Tomorrow night, cinephiles will pop some bubbly and tune into the Academy Awards to see which of Hollywood’s finest will take home a golden statuette. Will “Lincoln” win for Best Picture? Which starlet will rise to the top in the tight race for Best Actress? Who will be a sartorial sensation on the red carpet — and who will be banished to the worst-dressed list?
For inspiration — and film-inspired recipes for eats and drinks — we look to some New Yorkers who are throwing some swellegant Oscar soirees.
Celebrity caterer Mary Giuliani shares her “Silver Linings Playbook” menu, as well as what’s inside her hangover-kit party favors. And restaurateur Sasha Shor reveals recipes from her six-course menu, each of which is inspired by a Best Picture nom, such as roasted pork shoulder and collard greens for “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and curry-caramelpopcorn for the India-set “Life of Pi.”
KIDS CAN GET THEIR CLOSE-UPS, TOO!
Pure Philly Fun
Mary Giuliani hosts more than 600 parties throughout the year — but tomorrow night she’ll kick back in her West Chelsea apartment with her husband and a few pals to cheer on “Silver Linings Playbook.”
Giuliani’s a little biased: The film’s star and Best Actor nominee, Bradley Cooper, was a fellow English major at Georgetown University. So she’s serving a menu inspired by what she describes as, “cheese, meat, comfort food — the flavors of Philadelphia,” where the film takes place. Such yummy treats include: Black-truffle honey grilled cheese, cheesesteaks two ways and mini crab cakes.
“The mother [in the film] references ‘handmades and crabby snacks,’ so this is our own interpretation,” explains Giuliani.
“I get a lot of inspiration from the movies,” adds the caterer, who counts A-listers such as Sheryl Crow, Stella McCartney and Cooper among her celebrity clientele.
To that end, a “Life of Pi” dessert station is set up near the window with bite-size pies — with flavors of s’more, banana toffee and pecan.
And because she’ll be plying everyone with Champagne during the awards ceremony, Giuliani, in true hostess fashion, is sending off her guests with a little something to take home: a hangover kit with Lucky Charms cereal (“Bradley Cooper’s character eats cereal at the diner in ‘Silver Linings Playbook,’ ” notes Giuliani), coconut water (for hydration) and cucumber eye cream (to reduce puffiness, dahling).
No crabcakes on hand? Fear not. Giuliani suggests whipping up some mini mac ’n’ cheese cupcakes — they’re easy to re-create at home.
“You can buy Kraft mac and cheese, bake them in a mini-cupcake pan and just sprinkle some really good cheese on top,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be a precious canapé!”
Abe’s Faves
Sasha Shor and her husband, architect Josh Held, are feting the big night with an elaborate six-course “Black Tie/White Tablecloth” party. Each Best Picture nominee has inspired its own drink or dish. The Middle-Eastern set of “Zero Dark Thirty,” for example, is honored with cumin-rubbed grilled lamb chops with preserved lemon yogurt, pomegranate molasses and mint oil.
The Oscars give Shor the opportunity to expand her menu — thanks to the diversity of the nominated films — that other food-centric events don’t.
“I throw dinner parties of all kinds and every variety,” says Shor, who’s about to open a new restaurant, Tres Carnes, in Chelsea. “We had a Super Bowl party — but that was just chili and beer and wings.”
Earlier this week, the married couple hosted a dry run of their Oscars bash for a few of their closest friends at their Union Square loft.
A 9-by-6-foot projection screen played Academy Awards moments from years past as the boisterous group of friends — which included publicists and bar owners — sipped red wine and Champagne from crystal goblets.
The menu included a finger-licking smoked pork shoulder served with a toasted biscuit and collard greens (for “Beasts of the Southern Wild”) and drinks like a spicy Bloody Mary (for “Silver Linings Playbook”) made with “Cocks Tail” mix (her own creation consisting of tomato, blood orange, chipotle, lime, habanero brine and tomatillo.) She serves that spicy blend wth a beer chaser.
Shor kicks the party off with caramel popcorn topped with Maldon smoked sea salt and curry powder as a nod to Best Picture nominee “Life of Pi,” which takes place in India.
Other standout bites include roasted oysters garnished with charred scallion and tomato butter — paired with Champagne — in honor of “Lincoln.” The mollusk was the 16th president’s favorite food. And although Abe was pretty much a teetotaler, he’d indulge in a glass of bubbly at public events.
