It’s the 2018 Red Carpet Menu for Oscar®!
For Phantom Thread, it’s Phantom Shred!
Phantom Thread is a LOT. It’s visually beautiful. Had a certain feel… a style that was so alluring. Daniel Day-Lewis was fabulous as usual. At times he seemed curmudgeonly, at others he seemed a young man again… excited and unfettered. He might say he’s retiring from acting but I don’t know…
I’ll admit it… when the nominations were announced, this was the only film I hadn’t seen. I immediately called my mom – she had seen it so if there were any “food clues” I could use to devise the dish, that would be great. She said there was nothing. OK. I saw it the very next night and couldn’t believe that there was a MAJOR food component. Ohhhhh my mom… she didn’t forget the mushrooms but I think the poisonous part just had them as “not food” in her mind. Hahahaha!
I’d already come up with the name and had a vision of what I wanted. I also knew there had to be a “phantom” ingredient. Eureka! Shredded potatoes… mushrooms… shallots (my father suggested them instead of a stronger onion flavor) and shredded WHITE sweet potato. Taste it but you can’t see it… YES!!! “Phantom Shred” was born!!
I made a couple of attempts in coming up with this recipe. I saw what I wanted in my mind but it wasn’t happening. FRUSTRATION! But then I got out of my own way and… voila! It’s super easy to make and super scrumptious to devour.
It’s a cross between a huge latke (or potato nik) and a potato rösti. Sub matzo meal for the flour… exclude it entirely (get that extra liquid out if you do). If it breaks, just form it back together. Get a nice crunch on that baby! Ohhhhh I love this.
But we’re not done with sides… let’s get to the next one!
Happy Oscars!
Annette
