General
Huffington Post — Disney “Frozen” directors credit their crew with this film’s Best Animated Feature nomination

So was it glamorous & exciting for Chris Buck and
Jennifer Lee earlier today when they learned that "Frozen" — the
Walt Disney Pictures release that they had co-directed — had been nominated
for Best Animated Feature? Not exactly.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"You have to understand that the Academy makes these
announcements at around 5:30 a.m.
West Coast Time. And the last time I was nominated, for "Surf's Up
,"
I didn't set my alarm. And then you get all these phone calls," Chris
explained. "So this time, I thought — just in case, just be safe — I'd
set my alarm. But once I got up, there were all of these early morning chores
that I needed to do like feed the dog and adding water to the fish tank. So I
was juggling all of that stuff as I was listening to the nominations."
And Jennifer's case, she was still in bed as Chris Hemsworth & Cheryl Boone
Isaacs began reading off this year's nominees.
"But I have a very good excuse for being in bed," Lee insisted.
"You see, I have the flu right now. And since Chris and I are supposed to
be traveling to Japan & China shortly to support the launch of 'Frozen' over
there, I figured that the best thing for me to is just get some rest. Stay in
bed and concentrate on getting better. But then I just happened to wake up at 5:30 a.m. So I turned on my laptop and watched
the live stream of the announcements from bed. And then when I heard that
"Frozen' was nominated, for about 30 seconds there, I didn't feel sick.
But then my cold kicked back in again. Which is why I'm still here in
bed."
Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee with this year's Golden
Globe award for Best Animated Feature
Well, no matter under what conditions Chris & Jennifer received this news,
they were still thrilled to learn that Disney "Frozen" had been
nominated for Best Animated Feature.
And you know what makes this sort of recognition from
members of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences all the sweeter? The
fact that Disney "Frozen" was actually produced on a severely
compressed production schedule. Few people outside of this Walt Disney
Animation Studios know this, but this animated reimagining of Hans Christian
Andersen's classic fairy tale was originally supposed to be Disney Studios' big
holiday release for 2014. But back in the Fall of 2011, when WDAS head John
Lasseter saw how well this film's story was coming together, he then decided to
shift "Frozen" 's release date to Holiday
2013.
"And the fact that we were still able to meet that new
deadline, still able deliver a quality film under those sorts of conditions, that's a real
tribute to our crew. They're the ones who actually made this movie
happen," Lee enthused. "These were people who gave 120% the whole
time. Chris and I were constantly asking for new things. We doubled — no,
tripled — the number of crowd shots and effects to go with along our story
telling and they were always right there. These people were just not going to
compromise. They wanted 'Frozen' to be the very best thing that Disney had ever
done. And I just love that about our crew. They always tried to top themselves."
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"And as for 'Frozen' 's tight production schedule … You know, sometimes a situation like that when
— as a filmmaker — you're in a time crunch, it can actually be a good
thing," Buck explained. "You can spend a lot of time in development
going 'What if?,' 'What if?' But when you've only got two years to make your
movie, you've then got to start making decisions. You've got to move down that
road with determination. So seriously, sometimes when you've got a tight
production schedule, it can actually help make your movie stronger."
And speaking of stronger: What with Disney
"Frozen" now standing at $319 million in domestic ticket sales (which
means that it's now officially displaced Walt Disney Animation Studios'
previous top earner, "The Lion King
." Which sold $312 million worth
of tickets in North America back in 1994), and this
film's soundtrack being the No. 1 best-selling digital album in the country
right now, not to mention Disney CEO Bob Iger confirming that a Broadway stage
musical version of "Frozen" is already in the works … It's
sometimes hard to remember that time when the team at WDAS wasn't entirely sure
that modern movie-goers were actually going to embrace their take on "The
Snow Queen."
"I mean, just 12 weeks ago, it was still just us at the studio with this movie.
