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There’s chocolate and then there’s that stuff you find in shiny wrappers at the grocery store checkout counter. “That’s not chocolate, that’s just candy,” says John Scharffenberger, co-founder of Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker.
Real chocolate, as it turns out, has the power to transcend
. . . the quick fix found in these counterfeit confections. With 70-, 80-, even 90-percent pure cacao content, it can provide a richer, more meaningful experience. Sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s true. High-quality chocolate, the kind John speaks of, is the subject of the Hyperion book The Essence of Chocolate, and is capable of creating a seductive, delectable, tongue-to-toes tingling moment.
“At first, chocolate should be a little tart,” John explains. “That tartness turns into fruity flavors. As your mouth gets bathed in fat and sugar, you should feel a smoothness in the middle of your palate. Then your mouth starts to dry out a little from the tannins; and the finish should never be harsh.”
Tempted? Just flip through The Essence of Chocolate written by John, Scharffen Berger co-founder Robert Steinberg, and culinary writer Ann Krueger Spivack. Featuring mouthwatering images from award-winning cookbook photographer Deborah Jones, this chocoholic’s page-turner contains recipes drawn from the Scharffen Berger files and two dozen top pastry chefs. The chocolatiers separate these recipes into three categories—“Intensely Chocolate,” “Essentially Chocolate,” and “A Hint of Chocolate”—designed to please the discriminating taste buds of foodies and amateur chefs alike.
With image after beautiful image, the book tells the story of how John, an award-winning vintner, and Robert, a former physician, started their business in Robert’s home kitchen, and details their passionate search for the world’s best cocoa beans. From the Chocolate Martini to the Chile-Marinated Flank Steak, The Essence of Chocolate tells us there are many ways to use chocolate in the kitchen. According to John, you don’t even need to have a knack for baking or grilling to enjoy the “fruits” of the cocoa bean. “If you get a high-quality, 70-percent chocolate, you can just serve it in chunks with nuts and fruits,” he says.
Some of the recipes, however, beg you to look at this palatable ingredient in a whole new way.
“Cocoa powder makes the perfect rub for meats,”
John says. “I’ve been doing rubs for a long time with 50-percent cocoa powder and 50-percent kosher salt. You can also add a little bit of chili for some kick. I use it a lot on flank steak and lamb.”
Chocolate on meat? Really? Aren’t there, say, boundaries we shouldn’t cross? Apparently not. “What happens is the cocoa powder starts to expand and forms a really nice crust,” he says. “So you won’t have a chocolate flavor. It mutates into something else, and it keeps the meat juicy.”
It gets better. Besides claims of dark chocolate being a great antioxidant, helping maintain a robust immune system, and a fabulous skin softener (“It absolutely does not cause zits!” John says), these recipes are simple and easy to follow. With more than 100 richly illustrated treats that will remind you to take time to stop and smell the cocoa, the only hard part is knowing just where to start.
Ingredients
9 ounces 62-percent semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Whipped cream
Preparation
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange four ovenproof coffee mugs in a baking or roasting pan. Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double broiler set over gently simmering water and whisk occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside. Stir the eggs and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer, then set over the simmering water and stir until warm to the touch.
Place the bowl on the stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, beat for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Remove from the mixer, and fold the eggs into the chocolate mixture until it is light and smooth. Spoon the batter into the cups. Add enough very hot water to the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The baked hot chocolates will be done when the tops lose their glossy finish.
A wooden skewer inserted in the top will emerge clean but batter toward the bottom of the cup will still be very moist. Carefully remove the cups from the pan. The cakes can be served warm, at room temperature, or covered and refrigerated for up to one day. To reheat, bring to room temperature and place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes, or until warm. Serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves 4.
This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version.
Andouille-Parmesan Grits
Combine butter, onion, and andouille sausage in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Sauté until onion is soft and translucent. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Whisk in grits and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Whisk in cream and cook, uncovered, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add salt to taste.
