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Tap Into Movie Mojo For Your Oscar-Watching Party

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From a Piledriver to vegetable samosas, dive into your Oscar watch party with these inspired dishes.

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By JEFF HOUCK | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 17, 2009

Every year, chef Wolfgang Puck rolls out his extravagant menu for the Governor's Ball before the Academy Awards. This is the 15th year Puck has been tapped for the job.

Tonight's menu: Tuna Tartare in Sesame Miso Cones; Maine Lobster and Caviar; and Pastry Chef Sherry Yard's gold-dusted chocolate Oscars.

Sounds like delicious fun, but there's no way any of us could duplicate that at home for our own Oscar-watching parties.

To fill the gap, we've gone through the list of nominees for this year's awards and tried to find easy-to-prepare recipes that will enhance the flavor of this year's ceremony. It wasn't easy. If you don't believe us, then try finding something to snack on while rooting for the Meryl Streep sex-abuse movie "Doubt."

We also thought it best to do Oscar pairings this year rather than wait until "Paul Blart Mall Cop" gets nominated for Best Picture. We don't do food court fare.

The Film: "The Wrestler"

Categories nominated: best actor, actress in a supporting role

Mickey Rourke and Marissa Tomei turn in career-changing performances as a wrestler at the end of his career and a stripper with a heart of gold. (Rourke is the wrestler and Tomei the stripper. Although the movie might have been even more compelling if the casting had been swapped.)

We would be remiss if we left out the one cocktail that shares its name with a famous wrestling move. And no, airplane spins don't count. They're what you get after you drink too many Piledrivers.

PILEDRIVER

1/3 ounce vodka

1/3 ounce orange juice

1/3 ounce prune juice

Pour all ingredients into a shot glass, stir and serve.

# # #

Film: "Australia"

Category nominated: costume design

The recipe here: Hugh Jackman + Nicole Kidman + Extravagant Period Flick + Giant Continent = Box Office Bomb. But the costumes were amazing.

Just because it went down-under from a financial standpoint doesn't mean you can't enjoy the flavors of a down-home Australian treat you can serve as a snack or as dessert. Maybe pop in a copy of "Crocodile Dundee" or "Muriel's Wedding" while you're baking.

CHEW CHEWS

1 egg

1 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup walnuts

4 ounces melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup chopped dates

Pinch salt

Mix all together well and put into shallow slice tin (cookie sheet) and bake in a moderate oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. When cold, cut into squares.

Source: oldaussierecipes.com

# # #

Film: "Tropic Thunder"

Category nominated: best supporting actor

In the film, Robert Downey Jr. portrays method actor Kirk Lazarus, who is acting in a Vietnam-period flick that goes awry. Lazarus, who is Caucasian, portrays an African-American soldier, and he stays in character after the camera shuts off. What better way to honor that performance than with some white chocolate?

WHITE CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE

2 3-ounce bars Swiss white confectionery bars, (white chocolate), divided

1 18.25-ounce package white cake mix (without pudding)

1 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

White Chocolate Frosting (recipe below)

1/4 cup angel flake coconut, toasted

1/4 cup toasted pecans

Directions:

Finely grate 5 ounces white confectionery bar, save remainder for frosting. In large mixer bowl, combine next five ingredients. Mix at low speed about 1 minute; beat at medium speed 4 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt cake pan. Bake in preheated 350 oven until tests done with wooden pick (50-60 minutes). Let cool in pan 15 minutes; invert onto rack to cool completely. Place cake on serving platter. Prepare White Chocolate Frosting; drizzle on cake. Top with toasted coconut and pecans.

Amount: 18 to 24 servings.

White Chocolate Frosting: In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt 1 ounce white confectionary bar with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Remove from heat; blend in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 tablespoons milk until drizzling consistency.

This is a favorite! Sometimes I serve with vanilla ice cream and/or raspberries, rather than toasted coconut and pecans. I have used "regular' white chocolate bars when I have been unable to find Swiss white chocolate.

Source: Epicurean.com

# # #

Film: "Hellboy II: The Golden Army"

Category nominated: best makeup

In the original Hellboy (and the comic book that inspired the film) the German Nazis work with Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin on an isolated island off the coast of Scotland to build a time portal to help defeat their enemies. After destroying the portal, U.S. Army soldiers discover a red demon infant has entered their dimension. A scientist coaxes the creature with a Baby Ruth bar and names it "Hellboy."

These brownies, which use Baby Ruth bars, give you a little taste of what Hellboy craves.

BABY RUTH BROWNIES

1 18.25-ounce package brownie mix

3 2.1-ounce Baby Ruth candy bars, chopped

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, brought to room temperature

1/2 cups sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package, then stir in chopped candy. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg and milk to the cream cheese mixture and blend well.