We had done a screening of 'Frozen' with
an audience back in June and the response was far beyond what we had
expected," Jennifer remembered. "But even so, we didn't know if that
reaction was going to be typical of how 'Frozen' was going to be received once
it got into theaters. But to have people be so enthusiastic, to have them
embrace this movie in the way they have … It's just mind-blowing. I haven't
processed it yet."
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Which brings us to the big question: What's Disney "Frozen" 's
secret? What is it about this particular Walt Disney Animation Studios
production that then allowed it to make such a strong connection with today's
audiences? Chris thinks that "Frozen" 's success has a lot to do with
the way this animated feature mixes classic Disney with modern storytelling
techniques.
"Look, when it comes to classic Disney, I've got it in my DNA. I mean, the
guy who trained me, the man who mentored me when I first came to the Studio was
Eric Larson, one of Walt's Nine Old Men," Buck continued. "But what
Jen and I wanted to do with 'Frozen' was tell a classic Disney story only with
characters that weren't up pedestals. I mean, if you really look at Anna &
Elsa, they're contemporary characters with flaws. These two sisters are just
like the rest of us. So it's this mix of Disney classic and the contemporary
that I think audiences have really been responding to."
"When Chris and I first talked about 'Frozen,' we wanted
characters that sounded genuine & were relatable. Our No. 1 thing when we
were working on Anna & Elsa's dialogue was
'Don't try and control them. Let the characters speak as they really
would,' Lee said. "And — in the end — this pair of sisters surprised us.
They wound up being a whole lot more feisty than we originally thought they
would be."
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
And speaking of feisty: When Jennifer was casting about for inspiration when it
came to how Teenage Anna might move, she found some sitting right on the other side
of her dining room table.
"My daughter Aggie was a very big inspiration for Anna
in terms of her physicality. And then
when it came time to record 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman' … Well, we
really wanted to use the first two verses of this song to show you Anna's
personality. And we wanted the singing to be done by real-sounding kids, not
necessarily Broadway kids," Lee explained. "And Aggie? Well, she
loves to sing. More importantly, she can sing in key. And since my daughter has
the sort of feisty spirit that we were looking for with Teenage Anna …
Well, everything sort of fell into
place."
"Even so, that whole having-Aggie-in-the-recording-studio thing was very
nerve-wracking for me," Jennifer recalled. "I don't know how parents
do that. I was so nervous for her."
(L to R) Disney "Frozen" producer Peter Del Vecho, Agatha Lee Monn,
Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved
"Yeah. You were way more nervous than Aggie was at that
session," Chris laughed.
Well, if Lee got that nervous while her daughter was recording that portion of
'Do You Want to Build a Snowman,' one wonders how she & Chris are going to
feel on the evening of March 2nd. When the two of them are seated inside of Hollywood's
Dolby Theatre along with the directors of "Despicable Me 2
,"
"Ernest & Celestine," "The Croods
" and "The Wind
Rises." As they wait to hear which film Academy members awarded the Best
Animated Feature Oscar to.
Here's hoping that Jennifer Lee is finally over her cold by
then. Because having the flu & celebrating the success of Disney
"Frozen" probably wouldn't mix.
General
Jens Dahlmann of LongHorn Steakhouse has lots of great tips when it comes to grilling

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Sure, for some folks, the Fourth of July is all about fireworks. But for the 75% of all Americans who own a grill or a smoker, the Fourth is our Nation’s No. 1 holiday when it comes to grilling. Which is why 3 out of 4 of those folks will spend some time outside today working over a fire.

But here’s the thing: Though 14 million Americans can cook a steak with confidence because they actually grill something every week, the rest of us – because we use our grill or smoker so infrequently … Well, let’s just say that we have no chops when it comes to dealing with chops (pork, veal or otherwise).
So what’s a backyard chef supposed to in a situation like this when there’s so much at steak … er … stake? Turn to someone who really knows their way around a grill for advice. People like Jens Dahlmann, the Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef for Darden Restaurant’s LongHorn Steakhouse brand.
