• In case you've been sleeping, we've been talking non-stop about The Oscars. We even know what the stars will be eating.
• PartySugar has come up with a great Oscar Party Plan (complete with invitations, menu and more).
• Rachael Ray was immortalized in wax forever.
• Five special Oscar related TV Dinners: recipes from Volver, Babel, The Devil Wears Prada, Pan's Labyrinth and Little Miss Sunshine.
• We announced our new Super Special Occasions group. Join and post pictures of your events!
• We wanted you to spill you guts on spilled wine and other party fouls.
• Anne-Sophie Pic received big props and became the first woman to be awarded three stars in more than 55 years.



• 52 Weeks of Baking continues, this time with my favorite time-tested Chocolate Chip Cookies.
• You told us all about your favorite foodie film.
• I hope you whipped up an easy Jambalaya for Mardi Gras.
• We need your help to find some great Cocktail Shakers and Chicken with Pasta Recipes.

As I mentioned last week, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival is a big deal in the foodie world. So naturally the event kicked off yesterday with a big bash (make that a burger bash), hosted by our 30 minute meal maven, Rachael Ray. Sadly, I am thousands of miles away on the other coast and wasn't able to attend it, nor will I be able to attend any of the appetite-whetting events (like the Food Network Awards Show, a panel featuring Anthony Bourdain & Tom Colicchio, Al Roker's BubbleQ, Rachael Ray & Giada's Kidz Kitchen, Martha's (and the Mondavi's) tribute brunch, wine-tastings, food-tastings, and other celebrity chef hob-knobbery)... *sigh* oh well... The event (which is expecting over 18,000 people) is mostly sold-out anyway.

Maybe next year, eh?

Until then, I, like most of you (unless you're lucky and if you are, please do share photos and stories with the rest of us!!), will have to settle for images and anecdotes.

To check out some more pictures from last night's Amstel Light's Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray (who, in case you're wondering, is getting groped by Lee B. Schrager - a prominent "event planner and public relations expert"), read more

A few weeks ago I was asked to cater a dinner for 20 with the request that the main dish be some sort of chicken and pasta. When I asked what specific kind of chicken and pasta the only guidance they gave me was please no pork. When I sat down to plan it, I started TFO-ing (totally freaking out) big time about what to make as the possibilities are virtually endless. In a futile attempt to help me, my wonderful mother (who doesn't cook) suggested I simply sauté chicken and toss it with cooked pasta. I was horrified at the thought of serving a meal as flavorless and bland as plain chicken and plain pasta and then suddenly my dilemma was solved. Duh! I could turn to you faithful readers and ask you for advice. What kind of chicken and pasta should I make? I need you to send me your best, flavor packed, innovative recipes for chicken and pasta, please! Add them to the recipe database on TeamSugar with the keyword Chicken With Pasta. I (and the 20 people who shall be eating this dinner) appreciate your help!

Don't know how to create and share recipes on TeamSugar? Have no fear, just quickly read geeksugar's explanation.

The Oscars are such a huge celebration that naturally they have their very own cocktail, the Oscar cocktail, named after them. Ok well, I'm not 100% sure of that, but I did find a tasty sounding recipe called an Oscar Cocktail so I assumed that it was named after the awards show. There are plenty of other famous Oscars (the Grouch, Wilde, De La Renta, La Hoya) that come to mind that have nothing to do with gold statues and this cocktail could be named for one of these Oscars. But let's all pretend, since the Oscars are this Sunday and all, that the Oscar of the Oscar cocktail is a little gold statue. For the recipe, read more

The next secret ingredient is Green Onion (aka Scallion). Go out and find your best recipe featuring green onions. I want to see some creativity, some home favorites, some weird concoctions, anything as long as it has green onion in it! So join the Secret Ingredient Group and post your best green onion recipe there!


This week's winning Secret Ingredient recipe comes from reader celebrity_soup. She's really thought outside of the box and come up with a fantastic way to use tofu in a dessert. Think you don't like tofu? Well, check out this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie and see if you don't change your mind. Thanks to everyone who posted their tofu recipes.

Next week it could be one of your recipes here!

To learn how to post to the Secret Ingredient Group, read more

I know I've completely bombarded you with fabulous recipes that Wolfgang Puck will be making at the Governors Ball and I apologize for tempting you with so much deliciousness. At least I'm not waving the food around in front of you and then quickly pulling it away before you can get any. I am posting the recipes for each of these edible masterpieces so you can make them in the comfort of your own home, while you gossip about what Reese and Cameron are wearing. You can add this one to the must-make-list: a tasty tapa recipe that will be passed on trays while the stars are arriving at the after party. The recipe is a little complicated, but worth the effort and time. To make spicy tuna tartare in a sesame miso cone as an appetizer at your next star-worthy event, read more

In case you've been under a rock, and have been missing out on all of our Pre-Oscar Coverage, you'll know that we've been spotlighting what the stars will be eating, recipes you can make for your own Oscar party, recipes that are inspired by Oscar-nominated films, drinks that are appropriate, and just about everything else you need to get your foodie self ready for Hollywood's biggest night.

And although we think we've cooked up some fantastic ideas for you, there are a bunch of other ideas out there. So let's have a look at what everyone else is doing.

To see what other sites have up their Oscar sleeves, read more

Lights, camera, action! It's almost showtime for my Oscars watching party where I'll dish on the best dresses, recap the most heart warming speeches, and enjoy the show in the comfort of my own home surrounded by my friends. If you follow my extensive party plan, you too can entertain during the Academy Awards. Start by mailing hand made invitations with gold foil Oscars. Next plan a menu using recipes Wolfgang Puck will serve to the stars at the Governor's Ball (such as bruschetta, pizza with caviar, and lemon bars). Serve Departinis and champagne. Decorate your living room with gold tones, white flowers, and roll out a red carpet. You may be thinking, wow she's made this so easy for me by thinking of it all... but not so fast, there is one more step in this equation: the music. To see my soundtrack for the ultimate Oscars viewing soirée, read more

Food plays an important role in the film that got Penelope Cruz a best actress Oscar nomination, Volver. Raimunda, Cruz's character, receives food from her deceased mother and ends up running a restaurant in Madrid. The food in the movie, like that in the Spanish culture, symbolizes a sense of community, family, and tradition. Instead of hiring a restaurant or caterers to prepare the food in the film, director Pedro Almodovar recruited his two sisters to cook authentic dishes from his childhood in La Mancha. In the movie, Tortilla Española, perhaps the most common traditional dish, is paired with my personal favorite Spanish dish, Pisto Manchego (I like to eat my pisto the Andalucian way with a fried egg and French fries). For the recipes and to watch the trailer for Volver, read more

Using lettuce as a substitute for a tortilla, plate, or chip has become very trendy due to its obvious health benefits and the interesting idea of deconstructing the salad. There is also an air of extreme sophistication when lettuce cups are involved, as if even the most daintiest of Hollywood starlets would easily and rapidly devour the chic little chicken dishes. Nicole, Mischa, and Co. will hopefully (if they're in the mood for eating) be nibbling on these at the Academy Awards after-party this Sunday night, but I propose that we get a jump-start on the celebration and make them for tonight's dinner. If you're down for the recipe, read more