An Oscar Night Menu

Every year I love to plan a special menu for watching the Oscars. It is so much fun to try and incorporate something from all the best picture nominations into our party. This year with 10 nominations it is not going to be easy to get them all in, but I will try. I also got a real kick out of the Oscar Matzos that Wolfgaang Puck will be serving this year, albeit with some beluga cavair, who would have though that matzo of any kind would make it to the awards.

Here is my take on an Oscar night menu for 2014 based on the best picture nominees: American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyer’s Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena,12 Years As A Slave, and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Start the night with these Corn and Honey Blinis served with Bowfin Caviar, recipe brought to us from the chef of Prime Grill who says the Bowfin caviar is the closest thing to real caviar for the kosher consumer. You can also fake it with the cheaper black caviar found in most kohser markets. This recipe reflects the sheer excess from the movie The Wolf on Wall Street.

Serve this Chicken Piccata in notice of the night out in American Hustle with the mayor and Irving and their wives. There is a lot of Italian food going on in this movie, so anything Italian will do, but the chicken piccata is raved over.

12 Years As A Slave is a heart wrenching movie set in the South where collard greens, corn bread and blackberries abound. This recipe is not your typical southern preparation, but I like it for eating in front of the the television and the leftovers are perfect weekday lunches.

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Serve this rice salad filled with fava beans without the optional cheese for Captain Phillips. Set in Africa, captain phillips was was captured by pirates from Somalia, where the cuisine is so varied from Indian, Persian, to Italian, so almost anything goes. Fava beans in particular are mentioned so this rice and fava bean salad is nice choice.

The Dallas Buyer’s Club revolves around the rodeo where fried foods and food on a stick abounds. I am going with a healthy version with these vegetable fries.

For dessert serve a classic Root Beer Float, make it with any non dairy ice cream to keep it parve and think about the people floating around in space in gravity. I am going to have this recipe do double duty to work with Nebraska too. A movie where beer plays a big role, either serve your favorite Nebraksa brew or enjoy this Root Beer Float.

I have done my best, but can’t fit anything in for the movie Her or Philomena. For Philomena you could go with something British, tea and crumpets maybe, but does anyone have any idea for the Her?