I can’t get the “Pinkie’s Brew” song out of my head. This version is a catchy, bouncy Russian gypsy jazz song. The surprising thing? It’s a fan-made song for a My Little Pony character, Pinkie Pie, who is trying to bake up a portal that will allow her to travel back in time and save her parents from their untimely deaths.

Actually, it’s more complicated than that. This Russian song is a cover of a Pinkie Pie song made for a fan-made My Little Pony show set in an alternate universe. Although the gypsy jazz version of “Pinkie’s Brew” by Lenich and Kirya is my favorite, it’s one of several versions in existence. Holy meta-fandom, Batman.

When a cartoon show like My Little Pony has a fandom full of grown men who are composing and singing songs about it–and the songs are actually GOOD–well, you know it’s not just for little girls anymore.

Of course I’m going to stop and look at anything Disney-related. I’m a huge Disney fan. I even did my internship at Disney World. But I noticed something odd about the advertisement: Apart from the word Disney, there was absolutely nothing “Disneyish” about it. No mouse ears, no castle, not even the iconic Disney “D.” Just a picture of three smiling people dressed in business attire. I could tell this was put together by the school, not by the Disney company.

The ad was actually an invitation to a Disney Institute seminar. The Disney Institute is Disney’s development and training program for business professionals, which teaches some of the secrets of Disney’s success. Disney is an expert when it comes to building brand loyalty and keeping people coming back to their parks year after year. The company also trains its cast members to deliver exceptional service that gives people warm, fuzzy feelings.

Disney is a Fortune 500 company. Disney owns Pixar, Touchstone Pictures, ABC, and ESPN. Disney is also a marketing and merchandising giant. As a business, Disney is nothing to sneeze at. There’s a lot other corporations and business professionals can learn from Disney.

Yet there was no mention of anything like that in the invitation. Instead it promised to engage me in “time-tested best practices, sound methodologies, and real life business lessons.” Professional yet vague, this sentence could apply to almost any other business program. What makes THIS program special?

It was also unclear who would benefit from the program. Would the experience be of value to a college student like me? Should I only consider it if I’m pursuing a business major? Or is it only for people who are running their own businesses?

Perhaps the advertisement was designed the way it was to attract business professionals who don’t take Disney seriously to begin with. They see Disney and think of Mickey Mouse, or Tinker Bell, or something else that couldn’t possibly help improve their bottom line. Keeping it professional, vague, and generic is “safe.” But if that’s the reasoning behind it, I think it’s a mistake. Of course the invitation should still be professional; this is a business seminar, not a Disney vacation package. But if you’re already relying on Disney’s name and reputation to convince people to pay $350 for a business program, why not capitalize on the very things that people associate with Disney? Why not mention Disney’s successes and affiliated companies? Why not list specific benefits and techniques people will learn by attending this program?

Even though I love Disney and am interested in its business model, the invitation isn’t doing much to sell me on the Disney Institute experience.

But lately I’ve found that more often than not, I can open those “impossible-to-open” jars. It’s not because I’ve been lifting weights. It’s all thanks to a change of perspective.

If I focus on using only the strength available in my arm, then I probably won’t succeed. I’ll exhaust myself in no time. But when I shift my focus and imagine using my entire body weight, I can usually twist off that same lid in short order. I’m not even gasping for breath or shaking my arm out afterwards.

All right, so it’s not as cool as being a Jedi and using the force to pick up rocks. But it’s nice to be able to handle your own pickle jar instead of grumbling “I probably loosened it for you” to someone who has better success with it.

What else can a subtle change in perspective accomplish in other situations?

When Wembley’s indecisiveness almost gets his friend Gobo in trouble, he decides to change. No more wembling for him! Wembley gets a completely new personality from Convincing John. He even gives himself a new name: Wilfred. Wilfred is the polar opposite of Wembley: Bossy and hard-headed. He makes snap decisions without considering the risks, and he absolutely will not entertain another point of view. He’s so obnoxious that his friends can’t stand him.

