the magic starts now

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we did it.  Five years later we have caved succumbed relented taken the plunge and purchased annual passes for all the magic that is Walt Disney World.  We often say, if we only had a pass we would head out for the evening or afternoon and not feel like we had to spend all day to get our monies worth.  We would often like to just go for dinner oIMG_3315r a walk and a ride or three.  So, last night we did it.  We kicked off this year of adventuring with a slow noshing stroll through the Epcot (formerly known as Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow) Flower and Garden Festival which this year also included some food kiosks celebrating and dedicated to sophisticated harvest inspired small plates where we sampled and shared small bites ranging from my two favorites – watermelon salad with pickled red onion, feta, arugula and balsamic drizzle and a pork carnitas taco with chicharrones to frushi (a fruit sushi with coconut rice and fruit).  The watermelon salad is my new favorite and I’m going to reproduce that at home.  Frushi harbored the Disney tax* and was overpriced and over-hyped everywhere I saw it online.  I loved the taco and could go back for that anytime.  We thought it would be dry but the meat was dense with flavor and I wish they had these amazing little tacos year round and not just developed what are really great small bites for special events.  So, all that said, we stayed two or three nicely paced hours tasting plates and looking at topiary for the garden event and then went home to a good nights sleep.  We also purchased the Tables in IMG_3314Wonderland option which includes 20% off in most of the eating establishments that we have been eating in anyhow.  We will see if it is worth the investment.  I’m looking forward to the coming year and the adventure and feeling more like I fit into all that Central Florida has to offer.  If you are an annual pass holder or just a lover of all things magical, I’d like to hear what your favorite thing to do at the parks is so that we can take it all in!

*KZ Definition:  Disney Tax:  noun:  a compulsory contribution to the coffers of that place which while is the happiest place on earth leaves the majority of visitors under 10 in tears and despite this fact I want to go there all the time to experience the magic that it can offer.

hash house a go go

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hashousea new kind of mini-chain opened in Orlando a week or so ago called Hash House A Go Go. They have outlets in Vegas and California. I’m not 100% sure if the go-go is strictly necessary but it seems to really be part of the name. I guess since maybe hash house conjures other ideas for some of the less savory population. Located on International Drive (I-Drive), it is in the tourist district. We went there for brunch with another couple on a Saturday morning. The menu insists that this is twisted farm food and in that, they are right. There is a lot here that is twisted. We placed our drink orders. A cup of coffee for me and a ridiculous caramel mocha for Z. It was oozing with caramel and chocolate syrup including a puddle in the saucer. I figured ordering hash would be the way to go so I ordered the corned beef. Now, it comes standard with swiss and I asked our server if I could have cheddar. Without saying no, he said no. Kind of a mistake there because I went off the place right then and there. I ordered the basted eggs which was my second mistake. Uncooked whites which oozed down over my hash when I broke into them thoroughly ruined any enjoyment I would have taken in my meal and caused me to really take a look around at what people were eating. The couple that we joined for breakfast had each ordered Andy’s Sage Fried Chicken Benedict w/ maple reduction, 2 eggs, bacon mashed potatoes & a biscuit which came out as an eight inch high tower of food fit for 4. Between the four of us I suppose we had enough food for I’d say 12 people? Obscene. This is really not my favorite type of restaurant. I’d say it’s had enough of my time.

 

khooing over Rachel’s food

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during Christmas time I dvr’d the show, Little Paris Kitchen Cooking with Rachel Khoo.  Rachel Khoo is the most delightful British girl living in Paris cooking some semblance of French food with her own twists.  I’m not sure Parisians want things with a twist but they may be more flexible than I’ve been led to believe.  I kind of think in general, thiIMG_3203ngs have been perfected to a certain standard in France and that is how they are expected to be.  But again, she is a gorgeous girl with the cutest accent.  Stew = schtew.  I love that.  She cooks everything in a tiny – microsized really, kitchen.  She has basically two burners and a toaster oven.  She has a tiny little dutch oven and I think only one electrical plug.  I wanted to eat her food so I ordered the cookbook from Amazon.  Ah, marketing.  The first thing I made was an easy little croque madame.  Basic white bread (they have that in France?) is rolled out, buttered and pressed into a muffin pan.  An egg, gruyere studded bechamel and black forest ham are dropped in and the whole mess is baked for 15-20 minutes.  A perfect Saturday morning breakfast with the buttery toast and cheesy sauce elevating my usual egg on an english muffin.  I’m looking forward to future meals in this grand little scale.

Croque Madama

By kathy Published: May 9, 2013

  • Yield: 6 muffin size servings
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Ready In: 30 mins

during Christmas time I dvr'd the show, Little Paris Kitchen Cooking with Rachel Khoo.  Rachel Khoo is the most delightful British …

Ingredients

  • 1 T butter
  • 1 T flour
  • 3/4 c milk
  • 1/2 t Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 t nutmeg (I ommitted as I do not care for this spice.)
  • 4 oz Gruyere grated with a fine grater
  • 6 slices white bread crusts cut off and rolled flat with a rolling pin (or wine bottle...or whatever you've got!)
  • 3 T butter melted in a small saucepan
  • 6 slices deli ham
  • 4-6 eggs use 6 small eggs if leaving whole, use for regular large eggs if beating for a scrambled style egg)

Instructions

  1. TO MAKE THE SAUCE: Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and beat hard until you have a smooth paste. Take off the heat and leave to cool for 2 minutes, then gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Place the pan back over a medium heat, add the mustard and nutmeg, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, whisking frequently to stop the sauce burning on the bottom of the pan. Once the sauce thickens and has the consistency of a thick tomato sauce, take it off the heat. Add the cheese (keep a little for the garnish) and taste for seasoning. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk. If it's lumpy, pass it through a sieve. To assemble, preheat the oven to 350°F. Flatten the slices of bread with a rolling pin, then brush each slice on both sides with melted butter. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with the slices of bread, press¬ing them in with the bottom of a small glass. Divide the ham between the muffin cups followed by the eggs (if scrambling do this in a small bowl, otherwise, crack over a small bowl and drop in whole. If the egg seems too big, pour a little of the white away before using). Put 2 tablespoons cheese sauce on top of each egg, then sprinkle with a little cheese and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs. Serve immediately.

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