Oscars Party Round-up

Red Carpet is about to start woohooo! Are you ready for the Oscars party? Who do you think is going to win best pic? To round-up- here are the nominees:

1) Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fried Oysters with Spicy Remoulade)
2) Life of Pi (Yellowtail Carpaccio with Mango, Pomegranate, and Ponzu Sauce)
3) Argo (Middle Eastern Appetizers)
4) Zero Dark Thirty (Middle Eastern Appetizers)

5) Django Unchained (Mini Mississippi Mud Pies with Bourbon Whipped Cream)

6) Lincoln (Old Abe Cocktail)

7) Amour (Mini Puff Pastry Cheese Pies)

8) Les Miserables (Mini Puff Pastry Cheese Pies)

9) Silver Linings Playbook (Philly Cheesesteak Crostinis)

Oscars Party: "Silver Linings Playbook" Inspired Philly Cheesesteak Crostinis

If you thought Bradley Cooper was just a pretty face, then he has definitely proven you wrong in Silver Linings Playbook. I always thought he was good in comedies, not because he was particularly funny, he was always the guy that partnered well with other people who were funny and ridiculous. He was always in control, the cool and reserved guy, that was in funny situations because of the people who he hung out with. In Silver Linings Playbook, he completely lets go of his inhibitions, and is not afraid to look vulnerable. He plays a recently released from mental institution Philadelphian, who is battling with bi-polar disease, and is looking for a silver-lining. He meets the equally troubled Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), whose performance is so real and enduring. My mom called me right after she watched this movie, and said it changed her whole outlook on life. I agree in the sense that this movie shows you the happy ending we all seek in real life is not always perfect, and it never happens as it should. You always have to make the best of what you have.

Oscars Party: "Amour" and "Les Miserables" Inspired Mini Puff Pastry Cheese Pies

French food gets a bad rap for being hard to make, having a long list of ingredients, and overall being time consuming. These mini cheese pies are super easy to make, have only 3 ingredients, and take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. And the best part is 20 minutes of that is in the oven, and it will take you under 10 minutes to put them together. This means that by the time Anne Hathaway has finished singing "I dreamed a dream" you had done all the necessary work (if Russell Crowe is singing, you may want to take your time). Les Miserables and Amour are both movies that have profound sadness in them, so I wanted to keep these appetizers light and fun.

Oscars Party: "Lincoln" Inspired "Old Abe" Cocktail

When I started researching the likes and dislikes of Abraham Lincoln, I was disappointed to find out that he wasn't much of an eater or a drinker. It seems like he grazed through his day, and food was an afterthought. I really wanted to make an old-fashioned cocktail to reflect the era, so I had to do a bit of research to find out what was popular during Lincoln's term. After some time spent on the web, I found out that Kentucky Bourbon became popular during the Civil War (source) , and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was famous for his love for the spirit. There is a Lincoln quote, which was believed to be said in defense of General Grant's drinking: "I wish some of you would tell me the brand of whiskey that Grant drinks. I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals."(source) I also discovered that Lincoln was very fond of apples. He was known to eat them throughout his day, and has even mentioned his love for it by saying "Apples agree with me.." (source) Apple cider was known to be popular for both drinking and as medicine. (source)

Oscars Party: "Django Unchained" Inspired Mini Mississippi Mud Pies with Bourbon Whipped Cream

"Django. The D is Silent."

Leonardo Di Caprio's portrayal of the Mississippi plantation owner Calvin Candie in Quentin Tarantino's Oscars nominated film Django Unchained is repulsive mixed in with a bit of charisma, violent mixed in with southern politeness, and outright brilliant. I know I would be too scared to serve him anything, but being from Mississippi I hope he would appreciate these mini mud pies. They are great for serving at parties, because they are individually portioned. You can just keep them in the fridge, and serve them whenever a guest wants dessert.