Given that Jens’ father & grandfather were chefs, this is a guy who literally grew up in a kitchen. In his teens & twenties, Dahlmann worked in hotels & restaurants all over Switzerland & Germany. Once he was classically trained in the culinary arts, Jens then jumped ship. Well, started working on cruise ships, I mean.
Anyway … While working on Cunard’s Sea Goddess, Dahlmann met Sirio Maccioni, the founder of Le Cirque 2000. Sirio was so impressed with Jens’ skills in the kitchen that he offered him the opportunity to become sous-chef at this New York landmark. After four years of working in Manhattan, Dahlmann then headed south to become executive chef at Palm Beach’s prestigious Café L’Europe.
Jens Dahlmann back during his Disney World days
And once Jens began wowing foodies in Florida, it wasn’t all that long ’til the Mouse came a-calling. Mickey wanted Dahlmann to shake things up in the kitchen over at WDW’s Flying Fish Café. And he did such a good job with that Disney’s Boardwalk eatery the next thing Jens knew, he was then being asked to work his magic with the menu at the Contemporary Resort’s California Grill.
From there, Dahlmann had a relatively meteoric rise at the Mouse House. Once he became Epcot’s Food & Beverage general manager, it was only a matter of time before he wound up as the executive chef in charge of this theme park’s annual International Food & Wine Festival. Which – under Jens’ guidance – experienced some truly explosive growth.
“When I took on Food & Wine, that festival was only 35 days long and had gross revenues of just $5.5 million. When I left Disney in 2016, Food & Wine was now over 50 days long and that festival had gross revenues of $22 million,” Dahlmann admitted during a recent sit-down. “I honestly loved those 13 years I spent at Disney. When I was working there, I learned so much because I was really cooking for America.”
And it was exactly that sort of experience & expertise that Darden wanted to tap into when they lured Jens away from Mickey last year to become LongHorn Steakhouse’s new Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef. But today … Well, Dahlmann is offering tips to those of us who are thinking about cooking steak tips for the Fourth.
Photo by Jim Hill
“When you’re planning on grilling this holiday, if you’re looking for a successful result, the obvious place to start is with the quality of the meat you plan on cooking for your friends & family. If you want the best results here, don’t be cheap when you go shopping. Spend the money necessary for a fresh filet or a New York strip. Better yet a Ribeye, a nice thick one with good marbling. Because when you look at the marbling on a steak, that’s where all the flavor happens,” Jens explained. “That said, you always have to remember that — the higher you go with the quality of your meat — the less time you’re going to want that piece of meat to spend on the grill.”
And speaking of cooking … Before you even get started here, Jens suggests that you first take the time to check over all of your grilling equipment. Making sure that the grill itself is first scraped clean & then properly oiled before you then turn up the heat.
“If you’re working with a dirty grill, when you go to turn your meat, it may wind up sticking to the grill. Or maybe those spices that you’ve just so carefully coated your steak with will wind up sticking to the grill, rather than your meat,” Dahlmann continued. “Which is why it’s always worth it to spend a few minutes prior to firing up your grill properly cleaning & oiling it.”
Photo by Jim Hill
And speaking of heat … Again, before you officially get started grilling here, Jens says that it’s crucial to check your temperature gauges. Make sure that your char grill is set at 550 (so that it can then properly handle the thicker cuts of meat) and your flattop is set at 425 (so it can properly sear thinner pieces of meat).
Okay. Once you’ve bought the right cuts of quality meat, properly cleaned & oiled your grill, and then made sure that everything’s set at the right temperature (“If you can only stand to hold your hand directly over the grill for two or three seconds, that’s the right amount of heat,” Dahlmann said), it’s now time to season your steaks.
“Don’t be afraid to be bold here. You can’t be shy when it comes to seasoning your meat. You want to give it a nice coating. Largely because — if you’re using a char grill — a lot of that seasoning is just going to fall off anyway,” Jens stated. “It’s up to you to decide what sort of seasoning you want to use here. Even just some salt & pepper will enhance a steak’s flavor.”