Barbeque Shrimp
Combine shrimp, stock, lemon juice, Worcestershire, pepper, Creole seasoning, and garlic in a large, deep-sided sauté pan over high heat. Simmer, turning shrimp over, until shrimp are just firm and opaque, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add butter to the pan, swirling butter into sauce. Scoop grits into a shallow serving bowl. Top with shrimp and sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant's version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.
Raglan Road is a traditional Irish pub that brings Emerald Isle charm to Downtown Disney at The Walt Disney World Resort. Chef Kevin Dundon offers bistro-style Irish fare using the freshest ingredients, all with a modern flair and Celtic creativity.
“A bowl of soup must be one of the most welcoming foods known to man,” Chef Kevin says.
“This seafood chowder always goes down well but particularly when it is bitterly cold outside. It is just so rich and tasty with the most wonderful infusion of shellfish and fresh and smoked fish. The secret of this soup is not to overcook the fish, so bear in mind that everything continues to cook even after it’s taken off the heat.”
Ingredients
4 oz. butter
1 small onion, diced
1 leek, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 potato, cubed
2 oz. smoked salmon slices, cut julienne-style (long thin strips)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups fennel-scented fish stock or water
8 oz. mixed fresh fish fillets, skinned and cut into bite-size pieces
(such as cod, haddock, hake, and salmon)
6 oz. fresh prawns and mussels, scrubbed clean
1 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 oz. cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Preparation
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the butter and when it is foaming, tip in the onion, leek, carrot, potato, and smoked salmon. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened. Pour the wine into the pan and allow it to bubble down and reduce by half. Add the fish stock or water and bring to a simmer, then add the fresh fish and shellfish. Return the pan to a simmer and add the parsley and cream, then season to taste. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for another 2-3 minutes until the fish and the prawns are tender and all the mussels have opened: discard any that do not. To serve, ladle the chowder into warmed serving bowls, piling plenty of the fish and shellfish into each. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 4-6.
This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.
Q:Your character, Carlene, is a good Christian belle, so to speak, but she has all the makings of one of those women we love to hate. A: I know! She’s like the villain that prays for everybody. She’s really fun. I always look for roles to be different from something I’ve done before, like what I did on Pushing Daisies or Glee or West Wing. This is yet another different kind of part, and that’s the best way not to get pigeonholed as an actor. Truth is, I’m a way more boring person than people would think, but I know I’m a little “not normal.” [laughing] I mean that in the most loving way! So I look for characters who are interesting and come out of left field, and I think you are going to see things from Carlene that you wouldn’t expect.
Q: The show centers on a former mean girl, Amanda Vaughn (Leslie Bibb), who returns to Dallas and is reacquainted with the girls she terrorized in high school. Is GCB anything like how it was for you growing up in Oklahoma?
A: This was my world… I’m not gonna lie. I grew up in a very similar place. It was a much smaller town, but I know these women—I know them very well. However, they shall remain nameless!
Q: Carlene’s in the church choir, so luckily we’ll get to hear you sing. Do you ever face any challenges when singing as a new character?
A: I always want to sound like my character. I really want to make it authentic. Obviously, I want to sound good, too. That would be silly of me as a singer to say, “Oh, I don’t want to sound that great,” but I do want to sound authentic to the place my character’s from. If I open my mouth and sing a huge opera note, I think that might be weird. I’m finding Carlene’s voice as we speak, and I think that [show creators] Bobby [Harling] and Darren [Star] will make sure that the singing only happens when it seems right. It’s not going to be every week, but would it be there? You bet! I think it makes sense for Carlene to be in the choir and put herself front and center. And how’s she going to do that? By giving herself the solos!
I went and sang for the Queen in London on behalf of our country
Q: Being such a gifted singer opens doors to some interesting opportunities. One that comes to mind is singing to Oprah last year during her farewell season surprise spectacular.
