Oscars Eats

The 97th Academy Awards are airing Sunday, March 2, on ABC and Hulu. (Do we even say that anymore, now that we’re living in the age of everything-can-be-livestreamed?)

And the nominees for Best Picture are: Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked. Except for Conclave (worth seeing) and Wicked (deservedly, an instant classic), these movies are complete unknowns to me. No matter, I will be perched on my couch watching the red carpet and Conan O’Brien and all the stars and loving it. And I will probably make a list of the movies I need to see, and then promptly lose the list. 

That’s okay. Because I am going to be serving some grand refreshments this year, thanks to a few friends who shared a few clever ideas. We might be in our PJs, but our snacks are going to sparkle.

Chris Powers says her husband Joe, a retired architect, will be enjoying popcorn “popped in a heavy pot and sprinkled with truffle salt.” She’ll also probably put some Bright Side Crisps out in a bowl. Made from pineapple pulp, they’re Lisa Helfman and Lee Haverman’s new creation. Proceeds support the nonprofit Brighter Bites, which Lisa founded to give fresh produce and nutrition information to families in underserved communities. 

Chris adds, “Not sure if it’s Oscar-worthy, but Joe has been making us appetizers from our garden. Almond crackers with a smear of Boursin cheese, a slice of radish, and micro greens on top. We have so many radishes, we have to get creative!” The almond crackers Chris refers to are Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers from Costco, but any cracker or toast will do. 

Every year, Julia Humphreys, who retired from a career in public relations years ago to raise her children, gathers with Camp Mystic friends for an Oscars watch party. What began as a one-night event in college has turned into an annual reunion weekend. “Maybe one person has missed once,” Julia says. Food for the entire weekend is another story, but for the actual watch party, Julia says they’ll put together a “giant” charcuterie board, to be nibbled on alongside their requisite Grapefruit Margaritas, made from an Ina Garten recipe. And of course, because the night is about movies, Julia’s party will be flush with movie theater candy: big boxes of Junior Mints, Nestle Crunch Buncha Crunch, Milk Duds, Skittles, Hot Tamales, and Whoppers.

Cortney LaCorte is not a personal friend, but the Nashville host of the YouTube show “Cheese Gal” and the face behind the Instagram account @cheesegal feels like she could be a neighbor. My daughter calls her the “couch caviar girl,” because she unapologetically eats salt and vinegar chips topped with crème fraiche, caviar, and minced chives…in her pajamas on the couch. A satisfying Oscars snack in itself. Cortney’s Crispy Baked Blue Cheese with Spicy Honey has a spot on our Oscars spread this year. 

Hoping this gives you some wicked good ideas for your own spread.

Cortney LaCorte’s Crispy Baked Blue Cheese with Spicy Honey 

5 ½ ounce wedge of blue cheese
1/3 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs, seasoned with a sprinkle of salt and pepper
Hot or spicy honey

Line a baking sheet with parchment and preheat the oven to 420 degrees. Set up three bowls; put the flour in one, the beaten egg in one, and the panko in one. Dredge the cheese in flour, dusting off any extra. Dip the floured cheese into the egg, and make sure all sides are covered. Then dip all sides of the cheese in the panko, covering evenly. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.

Use a spatula to transfer the cheese to a serving plate, drizzle generously with the hot or spicy honey, and serve with crackers.

Ina Garten’s Pink Grapefruit Margaritas

1 lime, cut in wedges, optional
Kosher salt, optional
1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)
1 cup orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec
2 cups ice
1 cup white tequila

If you like a salt rim on the glasses, rub the lime around the edge of the glass and then dip the rim of each glass lightly in a plate of kosher salt. Set aside to dry. 

Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange liqueur, and ice in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a large pitcher and stir in the tequila. If you’re not serving the margaritas in salted glasses, stir ¼ teaspoon of salt into the pitcher of margaritas. Serve ice cold.