Oscar Party - A Glam Night In

Nothing beats an Oscar party. There's fun and excitement along with a chance to celebrate the winners and favorites. It's also a chance to have lush food,  and eat your beloved stars and directors. Get out the champagne bottles and party rich !!!.

Of course you could have foods that tie into the nominated movies. The Darkest Hour could be celebrated with fish and chips. It's a great choice but choose something a bit more decadent. Think clotted cream with strawberries or smoked Scottish salmon on Melba toast.You could also do Yorkshire pudding cups filled with roast beef  and gravy. The Shape Of Water takes place in Baltimore and you could serve crab cake sliders with cole slaw but try the more elegant.crab legs in butter.Crab legs can be bought at any seafood market or grocery store. If these are a bit out of your budget then think shrimp instead. Serve it with the easy to make champagne beurre blanc sauce. This is just sauteing champagne vinegar, and brut champagne with shallots and thyme and then adding one cup of chilled and diced butter.Chopped button mushrooms are also thrown in  for texture and flavor. Call Me By Your Name takes place in Northern Italy.  A truly posh dish is risotto with truffle oil. If this is just a bit too expensive, then just think about a Parmesan risotto laced with cremini mushrooms. Finish with a truly decadent sabayon, the Madeira laced eggy custard of Northern Italy.

Another idea is eating like the stars. Caviar can be spooned on crackers. Pair it with a dry water cracker so that the taste isn't overshadowed. The roe can be mixed with crab and put on a roasted potato slice. Many after Oscar parties will feature filet mignon. This tender cut can be turned into a tasty hors d'ouvre by putting them on crostini.Another idea is turning them into kebobs with the addition of grape tomatoes and green peppers. The meat can also be turned into mini Beef Wellingtons.They're relaltively easy to make, thanks to using store bought puff pastry.Mushrooms, shallots and onions are  finely chopped up to create duxelles which are also included in the puff. Prosciutto can be added as well, wrapped around the filet mignon before it's enrobed in dough.What to drink with all of this? Champagne , of course! You could splurge on Dom Perignon at $150 a bottle  or Cristal at a whopping $199 a bottle. For a more affordable yet still rich sip, try Moet & Chandon for $60. End with  cupcakes dusted with gold sanding sugar and the lush coffee Kopi Iwuak,which is made from a Asian palm civet's poo. Yup civet mess.,It may be gross but it's supposed to be the best in the world. If this is too gross then settle on Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon blend at $24 a pound.It has a black cherry and butter flavor, perfect with Godiva truffles .

Oscar night is a time of celebrating and eating well. Toast your faves with a glass of champagne and lush, rich nibbles and treats. There's nothing like a glam night of fun!!!

Food Fit For Francis I

Pope Francis is here in the States  and many are probably wondering what does he eat. What's his culinary background? He comes from a good one, His parents and grandparents are from Piedmonte  and Genoa,Italy so there's excellent meals on that side and a bevy of good Argentinian dishes that he also grew up  eating. It makes for a rich and  flavorful food history.

Pope Frances I was born Jorge Mario  Borgoglio in Flores , a barrio or neighborhood of Buenos Aires. His mother's family was Piedmontese and Genovese, probably coming over during the crossover immigration of the late 1800's His father 's family left in the early 1930's.He surely had to grow up on bagna calda , made with good Argentinian beef . This really is pure heaven, a dipping sauce made with anchovies, garlic butter and oil is heated in a fondue pot. Beef  and various veggies such as Savoy cabbage  is dipped into it and cooked. Its' usually served in the winter months and for New Year's Every Piedmontese kid grows up on polenta   and it 's usually made a variety of ways, from cooked with eggs sunny side up to chicken and mushroom gravy, cacciatore style.Risotto or risott (as my family on both sides of the Atlantic call it )is another kitchen must. have. We make ours with tomato  and porcini mushrooms.. How do the Piedmontese end their meals? With the ethereal eggy custard  sabayon. This is a  simple mix of egg yolks , Marsala and sugar cooked over a double boiler. The sweetness is cut with delicate espresso cups full of strong espresso laced liberally with grappa.

