Eater - All

---

• For the Love of A1
• Eater’s Guide to the Canadian Rockies
• Annual World’s ‘50 Best Restaurants’ Ceremony Moved from Moscow to London
• The Unhinged Dinner Theater of Disney’s New ‘Star Wars’ Hotel
• A Plantain Upside Down Cake Recipe With Eternal Appeal

For the Love of A1 Posted: 25 Feb 2022 07:14 AM PST To me, A1 sauce evokes a steak-and-eggs morning at the diner with my father  The first time I had A1 sauce was at a tiny Glendale, California diner tucked into a strip mall: Toasted Bun, like a typical Anytown, USA restaurant, had dusty mini blinds, formica laminate tabletops, tan vinyl booths, a waist-high counter, and sassy waitresses. My father, a Korean-born, Brazilian-raised former coffee farmer who became a mortgage banking executive, loved eating American breakfast there every week before taking me to Little League games. Ham and eggs were his go-to, but steak and eggs was the occasional treat, and an opportunity to create his favorite flavor combination: meat with A1. I always copied what my dad ordered, so I did the same with my steak and eggs, dipping a bite of half-inch griddled steak into the dark elixir. There's something about the way A1 sauce spreads when you pour it into the corner of an elliptical plate, the viscous brown liquid permeating the corners of a medium-well steak, seeping into runny sunny side up eggs, and soaking into the crispy fringes of hash browns. Its flavor, ineffable but always memorable, is like raisins mashed into an old orange and then plunged into the dregs of a long-neglected beef stock with dribbles of expired tomato paste. It makes everything taste so good that it tastes overwhelming, and therefore kind of bad, like an '80s power ballad or '90s action flick that works because of some combination of nostalgia and bewilderment from how inexplicably over-the-top it is. And yet, true gourmands frown upon A1, relegating it to the table ends of myriad diners as a masking agent for steaks of questionable provenance. Originally conceived by one of King George IV's cooks in 1824, A1 lives in the strata of flavorings called brown sauces, influenced by chutneys in India and co-opted by the British as something to cover the flavor of old fowl and meat. Until the '60s, A1 was marketed as steak sauce — until the brand realized that would limit its potential, at which point it was declared good "on everything," like chicken, pork, seafood, and even vegetables. This might explain why serious cooks and food people see A1 as a marker for low-brow eating, despite being a genuinely tasty ingredient. And in a way, in this era of "know your butcher" and eating local, A1 has lost the plot. Most grocery store or restaurant steak is pretty good now, and the people serving prime-grade, dry-aged stuff at fancy steakhouses would gasp if you asked for a bottle of it. But, like all things, the right time and place can give something purpose again. There's no shame in searing up last night's fancy steak leftovers with some eggs or toast, and slathering them with A1 for a quick breakfast. On a recent camping trip, a few friends and I grilled some grocery store T-bone steaks over wood, the fire as the main source of light, with A1 as the only seasoning beyond salt and pepper. It pooled onto our paper plates, blending the crunch of onions and sweet baby peppers I cooked on a cast iron skillet with the juicy, blackened slices of corn-fed beef that was tender, if otherwise unremarkable. A1 completed our dinner, making us feel like a bunch of Old West cowboys with full bellies falling asleep to the crackle and warmth of the fire. That's why I love A1. It makes me remember happy Saturday mornings with my dad in the Toasted Bun, soaking up the last bites of egg and fried potatoes with a dab of brown sauce. It takes me back to a time when I was less concerned about how many days the beef was dry-aged. A1 might not be called steak sauce anymore, but there's something magical in how it can take any mediocre piece of meat — a supermarket T-bone, leftover rib-eye, or even tough diner steak — and make it into something I really want to eat.

