Gold in a September Garden: Nine Dragons Cucumber Salad

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”

San Angel’s Queso Fundido and Mexico’s Language of Love

Queso Fundido San Angel InnWelcome mis amigos
To friendly Mexico
To the land of fiestas
they’re everywhere you go
(Lyrics from El Rio del Tiempo boat ride, Epcot)

Set in a replica of a pre-Columbian pyramid, Epcot’s San Angel Inn lures guests into the most romantic restaurant in all of Disney World.  It begins with a table under faux starry skies on a cliffside patio that overlooks the river. Here, guests enjoy both a perpetual night (it’s always evening) and authentic Mexican cuisine.  In spite of offerings that now rival some of the best in Mexico, this restaurant is still more about the fiesta.  Yet, among the great standouts is the Queso Fundido, a filling cheese and chorizo appetizer that has become increasingly popular in America over the past decade. Continue reading “San Angel’s Queso Fundido and Mexico’s Language of Love”