A: Oh, Oprah . . . oh, yeah. I keep pinching myself about that one. I just have to say, “thank you, God” for the experience. It was a once-in-a-lifetime deal. And right after that, I went and sang for the Queen in London on behalf of our country. So, it’s like, bucket list—check and check! I don’t take it lightly. I’m very thankful.
“My style of cooking is contemporary American with classical French influence,”
says Marcel St. Pierre, head chef at Club 33. The man with the perfect chef’s name is excited about his version of the Club classic. “I am always looking at ways to create new dishes from old classics,” he says. “Asparagus is not classically used in this dish, but I added it to keep the Chateaubriand as light as possible, without losing any of its heartiness. And the truffles add richness in two different forms.”
Marcel recommends the 2003 Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon, from Diane Disney Miller and husband, Ron Miller’s, Napa Valley vineyard. “The full-bodied wine has fantastic blackberry and tobacco characters that complement the richness of this hearty cut of meat,” he says. “You get your complexity from the licorice aftertastes of the wine with the pungent truffles, and the delicate flavors of cherry and plum get intensified with the use of ginger in the carrot reduction.”
Ingredients
3 pounds, tenderloin of beef (center portion)
8 ounces, asparagus Black Truffle mousse (see recipe below)
12 ounces, Cabernet demi-glace (see recipe below)
18 each, White Truffle potato croquette (see recipe below)
6 ounces, carrot ginger reduction (see recipe below)
6 ounces, dried Morel mushroom
16 ounces, Apple Smoked slab bacon
6 ounces, asparagus, thinly sliced
Preparation
With a boning knife, cut a hole into the center then take a round steel to make a cylinder hole through the tenderloin. Stuff it with the asparagus truffle mousse. Season all sides and pan sear with hot canola oil. Cook the chateaubriand in a 350-degree oven for 12 minutes for medium rare.
Prepare the salad by soaking the dried morels in warm water for 15 minutes. Dice slab bacon into little pieces and cook over medium heat in Teflon pan until golden brown. Quickly toss in the thin slice asparagus and reconstituted morels. Set aside and re-heat when ready to serve. Serves 6.
Sub Recipies
Asparagus Black Truffle Mousse
Ingredients:
1 pound, asparagus
½ gallon, vegetable bouillon
1 cup, heavy cream
1/8 ounce, Black Truffle
3 ounces, bread crumbs Panko
Preparation:
Cut one inch off the bottom of asparagus and discard. In a large pot, boil the vegetable bouillon or water with a pinch of salt. While boiling, add the asparagus for 3½ minutes and take out. In a blender, add the cream and hot asparagus and blend to almost puree stage. Place puree in a bowl and add the chopped black truffle and bread crumbs. Combine until evenly incorporated. Check seasonings.
Cabernet Demi-Glace
Ingredients:
3 ounces, fresh butter
4 ounces, shallot—peeled and sliced
8 ounces, Cabernet Sauvignon
16 ounces, beef stock or bouillon
1 ounce fresh thyme
1 Bay Leaf
4 black peppercorn
1 teaspoon, kosher salt
Preparation:
In a small pot, add the fresh butter and sauté the shallots over medium heat for 3½ minutes. Add the red wine and let cook until almost no liquid is left. Add all other ingredients and cook at a light simmer for 25 minutes or until your sauce has reduced by half. Strain and keep warm. You can also make up to three days in advance and keep in your refrigerator, re-heating in saucepan when needed.
Preparation:
In a sauté pan with fresh butter, quickly cook the shallot and celery until translucent and pour in the chardonnay. Let all the liquid reduce and cool. In a bowl, add the cooked potato, egg yolks and onion mixture, mix with the truffle oil and roll out into balls. Place in the freezer for one hour. In three separate pans, place AP Flour, whisked whole eggs and bread crumbs. Take the croquettes out of the freezer and place in flour, then the eggs and then the bread crumbs. Bring the canola oil up to a steady simmer over low to medium heat, and fry off the croquettes. Place on paper towels to soak up the oil and keep warm.
