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“Star Wars Rebels” uses characters & vehicles that were designed for the original trilogy to expand the saga

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When the powers-that-be at Disney & Lucasfilm decided
that they wanted to set "Star Wars Rebels" in that time period
between the prequels and the original trilogy, executive producer Dave Filoni
knew that this new Disney XD animated series was going to be tough to pull off.

"Look, it's one thing to do what we did on 'Star Wars:
The Clone Wars
.' That animated series was set between 'Attack of the Clones'
and 'Revenge of the Sith.' So we had a wealth of material to work with,"
Filoni explained during a recent phone interview. "We could make use of
characters that had previously appeared in the prequels. We could pick up story
threads from those two movies. It was a rich, rich vein to explore."

"Whereas with 'Rebels' … Going into this project,
once we decided that its story should begin four years before the events
of  'A New Hope' … Well, my biggest
fear as we began developing this show is that I didn't want to repeat what
George (Lucas) had already done," Dave continued. "I mean, I didn't
want us inventing another Luke Skywalker. Luke is the chosen one. Luke is the
son of Darth Vader. So given that 'Rebels' is set in the particular time period
in Star Wars history, I wondered how we could tell a story with this new
animated series that would be truly unique and — at the same time — not
duplicate what George had already done with the original trilogy?"


"Star Wars Rebels" executive producer Dave Filoni. Copyright
Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved

To solve this vexing story problem, Filoni put his head
together with Simon Kinberg (i.e., the writer & producer of "X-Men:
Days of Future Past
") and Carrie Beck of the Lucasfilm Story Group. And
eventually these three found themselves circling back around to Order 66, that
infamous directive that Emperor Palpatine issued as the Clone Wars was drawing
to a close. Which then resulted in the slaughter of all but a handful of Jedi
Knights.

"In 'Revenge of the Sith,' we saw Obi-Wan and Yoda
escape that purge. But what if there had been other Jedi Knights who had
slipped out of their robes and stepped into the shadows just as Order 66 came
down?," Dave said. "That's how we came with the character of Kanan
Jarrus for 'Rebels.' He's a survivor of the Emperor's Jedi purge. But just how
old was Kanan when Order 66 came down? How far along was he in his Jedi
training?"

"That's what I think is cool about Kanan, makes him
different from any of the other Jedis that we've met before in the Star Wars
universe. Kanan's sarcastic, he uses a blaster and — to avoid being hunted
down by the Galactic Empire — Kanan's kept his Jedi past a closely guarded
secret," Filoni continued. "In fact, the only reason that this cowboy
Jedi finally broke out his lightsaber in 'Star Wars Rebels: Spark of
Rebellion,' the TV movie that we used to launch this new animated series, was
because Ezra put in Kanan in a situation where he had no choice but to reveal
that he was a Jedi Knight."


Copyright Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved

"And who is Ezra?," you ask. Well, again —
plugging back into what had already been established in the Star Wars universe
(i.e., That — besides Luke Skywalker — there had always been kids who were
born in the galaxy who could wield the Force. And the Jedi Knights had been
finding these kids throughout their entire history and then training them up at
their Temple) — Dave, Simon and Carrie wanted to explore the idea of what
might happen to a Force-sensitive kid like this when there are no Jedi Knights
left to train them.

"Ezra Bridger is this 14 year-old kid who's been
growing up on his own in the age of the Empire. He's been stealing to survive.
And while Ezra knows that he has some strange abilities, they're raw,
unfocused, instinctive," Filoni said. "It's only when Ezra gets
together with Kanan that he finally tries to harness this ability. But given
that Kanan is out of practice, it's been so long since he regularly wielded the
Force … Well, he's not exactly the greatest teacher for Ezra."

"Which — again — I think is something different from
what we've previously seen in a Star Wars story," Dave enthused.
"Ezra's this kid who gets found by a Jedi who's kind of lost his way. Who's
out of practice when it comes to wielding the Force. And I just like the idea
that — within this story — Kanan could, by teaching Ezra, then become the
Jedi that he could have been or was supposed to be but couldn't because
everything fell apart after Order 66 came down."


