8-2-Eat: Oscar Party Fare

8-2-Eat is my food-focused list series. A perfect Friday distraction. Sunday night is the 88th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. Here are 8 ideas for fun food and drinks to serve at your Oscar Party. And the envelope goes to...

Flavored Popcorn. Popcorn and movies are a classic pairing, but rather than top those fluffy popped kernels with just butter and salt, why not try something more interesting like Sriracha-Spiced Honey-Sesame Popcorn or Fajita-Spiced Popcorn? Then there's my favorite: Cracker Jack, the old-school caramel corn with peanuts.

Nachos. This also goes with the movies--at least I see nachos sold at most cinema concessions stands these days. The version you make at home will certainly be better.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders. I invented this recipe for the Super Bowl, but for a lot of people, the Oscars are the "other" Super Bowl (frankly, they're the one I'm more interested in). These tasty bite-size burgers would be perfect to chow on while the first few awards are handed out.

Classy Appetizers. If your Oscar party is a more elegant affair, you'll want food that matches such as Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Dates, Endive with Honey Goat Cheese and Pecans or Crostini with Smoked Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Rosemary.

Pizza. If you're aiming to serve something more substantial, I say pizza is the way to go.

Healthy Snacks. The Oscars usually go late, so while you may serve dinner beforehand or heavy hors d'oeuvres when they start, your guests might appreciate noshing on something lighter as the night wears on such as Crispy Kale Chips or Roasted Chickpeas.

Cake. About halfway through the show, you can really impress your guests by serving them a camera-ready dessert. This flourless Chocolate Truffle Cake would probably win their votes, or perhaps Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake or Coffee Cake with Coffee Frosting, which actually tastes like coffee.

The Lightsaber, inspired by Star Wars

Cocktails. Of course, your guests need something to drink, and nothing is better than signature cocktails inspired by the Oscar nominated films. Whether you're rooting for The Big Short, The Revenant or Spotlight to win Best Picture, I got you covered, and there's even a drink for the Star Wars: The Force Awakens fans who are still upset that film wasn't nominated. Check out all the Oscar Cocktails for this year, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Oscar Nibbles: Red Carpet Popcorn

It's just 3 days until the Oscars. I hope everyone has their Oscar Ballots filled out. There are a lot of close races this year. Will Boyhood or Birdman (or maybe even The Grand Budapest Hotel) win Best Picture? Will it be Michael Keaton or Eddie Redmayne for Best Actor? Surely no one can challenge Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette and J.K. Simmons in their races. However, if there's one thing I've learned through the years about the Oscars, it's that there are always surprises.

I've been sharing my Oscar Cocktails on my site and through social media the last couple weeks. Whether you're having an Oscar party, watching the show with friends or by yourself, you'll probably want something to snack on with those drinks. And popcorn goes perfectly with movies.

But the Oscars are a night to get dressed up, so instead of plain buttered popcorn, I'm offering two recipes to spice up the classic snack.

The first is an Asian-inspired mix of honey, sesame and srirarcha. Feel free to use as much or as little of the sriracha as you like, depending on your heat preference. This popcorn is sticky--so serve it with napkins--but it was our favorite of the two. The other is good too though, a spicy-savory blend inspired by fajitas.

Sriracha-Spiced Honey-Sesame Popcorn

1/3 cup popcorn kernels
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. honey
A few squirts of sriracha (more or less, depending on how spicy you want it)
Pinch or two of salt
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. black sesame seeds

1. Place 5 popcorn kernels and vegetable oil in a large (4 qt.) saucepan. Set over medium heat with the lid on the pan. Listen for the 5 kernels to pop. Once they have, add the rest of the corn and put the lid back on. Cook, shaking the pot frequently, until almost all the corn has popped (the rate of popping will slow way down when it's about done). Remove from heat. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl.

2. Combine butter, honey, sriracha and salt in a microwave safe bowl (a 1-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup works well). Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture to combine. If the butter hasn't all melted, microwave for another 15-20 seconds and stir again. Stir in the sesame oil.