Carrot Ginger Reduction
Ingredients:
1 pound, carrot—large peeled, rough chop
2 ounces, fresh ginger, peeled
12 ounces, vegetable stock or water
2 leafs fresh basil
Preparation:
In a small sauce pot, add all ingredients and cook over medium heat until the carrots become soft—this should take 10-12 minutes. Take out the basil leafs and ginger, place the carrots with half the liquid into a bar blender and puree until smooth.
This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.
The Academy Awards® are a big night not just for the Hollywood A-list. They’re also the perfect opportunity to throw the movie-lovers party of the year!
What better way to get the celebration started than by serving your guests a meal fit for a superstar?
D23 serves up this recipe for Mini Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Lemon Yogurt Sauce from Dave Lieberman’s Hyperion cookbook, Dave’s Dinners. His Lemon-Thyme Martini is also worthy of Oscar gold. Cheers!
Lemon Yogurt Sauce
7 ounces plain yogurt, preferably full fat
1/2 cup lemon juice
Lemon zest for garnish
Salt
1 loaf fresh brioche bread
Preparation
Mini Burgers
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and work together until they are fully incorporated. Roll a tablespoon of the mixture into a 3-inch ball and then flatten into a round burger about 1/2-inch thick. Place the mini burgers on a nonstick baking sheet and bake about 7 minutes, until evenly and well browned. Make the sauce: Stir together the yogurt, lemon juice and zest in a small bowl. Season to taste with a couple of pinches of salt. Cut the brioche into 1/2-inch slices, then use a small glass to cut as many circles as possible, about 3 inches in diameter, from each slice. Place the bread circles on a baking sheet. When the burgers come out of the oven, slip the bread in for just a couple of minutes to toast lightly. Watch the bread carefully, or else it will get too dark very quickly. Place the mini burgers on top of the cut brioche. Top with a dollop of the lemon yogurt and garnish with a good pinch of lemon zest.
Ingredients
Lemon-Thyme Martini
1 ounce Lemon-Thyme syrup
2 ounces vodka or gin
Lemons
Fresh thyme sprig
Lemon-Thyme syrup
1 large bunch thyme leaves and stems
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
Rinds of 3 lemons
Preparation
Lemon-Thyme Martini
Place all Lemon-Thyme syrup ingredients in a saucepan and boil 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool completely before use. Shake the syrup and vodka or gin on ice. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a twist of lemon and a thyme sprig.
This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version.
Would Simba and Nala have fallen in love without “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from the The Lion King? And would Cinderella have had the gumption to attend a royal ball without “So This is Love” from Cinderella? Whether you’re celebrating a new relationship, the dream of a lifelong romance, or the love shared among family and friends, D23 wants to help make your Valentine’s Day a little more musical this year. In honor of our favorite heart-filled holiday, here are a few, and perhaps unconventional, love songs to add some sweetness to your February 14.
For the forbidden love: “So Close” (Enchanted)
For those afraid to make the first move: “Kiss the Girl” (The Little Mermaid)
For the budding romance: “I See the Light” (Tangled)
For a love that’s out of this world: “Supernova Girl” (Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century)
For the hopeful maidens: “Some Day My Prince Will Come” (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
For the best friends: “If I Didn’t Have You” (Monsters, Inc.)
For those who love themselves: “This is Me” (Camp Rock)
For those who love their crazy families: “Nobody Else But You” (A Goofy Movie)
For a lasting love: “You’ll Be in My Heart” (Tarzan)
For those who don’t want to admit their hearts’ desires: “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” (Hercules)
ESPN and NFL legends are sharing their favorite Super Bowl dishes with sports fans.
You can find out what Steve Young, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Vince Young, Dan Marino, Barry Sanders, Brett Favre, Mike Ditka, and Jerry Rice serve at their Super Bowl bashes at Parade.com. Thanks to our friends at ESPN’s Page2.com and Parade, D23 has ESPN NFL Analyst Steve Young’s Bean Dip recipe to help you get ready for game day.
