Everything Walt Disney World: Delicious Disney, a Cook Book Review

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Delicious Disney, a Cook Book Review

Delicious Disney by The Disney Chefs with Pam Brandon. 2006. 192 pp.

Food is a big deal at Disney and it can be the most expensive part of your vacation, outside of the tickets. Over the years, we have seen Disney change their dining at the parks and resorts. Although the food has been criticized for becoming fairly homogeneous, Disney has added many upscale and fantastic eateries over the past 20 years.

Tonga Toast!

Disney Press has capitalized on the foodie obsession by releasing a slew of books dedicated to the recipes of Disney theme parks and resorts. Delicious Disney takes the concept of theme park dining and elevates it somewhat by presenting it in a more elegant fashion. In this title, the Disney Chefs are taking the classic recipes and preparing them in a modern kitchen. They are the same recipes from the Disney eateries, but modified somewhat for the home kitchen.

The book is presented in nine chapters:

Disney Classics
Fancy & Festive
Fresh & Healthful
Fast & Casual
International Cuisine
Magical Gatherings
Food for Kids
Dessert
Wine & Spirits

This book is a delight. The photographs and layout are gorgeous and the book is presented in a way in which the foods go well together. There are recipes from every level of Disney restaurant, from the average table service to the high-end eateries. There are some time-tested favorites: Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup; Monte Cristo; Tonga Toast; Fetuccine Alfredo; and 'Ohana Bread Pudding. A lot of the recipes featured are from the more upscale restaurants, but that is reflected in the tone and style of the book.

Peanut Butter 'n Jelly Shake from the 50's Prime Time Cafe

One of the biggest drawbacks is the lack of an index. You have to skim the entire book to find a specific recipe. My guess is that there are about 80 recipes in the book and they are grouped by the larger chapters that are mentioned above. So, if you have a favorite restaurant, you will have to flip through it to find it, but the photographs are beautiful and could provoke hunger pangs.

The Food for Kids section didn't seem to excite my two boys very much. They are the chicken nugget, mac n cheese and hot dog eaters. The meals were a little more adventurous than the average family, but if you are used to eating at signature dining then you are sure to find something they will like. My youngest thought the food looked a little fancy to him. I hated to tell him that we weren't fancy eaters!