127 Hors (D'oeuvres)- (Dish Made for 127 Hours for the 2011 Oscar Party)

127 Hors D'oeuvres

As I was trying to come up with a dish for 127 Hours (you know, the movie about that real guy Aron Ralston who was trapped by a rock and ended up cutting his own arm off to escape to rescue) I felt like I might need to gnaw MY arm off.  For some reason every year there are a couple movies that just don't lend themselves to making dishes about them.  Granola or Power Bars crossed my mind.  There was talk of chicken wings...  but that seemed a bit morbid.  What ended up winning out was a play on the visual look of the name itself: 127 Hours.  Just drop the "u" and you get 127 Hors.  Add some fancy French stuff and you get 127 Hors (D'oeurves).

127 Hours mural in the 100 Mile Hallway


This one is actually more about the total items than any specific recipe.  It is made up of 5 different little appetizers.  3 of them in a 25 count and 2 of them in a 26 count.  25+25+25+26+26= 127.  You can really make any hors d'oeuvres you would like, but here are the five that were served at the 2011 Oscar Party: Fried Olives, Pita Chips with Hummus (topped with a slice of Kalamata Olive), Bread Rounds with Rondele (topped with Pimento and Chives), Caprese Bites with Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil, and Fresh Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus.

Most of these are pretty basic, 2 of them are a cracker/spread type snacks, and 2 of them are small skewer types on toothpicks.  But, the Fried Olives are a dish I had never made, and in fact had never even tried.  But I saw this demonstration and wanted to try the recipe.  I skipped the cheese, and used Panko bread crumbs instead (if you are not yet aware of Panko bread crumbs, do yourself a favor and give them a shot, your taste buds will thank you),  but I basically stuck to the technique.

It actually came together nicely, and they were some of the most popular bites of the night.  It was unfortunate that as soon as one person tried any of the dishes it threw the number off and the whole effect was lost.  But just getting something pulled together had me feeling like James Franco's character must have felt like once he saw that med-evac helicopter landing.

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Oscar Party 2011 (Menu and Recipes for the Academy Awards)



Mural of the 10 Best Picture Nominees

The last few years I have thrown an Oscar Party.  Who knew that if you got tasty food, cocktails, and (ahem) some friendly wagering all in one place you could get even the most hardened anti-award-show types to have a great time?  I will eventually go back and post recipes and some pics from previous parties, but lets begin with the most recent.

The main components to the shin-dig are threefold: A dish for each of the movies nominated for Best Picture, fun decorations including the free hand Mural in the 100 Mile Hallway, and the Oscar ballot game where everyone guesses who wins for prizes at the end of the night.  Throw in some top flight movies, some over priced fashion, and some mediocre comedy and you gotta party baby!  Let's roll out the red carpet and take a look at the nominees...

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The Big Lebowski Party

A while back I was shocked to find that my friend had never seen The Big Lebowski.  It wasn't because I'm some nut who thinks that "Everyone should see The Big Lebowski!", but because the movie is exactly her sense of humor, it is filled with some of her favorite actors, and she loves the Coen brothers.  Plus, I'm the kind of nut who thinks that everyone should see The Big Lebowski. 

It is, in my opinion, the funniest movie of all time.  But the best part about it is that it gets funnier every time you see it.  The humor is so subtle and complex that many of the best jokes are missed upon a first, second, and even third viewing.  (But I digress, this is a party idea not a movie review.) 

Imagine my concern over the next few weeks when I found out that 2 different buddies girlfriends, my cousin's girlfriend, and another buddy's sister had never seen the movie!  "That's it!"  I'd thrown my fist down on the table, "...We're having a viewing party!"  And just like that, we were planning the next free night we all had to get together and watch The Big Lebowski.

The Big Lebowski is not so much a movie, as it is a lifestyle (just ask these people).  I would be remiss to have people over for a viewing and not go all out.  So here's how it went down: people came over (in costume of their favorite Lebowski character if they liked) for Caucasians early in the evening, a full menu of Lebowski themed nosh, and we started the movie around 8pm.  Party achievied!  Check out the menu below and I hope to have it linked to full recipes soon.  Give it a shot and let me know what you think (just like the movie, you might have to try this more than once)...

The Dude's Caucasian
Oat Sodas
Sarsaparilla

Quintana's Nachos
The Stranger's Sarsaparilla Pulled Pork Sammies
Bunny's Garden:
     Corvette Corn on the Cob
     Grilled Asparagus
     Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Lingonberry Quinoa Salad
Maude's Artisan Roasted Chicken
Pigsh'n Blankshitz
Walter's Coffee Cake (Store bought I have to admit)

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