On the same year that Disney released their first ever Celtic princess, the one and only ‘Meredith‘ the adventures of the Shamrock and Peach took me to Orlando Florida to the magic of Walt Disney’s 2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
I was sure feeling like a princess when the 3 day trip got off to a roaring start as I was greeted at the airport by a Disney representative wearing a tartan waistcoat holding a sign with my name and the words VIP! Naturally, I had to stop and share on Facebook as moments like this do not happen to an Irish Georgia Peach every day! That same afternoon we had another Facebook moment meeting Andrew Zimmerman from one of my boys favorite Food Network shows Bizarre Foods. It was a bit surreal to be surrounded by such celebrities…oh, living the life here!
The following day though it was down to work as we were in the prep kitchen making 140 souffles working with the synergy of other Disney and guest chefs from all over the US. The kitchen was a hive of activity both with chefs like me preparing for their cooking demonstration but also for a party for the senses being held that evening. The twice baked souffles were all baked up packed with creamy aged Kerrygold cheese and then topped with lashings of crumbly cashel blue cheese. We sauteed the bacon and prepared the vinaigrette and we were done just in time to start eating our way around the world, as only you can do at EPCOT!
We began in Ireland(of course) with a fish pie and warm chocolate lava cake with Irish cream custard. yummers..Next it was off to Australia for a grilled lamb chop with a minty lemon dressing, gday, gday..then some seared mahi mahi in Japan -very delicate, warm rice pudding in Norway- dressed in our horned helmets and then over to Belgium to wash all that down with a nice wheat beer! Not bad for an evening on the town, eh?
The actual cooking presentation sponsored by Kerrygold butter and cheese was in true Disney style so fun with everything I needed in my demonstration brought as if by magic. Afterwards I signed scores of cookbooks and got to meet great folks with some I hope to meet again next May on my tours to Ireland. Most importantly the recipe was a hit and the fact that you can prepare it a day in advance and it will rise up agin like a dream is a recipe fit for a magical meal experience! If you can’t make it to Disney maybye you can cook a recipe that may just have a wee bit of fairy dust!
The Shamrock and Peach 