Eater’s Guide to the Canadian Rockies Posted: 25 Feb 2022 06:39 AM PST Fairmont Banff Springs | Fairmont Resort Hotels Set in 9,000 miles of pristine parkland, the restaurants of the Canadian Rockies reflect abundant natural resources like wild elk, Saskatoon berries, and fresh trout The Canadian Rockies take everything up a notch. Over the course of 1,000 miles from the U.S.-Canada border in Montana to northern British Columbia, the jagged peaks look like layer cakes of snow, ice, and fossil-studded 100-million-year-old limestone and shale. As the mountains wind their way up along the border between Alberta and British Columbia, lakes sparkle in shades of aquamarine and turquoise, torrential rivers surge down from lofty icefields into deep valleys, and lush evergreen conifer and larch forests hug the roadsides. This protected land is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the birthplace of the Canadian national park system, and some of Mother Nature's finest work. To pair with all this natural splendor, there's equally dazzling Canadian Rocky Mountain cuisine. The area is home to wild game like elk, venison, and bison as well as trout-filled rivers, along with abundant mushrooms, Saskatoon berries, and herbs. First Nations groups like the Tsuut'ina prospered in the dramatic alpine environment. In the 19th century, the Canadian Pacific Railway brought European food cultures and grand lakeside hotels. And most recently a locavore, mountain-to-table food movement has built on these overlapping historical influences and endemic Rocky Mountain ingredients to create bold meals fit for the breathtaking setting. The region has long been an outdoorsy playground for thrill-seekers (from kayakers in the summer to dog sledders in the winter), but its food and drink scene is finally drawing the attention of adventurous eaters. Especially since the founding of local culinary festival Canmore Uncorked in 2014, chefs have shined a spotlight on regional dining, tempting travelers to pop over from nearby Calgary or Edmonton, or cross the reopened border from the U.S. Visitors are discovering what the area's original First Nation inhabitants and farmers markets regulars know well: The Canadian Rockies offer incredible bounty. Paul Zizka City streets in Banff What is Rocky Mountain cuisine? As the Canadian Pacific Railway cut across the Rockies in the late 1800s, First Nations and European food cultures started to blend. Chefs on board the trains — and at the grand hotels, like the Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise and Fairmont Banff Springs, that the trains precipitated — introduced lavish Victorian fine dining. European mountaineering guides also brought dishes from their homelands, like fondue. As the vast, fertile plains of the Alberta province became a farming and agricultural powerhouse, grains like wheat, barley, and canola, as well as the region's internationally renowned beef, also joined the roster of signature local foods. Although erasure and government-sanctioned assimilation policies have largely buried First Nation contributions to the food culture, their influence remains in the farm-to-table practices of chefs, restaurateurs, bakers, distillers, foragers, and brewers today. The unique, hyper-regional flavors of the Canadian Rockies and the nearby Alberta prairies are the main draw for dining in the region's mountain towns and remote backcountry lodges. You'll also find plenty of other international cuisines represented, especially Germanic and European alpine. Despite the strong meat focus, there are some great vegan and vegetarian options. Thanks to Alberta's bountiful grain fields and an endless supply of fresh water from glaciers, icefields, and snowmelt, the Canadian Rockies also has its own cottage industry of hip, independent craft breweries, as well as trendy distilleries incorporating native botanicals into heady spirits. And yes, you can also get your fill of beloved Canadian chains like Tim Hortons and BeaverTails, and quintessential Great White North dishes like poutine. Fairmont Resort Hotels Lamb at the Lakeview Lounge Fairmont Resort Hotels Afternoon tea at the Fairmont Banff Springs What to know before you go The parks: Most of the culinary attention in the Canadian Rockies centers around a cluster of the best known parks at the southern end of the mountains. Covering 9,112 square miles, the national parks of Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay, and the provincial