A simple menu, a few friends, some jammies and the right 'tude and you'll turn a long awards show into a great excuse for a party.
By JANET K. KEELER
Published February 25, 2004
[Times art: Steve Madden]
Who’s who? Attending our mythical Oscar party are, clockwise from bottom left, Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Bill Murray (Lost in Translation), Diane Keaton (Something's Gotta Give), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), plus directors Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings) and Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation).
You'd best not serve any food at all if you want to emulate the A-list Hollywood celebs for your Oscar party on Sunday night.
They don't appear to eat much.
That would explain all the sylphlike figures in revealing couture. The only bulging stomach we're likely to see on the red carpet belongs to the pregnant Marcia Gay Harden (nominated for best supporting actress for Mystic River).
Okay, serving a big plate of nada is harsh, especially when you've invited friends over to join you, Joan and Melissa in the fashion-bashing. Your guests will need something to keep up their strength between oohing and aahing over Nicole Kidman's gown and making fun of Sharon Stone's hair.
You could get all fancy-pants and make it a formal affair, requiring sequins, Champagne and caviar. But asking your guests to dress up is the wrong way to go. Tell them to come in their pajamas or sweat pants. It's a long night, and ready-to-wear (or sleep) makes more sense. Plus, there's a certain skewed poetry about people without makeup passing judgment on the shellacked.
That's the fun of the Oscars. Because - come clean - how many of the nominated movies have you seen?
You could consider making it a costume party, which can be as easy as Johnny Depp's grungy bandanna and braids from Pirates of the Caribbean or as complicated as anyone (or thing) from The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Though she wasn't nominated, Scarlett Johansson's blue scarf and dangling earbob from Girl With a Pearl Earring is also a costume contender.
The Hollywood glitterati may need weeks to prepare for this one night, but with a mere day's work you can grab the best party Oscar. With a nod to your low-carbing buddies, serve cobb salad, piled high with bacon and meat and hard-boiled eggs. Born at the Brown Derby, the legendary Hollywood haunt, the cobb represents old glamor. Nouveau chic can come in the form of trendy cocktails, or Diet Coke with Lime.
Don't want to cook? Heat up Wolfgang Puck frozen pizzas. They're mighty tasty, even if they're not as elegant as what he's serving at the Governor's Ball. If you're going the junk food route, set out bowls of chips and dips, M&M's, plus cheese and crackers. Make it decent cheese, though, such as Etorki, mild sheep's milk cheese from the Pyrenees in France, or British derby. Popcorn is a must.
(See accompanying story for food ideas inspired by the nominated movies. Don't worry, there are no recipes for sea biscuits.)
It's too late to send invitations in the mail, but a good party is only a few cell-phone calls away. That's more Hollywood anyway. Or log on to www.evite.com free or www.sendomatic.com (not free) for themed invitations that can be sent via e-mail. Recipients can RSVP by hitting a few buttons.
Other tips for an award-winning get-together:
* The show begins at 8 p.m. on ABC-Ch. 28, but the real fun starts at 6 p.m. on E! Entertainment Network when Joan and Melissa Rivers alternately trash and flatter any actor they can lay air-kisses on. (Notice they ask "who are you wearing?" not "what are you eating?") Have your guests come at about 5:45 p.m. to get the full brunt of the mother-daughter rag team. The top four awards (best actor and actress, director and movie) probably won't be announced until after 10:30 p.m. and only diehards will be left. It is a school night, you know.
* Roll out the red carpet from your front door. This will let guests know you're serious about these awards. Football lovers have their Super Bowl; this is your equivalent. Set up two TVs, one for the serious watchers, the other for the guests who want to hoot and holler about every speech and misstep.
* Goody bags aren't just for preschoolers and Oscar presenters. You can't beat the extravagance of the $20,000-plus bags doled out to presenters, but you can be more clever. Replace cell phones, cameras and designer clothes with homemade cookies, Big Lots bling-bling, disposable cameras, video store or movie theater gift certificates and a People magazine. Or just give everyone biggie size Peppermint Patties or Jujyfruits.
* Who cares if you and your guests haven't seen all or any of the nominated movies. Everyone has an opinion, so ask your guests to fill out ballots. They can even use St. Petersburg Times movie critic Steve Persall's predictions coming in Sunday's Floridian as a cheat sheet. Make a ballot or print the one at www.oscar.com Give prizes for the winner (an IOU for a DVD of the best picture) and the loser (a VHS tape of Bennifer's Gigli).
* More fun and games could include Academy Awards bingo. Make bingo cards using Oscar-centric words such as Valentino, cleavage, Armani, 76th annual, Nicholson, Crystal (as in host Billy), Army Archerd, mother, thank you, statuette, surprised, etc. Guests mark off words as they hear them. First one to get five in a row (the middle has to be NO FREEBIES), wins the game. Consider a trivia game including obscure facts about the nominees. (Did you know that the mother of Charlize Theron, best actress favorite for Monster, shot and killed Charlize's drunken father in self-defense?)
The nominees can't control the outcome of the voting, but you can make sure your party is a winner with a little planning, an irreverent sense of humor and a love of the movies.
And after it's over, you can thank the little people.
1/2 cup finely grated (or crumbled) Roquefort cheese
For French dressing:
1/4 cup water (optional)
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1/2 small lemon
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry English mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup olive oil
1 cup vegetable oil
For salad: Arrange iceberg lettuce, watercress, chicory and romaine in artful clumps in large shallow bowl or deep platter. Halve the tomatoes, seed, cut into fine dice and arrange in strip across middle of greens. Dice chicken and arrange on top of greens. Crumble or fine-chop bacon and sprinkle over salad.
Finely dice avocado and wreathe around edge of salad. Decorate with hard-cooked eggs, chives and Roquefort.
Just before serving, add 1 cup dressing, bring to the table and toss well in front of guests.
For dressing: Shake water (if using), vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, mustard and garlic in 1-quart shaker jar. Add olive and vegetable oils and shake well. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust as needed.
Cover tightly and store in refrigerator. Shake before using.
Serves four.
- Source: "The American Century Cookbook" by Jean Anderson (Clarkson Potter; October 1997).
