Top Chef Texas: Fit for an Evil Queen

Okay, now here's a reality show using fairy tales that I actually watch. Yes, John and I enjoy watching Top Chef together so this upcoming Wednesday's episode on 1/18/2012 will be a little more fun for us with the theme.

Here's the episode description from the Bravo website:

This week’s Quickfire is all about awareness in the kitchen. The chefs will have 30 minutes to create a dish of their choosing, but this is no ordinary Quickfire. Once time begins, various ingredients will start to come into the kitchen via a train. The chefs must select ingredients coming into the kitchen via train and create a dish incorporating the best of these ingredients. For the elimination challenge, the chefs embody evil on the plate and serve a gothic feast fit for a queen. This dish should demonstrate various cooking techniques, textures and flavors, but more importantly, the diners should visually see the “evil” components on the dish. Actress Charlize Theron, who plays the Evil Queen in the film Snow White & The Huntsman guest judges, along with Emeril Lagasse, head judge Tom Colicchio, and host Padma Lakshmi.

Interesting challenge. And more evidence that the promotional work and competition between the two Snow White movies is going to be fierce in upcoming months. This movie isn't even out for four more months.

Here are two more promos being show on tv put on YouTube by others, not great quality but with more previewing than the one above:

Fairy Tales at Southwest Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Association

I just learned about this one today, so hopefully if you are interested in the topic and have a proposal to submit, you already have since the deadline is December 1. However, registration and attendance are still open, too. This one sounds interesting especially considering the conference's wider theme of "Foods & Culture(s) in a Global Context." The PDF for the fairy tale specific paper call is copied below. The main is at Southwest Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Association.

Myth and Fairy Tale Call for Papers


Abstract/Proposals Due: 1 December 2011

Southwest/Texas Popular Culture & American Culture Association’s 33rd Annual Conference
Albuquerque, NM February 8-11 2012

Hyatt Regency Albuquerque
330 Tijeras
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: 1.505.842.1234
Fax: 1.505.766.6710

Panels now forming on topics related to all areas of myth and fairy tale and their connections to popular culture. To participate in this area, you do not need to present on both myths and fairy tales (one or the other is perfectly fine), but we have seen that bringing both genre categories into conversation has led to extremely valuable and stimulating conversations.

Papers relating to the 2012 Conference Theme: “Celebrating Foods and Culture(s) in a Global Context” will be given special consideration, and might be as variable as (though certainly not limited to):

--Eating and Devouring in “Little Red Riding Hood”

--Magical Fruits in Classical Mythology

--Food and Entrapment in “Hansel and Gretel”

--Rituals and Eating in Hindu Mythology

--Fairy Tale Poetry: Food and Seduction (Olga Broumas, Carol Ann Duffy, Jackie Kay, etc.)

--Food, Ritual, and Folklore (Joseph Campbell, James Frazer, etc.)

--Disney Heroines and Food Preparation (Rapunzel, Snow White, Frog Princess, etc.)

--Music, Food, and Myth in the Cherokee Tradition

-- Storytelling as an Act of Feeding the Soul: Scheherazade Narratives

--Picture Books: Illustrating of Fairy Tale Foods

Additional areas of interest might include:

--Where Fairy Tales and Myth Overlap

--Non-Western Myths and Fairy Tales

--Fairy Tales in/as “Children’s Literature”

--Disney

--Urban Fairy Tales

--Ethnic Myths and Fairy Tales

--Gendered Readings of Myths and Fairy Tales

--Postcolonial Myths and Fairy Tales

--Myths and Fairy Tales in Advertising Culture

--Reading Myths and Fairy Tales in the Popular Culture of Past Centuries

--Performing Myths and Fairy Tales: Drama and/or Ritual

--Genres of Myths and/or Fairy Tales: Film, Television, Poetry, Novels, Music, Comic Books, Picture Books, Short Stories, or Graphic Novels

Scholars, teachers, professionals, and others interested in Myths And Fairy Tales are all heartily encouraged to participate. Graduate students are particularly welcome, and should consider submitting their conference papers for one of the Graduate Writing Awards, especially the Kenneth Davis Award for Folklore Studies, which recognizes “an outstanding graduate essay in the field of folklore studies.” (full papers due January 15, 2012) http://swtxpca.org/documents/112.html#KennethDavisAward_Bookmark.

