Create our 2015 Oscars®-Inspired Menu!

Oscars® season has been a WHIRLWIND! Not only was the Pre-Oscars® event on February 20 at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center a big success, but the Academy Awards® show and evening were fabulous. Neil Patrick Harris was a lot of fun to watch as were the fashions. And then… then there was the food.

Everything was really delicious. And my mom made the statuette cookies again! Giovanni Gonzales of GioHomes Real Estate was the “big winner” in our Oscar® ballot pool! We had 2 big losers who shall remain nameless. Ha!

To make this year’s menu, check out the video and recipes below!  

Grand BudaPesto Mozzarell’:

• 1 bunch basil
• 2 sprigs Italian (plain or flat) parsley
• 3-ish oz. pine nuts
• 2-ish oz. walnuts
• 1/2 cup grated romano cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2-1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 baguette or thin loaf of Italian bread
• 1 large fresh mozzarella
• 4-6 vine ripe tomatoes

Cut the bread into thin slices, spread with olive oil and lightly toast – set aside. Add basil, parsley, pine nuts, walnuts, cheese, garlic, salt & pepper to a blender or food processor. Drizzle in generous amount of olive oil – you can add as you go. Blend until it is a paste-like consistency. Place a slice of tomato & fresh mozzarella on the toasted bread. Top with a generous spoon of pesto – add basil leaf for garnish!

BoyHash:

• 1-2 large peppers
• 1 medium onion
• 2 yukon or new potatoes
• 1/2 lb. white mushrooms
• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• salt & pepper to taste
• extra virgin olive oil

Dice peppers, onion, potatoes, and mushrooms. Remove casing from sausage. In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil and over medium heat, add peppers and onions. Sauté until they start to soften and add potatoes. Once they start to get tender, add the sausage. When that starts to brown, add the mushrooms. Be sure to season generously with salt & pepper as you go. When everything is thoroughly blended and cooked through, plate and serve.

BirdHam or (The Unexpected Combo of Deliciousness):

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 4-6 slices prosciutto
• 4-6 slices fontina cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 tbsp. butter
• salt & pepper
• 4 oz. white wine
• 4 oz. chicken stock
• 1 oz. tomato sauce (optional)

Whisk eggs in a bowl and set aside. Add flour to dish and set aside. Slice a pocket into the chicken breast and add one slice each of prosciutto and cheese. Close the pocket and dip in egg and dredge in flour. Drizzle olive oil in a skillet and heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook through on both sides until it’s golden brown. Remove from pan. Add butter, salt & pepper, wine, stock, and tomato sauce to the pan on low heat, blending well together. Ladle over chicken and serve.

WhipMash:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 head garlic*
• 1/2 cup half & half (or cream – can also use non-dairy option – up to you)
• 2 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped
• salt & pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• truffle oil – white or black

Cut the top off the garlic bulb and peel away the outside skin. Place on foil and drizzle olive oil over it. Bake for about 45 minutes at 400° until brown and tender – when ready to use, just squeeze it out of the bulb (*if you’re short on time, chop and sauté garlic cloves in a pan with olive oil until tender and brown). Cut cauliflower into florets & steam until tender. In a bowl or blender, add cauliflower, half & half, salt & pepper, and garlic. Blend or mash until it’s the preferred consistency. Sprinkle parsley on top and drizzle with truffle oil to taste.

The Imitation Grain:

• 1/4 cup wild rice
• 2 medium shallots
• 2 medium zucchini
• salt & pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Prepare wild rice according to package instructions. Chop shallots and zucchini. In a pan, drizzle olive oil and sauté shallots until translucent and tender. Add zucchini with salt & pepper to taste. Cook until tender. Combine with rice, mix well, and serve.

The Pere with Everygreen:

• 1/2 head Tuscan kale, chopped
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 endive, chopped
• 1-2 pears, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1″ piece fresh ginger, grated
• 1 orange
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1/8 cup white balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper

Combine kale, romaine, endive, pears, and hazelnuts in a large bowl, In a smaller bowl, add olive oil and ginger, the orange zest and juice, honey, vinegar, and salt & pepper. Whisk and pour over the salad. Mix well and serve.

Selmalina:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups semolina flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9×13 dish. Cream butter & sugar then add eggs, milk, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk semolina flour, baking powder, and baking soda then gradually mix well into wet mixture. Spread the batter evenly in the dish and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and tester comes out clean.

You can do any kind of glaze or topping – honey, berries, etc. but here’s the our yummy trusty chocolate glaze:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar

Melt butter in small saucepan, add cocoa and water, stirring until it thickens – don’t boil. Take off heat, add vanilla then little by little, whisk in confectioner’s sugar. Spread over cake, cut and serve.

Americream Piper:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg, divided
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 5-6 tbsp. water
• cannoli forms*
• 1 quart vegetable or canola oil

In a large bowl, mix flour, butter, sugar, salt, egg yolk, vinegar, and vanilla. Add water as needed until the dough forms. Roll out until about 1/8″ thick and, using a 4″ bowl or glass, cut out dough circles. Keep rolling out and cutting until you’ve used all the dough. You should have about 16 rounds. Wrap each around a cannoli form and seal with egg white – be sure to pinch the dough so it won’t open when frying. In a deep pot, heat oil on high. Carefully drop dough with cannoli form in and fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and cool. Take out cannoli form.

*To create cannoli forms, use a wooden dowel or the end of a broom or mop and roll into a folded piece of aluminum foil and remove. Repeat until you have about 16 forms.

All you need now is cannoli cream:

• 2 lbs. ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. half & half
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. If you don’t have a piping bag, spoon cream into a resealable plastic bag, close and snip one corner to create piping bag. Generously pipe the cream into each shell and enjoy.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! And don’t forget the last 20 years of our Oscar® Menus – click to get your copy of KitchAnnette™ Red Carpet Menus!