The fraggles literally drag Wilfred-Formerly-Known-As-Wembley kicking and screaming back to Convincing John, who turns Wembley back into his old self. In the process, Convincing John reveals that he himself is a wembler. With his irresistable powers of persuasion, Convincing John is probably the most powerful fraggle in the Rock: He can convince anyone to do anything, even change their personality. But being indecisive is the secret of Convincing John’s success, because it allows him to consider things from all angles.

Is it better to be a Wembley or a Wilfred? Neither, really. If you “wemble” too much, you’ll be paralyzed by indecision and never move ahead. You’ll never take a stand on things that matter. People walk all over the poor Wembleys of the world. But how much better is it to be a Wilfred who never listens to opposing points of view, never accepts that they might be mistaken, never considers new evidence or information? At best, the Wilfreds alienate people. At worst, Wilfreds chain themselves to the sinking ship of willful ignorance. If they’re powerful and charismatic enough, they’ll drag other people down with them.

Although it’s best to strike a balance, I confess a bias towards the Wembley end of the spectrum. There’s wisdom in being able to acknowledge different points of view and maybe even try them on for size. You may end up changing your opinions, of course; that’s always the risk of an honest and critical investigation. But you may also end up strengthening your original position and come away with the ability to form better, much more persuasive arguments about why you believe the way you do.

[Wembley image from the Muppet Wiki]

Then I discovered online quizzes. No, not silly time-wasting quizzes that help you find out which My Little Pony you are. I mean quizzes you can make for yourself as a study aid.

I use ProProfs to make my own quizzes based on the textbooks for my classes. The service is free and simple to use. Once you make a quiz based on a particular chapter, you can take it as many times as you want to see how well you remember the material. It helps the facts “stick” in your head and shows which areas you might need to brush up on. The downside, of course, is that making a good quiz is time consuming. I found it was usually worth the effort, though, and the quizzes can be shared with other people.

Here is a list of culinary quizzes made using ProProfs:

ServSafe:
ServSafe by the Numbers
ServSafe Coursebook Chapter 2: The Microworld
ServSafe Coursebook Chapter 10: Food Safety Management System
ServSafe Coursebook Chapter 11: Sanitary Facilities and Equipment

Intro to Baking:
On Baking – Principles of Baking
On Baking – Quick Breads
On Baking – Yeast Breads
On Baking – Pies and Tarts
On Baking – Cookies and Brownies
On Baking – Cakes and Icings
Troubleshooting Yeast Breads

Soups and Stocks:
On Cooking – Sauce Families
On Cooking – Cold Soups
On Cooking – Bisques and Chowders
On Cooking: Thick Soups

Pantry and Breakfast:
On Cooking – Eggs and Breakfast
On Cooking – Sandwiches
On Cooking – Salads and Salad Dressings – Leafy Greens

Right here is just a simple, classic yellow rubber ducky on a mousepad. When I want to make another duck, this is the design I build on.

Once I figured out gradients in Inkscape, I was keen to make a gaudy rainbow rubber duck like this.

I guess I have a twisted sense of humor. First I made a couple of dead rubber duck designs. Then I made a sad rubber duck. Then it seemed only fitting to put them together. Whether the yellow duck is crying because he’s sad his buddy is dead or because the dead duck owed him money is anyone’s guess.

I had a little trouble with this doctor rubber duck, mostly because I wanted to give him a stethoscope. However, I couldn’t make it work; the stethoscope would either blend in with his coat collar or just clutter up the design and make it look unbalanced. I resorted to a stereotypical head mirror to show that this duck is a quack… um, a doctor. I can’t take credit for the “a duck a day keeps the quack away!” slogan, though. My husband came up with that one.

January 13th is National Rubber Ducky Day. Naturally I had to make a rainbow duck shirt to commemorate this special holiday.

All-Star Sports is one of three sister resorts on the Walt Disney World property (the other two are All-Star Music and All-Star Movies). Each All-Star has its own food court that serves hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza… typical fast food fare. The bulk of my work consisted of grilling hamburgers, cooking grilled cheese sandwiches, and toasting buns. I learned the importance staying organized and working fast when you’re hit by wave after wave of hungry people. I learned to prioritize tasks and get extra things done when things were slow, such as cleaning the fryers BEFORE the dinner rush.

