Date Nut Cookies

Launching Pad - Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom
 This was a very easy cookie recipe. While not a super sweet cookie, they are good. I can't say that I would long to eat one again, but if they're laying around, I'd eat one without hesitating! The dates provide some sweetness and the pecans of course give it a nutty flavor. The richness comes from the brown sugar that is used. Since I love cookie dough batter, I tried it out. It tasted a lot like shortening and not like sugar. A good cookie if you want to avoid something super sweet. 3 mickeys. Oh by the way, this completes a section in this book - No, not the dessert section - the cook subsection in the dessert section!

Filetto Pizzaiolo

Flagler's - Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort

History: Flaggers operated until 1997.  Narcoossee's is now in its past location. Flaggers was an Italian restaurant. 

Nothing about this was unique, but it was good. Of course it isn't hard to make beef tenderloin good. It is cooked in red wine for the last few minutes, but that flavor never came out. It's a shame since the smell was so good! I made my own marinara sauce from tomato soup, tomato paste, and seasonings instead of using jarred sauce. It was good, but basic. 4 mickeys.

Potato Souffle

Victoria and Albert's - Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort

Talk about strange. You mix the mashed potato's with whipped up heavy whipping cream, then bake it and it rises up! It also has a strange, light texture. The eggs in it make it taste very eggy, not potatoy. As with all things, it would be better topped with cheese and butter :-). Nothing impressive, and not really that great. Only 2 mickeys, sorry souffle.

Cauliflower Victoria

Victoria and Albert's - Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

I have to admit, when I first saw this recipe, I was skeptical. You cook the cauliflower whole! Not only that, but you lather the things with mustard. Weirdly, it was really good. I think I ate half a head by myself in one sitting. It calls for cheese sauce. Instead of buying some gross canned stuff, I made mine out of Velveeta and milk. I also put on way more cheese than a half cup. You can never have enough cheese :-) I didn't put it on the kale leaf with a cherry tomato...I didn't think it was worth the money for a garnish. So use your imagination :-)

4 mickeys.

Caribbean Sand Bars

Cinnamon Bay Bakery - Caribbean Beach Resort

History: Caribbean Beach Resort opened in 1988. The Cinnamon Bay Bakery is part of the Market Street Food Court at Old Port Royale. Because the items change, I wasn't able to find out if this item is currently on the menu.

Imagine butter pecan ice cream in a cookie bar form. That's what you get with this recipe. I used the optional alternation to the recipe and added chocolate chips. I think it was well worth it. These cookies bars are sweet and gooey, chalk full of walnuts and pecans. Very very good. 4 mickeys!

Southern Spoon Bread

1900 Park Fare - Grand Floridian Beach Resort

History: The Grand Floridian was built in 1988. The resort changed it's name to Disney's Grand Floridian  Resort and Spa in 1997. Since this cookbook is from 2000, that means that this recipe was from the older restaurant before it changed its name.
The restaurant is now a breakfast/dinner buffet character dining experience. This recipe is not currently on the menu.

I was so excited about making this. I was expecting a moist corn bread style food. Boy was I wrong. It is extremely eggy. In fact, the recipe uses 5 eggs. It's as if you soaked cornbread in eggs. The leftovers sat in the fridge for over a week and were never touched. This puts the spoon bread at only 2 mickeys.

 

Beef Pepper Steak with Ginger Sauce

Papeete Bay Verandah - Polynesian Village Resort

If you have this cook book and look at this recipe it will look long and intimidating. I was prepared to spend hours preparing and cooking that night. I was pleasantly surprised to be done in 45 minutes! It was good, but average. Most of the ingredients are common place with the exception of the oyster sauce. I used thin cut sirloin steak instead of flank steak and it turned out well. 

Town Square Kabobs

Town Square Cafe - Magic Kingdom

This recipe consists of 3 parts: the kabobs, fruit sauce, and rice. The rice, of course, is easy. The kabobs are nothing inpressive. They are knockwurst, little smokies, link sausage, bratwurst, green pepper and pineapple - on a stick. The fruit sauce is fairly easy, but good. I think you could use the sauce on other meats or veggies and it would be good also.
3 mickeys.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Crystal Palace - Magic Kingdom
 
Considering this recipe comes from a buffet restaurant, it's really good. In reality, it's a basic sweet and sour recipe. What makes it good is the quality of the meat and the batter. It has a great consistency and came up nice and crispy golden. 4 mickeys.

Walnut Salad Dressing

Walt Disney World

Yum yum yum yum yum. Did I say yum? I LOVED this dressing. I personally would have given it 5 mickeys but Greg was at a 3 1/2, so we compromised. It was sweet, but not to sweet. It was packed with flavor, but didn't over do it. In order for me to enjoy eating salad, I have to love the dressing. All I wanted to do was eat salad while I had this dressing. In fact, I wanted more when the salad was gone! I want some right now....I should go make some right now... That's weird for me, considering I don't enjoy eating lettuces. I eat them because their good for you, not because I like them. Perhaps the caloric intake in this dressing makes up for what you lack in the lettuce, but I don't care, I liked it. So easy, so yummy, and way cheaper than buying an expensive dressing that would taste this good. 4 mickeys!

Garbanzo Garlic Salad Dressing

Village Restaurant - WDW Shopping Village
 
This was a great dressing. First: super easy to make. Second: Super versatile.  I decided to put it on a mixture of broccoli and cauliflower. The flavors worked well together. While this recipe does contain mayonnaise, it is by no means a heavy dressing. Everything for this recipe you probably already have in your kitchen - except maybe the anchovy past. Don't let that concern you though, there is no fishy flavor at all. Fairly average, but good enough for a pot luck :-) 3 mickeys.

The Land Grille Room Salad

The Land Grille Room - EPCOT

Wow. This was....wow. I'm not saying wow in a good way. Neither my husband nor I could stomach it. Maybe if you enjoy beets smothered in mayonnaise you would like this, but we didn't.  I only have one mickey for this. It sure looks pretty though doesn't it? :-)