If you wish to form your own Myth or Fairy Tale-focused panel, I would be glad to facilitate (panels focused on one particular tale are especially encouraged). If your work does not focus on Myth or Fairy Tale but fits within the broad range of areas designated for the upcoming conference on American & Popular culture, I strongly encourage you explore the long list of areas http://www.swtxpca.org/documents/123.html. And please do pass along this call to any friends and colleagues who work with myths and fairy tales. We’ve had some wonderful and wonderfully diverse panels over the last few years, and I look forward to seeing that tradition continue in 2012.

Please submit 200 word abstracts and 600-800 word proposals for panels by 1 December 2011, and please note that all presenters must be registered for the conference by 31 December 2011.

Abstracts must be uploaded to the SW/TX PCA/ACA database at: http://conference2012.swtxpca.org

But if you have any additional questions about the “Myths and Fairy Tales” area, please feel free to contact:

Jacquilyn Weeks: jweeks@nd.edu
College of Arts and Letters Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Notre Dame
Department of English
356 O’Shaughnessy Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556

General information and online registration http://www.swtxpca.org/ (updated regularly)

Disney's Snow White at Williams-Sonoma

So, here's another fun shopping find I discovered while exploring Williams-Sonoma during their three day free shipping promotion. (Valid November 26, 2011 at 12:00 AM (PT) to November 28, 2011 at 11:59 PM (PT).) I have been flirting with the Marvel Cakelet pan and the Gingerbread Kids and the Train cakelets for a while, but haven't bitten yet. I have a small cake pan fetish and discovered these new offerings, darn it. I am really torn since I am not a Disney Snow White fan. But I enjoy novelty cake pans. Oh, the dilemmas! It's a Snow White and Seven Dwarfs Cakelet pan. Should I or shouldn't I?

But wait! There's more! Snow White cookie cutters...

And, oh no, Snow White cupcake kits! Well, these aren't as exciting, but they're in the collection, so I'll share them, too.

There are no affiliate links on this one and Williams-Sonoma doesn't know who I am. These are featured because they belong here. Over and out.

Just Desserts Fairy Tales: Pictures of the Showpieces

I finally remembered to go check the Just Desserts site to see if still photos had been added of last week's fairy tale desserts challenge. They were! The challenge included both a showpiece and accompanying desserts and only the showpieces are pictured because they are the most visually interesting. So which one was the winner for you? I was myself was partial to the Jack and the Beanstalk one.

Fairy Tale Desserts on Top Chef: Just Desserts

So last night I turned on the tv to discover my John had left the channel on Bravo which proved fortunate because the season premiere of Top Chef: Just Desserts was airing with a fairy tale dessert challenge! The website doesn't have any still images yet--the page was empty when I was writing this--but some videos are available for embedding, so I will share those.

I haven't watched the entire episode yet, but I saw the desserts which were inspired by Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel. Hansel and Gretel was disappointing since it missed the opportunity to do a charming gingerbread house. But the Jack and the Beanstalk team made me happy by referencing Milky White, the cow in Jack and the Beanstalk.

I don't know all the ways of watching the episode through various online resources, etc. I do know Bravo runs repeats ad nauseum, so if you have that, you can find it there. It might also be available on the Bravo website soon.

Here are the videos:

Etsy Find: Cinderella Cake Topper

Another Etsy find, this one is a Cinderella cake topper from livingwithart. Here's a little more about it.

Beautiful little Cinderella waving from her carriage. Perfect for any little girl's birthday cake. Completely sculpted by hand in fondant. An additive can be added to the sugar to make it very hard as to protect it during shipping.

The topper could be made in permanent materials as well. Either clay or sugar the price is the same.

Rapunzel Cake by Barbara Jo

We all know I have a love for edible art and so I went looking for Rapunzel themed cakes and such.  This is from 2002 and appeared on the Do It Myself blog, a now defunct blog featuring the work of two sisters, Barbara Jo and Barbara May.  Barbara Jo created this cake.  Here's her description:

I assembled the tower then covered it with jelly beans and non-pariels. I then added details like Tart N Tinies and dragees and drew vines and flowers on the tower with royal icing. I drew the flowers and the hanging tower details with royal icing on wax paper. After they dried, I attached them. The grass is royal icing, applied with a grass decorating tip, with individual blades added between the "paving stones." Rapunzel, the prince, and the witch are colored rolled fondant, which I made from scratch, with royal icing details and rainbow sprinkle irises.