Pope Francis ' also grew up with Argentinian food . Since the country is known for its' beef asado or barbecue is popular and often made at family gatherings. Sausage or chorizo  is also served as is morcilla or blood sausage. Other animal parts  like chitterlings are also cooked and served with chimichurri,a take on the Piedmontese salsa verde, made with parsley ,garlic and olive oil along with white vinegar.(it 's big in Piedmonte , usually served with beef tongue).Noquis , the Argentinian version of gnocchi is also made as are fettucini and tagiatelle. Buenos Ayres  enjoys Argentine style pizza but it is baked with a layer of chickpea flour dough on top to create a version of pizza rustica a covered or smothered pie.Argentina also has the Mesopotamia section in its' northeast section of the country offers many different kinds of indigenous fish and papaya dishes.Pantagonia, the rugged southern part that's pointed towards Antarctica  features mutton and lamb along with both freshwater fish such as trout and seafood. Berries grow in abundance here, providing the country with strawberries, bilberries cherries and rosa mosqueta, or sweet briar The country is also responsible for the culinary phenomenon dulce de leche which is poured over cakes and even pancakes.

Pope Frances is a humble man with simple tastes. Yet one can't help but wonder what lush Piedmontese or Argentinian dish is his favorite. There is so much to choose from and hopefully he treats himself to one  of them from time to time.

Piedmonte''s Fall Feast

One of the best places to be in autumn is Piedmonte in the northwestern corner of Italy. This is where fall comes to life, with bright colors and bountiful harvests.It''s also a time for the dishes of the season , both hearty and delicate.

Truffles usher in the change of season and they are abundant in the specifically designated forest lands.These fungi , the diamonds of the food world, are used in pasta dishes as well as in flavoring oil and make a fine meal on a crisp October Sunday. Another cool weather favorite is bagna calda,literally hot bathin both the French influnced dialect and Italian.This is a savory and addictive blend of anchovies , butter and olive oil. cooked with garlic to create a bubbling sauce. Various veggies form mushrooms to Savoy cabbage are dipped into it and cooked. London Broil or any steak can also be cut up and the pieces cooked in it. The highlight however is soaking chunks of Italian bread in the sauce and then devouring them.

Fall desserts in the Turino and surrounding countryside are also wonderful. The Piedmontese are fond of fritters an make them using apples or even chestnut flour.Zabaglione or sabayon, a rich egg yolk custard made with Marsala wine often finishes a meal. The best dessert, though, is bonet, literally bonnet, a tasty treat harking back to the Renaissance,This is a slow baked creme caramel, made with crushed amaretto cookies , along with rum and cocoa powder.It can be made without the chocolate powder to emulate the original 15th Century recipe. The name means "hat' and could refer to the dessert's shape or that fact that like a hat it's the last thing considered. Either way it's a lovely dessert , served with espresso.

Piedmonte is beautiful in the fall. It is full of colors, flavors and aromas of good food. This is the season to enjoy it and its rich, culinary history.

Delicate and Cool Peach Dishes

Peaches are one of those warm weather treats that work well in every dessert.They are sweet but not overpowering ,juicy ,but not so much.The Italians know what to do with them especially during these sweltering times.Turn them into cool and elegant desserts, perfect ends to a summer 's late supper. Dave Tanis explored this in yesterday's City Kitchen column in yesterday's New YorkTimes Dining section.He has a couple of recipes perfect for the current crop.The first is the sheerly simple bath in red wine.Use a medium red wine along with sugar.For bite Mr. tanis gives the fillip of freshly ground black pepper along with Ginger and nutmeg.This cuts down on the sugar and makes the dish thoroughly refreshing.You can add a few blackberries ,as the recipe suggests, for color and variety. The second ish is a bit more labor intensive but still tasty.It is the absolutely heavenly zabaglione mixed with the peaches.Zabaglione or sabayon as the Piedmontese call it , is an ethereal blend of egg yolks,sugar and Marsala wine.This is whipped into a froth as it cooks in a bain marie or double boiler.The custard is then poured into individual frappé or coupe dishes.The peaches are layered on top until they lightly sink in. This is the time for ripe , juicy peaches.Try them in an elegant Italian style either with a cold spiced wine bath or gracing a dessert glass of sabayon.These are two ,chic yet simple ways to have this gem of the season.