This zesty corn, bean, and avocado dip is a Super Bowl party favorite of ESPN NFL analyst and legendary NFL quarterback, Steve Young. He suggests serving it with lime tortilla chips.
Ingredients
2 (11-oz.) cans Green Giant Mexicorn (whole kernel corn with red and green peppers)
2 (15.5-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15.5-oz.) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 small bunch green onions, chopped (green parts only)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine vinegar (if desired, add up to ½ cup more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, diced
Preparation
Mix corn, black beans, kidney beans, and chopped scallions together in a large bowl. Add olive oil and red wine vinegar; stir in gently. Marinate in fridge for at least 4 hours. (Note from Steve: The longer you marinate it, the better!) When ready to serve, add salt and pepper to taste. Top with freshly diced tomatoes and avocados. Serve with lime tortilla chips. Serves 8-12.
[/caption] Charlie Callas (1927-2011)
Known by Disney fans for voicing the iconic Elliott the dragon in Pete’s Dragon, Charlie Callas passed away on January 27, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada. His storied career includes many memorable parts in such films as The Big Mouth and Mel Brooks’ Silent Movie, High Anxiety, and History of the World: Part I. Charlie also performed stand-up comedy in Las Vegas for many years and appeared on television in Switch, The Tonight Show, The Monkees, Love, American Style, and The Love Boat.Collin Campbell (1926-2011)
From animation and film to theme parks, Collin Campbell worked on a number of distinguished projects throughout his Disney career. He is widely known as the voice of Mole in the “Mr. Toad” segment from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. And as a layout and background artist, he worked on Lady and the Tramp, The Truth About Mother Goose, and Donald in Mathmagic Land. At the parks, Collin added his artistic talents to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, and it’s a small world, among others. He passed away on April 2, in Lighthouse Point, Florida.
John Barry (1933-2011)
John Barry, one of the most acclaimed and revered movie composers of all time, passed away January 30, 2011. The five-time Academy Award®-winning composer of music for such classic films as Born Free, The Lion in Winter, and Dances with Wolves, also was known for his work on James Bond film scores. For Disney, John scored the music for the 1979 film The Black Hole. His songs “Ride to Fort Hays” and “Buffalo Hunt” from Dances with Wolves can be heard at the Fort Wilderness Lodge area at Walt Disney World Resort.
Charlie Callas voiced the iconic Elliott the dragon in Pete’s Dragon.Disney Legend Wally Boag (1920-2011) Wally Boag, a longtime leading man at Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue and television and film actor, passed away on June 3. He was 90 years old. Wally entertained Disneyland Park guests five days a week, three times a day, for nearly 27 years. By the time he retired, in 1982, from his role as the outrageous Pecos Bill, Wally had performed in nearly 40,000 productions of the popular revue. He also appeared in The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, The Love Bug, and as the voice of José in The Enchanted Tiki Room.
“The world’s stage has experienced a great loss in the passing of Disney Legend Wally Boag,” George Kalogridis, president, Disneyland Resort, says. “Wally was instrumental in the development of live entertainment during the early years of both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney World Resort. His characters will continue to live in the hearts of our guests, while his larger-than-life personality will forever make him the true “Clown Prince of Disneyland.”
In 1955, a friend told him about auditions for Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue. Wally won the role and quickly became one of Walt’s favorite comedic actors. “Dad loved that show [Golden Horseshoe Revue],” Diane Disney Miller said in the book, Wally Boag, Crown Prince of Disneyland. “He took all of his guests there and never tired of it. It never got stale because Wally was always fresh. Dad and Wally had a lot in common because they were both consummate entertainers. Like Wally, Dad was dedicated to bringing fun and laugher to this world. I know that Dad loved him, and so did so many others.
Barton K. “Bo” Boyd, who began his career at Disneyland and rose to lead Disney Consumer Products through two decades of international growth, passed away in April at the age of 68.Betty Taylor is seen here with Wally Boag, during one of their many hilarious performances at Disneyland.
