When October hits, I fall immediately into soup mode. I try (and discard) a lot of Disney recipes, and find that the soup ones are often winners. So this weekend I decided to try Epcot’s French Onion Soup from the old, award-winning Bistro de Paris. Continue reading “Ooh La La! Epcot Bistro de Paris French Onion Soup” →
Walt Disney World gets all the credit for my discovering the utter decadence of oxtails. Until my first visit to Boma (African-inspired cuisine) shortly after it opened, I would have never known this would become my most beloved cut of beef. Like beef short ribs, oxtails have more of an exotic depth of flavor than ordinary roast, but are more like steak in their tenderness. Continue reading “Magically Exotic Oxtail Stew from Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge)” →
This enchanted Mexican-inspired dish is our absolute new favorite for 2021. There’s an unbelievable back story on how I came upon it, but let’s just say it all had a fairy-tale ending. Continue reading “The Very Best Summer Enchiladas” →
One of the breakout hits from Reddit during this otherwise crazy-ass year has been a thread of ancient family recipes. Trending on the list of the best-loved is a magically simple baked pasta dish called Great-Grandma’s Famous Baked Ziti. We gave it a try and found it worthy of adding to our glamping menu. It’s inexpensive, fast, tastes deceptively authentic, and would probably feed most of Loop 100 at Fort Wilderness. Continue reading “Reddit’s Viral Old-School Baked Ziti is Glamping Worthy” →
When Tony’s on Main Street first opened in the Magic Kingdom in 1989, I was thrilled as Italian food is among my favorites. But somehow on our 1990 trip, we didn’t make it there. Not even once. This only added to its mythology to me as an exclusive, impossibly romantic restaurant with old-school Italian grandmothers laboring in love over handmade pasta. Continue reading “A Delectable Disney Classic: Tony’s Town Square Lasagna” →
Store-bought frozen bread dough, a butter bath, and thick layers of cinnamon-sugar yielded our family’s greatest indulgence of 2020. I’ve had the original famous Dollywood Cinnamon Bread at the Grist Mill at Pigeon Forge, and never dreamed it could be this good at home. I actually served it after a full meal earlier in the week, and once my son had a bite, he screamed, “Oh my goodness. DAD! DAD! You have to come try this NOW.” With a little bit left by bedtime, we finished it off for breakfast. Continue reading “OMG I Made Dollywood’s Cinnamon Bread and It Was THAT Good” →
How can such an African culinary staple be the favorite of so many who visit Disney’s Boma restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge? Well, quite simply, I think of Bobotie as an exotic meatloaf with a custardy-lovefest on top. And what a perfect dinner it is for Valentine’s Day, served with saffron rice, a light salad, and a banana-based dessert. Continue reading “Bomalicious African Bobotie – A Disney Recipe for Love” →
A psychologist once told me that we don’t really reach adulthood until about 27 years old. That exactly coincides with the time that you’re expected to have absolutely perfected a few soul-healing dishes. Well, at least that’s how we do it in the south. These are the chicken casseroles, the cakes, and the deviled eggs you take to church homecomings, reunions and funerals. But mac and cheese is such an important part of such gatherings that you can’t afford to be meh. I mean you wouldn’t want a 2-star mac and cheese showing up at your funeral, would you? How distressing and tacky. Continue reading “Disney’s Most Comforting Dish: Art Smith’s Homecomin’ Mac & Cheese” →
Word has it that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year, and we’ve surely gotten off to a blue start in 2020. With 5:30 sunsets, freezing nights, and news of bigly foreign conflicts, Fantasyland seems farther away than ever. I think that weeks like this may be why God created soup sometime back in 18th-century France. And of all the soup that Disney has made, this Baked Potato Soup one ranks right up there with Boma’s Oxtail Stew and Le Cellier’s Cheddar Soup as the most comforting. Continue reading “January Blues Cure: Disneyland’s Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Caramelized Leeks” →
Art Smith’s Fried Chicken Salad has become quite a hit at his chi-chi Southern restaurant in Disney Springs. As simple as fried chicken seems, it usually takes a real southerner to get it both crispy and juicy. Two things I love about this recipe are the nearly fail-proof process for getting the chicken to the level of sublime, and the versatility to make it your own. In this case, I added some grated cheese, as a nod to our 90s favorite fried chicken salad at long-gone Mick’s in Atlanta. And then, I Disneyfied it a little more with boiled Mickey eggs – making it a hit for the kids. Continue reading “Homecomin’ Fried Chicken Salad with Impossible Mickey Eggs” →
