Deviled Eggs + The Perfect Oscar Party

Did your ticket for the Oscars arrive this week? If not, host your own soirée in the comfort of your own home. You could dress up in your formal best or simply be in your best lounge wear. The event could be a cocktail party, a casual bubbly and appetizer get together, a glamorous or informal dinner or large blow out party – you choose.

Unfortunately hubby never fully embraced the award show season and I can certainly respect that. It doesn’t stop me from heading upstairs to watch either the Grammies or Oscars, while he catches up on his recorded shows he loves. Thought I would share with all of you my idea of the Perfect Oscar Party.

It would be a smaller affair with approximately 6 to 8 guests. The invitation would be simple with a white background, the Oscar statue on the left side of the 5 x 7 card with the details printed in gold letters and high grade stock paper. The theme would be casual cocktail party attire and bring your slippers, since we are a shoeless house. For fun, I would put a “red carpet” on the front porch to set the theme for the evening along with purchasing a few Oscar statues for the entry, family room, guest bathroom and bar area. To add the glitz, some confetti and gold metallic streamers or ribbon would adorn the various areas.

The festivities would begin around 4 or 5pm, to allow for all the guests to give their reviews of the celebrities walking down the red carpet. A red carpet checklist would be given to each guest to jot down their picks for best dressed female and male, worst dressed female and male along with most outrageously dressed female and male plus a few other notable categories. Everyone can compare notes during the evening.  The result will be great conversation.

Since hosting this special event, the party would be held in our family room where the television is best viewed. All the appetizers would be front and center around the large coffee table and easy access for all guests to enjoy while being more casual. Small appetizer plates and gold napkins would be placed along side the elegant nibbles. Speaking of appetizers, my menu would include:

• Assorted Deviled Eggs
• Bacon wrapped Madjool Dates
• Stilton and Walnut Palmiers
• Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli
• Truffled Butter and Parmesan Popcorn
• Brown Butter Nuts with Rosemary and Thyme

No cocktail party is complete without a signature cocktail. My signature cocktail would be the St-Germain Cocktail. I would rename it either – “Midnight in Paris”, “Moneyball” or “The Help”. Along with the signature cocktail, would be an assortment of wine, beer and a small bar to make mixed drinks. The bar would be set up on the kitchen island in a serve yourself motif with oscar statues and gold confetti.

During the Oscar event, each guest would have an Oscar Bingo card that you could find here or create your own. The idea being that when a person, action or activity occurred you would be able to mark that square. Probably best to play black out bingo, meaning crossing out each square. Choose a small prize and award the first person to black out the card.

Adding to my bag of tricks would be an Oscar Ballot for each person to predict the winner in the various categories. I would stick with the most well known categories and then award a small prize to the person who has the most correct on the ballot. Prizes could range from movie tickets, itunes gift card to download the songs from the winning movie or a small gift bag with popcorn and assorted seasons to make gourmet popcorn. Let your imagination run wild.

The finale for the evening would be the dessert. Perhaps an elegant crème brulee, a gourmet ice cream bar, assorted handmade cookies or your favorite chocolate truffles placed onto a cake stand. The possibilities are endless.

Deviled eggs are actually one of my hubby’s favorite foods. Perhaps that might entice him to watch the Oscars. Smile. Wink. The simplicity of these two bite wonders make for a great canvas for gourmet topping options that are endless yet add sophistication to a normally simple food. Lately I have enjoyed serving deviled eggs as a fun appetizer. I believe that I have found the perfect balance of seasonings that have earned much praise. Wanted to share with all of you, so if you do host an Oscar party on Sunday, this might be a consideration for your menu.

Deviled Eggs

12 Eggs

1 T. Vinegar

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with 2 to 3 inches of cold water. Place on the burner and gently bring to a boil and add the vinegar to the water. The vinegar will help to keep the egg whites from running out should an egg crack during the boiling process. Let the water come to a boil and then remove from the heat or you can simply turn off the burner and cover the pan with a lid. Let sit for about 12 to 13 minutes.

Either remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and put into an ice bath or simply drain the water and add cold water. You can then crack gently and remove the shell. I keep warm water running and remove the shells.

Filling

Eggs yolks, cooked

7 T. Mayonnaise
2 t. Yellow mustard
¼ to ½ t. Salt

In a bowl, add the cooked egg yolks and mash well with a fork until no large lumps remain. Add the mayo, mustard and salt. Beat vigorously to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or mustard to please your palate. Use either a piping bag or small cookie scoop to fill each egg.

Toppings

Fried Capers – simply place a tablespoon or more onto a paper towel to dry. In a small frying pan, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Heat on medium and place the dry capers onto the pan and cook until crispy. Remove to cool.

Applewood Smoked Bacon and Chives – cook 1 piece of bacon until crispy, let cool and cut into small pieces. Mince the chives finely.

Green olives – let drain on a paper towel until dry. Chop medium to fine.

Crab and Srirachi – use three small bits of crab and a small amount of Srirachi on top of the crab.