I nearly forgot to post my faves from this year's Epcot Food and Wine Festival. All in all, I think the food was just slightly better in 2009 than it was in the last two years. My top picks: New Orleans – Crawfish Etouffee By far the best you can get in Orlando. Same recipe as in 2008, although I do wish they would bring back the small Tabasco bottles to compliment this great etouffee. (If you ask, they do have hot sauce behind the counter, just not Tabasco brand.) Melbourne, Australia – Grilled Lamp Chop with Red Wine Sauce and Murray River Sea Salt The chop could have been trimmed better. It's almost as if they left the fat intact to impress you with the portion size. That said, this was a very well executed, hand-seasoned lamb chop with great balance between the wine & sea salt. Delicious! Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Grilled Pork Skewer with Farifa No wonder the USA lost the Olympic bid to Rio. Something so simple as a pork on a stick… and it absolutely rocked. Perfectly balanced tastes. A couple of other notables: - The Chicken Urumqi (Grilled chicken with cumin and traditional Chinese spices) in Bejing was really tasty, especially with sriracha sauce to compliment the cumin. - The maple glazed salmon in Montreal was good, but not nearly as tasty as last year. I thought they were a little overboard with the maple this year and the choice to serve the salmon over cold lentils wasn't nearly the presentation or taste of last year's dish. Bring back the arugula & roasted corn and this dish makes the "best" list. - Stop by Cape Town, South Africa and order the Seared Beef Tenderloin, but don't focus too much on the meat. The star of this dish is the amazing sweet potato puree. A bite of sweet potato with the beef and mango barbecue is really tasty! - I don't care what anyone says, the Nuernberger sausage in Munich is fantastic. Yes, the presentation sucks… but it's a sausage… on a pretzel roll! It's so simple and the the pretzel rolls were really soft this year. Just a really great snack – perfect way to sneak a beer into the mix at a "wine" festival. - Last but not least, the sushi rolls at Tokyo. I don't understand how they can make and refrigerate rolls without them turning into mush, but they have got it down pat. The sushi rolls aren't legendary, but they are crispy and fresh! For more on the 2009 Epcot Food & Wine Festival see the official Disney event page or this unofficial overview at WDWInfo.
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I posted to blog.kevindonahue.com
2009 Epcot Food & Wine Highlights
http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archives/2009/10/05/2009_epcot_food_wine_highlights/
- Tags:
- florida
October 5 2009, 5:49am | #
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I posted to flickr.com
I'm just gonna jump in
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3968915126/
We were having such a good day that - by the time we drove past the beach - I couldn't help but empty my pockets, drop my shirt and dive in.
Another, "Hold my beer & watch this" moment - sans the beer, sadly.
September 30 2009, 7:48am | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Tsunami Zone
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3968914052/
Spotted along the dunes of Fernandina Beach
September 30 2009, 7:47am | #
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I posted to blog.kevindonahue.com
What's fair is fare
http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archives/2009/09/24/whats_fair_is_fare/
This weekend kicks off two of my favorite food festivals – Epcot Food & Wine Festival in Orlando and The Great State Fair of Texas. Now these are two completely divergent culinary experiences. The Great State Fair of Texas has always featured real food for real people (hello, Chili Pavilion!), whereas Food & Wine offers more traditional culinary experience – fair versus fare, if you will. Some of my returning favorites at Food & Wine are:
New Orleans, LA: Spicy Cajun Crawfish and Vegetable Stew; Chicken and Andouille Gumbo; Praline Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce Cape Town, South Africa: Mealie Soup with Crabmeat and Chili Oil; Seared Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Purée and Mango Barbeque Sauce Montreal, Canada: Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup; Maple Glazed Salmon with Lentil Salad; Spicy Chicken Sausage with Sweet Corn Polenta; Maple Sugar Candy Wellington, New Zealand: Seared Sea Scallop with Vegetable Slaw and Lemon Oil; Lamb Slider with Tomato Chutney
Whereas my "hit list" for the State Fair would be:
CORN DOGS!!! Stuffed Wings on a stick – Texas sized, boneless, seasoned stuffed wings, fried and served on a stick. Texas Bar-B-Que Boomerangs – Tender, hickory smoked brisket, chopped and mixed with BW’s special sweet, smokey flavorful BBQ sauce. Brisket is scooped into a light pastry won ton wrapper, folded, sealed and deep fried to a delicate crisp golden brown Chili Cheese Dog Pot Pie – Slices of wieners mixed with chili, covered with grated cheese and a pastry crust. Baked and cut into squares, served in a 12 oz. bowl. Fernie’s Southern Fried Fajitas – Tender succulent strips of mildly seasoned skirt steak dipped in batter & fried until golden & crunchy. Topped with savory fried onions & served with a side of creamy homestyle gravy.
