Celebrating a Disney tradition based on a previous vacation can help ease the pain of waiting between trips. Many families create countdown chains or watch favorite Disney films leading up to their departure. What about creating a new family tradition of cooking your favorite meals from vacations past? Depending on the number of people and their ages, this could be a great way of getting the family together to plan the trip and enjoy time together.
You could get your palate prepped for your upcoming trip by doing a cooking countdown. You could make a different meal every weekend the month before your trip. You could also flip through the pages of Chef Mickey and wish that you could cook!
Chef Mickey: Treasures from the Vault & Delicious New Favorites is one of the more recent cookbooks released by Disney. Author Pam Brandon and the Disney Chefs have compiled some of the most requested recipes from Disneyland, Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Lines.
Divided into ten areas based on the course, the book offers current recipes and some classic, or vintage, recipes. The older recipes are from restaurants that have closed or have revamped their offerings. When you flip through the book, a majority of the recipes are more current. The sections dedicated to older recipes is called the vault and feature vintage photos, as well.
- Beverages
- Breads
- Soups
- Salads & Salad Dressings
- Fish & Shellfish
- Meat & Poultry
- Rice, Pasta & Grains
- Vegetables
- Sauces, Condiments & Spices
- Desserts
Each recipe is titled with the restaurant, theme park/resort and the number served (most recipes in the book serve 4). You are provided with an ingredients list for the main dish as well as ingredients for the topping or accoutrement. As can be expected, the directions are well-written, fairly simple and clear. Even a non-cook like myself would feel comfortable tackling some of these dishes.
Scattered throughout the book are facts or trivia related to food and Disney. Did you know that the California Grill serves more than 70 pounds of tomatoes every night during tomato season? I didn’t, that’s for sure.
Pam was able to get Dave Smith and Robert Tieman to provide historic photos and information for the From the Vault sections. Have you seen an image of the Dairy Bar at Disneyland?
Isn't that one of the creepiest photos of Walt that you have ever seen?
There is an index, but it only lists the food by course. I would love to have seen an index for the eateries, as well. This is a very well-done cookbook and offers recipes for every palate–even the chicken nugget crowd.
George writes here and at Imaginerding, where he focuses on Disney books and theme parkeology. He is also a travel agent and you can email him at George@pixievacations.com for free vacation planning and help booking your next Disney vacation. You can also follow him on twitter @biblioadonis.
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December 6, 2011 at 2:55 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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February 3, 2012 at 2:12 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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February 16, 2012 at 2:31 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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