parks of Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine, and Hamber received over 9 million visitors a year pre-pandemic. With its low light pollution, Jasper also boasts of the second-biggest Dark Sky Preserve in the world. Canmore Uncorked: Set to return in 2022, this award-winning springtime food and drink festival in Canmore, the "gateway to the Rockies" town on the outskirts of Banff National Park, celebrates the chefs, brewers, distillers, and bakers of Canmore and the Bow Valley. Highly anticipated signature events include the multi-course Long Table Dinners, where guests find a spot among a hundred dining companions, and Progressive Dinner Tours, which treat guests to specialties at multiple restaurants over the course of an evening. Watch for wildlife: Grizzly bears, black bears, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, and other wildlife roam free on the protected lands, and you are the guest in their territory. When hiking, practice bear safety protocols, and keep an eye out for animals around resorts, in towns, and while driving along the Trans-Canada Highway (though well-maintained fences and wildlife overpasses generally keep the roads free). The Boss: If you hear locals talking about someone called the Boss, they're not talking about Bruce Springsteen. The Boss is Banff's most famous bear, a massive 600-plus pound grizzly, whose size and stature have made him so popular. He's survived being hit by a train, fathered numerous offspring, and has been known to eat the occasional black bear. The railroad tracks around Banff are a favorite haunt of his. Après-ski: Powderhounds of all skill levels, from pizza-french-fry beginners to black-diamond experts, love skiing here for the multilevel terrain, scenic vistas, lengthy ski seasons, and lively après-ski culture. The ski resorts at Lake Louise, Banff Sunshine Village, and Mt. Norquay form the SkiBig3 trifecta, which dominates the local skiing scene. Seasons: The Canadian Rockies are an all-year destination. Park visitors enjoy hiking, cycling, canoeing, kayaking, mountaineering, and navigating via ferratas in summer; and skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, dog sledding, and ice climbing in the winter. But not all hotels, restaurants, and attractions stay open year round. Be sure to confirm that your desired restaurants and hotels will be open before booking. Icefields Parkway: Set time aside to drive this 144-mile highway from Lake Louise to Jasper, considered one of the most scenic routes in the world. You'll pass mountains, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, forests, glaciers, and hopefully wildlife, and you can stop along the way at famous viewpoints like Peyto Lake, which is shaped like a dog's head. Rocky Mountaineer: One of the best ways to experience the Canadian Rockies is onboard the Rocky Mountaineer. With several different routes all originating in Vancouver, the multi-day train ride into the heart of the Rockies comes with a standout gourmet dining program featuring seasonal flavors and ingredients from British Columbia and Alberta, and unobstructed views of the mountains, thanks to the glass ceiling observation cars. Paul Zizka Lake Louise Where to eat Canmore: Before heading into the Bow Valley, stop at the Nakoda First Nation-owned Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino, whose menu uses traditional First Nation foods like elk, bannock, and Saskatoon berries. Then visit speciality food purveyor Valbella Gourmet Foods, which has been keeping the Bow Valley stocked with big game, processed meats, and European-style charcuterie since 1978. Grab some venison pate, bison sausage, and other artisan treats, or maybe one of their extensive to-go boxes, like the grass-fed bison box with steak, sausage, osso bucco, and ribs. To learn more about local herbs and plants, go on an educational plant walk with the Indigenous-owned and -operated Mahikan Trails. Banff: Located next to the spot that once housed Banff's first bakery in the late 1800s, Wild Flour Bakery carries on the sourdough tradition with fresh-baked organic breads and pastries. Start the day with a cup of locally roasted coffee and a comforting baked good. For rarefied campfire cooking, sample Farm & Fire's wood-fired, farm-to-table, modern Canadian fare — like sizzling tomahawk steaks and flatbreads heaped with wild mushrooms. For a classic steakhouse experience, head to Saltlik for some of the juiciest Angus beef in town. Housed in