table

Now it is time for the Desserts.
Jenni had the Chocolate XS Cake


Gobo and Patti had the Apple Pie ala Mode


Elsa had the Creme Brulee


Patti and Gobo

Gobo knew all the four ladies at the next table. Of course three of them went to the same high school as we did.
The Creme Brulee with a Happy Birthday Wish


The birthday girl


The rest of the table


Eating dessert

All of the food was very good and the prices were very reasonable. this little restaurant is a hidden gem. And we will be back on December 1st for their Winter Buffet Fund Raiser.
The Fund Raiser uses the entire cafeteria and is held while school is in recess.

2010 - Nov 09
Having lunch while we buy the tickets to the Winter Buffet.


Today I was going to go to Delta College to buy the tickets for the Winter Buffet. Well, it turns out that five (5) of us decided to have lunch as well as go buy the tickets. So Elsa, Patti, Kenny and I along with a guest Jim head into lunch.
Ken, Jim, Elsa and Patti


Elsa, Jim, Patti and Ken


We are seated at a nice round table as I have made the reservations for 11:30 AM.


For Starters we split a Mushroom Pizzetta which has caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and scallions.


Patti has the Lentil Soup with bacon, croutons and olive oil which she shares with the rest of us.
The lentil soup was delicious


I have the Spinach and Rock Shrimp Crepes with Organic Mixed Greens, Tomato and Hollandaise Sauce
It too was very, very good

Ken has the Grilled Lamb Chops with Cippolini onions, broccolini and whipped potatoes
We shared a taste of each dish around the table

Jim had the Smoked Duck served over Risotto with Rampicante squash,caramelized onions, mushrooms and herbs.


Patti had the Pork Cutlettes with Spaghetti Squash, Baby Green Beans, Sauteed Mushrooms and Sauce Robert'



And Elsa had a daily special, a Braised Lamb Shank served on a bed of creamy polenta and brussel sprouts.


Elsa and Ken eating.


Jim and Patti working on their dishes.


And now it was time for dessert.
Elsa and Ken had Creme Brulee.


I had the Chocolate Mousse.


Jim and Patti had Sauteed pears in puff pastry with homemade ice cream.

Oh. We also bought the tickets for the December 1, 2010 - Winter Buffet.

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