3. Using a spoon, drizzle a few spoonfuls of the mixture over the popcorn, then gently toss the popcorn. Continue drizzling and tossing until the corn is as evenly coated as you can get it. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

Fajita-Spiced Popcorn

1/3 cup popcorn kernels
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. onion powder
Pinch or two of salt

1. Place 5 popcorn kernels and vegetable oil in a large (4 qt.) saucepan. Set over medium heat with the lid on the pan. Listen for the 5 kernels to pop. Once they have, add the rest of the corn and put the lid back on. Cook, shaking the pot frequently, until almost all the corn has popped (the rate of popping will slow way down when it's about done). Remove from heat. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl.

2. Combine butter, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder and salt in a microwave safe bowl (a 1-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup works well). Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture to combine. If the butter hasn't all melted, microwave for another 15-20 seconds and stir again.

3. Using a spoon, drizzle a few spoonfuls of the mixture over the popcorn, then gently toss the popcorn. Continue drizzling and tossing until the corn is as evenly coated as you can get it.

Related

2015 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Nibbles: Cracker Jack

Oscar Nibbles: Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Dates

Get Ready for Your Oscar Party

Source: Bloomberg

Ready for Oscar's big night tomorrow? It's sure to be an exciting evening, especially since the Best Picture race appears to be extremely close between 12 Years a Slave and Gravity (with a chance of American Hustle as a spoiler). Exciting!

There's still time to plan your Oscar party, which could include any one or more of my Oscar cocktails. You can find all the recipes in one place here. I've also suggested a couple of Oscar party snacks: Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese-Stuffed Dates and homemade Cracker Jack. Last year, I suggested a number of other ideas. You'll also want an Oscar Ballot: Red Envelope has a fun one with the top categories and best/worst dressed. Moviefone's ballot includes all 24 Oscar categories.

The table below shows the ingredients for all of the drinks with notes about the ingredients and suggested substitutions. To make all the drinks as I originally wrote them would require a lot of booze and other ingredients. This table can help you simplify the drinks to make it easier if you want to offer multiple ones for your guests. They might lose a little in the translation, but would still be great drinks. Ingredients are grouped by type, starting with the spirits, liqueurs, mixers and garnishes. Click on the drink name to go to the drink's original post.

2014 Oscar Cocktails Ingredients and Substitution Notes

Ingredient
Gin	✓		✓1		✓
Sloe gin	✓2			✓2
Vodka									✓	✓3
Moonshine						✓4
Spiced rum		✓
Rye whiskey								✓5
Bourbon							✓5
Apple brandy								✓6
Lillet Blanc										✓7
Dry vermouth
Sweet vermouth								✓8
Campari	✓9				✓9
Aperol					✓9
St. Germain elderflower liqueur						✓
Yellow Chartreuse	✓
Green Chartreuse									✓10
Grand Marnier	✓11
Blue curaçao				✓						✓
Ginger liqueur			✓		✓
Kahlua				✓			✓
Bailey's Irish Cream							✓
Absinthe								✓
Pale ale						✓12
Angostura bitters								✓
Peychaud's bitters				✓
Orange bitters	✓	✓
Chocolate bitters							✓
Lemon juice	✓					✓			✓
Orange juice		✓
Tonic water			✓
Club soda	✓
Italian lemon soda					✓13
Somali spice syrup		✓14
Honey						✓
Powdered sugar									✓
Vanilla extract							✓
Cinnamon stick							✓
Mint leaves	✓					✓
Rosemary sprig					✓
Orange wedge		✓
Lime wedge			✓
Lemon wheel					✓			✓
Lemon twist									✓	✓
Lemon zest				✓
Cucumber slices	✓

Notes on ingredients and substitutions:

1. The gin in the Dallas Buyers Club is specifically barrel-aged gin; whiskey might make a better substitution than standard dry gin.
2. Sloe gin is pretty different than standard gin, so I wouldn't recommend just substituting gin for sloe gin, especially in the Gravity, where the sloe gin's dark red color is important for making the drink black.
3. The vodka in Blue Jasmine is citrus vodka infused with jasmine tea. You could skip the infusion and also just use regular vodka.
4. Vodka could be substituted for moonshine in the Nebraska.
5. Rye whiskey and bourbon could be used interchangeable in the Philomena and the 12 Years a Slave.
6. Regular brandy could be used instead of apple in the 12 Years a Slave.
7. Lillet blanc is similar to dry vermouth, which could be used instead for the Blue Jasmine.
8. Dry vermouth is not an acceptable substitute for sweet vermouth.
9. Aperol and Campari are similar - they are both Italian aperitifs, which Campari being a little more bitter. I think they could work interchangeable in the American Hustle and you could use just one in the Her.
10. Green Chartreuse is the stronger (and more expensive) cousin of Yellow Chartreuse. You could substitute Yellow Chartreuse or another herbal liqueur in The Wolf of Wall Street. You could also substitute absinthe, which would still give you a green hue, although it's stronger, so watch the potency.
11. Other orange liqueurs, including triple sec, could be used in the American Hustle.
12. The pale ale I used for the Nebraska was Dale's Pale Ale. I don't recommend substituting an IPA, since it has a more assertive flavor. Look for American pale ales. You could also use another type of beer, including a lager.
13. I used San Pelligrino Limonata soda for the Her. You could substitute a more common American brand of lemon-lime soda, like 7-Up, but this will make the drink sweeter.
14. Somali spice syrup is an original ingredient in the Captain Phillips made from water, sugar, cumin seed, cardamom pods, cloves and a cinnamon stick. You could substitute standard simple syrup or omit the syrup.

Oscar Nibbles: Cracker Jack

The Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Dates are great with sophisticated, romantic Oscar-winning fare. But when you're watching a nail-biting, heart-pounding thriller you want something you can smash between your teeth. You want popcorn. And this homemade Cracker Jack is just the ticket.

Cracker Jack is the snack brand of caramel popcorn with peanuts. It's sold with a small toy surprise as well. This homemade version comes together quickly and is a fun alternative to plain popcorn. Pair this snack with the Nebraska, Gravity, American Hustle and Captain Phillips cocktails.

Homemade Cracker Jack
Adapted from a recipe by Brown Eyed Baker, as adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

10 cups freshly-popped popcorn
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the bowl
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup roasted peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 250 F.

2. Coat a large mixing bowl with butter and put the popped popcorn in the bowl.

3. Combine 6 tbsp. butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking ingredients to combine and cook until the mixture reaches 250 degrees F, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla and baking soda. Immediately pour the mixture over the popcorn and carefully fold the caramel into the popcorn using a spatula then gently stir in the peanuts.

4. Transfer the coated popcorn/peanut mixture to a lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and set on a wire rack to cool. Gently break up the popcorn and serve immediately or store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.

Oscar Nibbles: Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Dates

Along with the Homemade Cracker Jack, this is my other Oscar party snack this year. It's a little more sophisticated, the kind of savory finger food that goes well with a sweeping epic drama with a bit of romance. Something like Titanic, The English Patient or Shakespeare in Love.

This recipe is really pretty easy. Handling the dates can get sticky, but that's about the most difficult part.

The roasting time will vary depending on the bacon used. I buy the thick bacon from the meat counter at Whole Foods, so I needed to roast this longer than if I'd used something thin. Just keep an eye on it and be sure to turn them over occasionally or they could get burnt on the bottom.

Pair this appetizer with the 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club, Her and The Wolf of Wall Street cocktails.

Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Dates
Adapted in part from Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Almonds, Food Network

18 medjool dates
3 oz. blue cheese (I used maytag blue)
6 strips of bacon, cut into thirds
18 toothpicks

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. Cut a slit down the length of the side the date. Pull it open and remove the pit. Also remove the hard part where the date was attached to the plant, if not already removed. Place a piece of blue cheese cut to fit in the cavity left by the pit and squeeze the date closed (it probably won't close all the way, which is fine).

3. Wrap each date with a slice of bacon and secure the bacon with a toothpick pierced through where the bacon overlaps and through the date to the other side. Place the wrapped dates in a roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes if using thin bacon and 20 minutes if using thicker bacon, turning them halfway through. When the bacon has crisped, remove from the oven and set on paper towels to cool.