Then – according to Dahlmann – comes the really tough part. Which is placing your meat on the grill and then fighting the urge to flip it too early or too often.
“The biggest mistake that a lot of amateur cooks make is that they flip the steak too many times. The real key to a well-cooked piece of meat is just let it be, “Jens insisted. “Of course, if you’re serving different cuts of meat at your Fourth of July feast, you always want to put your biggest thickest steak on the grill first. If you’re also cooking a New York Strip, you want to put that one on a few minutes later. But after that, just let the grill do its job and flip your meat a total of three or four times, once every three minutes or so.”
Of course, the last thing you want to do is overcook a quality piece of meat. Which is why Dahlmann suggests that – when it comes to grilling steaks – if you’re going to err, err on the side of undercooking.
“You can always put a piece of meat back on the grill if it’s slightly undercooked. When you over-cook something, all you can do then is start over with a brand-new piece of meat,” Jens said. “Just be sure that you’re using the correct cut of meat for the cooking result you’re aiming for. If someone wants a rare or medium rare steak, you should go with a thicker cut of steak. If one of your guests wants their steak cooked medium or well, it’s best to start with a thinner cut of meat.”
Photo by Jim Hill
As you can see, the folks at Longhorn take grilling steaks seriously. How seriously? Just last week at Darden Corporate Headquarters in Orlando, seven of these brand’s top grill masters (who – after weeks of regional competitions – had been culled from the 491 restaurants that make up this chain) competed for a $10,000 prize in the Company’s second annual Steak Master Series. And Dahlmann was one of the people who stood in Darden’s test kitchens, watching like a hawk as each of the contestants struggled to prepare six different dishes in just 20 minutes according to Longhorn Steakhouse’s exacting standards.
“I love that Darden does this. Recognizing the best of the best who work this restaurant,” Jens concluded. “We have a lot of people here who are incredibly knowledgeable & passionate when it comes to grilling.”
Speaking of which … If today’s story doesn’t include the exact piece of info that you need to properly grill that T-bone, just whip out your iPhone & text GRILL to 55702. Or – better yet – visit ExpertGriller.com prior to firing up your grill or smoker later today.
This article was originally published by the Huffington Post on Tuesday, July 4, 2017
General
Brattleboro’s Strolling of the Heifers is a sincere if somewhat surreal way to spend a summer’s day in Vermont

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Some people travel halfway ‘around the planet so that they can then experience the excitement of the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. If you’re more of a Slow Living enthusiast (as I am), then perhaps you should amble to Brattleboro, VT. Where – over the first weekend in June – you can then join a herd of cow enthusiasts at the annual Strolling of the Heifers.
Now in its 16th year, this three-day long event typically gets underway on Friday night in June with a combination block party / gallery walk. But then – come Saturday morning – Main Street in Brattleboro is lined with thousands of bovine fans.
Photo by Jim Hill
They’ve staked out primo viewing spots and set up camp chairs hours ahead of time. Just so these folks can then have a front row seat as this year’s crop of calves (which all come from local farms & 4-H clubs) are paraded through the streets.
Photo by Jim Hill
Viewed from curbside, Strolling of the Heifers is kind of this weird melding of a sincere small town celebration and Pasadena’s Doo Dah Parade. Meaning that – for every entry that actually acknowledged this year’s theme (i.e. “Dance to the Moosic”) — …
Photo by Jim Hill
… there was something completely random, like this parade’s synchronized shopping cart unit.
Photo by Jim Hill
And for every piece of authentic Americana (EX: That collection of antique John Deere tractors that came chugging through the city) …
Photo by Jim Hill
… there was something silly. Like – say – a woman dressed as a Holstein pushing a baby stroller through the streets. And riding in that stroller was a pig dressed in a tutu.
Photo by Jim Hill
And given that this event was being staged in the Green Mountain State & all … Well, does it really surprise you to learn that — among the groups that marched in this year’s Strolling of the Heifers – was a group of eco-friendly folks who, with their chants of “We’re Number One !,” tried to persuade people along the parade route not to flush the toilet after they pee. Because – as it turns out – urine can be turned into fertilizer.