Disney Legend Barton K. “Bo” Boyd (1942-2011)
Barton K. “Bo” Boyd, who joined Disney on February 14, 1968, as an assistant supervisor and who would go on to oversee the longest periods of sustained growth in Disney merchandising history, passed away April 13 at his home in Mesquite, Nevada.
After several promotions and joining the team creating merchandise for Disneyland, Bo was asked to move to Florida in early 1971 to prepare for the opening of Walt Disney World. Soon, he was promoted to director, Merchandise Division. In 1976, he relocated back to California, where he assumed the role of vice president, Retail Merchandising, and established a central buying office for both parks.
In 1983, Bo was asked to run a new division: Disney Consumer Products. During his tenure, he oversaw such initiatives as Licensed Merchandise, Walt Disney Records, and, in Publishing, the start of Hyperion Press and a line of Disney magazine products. The granddaddy of them all, however, was the establishment of the first Disney Store outside the grounds of the theme parks. The first store opened in Glendale, California, in 1987, and Bo grew that innovative business in 10 years to more than 600 stores in the United States and in eight foreign countries.
Bo was named chairman of Disney Consumer Products in 1997. He retired in 2001, 33 years to the day that he first walked down Main Street, U.S.A. for his first job at Disneyland. He had been involved with Disney merchandise longer than any person in the history of the Company other than Walt’s brother Roy O. Disney.
Grace Godino (1915-2011)
Grace Godino was an inker in the Ink and Pain department at the Walt Disney Studios. She added color to such films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and to many cartoon shorts at Walt Disney Studios. Grace later worked as a stand-in for Rita Hayworth. Grace passed away on May 31 in Bolinas, California.
After 42 years with the Company, Bill Justice retired in February 1979. He wrote a book about his Disney years called Justice for Disney, and was often a guest at Disneyana Conventions.
Disney Legend Bill Justice (1914-2011)
In his 42 years at Disney, Bill Justice, who passed away February 10, 2011, lent his considerable talents to dozens of classic films, from Fantasia (1940) and Make Mine Music (1946) to Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953). Among the memorable characters he animated are the precocious Thumper for Bambi and those mischievous characters, Chip and Dale.
During the 1950s, Bill directed several experimental shorts, including Noah’s Ark, A Symposium On Popular Songs, and The Truth About Mother Goose, all of which were nominated for Academy Awards. Along with fellow Disney Legend Xavier (“X”) Atencio and artist T. Hee, Bill also used the painstaking technique of stop-motion animation in live-action Disney features, including The Parent Trap (1961) and Mary Poppins (1964). In all, Bill contributed to 57 shorts and 19 features.
Recognizing Bill’s immense talent, Walt tapped Bill to join Walt Disney Imagineering in 1965, where he programmed Audio-Animatronics® figures for such Disneyland attractions as Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Mission to Mars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree, and America Sings. He was named a Disney Legend in 1996.
Charles Jarrott (1927-2011)
Charles Jarrott, a British film and television director best known for costume dramas he directed for producer Hal B. Wallis, passed away on March 4. For Disney, Charles directed The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark (1980) and Condorman (1981). He also directed two episodes of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.
Kenneth Mars (1935-2011)
Kenneth Mars, who played Marshal Woolly Bill Hitchcock in The Apple Dumpling Gang (1979) and voiced the character of King Triton in The Little Mermaid (1989), passed away February 12, 2011. A skilled and much-sought-out character actor who enjoyed a film and television career that spanned more than 45 years, Kenneth is perhaps best remembered for his roles in several Mel Brooks films, including The Producers and Young Frankenstein. His other roles for Disney include voicing the characters of Heimlich Menudo and Prof. Buzz on Tale Spin and Tuskerninni for Darkwing Duck. Kenneth voiced Triton for the Kingdom Hearts videogames, appeared as Bud Holstein in “Just Like Family” on the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Club, and even made an appearance on Hannah Montana in 2007, playing Gunther the Innkeeper.