(OK, OK… my cardiologist would prefer me attend Food & Wine – and yours would too! – so maybe take in the State Fair in moderation!) To be honest, I can't begin to pick one over the other – both are gastronomical treats and a great way to spend an evening.
My only regret is that I can't be in two places at once!- Tags:
- florida
September 24 2009, 8:57am | #
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I posted to delicious.com
Free Wi-Fi in Central Florida - Google Maps
August 13 2009, 12:34pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3603836640/
Stormtroopers parade through Disney's Hollywood Studios during STAR WARS WEEKEND.
These stormtroopers are members of the Florida Garrison of the 501st Legion.
- Tags:
- disney
- florida
- starwars
- stormtroopers
- parade
- stormtrooper
- starwarsweekend
- hollywoodstudios
- disneyhollywoodstudios
June 7 2009, 10:31am | #
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I posted to blog.kevindonahue.com
Trying to reason with hurricane season
http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archives/2009/05/24/trying_to_reason_with_hurricane_season/
Hurricane season officially begins next week. With that in mind, I fired up the generator today for a 15-minute run and double checked our hurricane supplies. Generally speaking, we're in good shape. I also checked my weather radio - an Eton FR300 Emergency Crank Radio Black - although it's always ready since it runs on AC/DC or hand-crank power. If you're looking to stay current on storm season, check these great resources: Hurricane Room on FriendFeed - aggregates content from blogs, twitter, forecasts and other resources to give you one at a glance, real-time story of storm season - must bookmark site! Accuweather.com Hurricane Center - one of, if not THE, best tracking sites IbisEye Storm Map
- Tags:
- florida
May 24 2009, 12:05pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Butterfly at Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3545561781/
From the Butterfly Garden at the 2009 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.
May 19 2009, 12:15pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Butterfly at Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3545560659/
From the Butterfly Garden at the 2009 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.
May 19 2009, 12:14pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Butterfly at Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3545558435/
From the Butterfly Garden at the 2009 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.
May 19 2009, 12:13pm | #
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I posted to blog.kevindonahue.com
This Summer's Gonna Rock
http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archives/2009/05/12/this_summers_gonna_rock/
I know I've been talking a lot about our Safari trip to Kenya, but that's not the only reason this summer is going to rock. I'm PSYCHED about this year's Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot. Here's the lineup: June 15–21 Stayin’ Alive A Tribute to the Bee Gees June 22–28 Hotel California A Tribute to the Eagles June 29–July 8 Slippery When Wet The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute July 9–19 Bjorn Again A Tribute to ABBA July 20–26 The Sounds of the Supremes A Tribute to the Supremes July 27–August 2 2U A Tribute to U2 August 3–9 Petty Theft A Tribute to Tom Petty We'll miss Slippery When Wet due to the aforementioned trip to Africa, but… man! The concert series is gonna be a lot of fun this year, all leading up to Dallas' own Petty Theft! Can't wait! See y'all at the parks!
- Tags:
- florida
May 12 2009, 1:44pm | #
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I posted to blog.kevindonahue.com
Celebration Exotic Car Festival 2009
http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archives/2009/04/18/celebration_exotic_car_festival_2009/
Wow. If you love really fast, really expensive cars… you would have loved this weekend's Exotic Car Festival in Celebration, Florida. Talk about BEAUTIFUL cars… I must have taken 300 pictures!
Here's just a few pictures….
- Tags:
- florida
April 18 2009, 2:18pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
STS-119 Discovery Shuttle Launch
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3357628011/
Shuttle launch of STS-119. Taken from the back yard - about 50 miles WSW of Kennedy Space Center
March 15 2009, 8:26pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
STS-119 Discovery Shuttle Launch
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3358441156/
Shuttle launch of STS-119. Taken from the back yard - about 50 miles WSW of Kennedy Space Center
March 15 2009, 8:25pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
STS-119 Discovery Shuttle Launch
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3358439974/
Shuttle launch of STS-119. Taken from the back yard - about 50 miles WSW of Kennedy Space Center
March 15 2009, 8:24pm | #
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I posted to blog.kevindonahue.com
Gatorland ROCKS!
http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archives/2009/02/22/gatorland_rocks/
Merrin and I went to Gatorland yesterday and — honestly — we had a blast. The staff is wonderful and the "shows" are really entertaining. Gatorland is a family style park, and there were quite a few families there yesterday. I wouldn't say it was "packed", but probably 80% full or better. If you haven't been, definitely make Gatorland part of your Orlando vacation plans. It's small enough to make it a three-to-four hour part of your trip or weekend. And - yes - they have gator wrestling.