Photo by Jim Hill
And speaking of fertilizer … At the tail end of the parade, there was a group of dedicated volunteers who were dealing with what came out of the tail end of all those cows.
Photo by Jim Hill
This year’s Strolling of the Heifers concluded at the Brattleboro town common. Where event attendees could then get a closer look at some of the featured units in this year’s parade…
Photo by Jim Hill
… or perhaps even pet a few of the participants.
Photo by Jim Hill
But as for the 90+ calves who took part in the 2017 edition of Strolling of the Heifers, once they reached the town common, it was now time for a nosh or a nap.
Photo by Jim Hill
Elsewhere on the common, keeping with this year’s “Dance to the Moosic” theme, various musical groups performed in & around the gazebo throughout the afternoon.
Photo by Jim Hill
While just across the way – keeping with Brattleboro’s tradition of showcasing the various artisans who live & work in the local community – some pretty funky pieces were on display at the Slow Living Exposition.
Photo by Jim Hill
All in all, attending Strolling of the Heifers is a somewhat surreal but still very pleasant way to spend a summer’s day in Vermont. And that’s no bull.
Photo by Jim Hill
Well, that could be a bull. To be honest, what with the wig & all, it’s kind of hard to tell.
This article was originally published by the Huffington Post on Sunday, June 4, 2017
General
Looking to make an authentic Irish meal for Saint Patrick’s Day? If so, then chef Kevin Dundon says not to cook corned beef & cabbage

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Let’s at least start on a positive note: Celebrated chef, author & TV personality Kevin Dundon – the man that Tourism Ireland has repeatedly chosen as the Face of Irish Food – loves a lot of what happens in the United States on March 17th.
“I mean, look at what they do in Chicago on Saint Patrick’s Day. They toss all of this vegetable-based dye into the Chicago River and then paint it green for a day. That’s terrific,” Kevin said.
But then when it comes to what many Americans eat & drink on St. Paddy’s Day (i.e., a big plate of corned beef and cabbage. Which is then washed down with a mug of green beer) … Well, that’s where Dundon has to draw the line.
Irish celebrity chef Kevin
Dundon displays a traditional Irish loin of bacon with Colcannon potatoes and
a Dunbrody Kiss chocolate dessert. Photo by Tom Burton. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
“Green beer? No real Irishman would be caught dead drinking that stuff,” Kevin insists. “And as for eating corned beef & cabbage … That’s not actually authentic Irish fare either. Bacon and cabbage? Sure. But corned beef & cabbage was something that the Irish only began eating after they’d come to the States to escape the Famine. And even then these Irish-Americans only began serving corned beef & cabbage to their friends & family because they had to make do with the ingredients that were available to them at that time.”
And thus begins the strange tale of how corned beef & cabbage came to be associated with the North American celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. Because – according to Dundon – beef just wasn’t all that big a part of the Irish diet back in the 19th century.
To explain: Back in the Old Country, cattle – while they were obviously highly prized for the milk & cheese that they produced – were also beasts of burden. Meaning that they were often used for ploughing the fields or for hauling heavy loads. Which is why – back then — these animals were rarely slaughtered when they were still young & healthy. If anything, land owners liked to put a herd of cattle on display out in one of their pastures because that was then a sign to their neighbors that this farm was prosperous.

“Whereas pork … Well, everybody raised pigs back then. Which is why pork was a staple of the Irish diet rather than beef,” Dundon continued.
So if that’s what people actually ate back in the Old Country, how then did corned beef & cabbage come to be so strongly associated with Saint Patrick’s Day in the States.? That largely had to do with where the Irish wound up living after they arrived in the New World.
