In time for Halowe'en:
Tigger Tails Candy
Pooh Corner, Critter Country, Disneyland
6 Tigger Tails
1 – 14 oz. bag Wilton orange candy melts
15 pieces Wilton dark cocoa candy melts
18 Marshmallows
12 Caramels
6 - 8" lollipop sticks
Melt the caramels and the candy melts in the microwave following the directions on the back of the candy bags. The way to achieve the bumpy texture of Tigger Tails as you find them at Disneyland, is to use 3 marshmallows per Tigger Tail. You will leave 2 of these marshmallows as they are, however you will need to slice the third marshmallow in half, crosswise. Then simply slide the 4 marshmallow pieces you now have onto one of the lollipop sticks, starting with a halved piece, and then alternating sizes until all 4 pieces are on the stick (refer to photo). Set these on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.
Once your marshmallows are on the lollipop sticks, simply spoon melted caramel onto the tops. You may need to use the spoon to spread the caramel around enough to cover the tops, as this will create a flat surface. Once the caramel is applied, set the Tigger Tails into the freezer for a couple of minutes to set.
When the caramel is set, the next step is to dip each Tigger Tail into the melted orange candy melts. Set flat back onto the cookie sheet and when all the tails are dipped, set the cookie sheet back into the freezer for about ten minutes to set.
Chocolate-Covered Cannoli Recipe
Italy, Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2008
Serves 4
10 ounces dark chocolate
4 medium cannoli shells
1 ¼ cup ricotta cheese
4 tbsp sugar
3 tsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp freshly grated orange peel
½ tsp vanilla extract
1. Place dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler over gently boiling water. Stir chocolate until completely melted and remove from heat.
2. Dip each cannoli into the chocolate, completely coating each shell, set aside on a wire rack.
3. Mix ricotta cheese, sugar, chocolate chips, orange peel and vanilla extract in a medium bowl on low until well blended.
4. One hour before serving, place mixture in a piping bag without a tip and fill both ends of the cannoli shells.
Yukon Potato Stack with Gruyére and Parmesan Cheeses
Steakhouse 55, Disneyland Hotel, (Chef Jason Martin)
5 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
8 oz. Parmesan cheese, shredded
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 tsp. olive oil
4 tbs. shallots (approximately 4), minced
2 tbs. fresh garlic (approximately 4-5 large cloves), minced
3 cups heavy cream
1 tbs. kosher salt
To taste: freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 300˚F.
Peel and slice potatoes to about 1/16 inch thick. (Use a mandoline or food slicer to slice potatoes uniformly. Do not rinse or hold potatoes in water because the starch will be washed away). Set aside.
Mix shredded cheeses together and reserve 1/3 cup to top the potato stack. Set aside. Heat a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan and coat the bottom. Add chopped shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add garlic and continue to sauté until garlic starts to brown. Add the cream and potatoes to the pot. Add the salt & pepper.
Stir to coat the potatoes and reduce the cream until it starts to thicken, about 10-15 minutes. Add cheese to the pot and continue cooking over medium heat until cheese melts. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of a 13-inch by9-inch pan. Spray with nonstick pan spray. Add potato mix to the pan, making sure that the potatoes lay flat and that there are no gaps. Spread the reserved cheese over the top in an even layer. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap first and then foil. Bake in preheated oven for two hours. Check the potatoes by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it goes in without any give, it is done. If there is still give, cover and return to the oven, checking every 10-15 minutes.
Seared Cod with Smoked Tropical Salsa
Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival 2009, Dole presentation by Chef Dieter Preiser
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 (6 oz. each) cod or other white fish fillets
STIR together, first 6 ingredients, in small bowl. POUR marinade over fish fillets in a shallow bowl. Turn to coat evenly; marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. * Tip from the chefs: the higher the acidity of your marinade, the less marination time is needed. HEAT saute pan or large skillet to medium-high heat; remove fish from marinade and sear meat side down, until well browned, about 4 to 5 minutes, then turn over and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until fish is 140 degrees F. Discard remaining marinade. Serve with Smoked Tropical Salsa.
