In years past as the Oscars approached I would start to fret about what to serve at my party. I have a bit of a tradition of making a dish based on or inspired by each of the best picture nominees. Coming up with 5-10 dishes every year is actually harder than it sounds. Some years your are blessed with movies like The Kings Speech (The King's Peach Cobbler) or The Blind Side (Blind Sliders) and the dishes basically make themselves. But some years there are difficult films like The Reader (I made "fReaders" a play on potato fritters) or The Fighter (We finally came up with Punch, which was actually a real hit). What I would have done for ideas from some post on-line to at least give me a hint of an inkling of what to do. So, here is my post for those looking for menu items for this years nominees (I like to call them "Nom-Noms". The dishes, not the movies).
Hugo: Bugo's - choose your favorite party mix recipe, but sub in Bugles and Cheerios (preferably Honey Nut) for other more traditional constituents. This is similar to a mix called "Nuts and Bolts".
The Help: Helpings - Stuffing muffins. When I hear the word "helping" I think of stuffing for some reason. Rachael Ray made these muffins famous, and they just see to fit.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Classic Manhattan. This was a tough one to come up with, especially with a film about such a delicate subject. The Manhattan is simple, classic, elegant, and fills this role nicely.
Moneyball: Moneyballs - Meatballs in pesto/alfredo sauce. I love mixing pesto and alfredo, and I usually put it that delectable combo in my lasagna. And it was the first thing I thought of when contemplating "Moneyball". These are going to be in the slowcooker so you can cheat a little bit. Making it them from scratch is admirable, but frozen meatballs and sauce from a jar will do just fine.
Midnight in Paris: Winglets in Paris - Coq Au Vin style Baked Chicken Wings. A marriage of classic french cooking with party friendly apps. Marinade chicken wings in a delicious bacon, onion and wine blend. Bake and serve with a french cheese and herb dipping sauce.
The Artist: The Sandwich Artist - This is a little bit of a cop out, because it is not actually made at home. But it is just too whimsical to pass up (much like to movie). Simply get a 6 foot sandwich from the Sandwich Artist at your local Subway. It is a fun play on words, plus the party sub is a tried and true staple of gatherings everywhere.
The Tree of Life: The Tray of Life - What would a party be without delicious meats and cheeses? One answer is "Vegan", another is "boring". So get your favorite antipasti, make it elaborate, and tasty. This is always a favorite.
The Descendants: Descending Decadence - Pineapple Up-Side Down Cake. This takes a second to understand, but makes total sense. First off the movie is set in Hawaii, so the pineapple is a natch. But, also the word "Descend" and the concept of up-side down go hand in hand too. There are tons of recipes out there for this classic dish.
War Horse: War Horseradish Potato Skins - Basically exactly what it sounds like. Make potato skins with the works, but be sure to add plenty of horseradish to the sour cream.
That makes up our menu. Let me know what you think of these, or if they inspired some other dishes you came up with. Have fun with it and "Break a Leg".
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