Copyright 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved

Okay. Now that Filoni & Co. had two compelling characters
that they could then build "Star Wars Rebels" around, the next big
question was: What would this new animated series for Disney XD look like? To
answer that question,  Dave reached all
the way to the very beginning of this franchise. Back to 1975, to be exact.
Which was when George Lucas — as he was struggling to get a handle on what the
characters &  the world of "Star
Wars" might look like — hired conceptual designer & illustrator Ralph
McQuarrie
.

And as any Star Wars history buff will tell you, those
concept paintings that Ralph churned out over the course of 1975 had a huge
impact on the franchise. They not only helped George zero in on what Darth
Vader, R2-D2 and C-3PO should look like, they also influenced the way that key
scenes in these films were shot. More to the point, it was these images that
helped convince 20th Century Fox executives to actually fund production of 'A
New Hope.' And then when you factor in that Ralph McQuarrie's concept paintings
established the "used future" look which eventually became the visual
motif of this entire franchise … The contribution of this one conceptual
designer & illustrator to Star Wars canon is immeasurable.

"And the really great part is that George didn't
actually use all of the ideas that Ralph came up with. Which then left us free
to fold some of McQuarrie's leftover character designs and vehicles in 'Star
Wars Rebels,' " Filoni enthused. "Take — for example — Zeb
Orrelios. The look of that member of the Ghost's crew was heavily influenced by
Ralph's original design for Chewbacca. Likewise Chopper. Those expressive arms
that come out that droid's head were originally features that Ralph had proposed
for R2-D2."


Ralph McQuarrie's original concept painting for the cast of "A New Hope."
Please note that — in this early version — Luke Skywalker's role was to
be played by a teenage girl. Copyright 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd.
All rights reserved

"But it's not just Ralph McQuarrie's character designs
that we're making use of on 'Star Wars Rebels.' If you look at the concept
paintings that Ralph did for the original trilogy, there's this distinctive way
that he would paint the moons and the planets in the sky. And Kilian Plunkett
— who's the art director on this project — and I really want that more
illustrative look to be part of this animated series," Dave continued.
"So we did some extensive study at the Lucasfilm archives and really
looked at Ralph's paintings up-close. We then created these digital brushes
that kind of emulate Ralph's hand and painting techniques and pencil lines. And
give that we now use those brushes on all of our digital models … Well,
that's why I like to say that the overall look of 'Star Wars Rebels' is a
homage to Ralph, that his spirit is still very much alive in this new animated
series."

Speaking of being alive … Given that — in "Return of
the Jedi
" — Yoda tells Luke "When gone am I, the last of the Jedi
you will be," one has to wonder what's eventually going to become of Ezra
& Kanan. Especially since — on the wake of last week's episode, "Rise
of the Old Masters" — the Inquisitor (i.e., the Pau'an that Darth Vader
has tasked with hunting down all of the remaining Jedi in the galaxy) is now keenly
aware that this reluctant master and his rebellious apprentice are out there
somewhere.

"Yeah, given that we plan on adhering to Star Wars
canon with 'Rebels,' I think that's going to leave a lot of fans on edge. Make
them wonder about what eventually happens to Kanan & Ezra," Filoni
smiled. "Given these two characters are out there wielding the Force just
four years before Luke connects with Obi-Wan Kenobi … Well, that then sets up
a lot of questions that now need to be answered. Like just how strong the Force
is during this time period?"


Copyright 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved

Well, if you'd like to get some answers to those questions
and/or be brought up to speed with this new chapter of the Star Wars saga,
Episode 4 of "Rebels" — "Breaking Ranks" — airs tonight
on Disney XD at 9 p.m. ET/ PT. And in "Breaking Ranks," you once
again get to see something that was designed for the original trilogy but never
quite made it on-screen.

"The Scout Walker that we use in this episode is
actually a Joe Johnston design. It was an Imperial vehicle that they were
thinking of using in the original trilogy but eventually opted to go with a
more sophisticated design for that craft instead," Dave concluded.
"And since 'Star Wars Rebels' is set a few years before 'A New Hope,' I
decided that we could use some of Joe's earlier designs for vehicles that
eventually led to the final look of that film. That way, the vehicles in 'Star
Wars Rebels' could then be seen as the Version As of what appeared in 'A New
Hope.' Rather than have us straight up repeat the vehicles that had appeared in
that movie."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Monday, November 3, 2014

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

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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

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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

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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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