“Lincoln only drank juices, coffees and teas — but when he was out, the only drink he would nip at an event was Champagne,” explains Shor. For “Django Unchained,” Shor whips up blackened chicken hearts, served on a skewer with Champagne au poivre sauce: “Leonardo DiCaprio’s character was a ruthless slave owner and would throw these elaborate parties with French food, pushing the fact how rich he was,” she says, “and in the movie he served steak au poivre at one of the dinners.”
And if you’re nervous about cooking up a feast celebrating nine different movies, pare it down.
“People are intimidated by tasting menus,” adds Shor. “It’s better to have some cocktails, some popcorn — and then throw a chicken heart in there. Why not?”
RECIPES
Mary Giuliani’s ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ appetizers
Mini Philly cheesesteaks
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and sear a salt-and-pepper-seasoned ½ pound of strip steak, leaving the center rare and the outside well done.
Slice 1 shallot thinly, soak it in 1 egg and ½ cup flour (seasoned with salt and pepper) and fry in oil. Set aside on a paper towel to dab off the oil. In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup of heavy cream to a boil. Then add 1 cup Cheddar cheese and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Stir until thick and creamy. Cut the cooled strip steak into small slices. Place steak on 12 mini brioche rolls, drizzle with cheese sauce and top with fried shallots.
Serves 8 to 10.
Mini mac ’n’ cheese cupcakes
Oil a mini-muffin pan. Prepare 1 box of store-bought mac ’n’ cheese mix as directions indicate, or use your own recipe. When mac ’n’ cheese mixture is complete, add 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, ½ cup of shredded Cheddar cheese and ½ cup of shredded Gruyere cheese to mac ’n’ cheese mixture. Scoop mac ’n’ cheese mixture into mini-muffin pan and bake 15 minutes or until top is golden brown. Top with crumbled bacon and chives.
Serves 8 to 10.
Sasha Shor’s Best Picture eats
For “ Lincoln”
Roasted oysters
Make a compound butter: Mix 1 cup of softened unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 4 to 5 scallions (drizzled with olive oil and salt, and charred under a broiler until soft and the green ends are crispy; cool and chop coarsely), ¼ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, 1 small clove minced garlic and 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley until uniform in color. Butter should be a deep salmon pink color. Spoon butter onto a sheet of wax paper and roll paper around butter several times to form a log 2 inches in diameter. Twist ends to seal; chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.
Roast the oysters: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Shuck 2 to 3 dozen fresh East Coast oysters right before roasting. Arrange oysters in their bottom shells on a large baking sheet. (Layer sheet with kosher salt to keep the shells from rolling around.) Slice a ½ inch disc from the chilled compound butter log and place one on each oyster half. Roast in middle rack of oven for 15 minutes, until oysters are firm, edges are curling a little and butter is bubbling in the shells. Remove from oven and cool for 5 to 8 minutes. Garnish with roughly chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Three dozen oysters serves 10 to 12.
For “Life of Pi”
Curried caramel corn
Pop ½ cup of popcorn kernels on the stove top according to package directions. Cool popcorn in a large bowl. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
For caramel: In a saucepan over medium to high heat, melt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter; add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons smoked salt, 1 teaspoon spicy curry powder; mix and add ½ cup heavy cream. On medium heat, bring to a slow boil. Keep stirring slowly. Simmer and stir for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat, and add 2 teaspoons Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract. Cool slightly, add salt and spice to taste. Cool to room temperature. Pour caramel over popcorn and toss together with your hands. Spread popcorn on a large greased sheet pan. Sprinkle with remaining smoked salt. Bake on middle rack for 30 minutes, stirring once at the 15-minute mark. Cool and break large clusters of caramel corn apart before serving.
Makes 12 cups of popcorn.
For “Amour”
Gabrielle kir royale
Pour 3 ounces of Gabrielle Brut Sparkling Wine or Champagne into a standard 5- to 6-ounce champagne flute, and add 1 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur. Use a pour top
on the Chambord bottle to slowly pour 1 ounce Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur down the inside wall of the glass. The heavier Chambord will settle below the sparkling wine and create a layered look with the liqueur at the bottom in the flute.