Then it was on to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. The festival is an event where you can sample flavors from around the world by visiting the international kiosks set up all over the Epcot World Showcase. For example, the kiosk for Greece served up griddled kefalograviera cheese, Chicken Souvlaki, Greek salad, and yogurt parfaits. The festival also hosts special events that are centered around food and wine–cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, wine tastings, chocolate tastings, and more.

I was randomly assigned to work in different kiosks each day. One day I might be griddling cheese in Greece, and the next I might be assembling kalua pork sliders in Hawaii. If I were assigned to send people on breaks, I would work in up to four different kiosks in one day. Sometimes I was a runner, which meant I was in charge of delivering food and extra supplies to certain kiosks. I never knew what I would be doing on a given day. I had to be adaptable and ready for anything.

Working at All-Star Sports had its challenges, but the Food & Wine Festival was more demanding. For one thing, the expectations were higher: Showing up to work without your name tag or wearing white socks were fireable offenses. The hours were longer, and the work itself could be unpredictable and physically demanding. I might spend an entire day doing something easy like serving desserts on plates, or something hard like constantly pulling heavy trays of food out of an oven or pushing around a big cart full of food. I started collecting burns on my arms. I had shifts that stretched over 12 hours. There were a couple of days where I ended up soaked after working in the rain. There were days when my break was cut short and days when I wouldn’t get a break until it was close to the end of my shift. There was also a time I had to scrape food waste from one garbage can to another… by hand. (I had gloves, but it was still disgusting.) Disney had given me brand new shoes at the start of my internship. Less than two months later, the shoes were already falling apart.

Why did I choose to do my internship at Disney World? I think it’s because the parks have always fascinated me. Each time I visit Disney World, I’m struck by the attention to detail. Sometimes it takes my breath away to look close and see just how far Disney went to give the parks their own reality. The architectural details, the landscaping, the music, the smells–they neglect nothing. But the cast members are a huge part of the magic. The cast members are usually helpful, friendly, and upbeat. Disney is a fascinating machine, and I wanted to see what makes it tick.

My internship confirmed something I knew all along: It’s not all sparkly pixie dust behind the scenes. The “magic” of Disney World is made possible through hard work. And believe me, not everyone who works at Disney World is a bouncy, starry-eyed Disney fanatic. I was actually surprised to meet a few cast members who were so bitter and anti-Disney that I was tempted to ask, “Why are you even here?” (I suspect they don’t last long, however.) Knowing what I know about backstage Disney, I’m even more impressed by the fantasy world. In spite of the corporate regime, in spite of the fact that things aren’t so shiny in the background, Walt Disney’s legacy still lives on.

My school had an outline of cooking skills I was expected to use in my internship: Grilling, poaching, braising, and so on. To be honest, I only used a few cooking methods. Although I did get some cooking experience, the lessons I took away from the experience had less to do with cooking and more to do with speed, organization, teamwork, planning ahead, and being adaptable. I learned how to work efficiently in small, tight places. I had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of people with different personalities and skillsets. I learned that exceptional cooking ability isn’t as valuable as being able to follow orders and work harmoniously with others.

In short, I learned that there’s a lot more to cooking than just cooking. That’s probably one of the most important lessons a culinary student can take away from working in the kitchens of Disney World.

My husband and I love pizza; we have it for dinner at least once a week. We used to eat frozen pizza from the grocery store, but once I figured out how to make it myself, we’ve been feasting on homemade pizza ever since.

The pizza dough recipe I use was adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook. Although I’m sure there are more flavorful pizza dough recipes, I like this one because it’s so fast and easy. Instead of waiting an hour or longer for the dough to rise, you just let it rest for ten minutes before you shape it and pop it in the oven.

Basic Pizza Crust
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 to 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Cornmeal
Pizza toppings of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and sprinkle cornmeal onto a greased pizza pan.

2. Add the yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add warm water and olive oil. Add 1-1/2 cups flour and mix until batter is smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough.