Harry Morgan (1915-2011)
Harry Morgan was a film actor, whose Disney film credits include The Barefoot Executive (E.J. Crampton), Scandalous John (Hector Pippin), Snowball Express (Jesse McCord), Charley and the Angel (angel), The Apple Dumpling Gang (Homer McCoy), The Cat From Outer Space (General Stilton), The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (Major Gaskill), and on television in 14 Going on 30. Harry passed away on December 7 in Los Angeles.
Pete Postlethwaite (1946-2011)
Pete Postlethwaite was a British actor who played the Old Man in James and the Giant Peach and Mr. Veeck in Dark Water, distributed by Touchstone Pictures. His other film credits include his Oscar®-nominated performance as Giuseppe Conlon in In The Name of the Father, and roles in Romeo + Juliet and The Lost World: Jurassic Park, among others. Pete passed away on January 2, 2011 in Shrewsbury, England.
Florence “Flo” Daniel Renoudet (1929-2011)
Flo Daniel Renoudet, the wife of veteran Disney voice and character actor Peter Renaday (real name: Renoudet), passed away on February 18, 2011. After graduating from college in 1957, she moved to California and began a 35-year career in the Music department of Walt Disney Studios, where she served as executive secretary to Robert Jackman and, later, Jay Lawton.
Disney Legend Betty Taylor (1919-2011)
The spunky leader of a troupe of western dance hall girls, in Disneyland’s popular Golden Horseshoe Revue, Betty Taylor passed away at her home in Washington State on June 4. She became the darling of nearly 10 million guests, who, over the years, visited the saloon to see the world’s longest-running stage show in the history of entertainment.
In the nearly 45,000 performances that she appeared in, the charming, vivacious blonde never lost her girlish enthusiasm for playing the role of Pecos Bill’s sweetheart. “Betty Taylor must have been born to become Slue Foot Sue in Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue,” says Disney Legend Marty Sklar, about the way Betty owned the role and performed every show as if it were her first. “She knew how to belt out a tune, in the storied tradition of an old western saloon, and she held her own on a stage with the wild and wacky antics of Pecos Bill [comedian Wally Boag], the brogue of an Irish tenor [Fulton Burley], and a chorus line of can-can dancers. Imagine doing that five times a day for 31 years and 45,000 performances! Betty was a true trooper who loved playing the part in the show, and loved performing for Disneyland audiences.”
Betty retired from the Golden Horseshoe Revue in 1987. She continued to appear in special events, such as Walt Disney’s Wild West, a retrospective of Walt’s vision of the American West, which was showcased in 1995 at the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles.
Steve Jobs was Pixar Animation Studios’ CEO and majority shareholder at 50.1 percent until Disney acquired the company in 2006, making him Disney’s largest individual shareholder at seven percent and a member of Disney’s Board of Directors.
Steve Jobs (1955-2011)
Steven P. Jobs, the visionary co-founder and former chief executive of Apple Inc., passed away on October 5. “Perhaps more than any other chief executive, Mr. Jobs was seen as inseparable from his company’s success,” The New York Times wrote at the time of his passing. “The company has outflanked most of its rivals in the technology industry with the iPhone and the iPad, which have been blockbuster hits with consumers.”
Steve Jobs founded Apple in 1976 with Steve Wozniak, and built an early reputation for the company with the Apple II computer. After the Macintosh was introduced in 1984, the company’s business stalled, and Steve left Apple in 1985. The following year, with a small group of Apple employees, he founded NeXt Computer, which failed to take hold in the corporate marketing field. In 1986, he acquired the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm Ltd, which was spun off as Pixar Animation Studios. He is credited in Toy Story (1995) as an executive producer. He remained CEO and majority shareholder at 50.1 percent until Disney acquired the company in 2006, making him Disney’s largest individual shareholder at seven percent and a member of Disney’s Board of Directors.
“Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined,” said Disney President and CEO Bob Iger, in a statement at the time of his passing. “Steve was such an ‘original,’ with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era.”
