Excerpt: Oscar Night Party

the appetizer:

The Entertaining Encyclopedia by Denise Vivaldo, includes articles and recipes like International Party Themes; Wine and Cheese Parties; Cheese Board with Bread and Cracker Assortment; Oscar Night Party; and Crab and Blue Cheese Bundles.

Cookbook

Oscar Night Party

by Denise Vivaldo

Academy Awards night is big deal at my house. Friends come over, and I cook a lot of food. We drink Champagne, and we watch the show all day and all night. The next day, we have an "Oscar" hangover from watching for so long. (It couldn't be the Champagne!)

My best friend, Michael, a brilliant designer, has even been known to make Oscar Cheese. That's right: Cheddar cheese sculpted into a perfect Oscar statuette. Bette Davis would have howled! Oscar Night is not just the biggest night in Hollywood; it has become a worldwide tradition.

The recipes in this menu are all designed to be cooked before your guests arrive, and to be eaten with your fingers, if you like, in front of the television. I don't want you to miss a minute of the show!

My Favorite Blue Cheeses

Blue cheeses can be crumbly or creamy, with a taste ranging from mildly nutty to very earthy and salty. There are many excellent blues to choose from.

Cashel Blue is an Irish cheese that gets creamier and richer-tasting as it ages.
Fourme d'Ambert, one of France's oldest cheeses, is also one of my favorites. It's creamy enough to spread and has a mild taste.
Gorgonzola Dolcelatte, from Italy, is a mild, buttery cheese that becomes stronger as it ages.
Hook's Original Blue, from Wisconsin, is sweet, sharp and very intense.
Humboldt Fog, from California, is a goat's milk blue (very light on the "blue"). It is moist and crumbly, with a lemony tang.
Point Reyes Blue is another excellent California blue cheese, creamy and semi-firm in texture.
Roquefort, as dictated by European law, is aged in caves in the Roquefort-sur-Soulzon area of France. It's crumbly, very tangy and strong.
St. Agur Blue, a medium-strong French cheese, is pleasing to most palates.
Stilton is the English cheese. Moist and firm, it gets smoother and more buttery as it ages.
Valdeón is produced in Spain. Creamy, nutty and intensely flavored, it is also salty and just a little bit gritty.

from:
The Entertaining Encyclopedia
Essential Tips and Recipes for Perfect Parties
by Denise Vivaldo
Robert Rose 2009
Softcover/$24.95
ISBN-10: 0778802191
ISBN: 978-0-7788-0219-8
Excerpt reprinted by permission.

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