Candies used:


Large and small jelly beans, pink and white mint lozenges, Snowcaps, large and small non-pariels, Necco wafers, chocolate rocks, Tart N Tinies, gold and silver dragees, rainbow sprinkles, royal icing, rolled fondant

That's dedication because this is one of the most detailed I've seen with all of the piece work it required.  And all that candy looks like flowers.  (Am I strange if I mention that the tower reminded me of Rapunzel's braided hair in Tangled?  If you've seen it, hopefully you know what I mean and don't think I'm bonkers!)

Fairy Tale Feasts

This is not a new book--it came out in 2006--but it is one that I've been thinking about as the holidays of feasting come upon us over the next few months, especially here in the U.S. with Thanksgiving next week.

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook for Young Readers And Eaters by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple is available in hardcover and paperback. Several smaller editions using one theme each (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert) were also released this past summer.

Review from School Library Journal:

This collection of 20 fairy tales, each accompanied by at least one recipe, is an oversized, glossy concoction. Most of the stories are European, told in a conversational tone mixing tradition with a dash of the modern (in Cinderella, for instance, …a fairy–with wings and a wand and who knew a wish when she heard it–appeared before her, wrapped in stars.) Toddlers will enjoy The Runaway Pancake, while fourth and fifth graders will appreciate Yolen's Snow White (this heroine doesn't pull any punches). The recipes include tasty-sounding dishes like Very French Toast (to go with the French folktale Diamonds and Toads). Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert are all represented. The dishes will be best for experienced cooks, as some judgment calls are in order (serves a family is stated several times). Sidebars throughout give interesting facts about the stories and the recipes. Yolen's knowledge of folklore shows in her tidbits about the tales and their origins. Many of the food facts are intriguing, too. For instance, alongside the Stone Soup recipe is a note that Al Capone set up Chicago's first soup kitchen. Beha's illustrations, with bright colors and bold, simple lines, are set off by lots of white space, adding to the appealing and accessible look. This is similar to Carol MacGregor's The Fairy Tale Cookbook (Macmillan, 1982; o.p.), but that book does not include complete stories. A fun book for family sharing.

Review from Booklist:

From prehistoric times, stories and food have been "close companions," say Yolen and her daughter, who contributed the recipes in this creative book, which folds fairy tales into a cookbook of kid-friendly recipes. The stories, with the exception of one original story by Yolen, represent mostly European folktales, and Yolen retells them with her usual verve and ease. The tales are divided into four sections (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert), and each story is paired with at least one recipe that connects with the story's themes or references. For example, "Cinderella" inspires a recipe for pumpkin tarts, and "The Runaway Pancake" is matched with instructions for, naturally, "Runaway Pancakes." Stemple's recipes require adult supervision, but the resulting dishes, as well as Beha's spare, whimsical spot illustrations, will capture children's fancy. Detailed marginalia greatly enhance both the folktales and the food sections of this charming offering, which the whole family will appreciate.

And they say it so much better than me. I bought this one for myself when it was released, especially after reading Jane's blog about writing it. The recipes are approachable for kids, usually not requiring very adventurous tastes, although "seaweed" stuffed shells might intimidate some until they realize it is spinach--unless spinach makes it worse. I've always adored spinach at every age so it's certainly not an issue for me.

And for the completist, here are two other fairy tale cookbooks, now out of print, but available used or perhaps through your local library.


The Fairy Tale Cookbook: Fun Recipes for Families to Create and Eat Together

The Fairy Tale Cookbook is a collection of clever and tasty recipes for families to enjoy together. All the foods and menus are based on creative thinking about characters and stories in fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and other children's literature. Recipes include Paul Bunyan's flapjacks, Stone Soup (sans geological ingredients) and the Three Bears' porridge (made with potatoes, condensed milk and an onion).

The Fairy Tale Cookbook by Carol MacGregor (1983)

A collection of recipes for a variety of dishes based on such well-known tales as "The Three Bears," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Stone soup." Each recipe is introduced by a brief summary of the original tale.