Smoked Tropical Salsa
1 can (15.25 oz) DOLE Tropical Fruit, drained and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbsp green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp smoked or regular paprika
1/4 cup bottled Chinese duck sauce
HEAT tropical fruit in large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve warm or refrigerate until ready to use.
SPINACH TOSTADAS WITH SHRIMP AND POTATOES
Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival 2009, Culinary demonstration by Guy Fieri (winner of season 2 of The Next Food Network Star)
Yield: 12 tostadas
For the Tostadas
2 - 10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1 Tablespoon roasted red bell pepper, fine dice (optional -can use fresh)
1 teaspoon Jalapeno OR Serrano pepper, fine dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1/3 Cup Panko bread crumbs, unseasoned
1/3 Cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
3 Tablespoons EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Press all of the liquid out of the spinach. Start with pressing in a colander, then roll in double layer paper towels, press and squeeze all of the liquid out. Once that is done, chop the spinach and place in a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients, except the EVOO. The mixture should be very well combined and will be moist, but not wet.
Dividing the mixture into 6 equal portions, form the spinach mixture into flat patties, about 3” in diameter and 1⁄4” thick. Can flatten using saran wrap.
In a large non stick sauté pan over medium high heat, heat the oil. When hot, add the spinach tostadas into the pan, cook about 2 minutes, turn and cook the other side. They will be slightly browned. Put them on a paper towel lined baking sheet, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and hold in warm oven.
For the topping
1⁄2 pound shrimp, cleaned, cut into 1⁄2” pieces
1 Tablespoon shallot, fine dice
1 tsp. chopped garlic
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 potatoes, cooked in boiling water until just fork tender, then cut in 1⁄2” dice
2 Tablespoon capers
1⁄4 Cup chicken stock
1 Tablespoon Italian parsley
2 Tablespoons Feta cheese, grated with box grater
2 Tablespoons Sour cream
1⁄2 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon Pepper
In a small bowl combine the sour cream and lime zest and set aside, grated the feta and set aside.
In the same pan the spinach tostadas were cooked in, reheat to medium high, using the remainder of the oil left in pan. When oil is hot, add in the shallot and cook until translucent. Add in the tomatoes, garlic, potatoes and capers, stir to combine, add in the shrimp and stock and cook until shrimp are done. Season with the pepper and parsley, remove from heat.
Remove the spinach tostadas from the oven, put on a serving platter, pile some the shrimp mixture on each tostada, sprinkle with feta, then top with a small dollop of the sour cream. Serve immediately.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Grilled Lamb Chops with Red Wine Sauce
Melbourne, Australia, Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2009
Serves 4
Lamb Chops
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp lime zest
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1/2 tsp freshly chopped pepper
1/2 tsp salt
8 Australian lamb chops
Red Wine Sauce
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
Coarse S and P to taste
3 cups Shiraz wine
1. Combine olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, mint, salt and pepper in a shallow dish large enough to place the lamb chops in one layer. Coat both sides of the chops in the marinade and leave for two hours at room temperature or up to 24 hours refrigerated.
2. For the sauce, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least one hour, or until mixture thickens and reduces to approximately 1 cup. The glacier be the consistency of syrup.
4. Grill the chops for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.
5. To serve, allow 2 chops per person, drizzled with wine sauce.
Note: if you prefer, you can strain the glaze before serving. The flourish of Australia's delicate, peach colored Murray River salt brings out the flavors. Pair with Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet.
Sweet Corn Polenta
LeCellier Steakhouse / Canada
Serving Size: 5 cups
1/2 cup corn polenta(Finely ground corn meal)
½ cup Spanish onion(diced small)
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup parmesan cheese(Shredded)
½ cup fresh corn kernels(Removed from cob)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh chives(chopped)
Salt and black pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan,lightly cook onions and fresh corn until onions are translucent.Add water, cream, and maple syrup.Bring to a boil.
Stir in polenta and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
Cover pan with foil and bake in oven for 45 minutes at 350f.
Remove from oven and stir in chives, parmesan, and season with salt and pepper.