Bibi'z Elegant NJ Dining

Elegant dining and New Jersey usually aren't used in the same sentence. However there are cities,such as Westwood, Red Bank , and Westfield that are known as restaurant towns. Westwood has several excellent places. one is Bibi'z an eatery that combines style with culinary savvy. I had the chance to eat there last night with friends. the vibe is Village trendy without the snobbery.There is a slant on Middle Eastern cooking .Hummus and lamb feature in the appetizers as the last is also prominent in the main courses too. The lamb appetizer I had was excellent. It was two small and meaty Tbone chops ,perfectly grilled. the inside was just tender to the point of melting in my mouth.I also had Bibi'z soup of the day, a bouillabaisse that had what tasted like duck and chicken in it. friends had the shrimp and braised lamb shanks ,which were said to be excellent. Of course the champagne we had with our meal added another special touch.It was the California Roederer Estate which was very brut Bibi'z dessert menu was as elegant as the rest of their menu.I could not resist their small bowl of jasmine infused sabayon over a trio of berries .It was delicate and creamy ,denser from the usual egg rich froth. The tiramisu also very good.What I also liked Bibi'z attention to their tea and coffee. I had the choice of seven or eight different flavors. With it came a small tray of additions such as lumps of both brown and white sugar ,a small flagon of honey and tiny lemon wedges. My friend's cappuccino came with the same sugar along with small bowls of shaved chocolate and ground cinnamon. New Jersey is known for its' raucous diners with their big platters of comfort food.However there are, small elegant restaurants - bistros really - that serve four star foods .Bibi'z is one of them. Bibi'z is located at 284 Center Ave., Westwood New Jersey 07675 go to www.bibi'z.com for reservations and to see the entire menu

Panettone - Fruitcake Done Right

Mention fruitcake to anyone and you're sure to get a wrinkled nose or gagging sounds. Let's face it. No one likes a leaden loaf fill with fruit that looks like it was picked during the Neolithic era. However leave it to the Italians to save this culinary reject and turn it into something chic and class. Panettone is the perfect holiday fruitcake. It can be served with everything from breakfast coffee to after dinner wine.

Panettone is a true Milanese invention. The name itself means "large loaf" in Italian but legend has it it was either named for the baker Toni, it or for the an assistant who helped bake it.Legend also has it that it was first served at the wedding of noted Milanse nobleman and falconer , Ughetto Atellani to for Toni's daughter Adalgisa. There's also the Christmas legend that a cook had nothing to give out for the holy day so he concocted a bread full of candied fruit and raisins. Not wanting to take credit he said his assistant Toni made it, hence pan de Toni or panettone. A few centuries later, Angelo Motta , a Milanese baker produced it fro the masses in 1919. Another baker , Gioacchino Alamagna did the same and a rivalry broke out. Motta is credited with giving the bread its' modern look, He let the dough rise to three times the normal height for bread during a period of twenty hours. (usually most bread is left to rise for only twelve. hours before baking). The average panettone is about ten inches high and almost impossible to toast in a toast in a toaster. Every slice has to be halved to have it warmed.

How to eat panettone? My one cousin in Piedmonte's Val Susa, Pat, scoops out the middle and fills it with a sweetened form of marscapone cheese. Sabayon is also used . It is then served as a fancy dessert with after dinner coffee. In the US my family an d I like it plain with butter slathered on the slices, usually for dessert. You can make French toast with any leftover panettone but go easy on the syrup afterwards. It's also a delicious base for bread pudding too.

This Christmas don't settle for the usual fruitcake. Get a panettone for yourself. It'll be the best X-mas gift ever!