a charming Bavarian cottage, the Waldhaus Restaurant at the Fairmont Banff Springs whisks you from Canada to the European Alps with its crispy schnitzel and decadent fondue. For a meal with a view, dine at the Juniper Hotel's valley-view Bistro or head up the Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mountain's Sky Bistro for seasonal specialties like elk Bolognese and foraged mushroom porridge, paired with a curated drinks menu of Canadian wines, local ales, and craft cocktails featuring local spirits. Lake Louise: The house specialty in Walliser Stube — the intimate, dark-wood-paneled alpine restaurant at Lake Louise's Fairmont Chateau — is rich, indulgent fondue with all the fixings, best enjoyed with something from the 500-plus bottle wine list. The fondue is prepared with gruyere, emmental, appenzeller, and white wine, and you can zhuzh it up with foraged black truffles or Nova Scotia lobster. Located inside a disused historic train station, the Station Restaurant blends fine dining and railway history with local ingredients, for both European-influenced dishes like schnitzel burgers as well as homegrown items like succulent Alberta beef short ribs. Rocky Mountain House: While a bit off the beaten path, this small town is worth a detour to pick up a "Hunter Gatherer Graze" box from Creative Cuisine Catering, owned and operated by Indigenous chef Denia Baltzer. The to-go charcuterie selection is inspired by Canada's First Foods (the ingredients of First Nations inhabitants), including venison and bison sausage, Alberta fireweed jelly, Saskatoon chutney, indigenous honey, and bannock. Grab a box for a trailside picnic. Jasper: Jasper's lively food scene ranges from haute cuisine to laid-back pubs. For a great introduction, take a walking and eating tour to sample a rotating selection of popular local dishes and drinks with Jasper Food Tours. Opened in 1952, regional favorite Tekarra offers hearty, adventure-ready meals rooted in local, seasonal ingredients, all served inside a quaint, chalet-esque cabin on the grounds of the Tekarra Lodge. The bison short ribs, rainbow trout, and elk meatloaf (prepared with elk, wild boar, bison, and forest mushrooms) are all crowd pleasers. Meghan McMaster Pints at Banff Ave Brewing Co Meghan McMaster A full meal at Banff Ave Brewing Co Where to drink Canmore: Canmore Brewing Company's lineup of pale ales, lagers, stouts, and IPAs, as well as seasonal sours and Belgian witbiers, are named after local landmarks like mountains and hiking trails. Featuring a constantly rotating tap list, Sheepdog Brewing features fun beer styles like saison and German-style Hefeweizen. With the aid of foraging tour operator Full Circle Adventures, Wild Life Distillery utilizes sustainably foraged summertime botanicals like Rocky Mountain juniper, Labrador tea, and rose hips to flavor their one-of-a-kind Alberta botanical gin. Banff: The Banff Ave Brewing Co. is a cozy gastropub and tasting room where housemade brews like the rich Mt. Rundle stout and blonde ale pair with hearty fare like poutine and bison burgers. The woodsy Three Bears Brewery and Restaurant brings the outdoors in with forest-inspired dining rooms. There's also a beer garden, where you can enjoy signature microbrews like the Boss, a chocolatey brown ale named after Banff's favorite bear, or the golden Pinery pilsen made with Alberta malted barley. Giant draughts of Rockies microbrews can be found at the hip High Rollers bowling alley, while the moody Rundle Bar at Fairmont Banff Springs is a bastion of the local craft cocktail scene. Grapes and the Three Ravens Restaurant and Wine Bar have you covered with wine lists featuring both Canadian and international vintages. With an award-winning range of small-batch, artisan gins, vodkas, ryes, and experimental aged whisky, Banff's Park Distillery is the only distillery inside a national park in Canada. Their glacier-to-glass spirits are made using limestone-enriched glacial water and high-altitude Alberta grain. Their London-style dry gin, flavored with Canadian spruce tips, is one of their most popular creations, alongside a rye flavored with Quebec maple syrup. Fairmont Resort Hotels The Rundle Bar Lake Louise: The bars at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise are popular après-ski spots for ski bums to unwind. Delivering on its name, Lakeview Lounge has the best seat in the house, with a terrific view out onto the lake. The Art Deco-inspired Fairview Bar, meanwhile, is a