And I had to sneak in this one, already out of print. No fairy tales, but classic children's literature is the theme. Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer: A Golden Treasury of Classic Treats includes recipes related to Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women and several other books including some that are more popular in the UK than here. Here's the publisher's description:

If as a child you devoured Enid Blyton's classics like the Famous Five or Malory Towers, or loved to lose yourself in the adventures of Pippi Longstocking or What Katy Did, then CHERRY CAKE AND GINGER BEER is the book for you. A wonderfully nostalgic cookery book, it will take you straight back to your favourite children's books and show you how to cook the feel-good foods that feature so strongly in them. So, you'll find recipes for Swallows and Amazons Squashed-Fly Biscuits, the Famous Five's Gorgeous Ginger Beer, and Gloriously Sticky Marmalade Roll from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe amongst others. Divided into appropriate sections like Proper Elevenses, Picnic Treats and Lessons in the Kitchen each recipe is introduced with an evocative description of the book that inspired it. Guaranteed to take you straight back to your childhood, the book is an escapist treat for grown-ups and will encourage you to re-visit much-loved classics and share them with the next generation.

This one is also out of print and getting expensive, but it is cheaper to purchase it in the United Kingdom than the US even with the shipping costs.

Wanna Beer With Your Tale?

Men launch Loveland-based Grimm Brothers Brewery by Shelley Widhalm:

Don Chapman and Aaron Heaton, who share a love of crafting beer, decided to go into business together after one or the other kept winning local and national home-brewing competitions.

Chapman and Heaton met three to four years ago through the Liquid Poets home-brew club in Fort Collins. They worked together to refine their recipes, deciding last year to open a brewery.

Because they particularly like German-style lagers and ales, they named their brewery Grimm Brothers Brewhouse after the German source of folk and fairy tale collections. The name of each microbrew will refer to one of the 18th century tales.

“They’re a little darker, a little bit whimsical ... more adult story lines,” Heaton said.

Loveland is in Colorado, by the way.

Never say I'm not an equal opportunity poster about fairy tale related stuff...I don't even drink alcohol, but this one amused me. I think the Three Billy Goats Pub should serve Grimm Brothers Beer, that's a link to the official site.

And I admit the thought of naming beers from fairy tale elements is almost as much fun as naming nail polishes. The site currently lists The Golden Key, The 13th Door, Big Bad Wolf, Seven Eighths and Old Rinkrank.

C is for Fairy Tale Cookies

My sweet tooth was inspired by these cookie stamps. They are retired but most are still available at Artistic Cookies. (I am not affiliated and do not vouch for this seller. I'm linking because I fell in love with these.) Really, the stamps themselves are charmingly designed. Alas, my favorite, The Frog Prince, is already sold out since this set is discontinued. I will have to be satisfied with a picture.



I admit I don't bake so I'm not sure why I'm always charmed by cakes and cookies. One of my dear friends does bake and works well with cookie cutters and decorating cakes.



I am actually surprised that the set did not include Cinderella, at least not from what I have discovered. Cinderella is so rarely left out that I was surprised she was usurped by Puss in Boots and Frog Prince.



However, all of the stamps themselves provide rather gender neutral designs for the cookies which perhaps explains the absence of a glass slipper. But I also find myself wanting a Gingerbread Man.



Aren't you craving a cookie by now? I'm as bad as the with in Hansel and Gretel today, aren't I?



If your preferences run to cookie cutters instead of stamps, here's a nice set that should do the trick. They are also much more reasonably priced!



And, don't forget an apron...

Rumplestiltzkin's Restaurant

This charmingly named restaurant, Rumplestiltzkin's, received a nice write-up in The Berkshire Eagle in Lenox, Massachusetts this week: Rumplestiltzkin's: For a fairy tale feast. The restaurant was named for the family dog which was apparently named for the fairy tale. Sounds like good fun in either the restaurant or adjoining Rumpy's Tavern if you ever happen to be in the area.

I'd be tempted by the gingerbread sundae for dessert which appears to be one of the few themed items on the menu although the article doesn't list any names. I doubt there is much since the restaurant is striving to be taken seriously for fine dining with just a bit of whimsy thrown in. I prefer good food with a touch of whimsy instead of cardboard where the theme reigns supreme.

Here's the only website I could find for the restaurant: Rumpelstiltzkin's Restaurant. Some sample menus are listed on it.