3. Cover the dough and allow to rest for ten minutes.

4. Place the dough on a floured surface and round it into a smooth ball. Roll it into a circle using either a rolling pin or your hands; build up the edges slightly. Transfer the dough to the pizza pan. Prick numerous holes into the dough using either a docking tool, a fork, or your fingertips. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until browned.

5. Remove from oven and add desired toppings. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

Notes:

• The cornmeal helps prevent sticking. If the pizza crust still sticks, I find the best way to get it loose is to use either a bench scraper or, better yet, a Wilton cake lifter. You could also try baking the pizza dough on wax paper instead.
• Docking (or pricking) the pizza dough helps prevent air pockets that would turn your pizza crust into pita bread. Although a docking tool is preferable, jabbing holes into the dough with your fingers works well too.
• The original recipe says to bake the pizza dough at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, then bake with the toppings for an additional 10-15 minutes. This might work if you can spread the dough extra thin, but I found that the pizza would always come out of the oven partially raw and doughy at the end; once the toppings were on, no amount of baking seemed to help. I find it works better to bake the dough longer at a slightly lower temperature.
• If you have a large pizza dish with no raised edges, you may find it easier to roll out the dough on the dish itself.
• You can substitute olive oil with vegetable oil, or leave out the oil altogether. Although the dough is slightly less sticky and easier to work with when you leave out the oil, it adds flavor and improves the texture of the pizza.
• Rounding the dough is an important step if you want a nice uniform circle of dough instead of a lumpy misshapen one. Rounding is done by tucking the dough under and into itself until the top is smooth and round. Here’s a video that shows how it’s done: How to Shape a Round Loaf of Bread Dough

In my cooking classes, we don’t always follow recipes exactly. Sometimes we don’t have everything and end up making substitutions. (How many places keep a ready supply of amaranth flour, anyway?) Sometimes our instructor doesn’t agree with the recipe and shows us a better way to do something. Sometimes we just plain make mistakes.

Our soups & stocks instructor explained that while rules and recipes are a fine thing, you’ll turn into a nervous wreck if you chain yourself to them. What are you going to do if you can’t make that bowl of apples weigh exactly 5 pounds? Get as close as you can and stop fiddling with it. What if you can’t find your potato peeler? Use a paring knife. What if you want to make bread dough and everyone else has commandeered the mixers? Knead it the old-fashioned way. What if you’re out of buttermilk? Make your own by adding lemon juice to regular milk.

What you DON’T do is throw up your hands and give up. You deal with it and find a way to make it work. And maybe that’s the most important rule of all.

I found my favorite brownie recipe about four years ago on Allrecipes.com, Best Brownies. I made a couple of tweaks to the recipe, but it’s my all-time favorite for a quick and decadent chocolate fix.

Ingredients-

Brownies:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Frosting:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an flour an 8-inch baking pan.

2. Melt 1 stick of butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Remove from heat; mix in vanilla extract, sugar, white sugar, and eggs until well blended.

3. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add to batter until blended. Add chocolate chips.

4. Spread batter into prepared baking pan and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.

5. To prepare frosting: Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan. Add vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Slowly add milk and stir until the mixture is smooth and spreadable.

6. Spread frosting on brownies while they are still warm. Enjoy!

Other tips:

1. When greasing and flouring your baking pan, try using cocoa powder in place of flour. It keeps the baked edges from having a white layer.

2. Don’t cheap out and use generic cocoa powder. I tried that once, and while the brownies themselves were edible, the frosting was nasty. Stick with the good stuff! My personal favorite is Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, but regular Hershey’s Cocoa is good too.

3. There’s no exact science when you’re mixing the chocolate frosting. Just add milk a little at a time until the frosting is silky-smooth and easy to spread, but not runny. If you accidentally add too much milk, you can thicken it up again by adding more powdered sugar.

4. If you’re out of powdered sugar (like I was the last time I made this recipe), you can make a substitute by processing one cup of white sugar and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in a blender. The frosting may end up slightly grainy, but you won’t be able to tell once it’s spread on the warm brownies.

5. The original recipe recommends baking the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes. I never bake them for more than 20 minutes, otherwise the brownies come out much too dry and cake-y for my taste. Not all ovens are the same, so you may want to experiment and see what works for you.