cozy hideaway for a nightcap, with sumptuous decor and elegant cocktails with playful names like Fairytale in Lake Louise and Arctic Reindeer. Finally, Alpine Social's decor pays tribute to the regional history of mountaineering. Warm up with their signature Untamed rye, made in partnership with Park Distillery. As if three bars weren't enough, every winter an entire ice bar is hewn from ice out on the lake, and it serves mulled wine and winter-inspired cocktails. Golden: Take a trip through Yoho National Park to try Whitetooth Brewing Co's Belgian-inspired, West Coast-influenced witbier, stout, and pale ale beers. Jasper: At Jasper Brewing Co, opened in 2005, you'll get to drink a microbrew at the first brewery in a Canadian national park. The trademark creations include the fruit-forward Trail Session IPA and a robust 6060 stout. They're equally good enjoyed with elk meatloaf or poutine at their brewpub, or out on the trail in cans. On the edge of the national park, Folding Mountain Brewing Taproom and Kitchen serves imperial stouts, hazy IPAs, lagers, sours, and porters with great views. Warming stouts, brown ales, crisp IPAs, and amber ales can be found at Three Ranges Brewing Co near B.C.'s Mount Robson Provincial Park. Where to stay Fairmont Banff Springs First opened in 1888, the Fairmont Banff Springs feels like something out of Beauty and the Beast. With stately towers and steep-pitched gable roofs, the hotel rises dramatically out of the forest on the southern edge of town, overlooking the Bow River. The hotel has 764 rooms and 12 restaurants and bars, as well as a spa, summertime golf course, and childcare. If you're staying here, take the Eat the Castle tour with Alberta Food Tours, which visits a handful of the castle's eateries to sample house-made (or rather castle-made) seasonal specialties with curated beverage pairings. Just try not to sing "Be Our Guest" in your head the whole time. Prices start around $325. Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise One of the grand, palatial hotels built by the Canadian Pacific Railway to encourage tourism in the late 1800s, the elegant 539-room Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise overlooks glacier-fed, aqua waters. The place has six bars and restaurants, and guests can enjoy the spa, canoe on the lake, hit the slopes, and hike to the historic Agnes Teahouse high in the mountains. Come winter, the lake completely freezes over, setting the stage for ice-skating and an epic ice sculpture contest. Rooms start at $510. Fairmont Resort Hotels The ice bar at Lake Louise Mount Royal Hotel This stylish boutique hotel with rooms starting around $100 a night, conveniently located on Banff's main drag, is within walking distance of the bulk of Banff's dining, shopping, and mass transit. With 133 rooms, guests have access to a cozy lounge, general store, and on-site food and drinks at the Cascade Bar. The best part of staying here is enjoying the rooftop hot tubs, where you can soak while soaking up views of Cascade and Sulphur Mountain. Glacier View Lodge Instead of birdsong outside your window when you wake up, here you may hear the creaks and pops of a moving glacier. Located by the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park, the luxe Glacier View Lodge has a front-row seat to the Athabasca Glacier, a 10,000-year old giant that's open to the public for walking tours. With two on-site restaurants, a majestic glacier-view lounge, and minimalist rooms, the lodge offers exclusive packages that include private glacier tours without the crowds. With prices starting at $427 CAD per night for double occupancy ($335 USD), the resort is closed from mid-October to mid-April due to snowfall. Emerald Lake Lodge One of Yoho National Park's few hotels, the remote Emerald Lake Lodge elevates the typical log cabin retreat with its rustic-chic decor, digital detox ethos, gourmet culinary program, and top-of-the-line bar. Situated on a peninsula in Emerald Lake, the 24 guest cabins come with cozy features like wood-burning fireplaces and private wrap-around lakeview balconies. In the main lodge with its rough-hewn wood and stone fireplaces, you'll find the renowned Mount Burgess Restaurant, where chef Valerie Morrison serves free-range local meats like elk, bison, and caribou with seasonal sides. Take in local history — and some high-end scotch — at the Kicking Horse Lounge, whose bartop dates to the 1890s. In the low season, rooms start at around $100 a night.

