I spent the rest of the day cooking. Except for a nibble here and there while I prepared dishes, I didn't eat until it was time for the Oscar party. At 2pm, my friend and artisan baker Céline came by with a fantastic Avatar cake she made just for me. Thanks Céline!
Céline will make any cake you want in a flash and they are not just pretty - they taste really good, too. I was taken aback by the huge butterfly, but then Céline said "It's for the 3-D effect!" I laughed and decided to add some 3-D glasses I had in a drawer somewhere. If you want to order a cake, just drop me a comment and I'll give you Céline's number. You an also get her to put her mad cake skillz to work for you by reaching her via Twitter.
The dishes I served where inspired by the ten nominated movies. Some where more to the point than others, but I had fun coming up with them. And I almost ran out of food, so I guess it was tasty, too! We also drank many, many bottle of champagne.
Up in the Air: Up in the Airtini
I used a punch recipe from Espace Cocktail (a Web site I work on a lot for SAQ at the agency) and filled each bottle with the mix. Yes, they were filled with vodka before. Yes, I opened and emptied each one. Yes, I now have a shaker full of vodka.
An Education: smoked trout, BBQ salmon, salmon mousse, smoked carp
It was a salmon and trout lesson, an education about fish. :)
District 9: shrimp boiled with Old Bay, water and rice vinegar, served with aïoli
The aliens in the movie are nicknamed "prawns" so that one was a doozy. And I'm so glad that I finally found a source to get Old Bay - the fish store at Marché Maisonneuve!
Up: cherry tomatoes stuffed with goat cheese
I used a piece of foam from the box of my new tv to make the stand for the picks that served as "balloon strings".
The Hurt Locker: meatballs with "bomb wires" pepper and chive garnish, serve with spicy "kaboom" sauce
This is the dish I had the most fun making. Thank got it didn't explode! Mouhahaha!
The Blind Side: Mac & cheese flavored with truffle butter
It's all about the pun, baby.
Precious: zucchini and basil salad
I had no clue what to do for Precious, so I went for the lifestyle change recommendation.
A Serious Man: Korean-style pork belly sandwich
The guy (a Jewish dude in the movie) is saying "Seriously, is this kosher?" It was not. (I know the R is missing, I fixed it after taking the picture).
Inglorious Basterds: whipped cream and berries
Remember that scene in the movie where he's going on and on about putting whipped cream on his pastry? Yeah.
We watched the show, ate a lot and had a merry old time.
Money spent on food today: 0
