I have never paid too much attention to awards and prizes, especially when it comes to mainstream pop culture, like music, television and the movies. Maybe I have bad taste, but it would never seem that the artists I feel worthy of winning get recognized. Rather, the completely obscure and off the wall movies are rewarded. You know, the film you watch because you heard so much about because it has been so acclaimed, so you make some popcorn, cuddle up on the couch to rent it, only to be thinking ten minute in that you would rather stab yourself in the eye with a fork then sit through another three hours of this “epic tale”. What? Just me? Well, maybe that’s the case, because clearly a large part of the world tunes in each and every year for these awards ceremonies, the pinnacle of which would be the Academy Awards. I have recently come to learn that people actually throw parties to celebrate Oscar night, doing up their hair, dressing up in elaborate gowns and fancy jewelry. Maybe it’s an attempt to live like their favorite celebrity for a night, I’m not sure, because I can’t really wrap my head around it. What I do know is, if you’re going to throw an Oscar party, or any party for that matter, you need to serve some appetizers, because a party just isn’t a party without some tasty treats.

In honor of celebrating the movies, what better way to start the evening off with then the classic movie pairing, popcorn! This isn’t your plain old stale movie theater popcorn though. This is something special. It’s a balance of salty and sweet, with the earthiness of truffles and aroma of thyme.

Truffle-Honey & Thyme Cracker Jacks

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Feeds: 3-6 people
Special Tools: Air popper, you can find these for about $20

½ cup corn kernels
3 tbsp. truffle oil
¼ cup melted butter
1 cup pecans
½ cup liquid honey
3 tbsp. fresh thyme
TT salt

• Coarsely chop the pecans
• Gently remove the thyme leaves from the stems
• Melt the butter and combine with the truffle oil
• Pour the corn kernels into the popcorn maker and turn it on
• Once the popcorn is popped into a bowl, quickly pour the butter and truffle oil over, followed by the salt, thyme, and the pecans, mix
• Lastly, while stirring, drizzle the honey over the popcorn, try to do this fairly quickly, while the popcorn is still warm
• Stir to combine evenly and then serve while warm

You can never go wrong with popping some fresh oysters for any party, they are always a sure hit. Adding the classic pairing of a bloody Caesar is a great touch.

Bloody Caesar Oysters

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 12 oysters
Special Tools: Oyster shucker

12 pc. fresh oysters
1 oz. Absolut Citron vodka
8 oz. Clamato juice
1 tbsp. horseradish
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. Lea & Perrins
12 pc. celery leaves (garnish)
coarse salt or crushed ice for bed

• In a large glass combine vodka, clamato juice, horseradish, celery salt, Tabasco, Lea & Perrins, and stir. Chill
• When ready to serve, place the crushed ice or coarse on platter to create a bed to place your oysters on
• Using your oyster shucker, carefully open the oysters, gently twisting rather than stabbing, once the shell is loosened, pop the top and carefully separate the muscle from the shell without damaging it
• Keeping the oyster level and preserving as much of the delicious brine, carefully place the oysters on the bed
• Top the oysters with a tablespoon of the Caesar mixture
• Garnish with a small celery leaf and serve

Here is another fun and playful appetizer that can work for just about any event.

Crispy Coconut Prawn Lollipops

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-6 minutes
Special Tools: wooden skewers, deep fryer (optional)

12 pc. prawns, sized 16-20, peeled and deveined
½ cup flour
2 pc. eggs
¼ cup milk
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
TT S&P

• Soak wooden skewers in cold water to prevent burning
• Remove the remaining tail shell from the prawns, pinching carefull, not to leave any meat behind
• Curl the prawn into a round and then skewer them, leaving them towards the end of the skewer, like a lollipop
• Now we will set up a breading station
• In a shallow bowl place the flour and season with salt and pepper
• In a second bowl combine the eggs and milk, whisk to combine thoroughly, season
• In a third bowl place the shredded coconut
• Moving from left to right, lightly dredge the prawns in flour, shaking off the excess
• Then, quickly dip the prawns into the egg wash, coating it evenly, but shaking off excess
• Then, place the prawn in the coconut, coating all sides and patting it on
• When it comes time to cook them you can bake them in the oven or you can deep fry them, I prefer them deep fried as they crisp up nicely, but they are also good baked
• If choosing to fry them, I recommend a double breading, meaning that after the first round, you will return the prawn to the egg wash, and then again into the coconut, it will provide a thicker, crispy outer shell
• These can be prepared in advanced up to this point, you can even freeze them and serve them at a later date
• Preheat the oven to 375F or the deep fryer to 350F
• Place on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or fry in the deep fryer 5-6 minutes
• Serve with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce

I hope these recipes help to spice up your Oscar party and may the best movie win!