Annual World’s ‘50 Best Restaurants’ Ceremony Moved from Moscow to London Posted: 25 Feb 2022 06:12 AM PST Valery Sharifulin/TASS https://london.eater.com/2022/2/25/22950404/ukraine-war-50-best-restaurants-russia-moscow-london

The Unhinged Dinner Theater of Disney’s New ‘Star Wars’ Hotel Posted: 25 Feb 2022 06:00 AM PST Kent Phillips, photographer Why is so much space food blue? Welcome aboard Galactic Starcruiser, a windowless Star Wars space yacht forever moored in a galaxy far, far away alongside Florida's Interstate 4 highway. It's not quite Westworld by way of Naboo, but it's the closest to playing pretend padawan that Disney's offered to date. Walt Disney World's ambitious new project — officially titled Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — isn't just a place to stay; it's a performance. When it opens to the public on March 1, 2022, each two-night journey will be jam-packed with Resistance challenges and First Order shenanigans unfurling into varied storylines that involve you, the guest, and culminate in a face-off between Kylo Ren and Rey. (Bunking with Luke Skywalker and C-3PO is a non-starter. As goes for Disney's modern galactic build outs, we're squarely set between Episode 8 and 9 in the timeline, so they're nowhere to be seen.) The hotel might mimic a starship but it operates like an earthbound cruise: Each stay is two consecutive nights with all food, activities, and entertainment included. With a price tag upward of nearly $6,000 for a family of four (almost $5,000 for two), it's the priciest Disney World experience on offer, one that's left its most dedicated fans reeling. The ambitious project has been in the works for years, developed in tandem with Disney's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park land, offering what Disney hopes is the next level of immersive entertainment for Star Wars fans, gaming buffs, and anyone who'd throw down a few grand to spot Chewbacca from across the bar. I was among the first passengers to launch into orbit on a recent preview stay aboard the Halcyon — the gem in Chandrila Star Line's fleet of imaginary spaceships. Here I slept in a capsule bunk bed large enough for most adults, completed odd missions for random characters aboard the ship, and peered out of my viewport into the wonders of "space." Like Las Vegas for cosplayers, you won't see sunlight for two 17-hour stretches while aboard the Halcyon, but I found it only added to the effect. Carlye Wisel Guests are assigned seats in the Crown of Cordellia dining room. Of course like any good cruise, so much of the experience's overall success rides on the food, which for captive passengers is equal parts sustenance and activity. Eating aboard the Galactic Starcruiser is not unlike eating aboard your average luxury liner, and the modernist tricks (Blue stuff! Smoke! Ice spheres!) might seem old hat to anyone who ordered from a high-end tasting menu in the early 2000s. Still, within the parameters of an intellectual property cruiser erected in Mickey Mouse's Floridian backyard, the culinary program is, overall, a feat. (Just look at the Bantha blue milk and green milk on tap beside a Coca-Cola fountain soda machine.) Disney isn't new to creating robust theme menus for galaxies far far away — Satu'li Canteen, a fast-casual Avatar eatery, offers earthy grain bowls, while Docking Bay 7 in Disney's Star Wars theme park land splits ribs horizontally to a prehistoric likeness and fashions cubic, child-friendly chicken nuggets. During my preview stay aboard the Halcyon, breakfast offered some predictables, like buttermilk waffles imprinted with the ship's insignia, but also yielded two of the trip's best dishes: a satisfyingly cheesy, eggy potato stack and a corn dog-esque cake batter-dipped Scotch egg atop a turmeric aioli. The lunch buffet (because what's a cruise without a buffet?) featured more intriguing bites than I could cram on my single segmented cafeteria tray. A lot of them were familiar, kid-friendly tastes dressed up in space-age packaging — a grilled cheese bubble waffle with tomato cream dipping sauce; a cosmic Uncrustable with PB&J hiding inside a crusted green orb — but others, like a savory granola bar with a curry sauce for dunking, were inventive, tasty, and decidedly un-Disney. Dinners stuck to the usual cruise script with assigned seating and a repeat server, but the format changed each night. The first was akin to a space bar mitzvah, with Twi'lek diva popstar Gaya performing her hits and leading a short dance party between courses of colorful bao stuffed with "tip-yip" chicken and a mirror-glazed "jogan" passionfruit tart. The second evening had a more on-the-nose "Taste Around the Galaxy" theme, with Mustafarian bread service with whipped cheese dip and Bantha beef short rib. Few dishes were groundbreakers — this is, after all, a pretend ship in the distant parking lot of a theme park — but the kitchen's wackiest and buzziest creation was also maybe its best: Felucian blue shrimp, served on a platter of dry ice. (In actuality, it's