The town of Marceline, Missouri (current population: 2,308), lies in the gently rolling plains of northeast Missouri. It’s a place where the sun rises over golden fields and sunlight peaks through gently bending willow trees. There are no chain stores in its quaint downtown area, just shops, eateries, and a single movie theater. There’s no stoplight. If you’re looking for the glitz and glamour of the big city, this isn’t the place for you. But if you’re like me—a Disney fan looking to walk in Walt’s footsteps—Marceline is nothing less than an essential, and almost spiritual, destination. For Marceline shaped Walt’s vision in countless ways, and it is here that he found a way of life, an essential decency, which he would share with generations through his movies and at Disneyland.
They had come from the rough-and-tumble concrete jungle of Chicago . . .
Elias Disney, Walt’s father, arrived here in 1906, settling with his family on a 45-acre farm a few miles north of town. He brought his wife, Flora, oldest sons, Herbert and Ray, and the three youngest Disneys—Roy, Walter, and Ruth. They had come from the rough-and-tumble concrete jungle of Chicago, and Elias was eager to raise his family in America’s heartland, where his offspring could learn the value of living simply, working hard, and being close to the land. And they did.
Everything connected with Marceline was a thrill to us . . .
The five years Walt and his family spent here, from 1906 to 1911, left an indelible imprint on his imagination. He never forgot the time he spent in this turn-of-the-century Eden of fields, lakes, woods, and wildlife, and he often told acquaintances just how much he cherished the time he spent here. “Everything connected with Marceline was a thrill to us, coming as we did from Chicago,” Walt said in his 1938 letter to the Marceline News. “The cows, pigs, chickens gave me a big thrill, and perhaps that’s the reason we use so many barnyard animals in the Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony pictures today—who knows?”
“I’m glad I’m a small-town boy, and I’m glad Marceline was my town” — Walt Disney
The Walt Disney Hometown Museum is located in the exact location where Walt and his family arrived in Marceline in 1906 and left in 1911.
You can still see the Disney family farm and home, owned now by Kaye Malins, the charming woman who runs Marceline’s Walt Disney Hometown Museum. Kaye’s infectious smile and thorough knowledge of Walt’s early life make her the perfect host, and I was fortunate enough to be invited into her home for a night of delicious food and magical memories. “My dad and mom first met Walt in 1956 when Walt, Lilly, Roy, and Edna traveled to Marceline to dedicate the Walt Disney Swimming Pool and Park,” she says, carving me another piece of delicious roast beef. “As they were coming in July and we had a new air-conditioned home, it was decided they should stay with my family. My parents were the Disneys’ host on that trip, and Walt and my Dad just clicked. It was during that visit that Walt first voiced his thoughts regarding a Disney project, on the farm.”
Walt Disney’s childhood desk, which he located during his trip back to his hometown of Marceline, Missouri, in 1956.
Walt would return to Marceline many times during the course of his life, and it is said that whenever he rode the train back east from California, he would rouse his fellow travelers as they whisked past Marceline and point the town out to them. He once wrote, “More things of importance happened to me in Marceline than have happened since or are likely to in the future.”
Walt’s Marceline memories would provide the basis for his view of what life in America should be.
“Walt Disney experienced all of childhood firsts in Marceline, and a feeling of community that he would remember always,” Kaye says. “Walt’s Marceline memories would provide the basis for his view of what life in America should be.”
In the summer of 1911, Walter Disney’s time in Marceline came to an end. Elias had purchased a newspaper route in Kansas City, and the family boarded the Santa Fe train to Kansas City. It’s easy to imagine the young boy, staring out the window as the train surged slowly to life, not wanting to say goodbye to Marceline.
Lemon-Thyme Martini
Charlie Callas voiced the iconic Elliott the dragon in Pete’s Dragon.Disney Legend Wally Boag (1920-2011)
Barton K. “Bo” Boyd, who began his career at Disneyland and rose to lead Disney Consumer Products through two decades of international growth, passed away in April at the age of 68.
