Well, no need to worry about the turkey this year. Not with an oven that will do anything your father tells it to do. ~Carousel of Progress, WDW
One of the decadent delights of life I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving is good ol’ southern cornbread dressing. If I had my druthers, that stovetop mess people cram in the turkey would never cross my path again. And this version is not only fairly easy (even if you’re glamping), but it the best grandma version ever. Every time I take a bite, with a little cranberry sauce wedged on the fork, it takes me back to being eight years old. Continue reading “Southern Soul Thanksgiving: Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing”→
One of the bright spots of Lockdown 2020 is the joy of cooking things we might not have otherwise. I’m trying to make a Disney recipe at least every other day. And this one has turned out to be a serious surprise favorite. Now, I’ve always thought of potatoes au gratin as rather forgettable. Looking kind of pretty, but never quite living up to their promise Continue reading “Potatoes Au Gratin for the Disney-Distanced Soul and Remembering the Empress Lilly”→
Now that we’re all cooking about five meals a day during Staycation 2020, this favorite pasta salad emerged this week as one the kids can make. I’m not sure that it was even on the menu at Disney’s Kona Cafe, but it showed up as a side dish during lunch for many years. We have a beloved tradition of eating at Kona Cafe on our first day of arrival, and I would start craving this by the time we were crossing I-10. Of course, this was all before they made those most dreadful menu changes. Hey, at least the sticky wings are back. Continue reading “Easy Disney Cooking: Kona Cafe Hawaiian Pasta Salad”→
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”→
Every now and again, I venture away from my beloved mashed potatoes, which is go-to comfort food. Now, this recipe is about as southern as it gets, a suppertime staple of my Great-Aunt Eula who grew up on the tobacco farms of South Georgia. Its simplicity, with just five ingredients, is mighty deceiving. It wants for nothing more, and is another example of how we have overcomplicated our meals, at the expense of both time and money. Continue reading “Tillamook Buttered Suppertime Potatoes”→
Back in the day, brussels sprouts were so culturally maligned that they didn’t even appear on the school cafeteria menu. Now, the health-packed little-cabbage things have been resocialized. And it’s all due to a fundamental shift if the approach to cooking them. No longer are they boiled and buttered balls of hate on a plate. Instead, they are seasoned and roasted, transforming them to bites of heaven with an entirely different flavor and texture. And there’s nothing complicated – they only need a slowish roasting and a nice seasoning. My favorite for brussels sprouts is applewood smoked sea salt. Continue reading “Fall Forest Feasts: Applewood Salted Roasted Brussels Sprouts”→
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”→
It seems that the cucumbers always last a little longer than tomatoes, better surviving the shortened days of sunlight. This sadly limits my days of my favorite Tomatocumber Dollars. Enter, the infinite plethora of cucumber salads. The 70s southern ones have that sour cream mixture served in a grandma bowl. A decade later brought the still-popular onion-tomato-cucumber mixture, dressed in some rendition of a vinaigrette. Yet, the most imperial are the Asian versions, typically mild and served in a modest cup in a Thai or finer Chinese restaurant. Epcot’s Nine Dragons Restaurant has upped the ante on this, infusing the crisp cool with a contrasting bite of heat. Much like a September day. Continue reading “Gold in a September Garden: Nine Dragons Cucumber Salad”→
This salad has been a go-to for All-American celebrations (think Mickey’s Backyard Barbecue) for many years. There’s little, if anything, that has changed from this favorite since the campy Hoop-Dee-Doo dinner show opened 45 years ago. Yesterday, for our July 4th party, Baby Back Ribs and Clementine’s Prizewinning Potato Salad took center stage, but our good friends and neighbors devoured this traditional salad (iceberg lettuce) with its tangy and complex vinaigrette. Of course, its presentation in a heavy tin bucket at Pioneer Hall adds the frontier touch,and makes it suddenly appealing to kids. For our shindig, I picked up a cheap tin ice bucket at Walmart.
Hoop Dee Doo Meal at Pioneer Hall- Courtesy Disney
The Orlando Sentinel published the Disney-provided Pioneer Hall recipe as a response to a reader request back in 1978. “The salad was the best we’ve ever had anywhere,” the reader noted. Nearly a decade later the recipe reappeared (with some small modifications in the amounts of ingredients) in the first Disney cookbook, Cooking with Mickey Around the World (1987). As you recall, back in the 80s, a spinach salad with bacon dressing was about as exotic as we got. It wasn’t until the 90s when we saw the spread of arugula, spring mix, candied pecans, and more inventive creations.
As far the cookbook itself, very little of the food items are still served at Disney today. In addition to the Pioneer Hall Salad Dressing, some other favorites that remain at WDW include the Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup (Liberty Tree Taven), Cinnamon Rolls, Fettucine Alfredo (Italy Showcase), Queso Fundido (San Angel Inn), Scotch Eggs (Rose & Crown Pub), Fish ‘N Chips (Rose & Crown Pub), and Strawberry Shortcake (Pioneer Hall). Most of the restaurants in the cookbook, such as Top of the World, South Seas Dining Room, and The Empress Lily, are long gone.
The Hoop Dee Doo Salad gave our classic BBQ cookout the requisite greenery.
When you crave the good-old-standard salad, it doesn’t get much better than this. I suppose the closest commercial equivalent might be the beloved Olive Garden salad, but this dressing stands superior. As with any Disney recipe, some measurements look like of strange when they have been reduced from a mass quantity. For example, the dressing recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of chopped red pepper. Seriously? So, I’ve provided the original recipe, but indicated how I made reasonable modifications. Note that the recipes do not include cheese, but it has been served on this salad for some time. This stores well in the refrigerator, so you can make it a few days before your camping trip or outdoor soiree. I would leave the addition of the chopped boiled egg until the day of serving.
For all the dads that live for the standard hot-dog, hamburger cookout, I extend my sincere apologies. But a true glamping trip deserves at least one seriously over-the-top, five-star dinner with candlelight and fancy accoutrements. Of course, a Disney theme brings an extra magic and adventure. Robin Hood is an easy one – all it takes is re-imagining a tree-lined campsite as Sherwood Forest and adding a little oo-de-lally ambiance. Because we did this one in summer, we included both some traditional medieval fare as well as some lighter options. Continue reading “Disney Glamping Forest Feast: Robin Hood Theme”→