tiger shrimp soaked in butterfly pea powder, but the otherworldly effect was potent.) Carlye Wisel Top left, an alien pop star serenades during dinner on night one. Top right, a breakfast egg and potato stack. Bottom left, ice spheres chill an on board cocktail. Bottom right, the atrium of the Sublight Lounge. Everything is included in the overall price except for cocktails, mocktails, beer, and wine. If you weren't able to squeeze into Oga's Cantina, the overwhelmingly packed watering hole inside Disney's Star Wars-themed Galaxy's Edge theme park, it's nothing in comparison to the ship's Sublight Lounge, a real party-starter whose revelry spills out into an atrium with crimson benches. Like at Oga's, drinks here are pre-batched, but the menu is split between location-specific concoctions like the Fiery Mustafarian — a mezcal margarita served with a test tube of "lava extract" for increased heat — and more standard options like an Old Fashioned, Negroni, or even your choice of preferred spirit, something the park's cantina never provided. (Cocktails are also offered tableside at all meals, including a bloody mary with "Carbonite-dipped Bloody Rancor cubes" at breakfast.) There is no cantina band — one of a handful of true misses that feel nonsensical — but complimentary late-night eats, like a smoking cloche with cheese balls, and actually fun digital gambling at the Holo-Sabacc table, nearly make up for it. The waitstaff exist entirely in story, substituting phrases like "you're welcome" and "good morning" for "my honor" and "good passage," while menus use non earth-centric space speak, like calling carbonation "sparkling bubbles," potatoes "tubers," and vegetables "flora." You're free to come dressed in intergalactic finery, whether that's Jedi garb, a velveteen senate robe or, like one guest aboard, your flesh tinted a shade shy of International Klein Blue. (My great hope to putz around in the likeness of Emperor Palpatine was squashed by Earth bureaucracy, as adults are not permitted to wear costume masks.) Matt Stroshane Early photos of the Felucian blue shrimp set the tone for the futurist menu to come. The bulk of Star Wars experiences on board, however, come from interactive game play with the ship's characters, both in-person and by way of the Play Disney Parks phone app. Here, a "choose your own adventure" narrative unfolds plotlines and unlocks surprises over the two main days. Follow the Resistance both in person and in your "datapad" and you'll find yourself summoned to the engineering room of the Halcyon, uncovering codes to break Chewbacca out of the onboard jail; hang back with the First Order and you'll hatch a plan to sabotage the ship from the inside. The more you lean in and complete digital odd jobs for these characters, the more action you'll become privy to. When the story works, it's magic, but when it doesn't, it's exhausting. I felt permanently pressed to do more, and the intertwining plotlines are overwritten, particularly for guests who adore but don't bleed Star Wars — or even those who may want to vacation while on vacation. There is also no gym, pool, hot tub and, rather confoundingly, no space spa, despite how welcoming an Endorian seaweed wrap and Hoth plunge pool would have been after a day jam-packed with meetings, tasks, and chores. The two-night stay, both criminally short and overwhelmingly fast paced, needed to be three, but even a few extra hours aboard would help with the feeling of being rushed: multicourse meals are churned through in under 90 minutes and guests are unceremoniously booted off the ship by 11 a.m. on check-out day. Despite covering theme parks full-time, I emerged from the experience exhausted and serotonin-socked — like the culmination of three simultaneous New Year's Eves. And even still, with all that, I can safely say Disney's new, slightly deranged hotel experience is the most fun you'll have at Disney World. After disembarking, I made up for the vitamin D I'd sacrificed onboard by visiting the Magic Kingdom, where Cinderella Castle and Fantasyland felt banal and pedestrian compared to the ship's intricately designed interiors; even Dole Whip was bland and uninspired after days of biting into sweet orbs with surprise centers. There's some kind of magic in a bottle happening within that cruise-hotel's walls and I, a middling Star Wars fan, somehow left inexplicably changed by it. It's nothing if not aggressively inventive, which is remarkable for a franchise with this many corporate cooks in the kitchen. Despite some necessary story retooling that could streamline the experience, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is delightfully unhinged — the highest compliment I can give the biggest entertainment corporation in the galaxy. Caitlyn McCabe Bunk beds and no windows round out the furnishings of the starship stateroom. Carlye Wisel is a theme park journalist and expert who reports about things like how Butterbeer was invented and Disney's secret food lab on her podcast, Very Amusing With Carlye Wisel.