“When the Irish first arrived in America following the Great Famine, a lot of them wound up living in the inner city right alongside the Germans & the Jews, who were also recent immigrants to the States. And while that farm-fresh pork that the Irish loved wasn’t readily available, there was brisket. Which the Irish could then cure by first covering this piece of meat with corn kernel-sized pieces of rock salt – that’s how it came to be called corned beef. Because of the sizes of the pieces of rock salt that were used in the curing process – and then placing all that in a pot of water with other spices to soak for a few days.”

And as for the cabbage portion of corned beef & cabbage … Well, according to Kevin, in addition to buying their meat from the kosher delis in their neighborhood, the Irish would also frequent the stores that the German community shopped in. Where – thanks to their love of sauerkraut (i.e., pickled cabbage) – there was always a ready supply of cabbage to be had.
“So when you get right down to it, it was the American melting pot that led to corned beef & cabbage being found in the Irish-American cooking pot,” Dundon continued. “Since they couldn’t find or didn’t have easy access to the exact same ingredients that they had back in Ireland, Irish-Americans made do with what they could find in the immediate vicinity. And what they made was admittedly tasty. But it’s not actually authentic Irish fare.”
Mind you, what Kevin serves at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Disney Springs (which – FYI – Orlando Magazine voted as the area’s best restaurant back in 2014) is nothing if not authentic. Dundon and his team at this acclaimed gastropub pride themselves on making traditional Irish fare and then contemporized it.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
“Take – for example – what we serve here instead of corned beef & cabbage. Again, because it was pork – rather than beef – that was the true staple of the Irish diet back then, what we offer instead is a loin of bacon that has been glazed with Irish Mist. That then comes with colcannon potatoes. Which is this traditional Irish dish that’s made up of mashed potato that have had some cabbage & bacon mixed through it,” Kevin enthused. “This heavenly ham – that’s what we actually call this traditional Irish dish at Raglan Road, Kevin’s Heavenly Ham – also includes some savory cabbage with a parsley cream sauce as well as a raisin cider jus. It’s simple food. But because of the basic ingredients – and that’s the real secret of Irish cuisine. That our ingredients are so strong – the flavors just pop off the plate.”
Which brings us to the real challenge that Dundon and the Raglan Road team face every day. Making sure that they actually have all of the ingredients necessary to make this traditional-yet-contemporized Irish fare to those folks who frequent this Walt Disney World favorite.
“Take – for example – the fish we serve here. We only used cold water fish. Salmon, mussels and haddock that have been hauled out of the Atlantic, the ocean that America and Ireland share,” Kevin stated. “Not that there’s anything wrong with warm water fish. It’s just that … Well, it doesn’t have the same structure. It’s a softer fish, which doesn’t really fit the parameters of Irish cuisine. And if you’re going to serve authentic food, you have to be this dedicated when it comes to sourcing your ingredients.
Copyright Mitchell Beazley. All rights reserved
And if you’re thinking of perhaps trying to serve an authentic Irish meal this year, rather than once again serving corned beef & cabbage at your Saint Patrick’s Day Feast … Well, back in September of last year, Mitchell Beazley published “The Raglan Road Cookbook: Inside America’s Favorite Irish Pub.” This 296-page hardcover not only includes the recipe for Kevin’s Heavenly Ham but also it tells the tale of how this now-world-renown restaurant wound up being built in Orlando.
On the other hand, if you happen to have to the luck of the Irish and are actually down at The Walt Disney World Resort right now, it’s worth noting that Raglan Road is right in the middle of its Mighty St. Patrick’s Day Festival. This four day-long event – which includes Irish bands and professional dancers – stretches through Sunday night. And in addition to all that authentic Irish fare that Dundon and his team are cooking up, you also sample the fine selection of beers & cocktails that this establishment’s four distinct antique bars (each of which are more than 130 years old and were imported directly from Ireland) will be serving. Just – As ucht Dé (That’s “For God’s Sake” in Gaelic) – don’t make the mistake of asking the bartender there for a mug of green beer.
“Why would anyone willingly drink something like that?,” Dundon laughed. “I mean, just imagine what their washroom will look like the morning after.”
This article was originally published by the Huffington Post on Friday, March 17, 2017
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