Orlando is a world-renowned destination known to many as the “theme park capital of the world.” From the magic of Walt Disney World to the recently opened Epic Universe at Universal Studios, the destination never lacks a buzz.
The newest talk of the town is a destination-focused cookbook from Visit Orlando. The DMO’s latest project may reframe the thought process behind business and leisure travelers; maybe Orlando is a desirable destination for exploring culinary excellence.
Orlando’s Kitchen by Pam Brandon tells the story of 100 dining and culinary experiences. Containing more than 60 recipes from restaurants native to Orlando, the cookbook is the first destination-wide item of its kind, making it a unique way to tell the story of the region.
Visit Orlando CEO Casandra Matej said promoting and educating consumers on Orlando’s culinary excellence is a priority that the DMO has been heightening the last 15-20 years.
In 2022, Orlando became a Michelin Guide destination. The city was always home to chefs who were recognized with James Beard Awards, but in the last few years, Orlando was acclaimed internationally and nationally for its culinary arts. Traction for the city as a food destination also grew when Netflix filmed an episode of Somebody Feed Phil in Orlando.
“I think it's very important, whether it's corporations or exhibitors of these shows, to know that we have an elevated culinary scene,” she said.
And Orlando’s Kitchen tells that story.
Bon Appétit, Brandon
Pam Brandon is an award-winning cookbook author and the founding editor of Edible Orlando magazine. Brandon started her career as a cookbook author in the '90s when she published an official cookbook for Disney parks. After writing a collection of cookbooks for Disney, she then went on to write two Florida-focused cookbooks.
As she approached the Orlando cookbook, Brandon was grounded in the mosaic that is the Central Florida food scene, thinking to herself, “how do we tell the story of this diverse culinary community that we have here?”
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Orlando is home to 6,000 restaurants representing dozens of international cuisines. For the purpose of the cookbook, Brandon split Orlando into nine unofficial neighborhoods.
“I think the chefs in each of those neighborhoods were so excited to be part of it [the cookbook] and for their own little community to have this moment,” Brandon said.
Brandon described the six months she spent researching, writing and editing as a “joy.”
“Even if you don't cook, it's a book that you would love,” she said.
A Cookbook Is a Storybook
“We really do try to tell a little bit about the story behind the recipe,” Brandon said.
The stories from Orlando’s Kitchen are generational, creative and in-depth.
Jamilyn Salonga Bailey grew up gifting people her mother’s food. Now, the general manager of Kaya Orlando—a Filipino restaurant—Bailey is sharing her mother’s recipe in Orlando’s Kitchen.
Growing up, Bailey’s mother would always make pancit—a noodle dish—for her teachers. Now as an adult, her mother brings the noodle dish to her doctors and gifts the meal at each appointment.
“Building community by sharing our culture, passing it down and celebrating it has always been a central part of my life,” Bailey said in an Instagram post.
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Kaya was one of the first restaurants in Florida to receive the Michelin Green Star for sustainable practices. The restaurant sources almost all of their goods from local farmers.
Bailey’s story in this cookbook is full of family tradition and love. She opened her heart, home and restaurant all by sharing her recipe.
“It's a really authentic taste of the Philippines, and also it symbolizes to them long life and joy around the table,” Brandon said.
“And the fact that they want to share that family tradition with the rest of us, I think makes it so special, right?” Matej added.
If you visit another generational wonder in Orlando, Nikki’s Place, a Soul-food restaurant, you will find an 80-year-old Nikki Aiken still in the kitchen, living out the dreams he developed in the 1950s.
As a kid, Aiken would ride past his future place of work on his bicycle. He would stop in for tea cakes—fluffy sugar cookies—from Mrs. Roser. Flash forward 47 years, and Aiken bought the restaurant and transformed it into his own, Nikki’s Place.
But his featured recipe—named “Roser’s Tea Cake Cookie”—pays tribute to the woman (and her cookies) who gave him his inspiration.
Bring a Taste of Orlando Home
Orlando’s Kitchen is now available for purchase in person and online from the Discover Downtown store. Buyers can save 30% through December 31 with the code HOLIDAY30. The cookbook is a great gift for Orlando lovers, cooks and those aspiring to be cooks, because as Disney fans know, chef Gusteau says that “anyone can cook.” Meeting planners can also purchase the book as gifts for VIPs and exhibitors.
When travelers visit Orlando, they can bring a true piece of the city home with them and fill their kitchens with those sugar cookies, cultural dishes and even chicken-salad sandwiches where the secret ingredient is preserved lemons.
The book offers a memory from Orlando and the ability to recreate it at home. And with over 60 recipes to choose from, book owners are also in for a few surprise treats.
“It [the cookbook] was a love letter to all of these amazing chefs, neighborhoods, artisans and farmers,” Brandon said.
Roser’s Tea Cake Cookie Recipe
Makes two dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups flour, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon egg shade (yellow food coloring)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup milk
- Whole pecans for topping, optional
Instructions
- With a mixer on medium speed, mix cream, butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, mixing well.
- In a separate bowl, sift together 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Set aside.
- With mixer running, add lemon extract, egg shade and vanilla to wet ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients until batter stiffens up.
- Add milk and continue to mix at medium-high speed until dough is firm but moist.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray or lightly oil a nonstick baking sheet and set aside.
- Sprinkle flour on a work surface and place cookie dough on top. Use a dough cutter to fold the remaining 1/4 cup flour into the dough. Continue to fold in the flour and form a loaf. If the dough is loose, add a little more flour to firm it up.
- Cut dough into thirds and roll each into a ball. With a rolling pin, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a cookie cutter, can or jar. Add pecans for extra crunch.
- Place cookies on the baking sheet, spacing evenly apart, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