Drizzle cream cheese mixture over brownie batter and swirl with a knife to create a marbled look.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean.

Remove brownies from oven and cool completely in pan, on a wire rack. Cut into bars with a wet knife.

Makes 24 brownies.

Source: AllHomemadeCookies.com

# # #

Film: "Milk"

Categories nominated: best picture, original screenplay, actor, supporting actor, costume design, directing, film editing, music score, writing

Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk, the camera store owner whose decision to campaign for a place on San Francisco's board of supervisors becomes a landmark event within the gay rights movement.

Not to take the film's title and namesake literally, but it's our job to include something with milk as an ingredient, and to associate it with an actor who tends to get easily steamed.

STEAMED VANILLA DREAM

2 cups lowfat milk

2 vanilla beans split lengthwise or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 pinches freshly ground nutmeg

Honey to taste (optional)

Put the milk in a small saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the bean and seeds to the milk. Heat and stir over medium heat until the milk begins to boil. To froth, put the hot milk in a blender and blend vigorously for 30 seconds. Serve immediately in mugs and top with a pinch of fresh-grated nutmeg. Add honey to taste.

Makes 2 servings.

Source: gotmilk.com

# # #

Film: "Kung Fu Panda"

Category nominated: best animated feature

Jack Black voices the character Po, a panda who spends his days working in his father's noodle shop while dreaming of becoming an expert in the art of kung fu fighting.

Since Black and pandas are a little doughy around the middle in real life, we thought these twists would be a nice sweet treat to enjoy. Hiiiii-YAH!

SWEETENED DOUGH TWISTS

9 ounces water

4 1/2 cups flour, sifted

5 tablespoons brown sugar

2 eggs

10 1/2 ounces vegetable oil

Mix the flour with water to make a dough.

Dissolve the sugar in a little water. Beat the eggs and mix with the sugar. Stir into dough. Knead the batter until smooth and elastic. Turn onto greased surface and roll into a long roll and cut into 10 round pieces. Roll each piece into a small strip. Fold each strip double and twist into a yarn-like stick.

Heat the oil in a wok to about 230 degrees. Deep-fry the dough twists slowly until dark brown and crisp. Remove, drain well, and serve.

Source: "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking" by Nicholas Zhou

# # #

Film: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Categories nominated: best picture, cinematography, directing, film editing, song, score, music, sound editing, sound mixing, writing (adapted screenplay)

This film tells the story of an 18-year-old from the slums of Mumbai accused of cheating on the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"

As far as Oscar-compatible Indian-style snacks goes, you have to go with samosas, the bite-size fried treats that are impossible to put down.

VEGETABLE SAMOSAS

For the pastry:

Instead of making your own pastry, you can substitute filo pastry purchased at the grocery store.

For the filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion finely chopped

2 cloves of crushed garlic.

2 teaspoons curry powder or your own spices according to taste

Salt, pepper to taste

1 potato finely diced

1 carrot finely diced

1 cup of frozen peas

3 ounces vegetable stock.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic, mix in the spices and fry until soft. Add the vegetables, seasoning and stir well until coated. Add the stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until cooked.

Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and roll out into a circle. Divide this circle into two equal pieces with a knife.

Brush each edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers, sealing the dampened edge.

Fill the cases with a tablespoon of your chosen mixture and press the two dampened edges together to seal the top of the cone.

Deep fry the samosas in hot oil until crisp and brown. Take out and drain on a paper towel.

DRESS UP AND GO OUT

If your idea of a proper Oscar party includes dressing up and going out, it's not too late to get in on the glam at Tampa Theatre's Oscar Night America bash.

For $30 ($25 if you're a Tampa Theatre member; $20 for students with a valid ID) you can have your own Oscar experience tonight with a short limo ride around the theater to a red carpet entry, then enjoy complimentary popcorn, soda and coffee while you watch the 81st Annual Academy Awards on the theater's big screen.

A $130 ticket ($125 for members) will get you the limo ride and red carpet experience; a VIP reception; complimentary heavy hors d'oeuvres, champagne, wine and beer all night; popcorn, soda and coffee as you watch the ceremony; an official Academy Awards program; and a swag bag full of goodies.

The VIP reception and red carpet experience starts at 6 p.m.; the general admission red carpet experience starts at 7:30 p.m. Attire is "Hollywood elegant or black tie."

You can still order tickets online at www.tampatheatre.org or pick them up at the theater's box office, 711 N. Franklin St., Tampa. For information, call the box office at (813) 274-8982.

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