Oscar Party Time!

The Academy Awards are this weekend and with them comes the fabulous party at my younger sister’s home. It’s always a fun gathering with a great mix of friends & family, an official ballot to fill out, some swag and always amazing food.

It’s the Oscars!…how much more direction do you need for a theme? I had a little fun this past week experimenting with some recipes and ideas that I found online (pinterest is always a great source for creativity!)  Keeping my focus on the best picture nominees….here’s the menu I cobbled together.

The Big Short….Big Short Braised Beef Ribs

4-6 cut beef short ribs
kosher salt and black pepper
3 Tbs unsalted butter, divided
1 bottle full bodied red wine
4 cups vegetable stock (I didn’t use this much)
4 cloves garlic (I just used the frozen cubes from TJ’s)
1 Tbs dried rosemary, crushed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Pat ribs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on all sides.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven (I don’t have one, so I just used my large cast-iron pan…I think I’ll put a Dutch oven on my list of things to buy!) over medium-high heat. Add the ribs and brown on all sides. Transfer the ribs to a plate, then add the garlic and stir until softened but not brown, about 1 minute. Carefully pour in the wine, bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about 1 cup. I just crush the dried rosemary in the palm of my hand and add it to the mix.  Add the ribs and any juices back to the pot….and some of the vegetable stock (I could only add about 3 cups because my pan was going to overflow). Reduce the heat and bring to a simmer, then cover the pot ( I used foil) and transfer it to the oven, to braise, until the meat easily falls off the bone, about 3 hours.

Transfer the ribs to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.  The recipe called for straining the liquid through mesh, etc… but who has the time!  I just poured off a majority of the liquid into the sink, made a little slurry of flour & water and added it to the pan.  Add the last TBS of butter and just simmer until it’s thickened and smells fabulous…about 10 minutes. Plate the ribs and drizzle with the unctuous sauce.

Bridge of Spies…Mini Reubens (some say originated in Germany)

cocktail size rye bread
Russian dressing (…or dijon mustard, which I prefer)
sauerkraut…well drained and squeezed
corned beef
grated swiss/gruyere cheese from TJ’s

Layer…rye, smear of dressing/mustard, sauerkraut, corned beef, swiss/gruyere cheese.  Broil until cheese is bubbly.

Brooklyn…How about a Coney Island Hot Dog?!  I didn’t make these but did have the first hot dog I’ve had in awhile after my niece’s exciting soccer game (they won in OT!) You could also argue that the Mini Reubens are very New York and therefore qualify as a representative for this movie too.

Mad Max…sorry, didn’t see it, don’t care!

The Martian and Revenant…This was a mix of Boozy Green Bears.

You’ll need some gummy bears, the alcohol of your liking and some sort of mixer.  I soaked green gummy bears in vodka for a couple of hours and then just added some cucumber juice, a little club soda/Perrier and garnished with a cucumber slice.  There are myriad recipes online using gin, rum, etc…

You might also want to buy some Dark Horse wine as a nod to The Revenent?

Room…it’s all about the best actress nominee…too easy…Brie on crostini (or maybe a little box with some appetizers/desserts inside?)

Spotlight…New England Clam Chowder …Boston Strong! (disclaimer: didn’t make this…but I have!)

voilà!!

Take a look at the $200,000 un-official swag that the nominees, etc… are getting this year!

Have fun this Sunday!  Red Carpet starts at 4 pm
(even earlier on some channels!)here on the west coast.

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!