Oscars Party: "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Argo" Inspired Middle Eastern Appetizers



 Whenever you watch a movie that is set in the Middle East, you don't really get to see much of the cuisine. Mainly because a lot of the movies that take place there involve killing of terrorists (Zero Dark Thirty), or the rescue of American citizens (Argo). The truth is Middle Eastern food is not just kebabs and gyros. There are a lot of vegetable dishes, and healthy grains. Below dishes are perfect for big groups, and are very easy to put together. You can do them in the morning, and just forget about these appetizers until the party. This way, you'll still have time to catch up on the nominated movies. I've been on a roll this week, watching one every night. I watched Zero Dark Thirty last night, and let me just say during the 20 minute capturing of Bin Laden in the dark, I barely took a single breath. It was amazing. Tonight I'm watching Argo, and I'm really intrigued to see what all the hype is about (also really curious about Ben Affleck's hair do!). 



 

Oscars Party: "Life of Pi" Inspired Yellowtail (Hamachi) Carpaccio with Mango, Pomegranate, and Ponzu Sauce

My second Oscars party dish is inspired by the movie “Life of Pi”. The movie is about a boy deserted on a lifeboat with a tiger for 227 days. The movie is actually much more than that; it is about faith, finding the balance between religion and science, and a look into how the human mind processes tragedy. But in the end, whether it is philosophical or physical, it is about survival. When the supplies on the boat are depleted, the main character Pi has to rely on fish to feed himself. He literally has to catch, and kill a live fish and then eat it raw. While those scenes don’t look very appetizing, I knew that I could make raw fish taste really good. The main star of this dish is the yellowtail; it is so buttery and fresh that it really doesn’t need much else to make it flavorful. If you can’t find yellowtail, go for some tuna or mahi-mahi and make sure it’s really good quality since you will not be cooking it (ask for sashimi-grade). Since the character of the movie is Indian, I also wanted to add some Indian cuisine influences such as mango, pomegranate seeds, and the white pepper. Ponzu sauce is made from the Japanese citrus fruit yuzu, and it is fantastic with seafood. You can substitute some lemon juice if you can’t find it, but it’s not hard to find and it really is worth the purchase.

Oscars Party: "Beasts of the Southern Wild" Inspired Fried Oysters with Spicy Remoulade

The Academy Awards are this Sunday, and it is a fantastic opportunity to throw a party. My goal this year was to watch as many movies as possible on the nominee list, so I actually follow the show rather than the red carpet (Though I'm dying to see the dresses, especially what Jennifer Lawrence comes up with...). I know I won't get too far on the foreign language, or the documentary list, but there is no reason I shouldn't see the Top 10 movies of 2012. My friends and I are doing ballots this year, so there's more on the line. We each bring a bottle of liquor, and the winner gets to take all of them home at the end of the night. I still haven't made my pick for most of them, so I feel like it's going to be a decision I make on a whim.

Valentine's Day Sweets: Spicy Bacon Brownies with Chocolate Glaze

Few things men are guaranteed to like: chocolate, bacon, and a spicy kick. This brownie has it all! I know what you're thinking...bacon?? But hold on, you don't really taste the bacon in it. It provides a tiny bit of salt and crunch that leaves you wondering why the brownie is so good. Plus you can get cool girl points for putting bacon in everything. Be careful with the spice, you only need a little bit of it, that will get balanced out by the rich chocolate.

Valentine's Day Sweets: Brown Sugar, Pecan & Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm very spoiled when it comes to food. I eat only the tops of my muffins. The crusts of my bread. And the gooey center of my cookies. I was trying to figure out a way to maximize the amount of gooeyness I get from cookies, and I finally achieved it by baking them in this heart pan with deep cups. I have a sneaky feeling they will work well with mini muffin pans too.

Countdown to the Super Bowl- Sweet Potato Wedges

Guys don't like to eat sweet potato fries, until they actually try one. It somehow seems like the girlier and healthier option on the menu, and fries are so great that noone wants to take a chance on the sweet potato. It's true that they are better for you but they are also sweeter (hence the name), and have more flavor than regular potatoes. That sweetness sort of caramelizes when you bake them. I also think they work better with creamier dips than plain ole ketchup. I promise that if you put these on the menu on Super Bowl Sunday, they will dissapear faster than anything else out there!