Mango Lassi
New Delhi, India, Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2009
Serves 4
2 cups ripe mango, chopped
Pinch of salt
1 cup chilled whole milk
1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt
2 - 3 teaspoons sugar, optional
1. If mango has stringy fibers, pushed through a nylon sieve with the back of a spoon. The remaining mango should not contain any stringy pulp. Refrigerate until cold.
2. Combine mango, pinch of salt, milk and yogurt in a blender and purée until smooth. Taste and add sugar to taste. If you would like the lassi a bit colder, add about eight ice cubes to the blender. Can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.
My note: I blended the mango with the milk, and then forced it through a sieve to get rid of the stringy pulp. In my blender, it's easier to blend something with liquid.
Rava Masala Dosai with Sambhar
(Potato and onion pastry with vegetable stew)
New Delhi, India, Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2009
Makes 20 (10") shells
Dosai Shells
1/2 cup urad dal (lentils), split and skinned
1 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups rice flour
3 1/2 cups water
Oil for cooking
Potato Filling
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 large onion, diced
1 large serrano chili, diced
10 curry leaves
6 medium white potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cubed (1/2 inch cubes)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 1/2 cups water
Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Chutney, optional, for serving
Sambhar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 medium onion, diced
3 dried red chiles
2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
10 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 medium tomato, diced
2 medium Japanese eggplant, peeled and diced into small 1/2" cubes
1 1/4 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
3 teaspoons salt
6 cups water
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
2 dashes asafetida
For the Dosai Shells:
1. Place the urad dal in a medium mixing bowl and cover with water. Cover and set aside to soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible.
2. Drain the urad dal; grind using a food processor, blender, or mortar and pestle. While grinding, you will need to add a little water at a time to make a fine paste. Season with salt.
3. Combine the urad dal, rice flour and 3 1/2 cups of water in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Cover the batter and set aside in warm place to ferment and bubble for at least 8 hours. Batter will double in volume and will have a bitter smell.
4. Heat a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Spread a very thin layer of oil in the pan with a cloth or paper towel. Pour the batter, using a 2-ounce ladle, in the center of the skillet. Quickly swirl the dough away from the middle of the skillet, using the back of the ladle until it is thinly spread and even in a 10-inch circle in the pan.
5. For crispness, add a little oil around the edges of the pancake. Cook for about one minute, or until edges brown. With a spatula, flip and cook until the other side is golden brown.
6. Remove from skillet and roll the dosai into large tubes. Keep warm until served. Repeat process with remaining batter, wiping the skillet with a paper towel between each dosai.
For the potato filling:
1. Heat oil in a 9-quart stock pot. Toast the mustard seeds in the oil until they pop.
2. Add onions, chili and curry leaves and sauté until translucent.
3. Stir in potatoes, turmeric and salt. Cover mixture with 2 1/2 cups water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft and water is evaporated.
4. Mash the potatoes with an immersion blender or handheld blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve: Place warm dosai shell on a plate and spoon 4 - 5 tablespoons of the filling in the center; fold the sides over the filling. Serve with your favorite chutney on the side.
For the sambhar:
Makes 8 (1 cup) servings
1. Heat oil in a 9-quart stock pot over medium heat. Add the black mustard seeds and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until the seeds begin to pop.
2. Add the onion, dried chiles and serrano chiles and cook the ingredients for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are translucent and soft. Stir constantly.
3. Add curry leaves, coriander seeds and turmeric; stir until combined.
4. Add tomato and cook for five minutes. Stir in eggplant, potatoes, toor dal and salt.
5. Add 6 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
6. Add fresh cilantro, tamarind paste and asafetida; continue simmering for five minutes, covered.
7. Season to taste with salt and tamarind paste. Serve hot.
Cooks Note: Urad Dal are black lentils that has been split and skinned. You can purchase them already split and skinned at your local Indian market. They are also referred to as white lentils.
The first dosai shell you cook is often unusable. Consider it practice and it seasons the pan for the rest of the shells.
Sambhar is one of the most popular dishes in South Indian cuisine. This view accompanies most every meal.
Cocktail Recipes including some from the new Disney bar menu. A big thanks to bartender Kevin at the Outer Rim Lounge for putting up with all my questions about amounts.
