This Sunday, award season will reach its pinnacle when millions tune in to see who takes home an Academy Award. Since the Oscars only come once a year, I suggest making a night out of it. Not throwing or attending an Oscars viewing party? Then saddle up to the sofa and enjoy one of these dishes, inspired by old-school TV dinners, while you kick back, relax, and enjoy the show.
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While on the first date with the love of her life, Édith Piaf — one of France's most beloved popstars — demands that her date, Marcel Cerdan, take her to a fancy restaurant. The boxer hopes to dine on pastrami sandwiches while Piaf— a diva in her own time — is hungry for tournedos rossini. A decadent dish that includes a thick slab of steak, foie gras, truffles, and a red-wine sauce, tournedos rossini are not for every day. They do however, make a wonderfully romantic and elegant meal. To see the recipe and check out a clip from La Vie En Rose — the movie that got Marion Cotillard a best actress nomination — read more
I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!
Chances are, you've heard about the milkshake line from the Oscar-nominated film There Will Be Blood — don't forget to fill out your Oscar ballot! — and even though the milkshake in the movie is just a metaphor, I still can't help but crave one each time I hear the line. To cool down your Oscar party, I suggest you whip up a batch of milkshakes. You could go any flavor, but why not keep up a theme with blood orange milkshakes? Whatever you do, just be sure to have really long straws.
And in case you haven't seen the infamous milkshake scene, I've found it for you. You can find it, plus a recipe for a blood orange milkshake, when you read more
While food doesn't necessarily come to mind when thinking of the Oscar-nominated film Atonement, a cocktail might. The cocktail featured is a chocolate concoction created by a minor character named Paul Marshall. A chocolate magnate and friend of older brother Leon, Paul attempts to wow the Tallis family with his chocolate cocktail. He's incredibly unsuccessful; it's impossibly hot and humid and a chocolate martini is hardly a pool-side drink. However, when served in a more suitable atmosphere, a chocolate cocktail is tasty and delicious.
For a recipe that is much tastier than Paul Marshall's and a look at an extended trailer of the film, read more
With the writers' strike putting a pause on my favorite television series plot, I've started watching repeats of Gossip Girl. I recently caught the pilot and came across a scene in which Chuck feeds a drunk Serena a grilled cheese sandwich from his hotel's kitchen.
Not your ordinary grilled cheese — it's actually on the New York Palace Hotel's restaurant menu — this sandwich costs $50. So what makes it so divinely delicious and extra expensive? Thick-cut housemade bread, imported Italian Fontina cheese, and fresh shaved black truffles. To take a look at a clip from the episode and check out the recipe, read more
When PartySugar told me she was planning a movie night party based around French films, I was thrilled to see what she came up with. She's put together an amazing meal consisting of bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, French martinis, and chocolate soufflés, but there's one little thing she's forgotten: the crème brûlée! Whenever I see the film Amélie, the scene where she cracks the crème brûlée gets me every time. It's such an amazing sound and the scene is so adorable.
To enjoy the sound in your own home, print out the recipe for a delicious ginger-vanilla crème brûlée. Or satiate your sound craving with a video clip of Amélie enjoying one. You can get both of those things when you read more
To celebrate the New Year, I thought it would be fun to hunt down a New Year's related food clip. I wasn't sure what I was going to find, but I landed on a gem. If you remember the British show Absolutely Fabulous, then you'll recall the long-running joke about how Patsy never eats. Well in a shocking New Year's twist, she actually eats something solid! It's hard to see what this "Food Thing" is, but I've got a list of things it could be!
To check out the video clip where Patsy actually eats something, as well as a list of "Food Things" you can serve at your next party, read more
A few weeks ago, there was a great moment on 30 Rock that made me laugh out loud. Alec Baldwin's character, Jack Donaghy, says to the bartender, "I'll have a white rum with diet ginger ale and a splash of lime." Fast forward a few seconds later and the bartender presents him with his drink, "The Nancy Drew." Naturally, a man as masculine as Jack cannot be seen ordering a Nancy Drew, and therefore corrects the bartender by saying, "For men, it's called a Hardy Boy."
Sadly, there isn't actually a drink called a Nancy Drew — or a Hardy Boy for that matter — however that doesn't mean we can't make one. After all dark rum and ginger beer is perfect in a Dark and Stormy, so a lightened up version featuring ginger ale and light rum must also be delicious! To get the recipe and see the hysterical clip for yourself, read more
As a child, one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving — besides the turkey, pie, and Macy's parade — was the annual viewing of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I love the way that Snoopy and the gang had their own Thanksgiving without adults. Even though Peppermint Patty freaks out over the lack of turkey and pumpkin pie, I always thought it looked like a lot of fun. What child wouldn't want a a smorgasbord of treats — two pieces of buttered toast, pretzel sticks, popcorn, and jelly beans — while sitting around ping-pong table? Looking back on it now, I see part of the message is that it doesn't matter what you're eating, as long as it was made with love. So despite how your feast turns out — be it fantastic or forgettable — remember to take a deep breath and enjoy the day.
To see a clip of Snoopy and the gang prepping for their Thanksgiving feast, read more