A Plantain Upside Down Cake Recipe With Eternal Appeal Posted: 24 Feb 2022 06:30 AM PST Celeste Noche/Eater Where banana bread whispers of pandemic lockdown, plantain cake speaks of a brighter future It's 2022, and banana bread is so lockdown 2020. But platanos upside down cake? That will never get old. As someone who always keeps yellow platanos, or plantains, handy on my kitchen counter or in my freezer, I'm always looking for new ways to make use of them. And though making them into platonos en tantacion (pretty much the Latin American version of bananas foster) is never a bad idea, I recently began thinking of ways to transform my trusty platanos into something more magical. I pondered banana desserts that I could give a Hispanic kick to. Plátano cream pudding crossed my mind (and I'll probably make that too), but what's more breathtaking than an upside down cake to show off what a platano can do? Although they look alike, there are some key differences between bananas and plantains. The latter are a starchy banana variety commonly used throughout Latin America. They're usually larger and tougher than bananas, with a much thicker skin. They may be green, yellow, or very dark brown. Green plantains are used for savory preparations, while the yellow ones find their way into sweeter dishes. When ripe, plantains have a dry texture, whereas ripe bananas are smooth and creamy. And while ripe bananas are eaten raw, plantains are not — they need heat and fat (and lots of it) to be palatable and help break down their starches. When they're cooked, they're sweet like a banana but don't taste like one — instead, they have a vegetal flavor. That means that neither plantains nor this plantain upside down cake have that banana flavor we're so used to in the United States, where "banana" usually refers to soft, sweet dessert bananas, namely those from the Cavendish family. To develop this recipe, I pored over a ton of classic banana upside down cake recipes and also recalled my favorites. One thing I knew for sure was that my cake would contain sour cream, since some of the best banana upside down cakes I've ever had used sour cream or buttermilk. That's no accident: the acidity in both ingredients brings a pleasant tang to the cake and helps to tenderize the gluten in the flour, which gives the cake a softer texture and more body. For this cake, look for the yellowest plantains you can find. Spots like a leopard are good. And if you can't find fresh ones, try the freezer section, where plantains are sometimes sold peeled and frozen. Instead of frosting, the plantains themselves are used to decorate the cake. Sliced in half-lengthwise and dripping in caramel, they're simple yet stunning. So the next time you come across a plantain and wonder how to use it, well, now you know — go and bake a cake. Plantain Upside Down Cake Recipe Makes 1 (9-inch) cake Ingredients: For the caramel topping: ¼ cup unsalted butter ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar 1 pinch kosher salt 2-3 large ripe yellow plantains or 6 small plantains For the cake: 1⅓ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ cup unsalted butter (softened) ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar 2 large eggs ½ cup sour cream or yogurt Flaky sea salt for garnishing Instructions: First, make the caramel topping: Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a round 9-inch springform pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Wrap the pan with tin foil in case you happen to have a sugar leak. Step 2: Add the butter and sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil, stirring, until the sugar is fully dissolved, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt. Pour the caramel into the springform pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly across the base, working quickly and carefully before it cools. Slice the plantains into halves or thirds lengthwise and arrange on top of the caramel, cut side down to cover the base of the pan in a single layer. Next, make the cake: Step 1: Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside. Step 2: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or an electric whisk, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one by one, scraping the bowl between additions. On low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then add all of the sour cream or yogurt, mixing until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the cake batter over the plantains and spread it evenly across them. Place the cake on a rimmed baking tray and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Step 3: Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Invert it upside down onto a plate and release the springform pan — you don't want to wait any longer than this because the caramel will harden and glue the cake to the pan. Let the cake cool for another 10-15 minutes, or until it's warm but not still hot (you don't want it to cool fully, or the plantains will toughen up a bit). Garnish with sea salt and serve. The cake is best eaten as soon as it is made, but can be stored wrapped tightly in plastic in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Marisel Salazar is a New York City-based food and restaurant writer, cook, and recipe developer. She is originally from Panama and has lived in Hawaii, Japan, Virginia and Madrid. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram, and on TikTok at @mariselmsalazar. Celeste Noche is a Filipino American food, travel, and portrait photographer based between Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco. Recipe tested by Deena Prichep

You are subscribed to email updates from Eater - All. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States