The Sunriser
Victoria Falls Lounge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, WDW
1 serving
Pour 1 ¼ oz. coconut rum & ½ oz banana liquer in ice filled glass. Fill glass with equal parts orange juice, pineapple juice and cranberry juice.
Siesta Sangria
Siesta’s Pool Bar, Coronado Springs Resort, WDW
1 seving
1 ½ ounces triple sec or Grand Marnier
3 ounces each pineapple juice and orange juice
1 ½ ounces cabernet sauvignon
Fill tumbler with ice. Add remaining ingredients and serve. For a party – increase amounts and pour over macerated fruit. Let stand overnight so fruit flavors soak in.
Raspberry Rain
WDW General Bar Menu
2 ounces Rain Organics Red Grape Hibiscus Vodka
1/2 oz Chambord
4 fresh raspberries
4 fresh lychee
juice from 1/2 lemon
soda water
Muddle the fruit in a tumbler. Add ice cubes, then top with vodka, juice squeezed from about half a lemon. Stir well and top the glass with soda water.
Antioxidant Cocktail
WDW General Bar Menu
1 1/2 ounces Finlandia Wild Berries Vodka
1/2 ounce Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
1 oz Bossa Nova Açai Juice with Agave
1 oz. Aloe Juice
Fresh Lychees
½ lemon cut into 2 wedges
Fill glass with ice, then add the vodka, Chambord and juices. Squeeze some of the lemon wedges on the drink, then garnish with the remaining lemon wedge and the lychee.
Very Berry Punch
WDW General Bar Menu
1.5 oz Finlandia Wild Berries Vodka
.5 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
.5 oz Peach Schnapps
1 oz fresh orange juice
2 oz cranberry juice
1 oz grenadine
Fill a highball glass with ice and add the remaining ingredients.
Dobos Torte
Wolfgang Puck - Signature Dinner, for Food and Wine Festival 2009, Downtown Disney
1 (9-inch) round torte
Cake:
12 ounces unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
2 ounces powdered sugar
10 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
7 ounces cake flour, sifted
Chocolate Buttercream:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 pound butter, cut into pieces
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon rum, optional
Caramel Topping:
6 ounces sugar
Cake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mark the outline of a 9-inch cake pan on parchment paper. Repeat until you have 6 marked circles.
Place butter and vanilla in mixing bowl. Warm over low heat to soften. Transfer to a mixer and whip for 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and continue to whip another 5 minutes, until smooth and well blended. Lower the speed and add the egg yolks. Continue to whip for 2 to 3 minutes, until light.
In another mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and increase speed of the mixer. Whip until stiff but not dry. Fold the meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold flour into the egg mixture. Divide the batter equally among the 6-marked circles. With an offset spatula, spread the batter about 1/4-inch thick to fill in the marked circle. Bake in preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until light golden in color. Allow to cool. Transfer each cake circle onto a 9-inch cake board. Reserve.
Chocolate Buttercream: In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Boil to 240 degrees F or soft ball stage on a candy thermometer. Do not stir.
Meanwhile, in a mixer, beat the eggs and egg yolk until light and ribbony. Lower the speed and gradually pour the hot syrup into the egg mixture. Increase the speed and whip mixture until room temperature. Add the butter, 1 piece at a time. Then add the melted chocolate and rum, if desired. Continue to whip until smooth and well blended.
Caramel Topping: Cook sugar until is amber in color. Pour caramel over 1 of the reserved cake layers. Run edge of a chef's knife in butter. With the help of the buttered edge knife, spread the caramel to cover the entire surface of the cake circle. Allow to cool to set the caramel. Cut into 12 equal pie cuts. Reserve.
To assemble torte: Reserve half of the Chocolate Buttercream. Using some of the remaining buttercream, spread a 1/8-inch layer on top of the first cake layer. Continue layering the remaining the 4 remaining cake circles and spreading the buttercream. When all 5 cake layers have been frosted, frost the sides and top of the cake. Use a pastry comb to finish the sides of the layered cake. Mark the top of the cake into 12 pie sections. Pipe the remaining buttecream on top of each pie section and arrange the caramel slices on top of the piped cream at an angle.
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