Joe Dirt would have been in awe.
PS - Florida residents can take advantage of $9.99 admission for a limited time.
- Tags:
- Pop Culture
- florida
February 22 2009, 10:56am | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Gatorland
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3299827473/
For over 50 years, Gatorland has welcomed guests to Kissimmee, Florida. My mom went when she was a little girl, so it was kind of a treat to go yesterday with Merrin
February 22 2009, 10:49am | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Gatorland
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3299825977/
February 22 2009, 10:48am | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Gator Wrestling at Gatorland
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3300654048/
Denny is very, very, very insane young man, but I suppose that's a must for a gator wrestler.
February 22 2009, 10:47am | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Gatorland
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3300651412/
Big dudes at Gatorland
February 22 2009, 10:46am | #
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I posted to delicious.com
Orlando sushi restaurant now accepting orders via Twitter
February 3 2009, 4:50pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Freedom
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3207184989/
A beautiful boat tied up outside St. Augustine, FL.
- Tags:
- florida
- sailboat
- boat
- staugustine
January 18 2009, 5:53pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Sunny Florida
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3172522192/
Caught this postcard-esque palm in St. Petersburg, FL.
January 5 2009, 7:49pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Put it on my bill
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3172519496/
A Ruddy Duck at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, FL
January 5 2009, 7:48pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Sea Dragons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3171685635/
Sea Dragons at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Fl.
January 5 2009, 7:47pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Sea Dragons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3171682643/
Sea Dragons at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Fl.
January 5 2009, 7:46pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Bald Eagle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3164101066/
Tough shot to get because we were moving in the car... hence the crazy filtering.
January 3 2009, 1:55pm | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Roadside Gator
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3160902493/
This "little dude" was hanging out by the side of the road. Good thing we weren't walking.
January 2 2009, 7:55pm | #
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I posted to blog.kevindonahue.com
Miley Cyrus at Walt Disney World [Flickr]
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kevindonahue/~3/EAlsi18ZWgc/
kevindonahue posted a photo:
Miley Cyrus performs for the Walt Disney World Christmas Special to air on December 25, 2008.
I know what you're thinking and... NO WE DID NOT GO TO DISNEY TO SEE MILEY. We just happened to be there with the niece, nephew and fam.
- Tags:
- disney
- waltdisneyworld
- wdw
- florida
- orlando
- Christmas
- concert
- disneyparade
- christmasspecial
- hannahmontana
- mileycyrus
- disneychristmas
December 7 2008, 10:43am | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Miley Cyrus at Walt Disney World
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3088985141/
Miley Cyrus performs for the Walt Disney World Christmas Special to air on December 25, 2008.
- Tags:
- disney
- waltdisneyworld
- wdw
- florida
- orlando
- Christmas
- concert
- disneyparade
- christmasspecial
- hannahmontana
- mileycyrus
- disneychristmas
December 7 2008, 10:43am | #
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I posted to blog.kevindonahue.com
Miley Cyrus at Walt Disney World [Flickr]
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kevindonahue/~3/QxcXcBhGQXw/
kevindonahue posted a photo:
Miley Cyrus performs for the Walt Disney World Christmas Special to air on December 25, 2008.
I know what you're thinking and... NO WE DID NOT GO TO DISNEY TO SEE MILEY. We just happened to be there with the niece, nephew and fam.
- Tags:
- disney
- waltdisneyworld
- wdw
- florida
- orlando
- Christmas
- concert
- disneyparade
- christmasspecial
- hannahmontana
- mileycyrus
- disneychristmas
December 7 2008, 10:42am | #
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I posted to flickr.com
Miley Cyrus at Walt Disney World
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevindonahue/3088982539/
Miley Cyrus performs for the Walt Disney World Christmas Special to air on December 25, 2008.
- Tags:
- disney
- waltdisneyworld
- wdw
- florida
- orlando
- Christmas
- concert
- disneyparade
- christmasspecial
- hannahmontana
- mileycyrus
- disneychristmas
December 7 2008, 10:42am | #
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I posted to youtube.com
QB Cory Eddinger Highlight Reel
http://youtube.com/?v=1okUcMn81OM
FSU walk-on QB Cory Eddinger
March 4 2008, 9:01pm | #
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