New Disney Cookbook Features Old, New Recipes

My first trip to Walt Disney World Resort was in 1974, and I still can recall the icy sweet Orange Whip at Sunshine Tree Terrace in the Magic Kingdom and the abundant buffet dinner in the showy Crystal Palace. Wow, how times have changed; today you can dine with award-winning chefs at hundreds of restaurants or nosh on a giant turkey leg as you wander through four theme parks. The culinary choices are endless.

“Chef Mickey: Treasures From the Vault & Delicious New Favorites” takes a look back and includes some longtime winners, like my favorite fried ice cream and the savory Steak Diane from the Lake Buena Vista Club. There are plenty of new recipes too, including dishes from Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line.

Each chapter is divided into “New Favorite Recipes” and “From the Vault Recipes,” with more than 150 recipes, from cocktails to desserts.

We spent nearly a year researching and testing recipes for the book, and just as fun as the recipes are vintage photos we found, like the one of entertainer Jimmie Rodgers from the 1970s at the Top of the World (now California Grill) at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and the photo of Walt Disney tossing a salad in his brand new Walt Disney Studios in the 1940s.

Just in time for the holidays, the cookbook retails for $24.95 and is available at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort and through mail order by calling 407-363-6200 or wdw.mail.order@disneyworld.com.

Here’s a longtime favorite recipe:

Steak Diane
Lake Buena Vista Club

Serves 4

Burgundy sauce
6 tablespoons Burgundy wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon crushed tomatoes
Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steaks
8 teaspoons butter, divided
4 (6-ounce) New York strip steaks, trimmed
3 tablespoons brandy
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
8 sliced mushrooms
Burgundy sauce
Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For Burgundy sauce:

1. Stir together Burgundy, onion, shallots, and garlic in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; simmer until wine evaporates. Add butter and allow it to melt, then stir in flour, cooking and stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add beef stock and stir with a whisk until mixture boils and becomes smooth.
3. Add tomatoes and simmer 20 more minutes, or until mixture thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain and keep warm.

For steaks:

1. Heat 4 teaspoons of butter in a skillet large enough to hold 4 steaks.
2. Sauté steaks to desired doneness, turning to cook both sides. Add remaining butter, if needed.
3. Add brandy, remove the pan from the heat to ignite, and then return to the heat. When the flame has burned out, remove steaks from pan and keep warm.
4. Sauté garlic, onions, and mushrooms in the same skillet; stir in Burgundy sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook 2 to 3 minutes; add steaks and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Via: Disney Parks Blog