Your Dream Oscars Party Menu Is Here

For the 87th Academy Awards, plain old crudité with some crackers and cheese just won’t do. If everybody else gets to look their best on Oscar night, so should our snacks. We dressed up our favorite party platters for the gala event. The following bites have been nominated for best snack performance in an edible picture:
Black Tie Crudité with Whipped Ricotta

Veg and dip are actually pretty easy to dress up. Instead of a rainbow of different crunchy vegetables, choose the fairest of them all. A mixture of white vegetables—like baby turnips, fennel, endive, and even pale green lettuce—makes an elegant presentation when cast alongside a strong supporting cast-member. Whipped ricotta is just about the easiest dip around (it’s good with chips or crackers, too). It’s especially striking when dusted with charred onion powder. We call it “The Tuxedo Effect.”
Lambs in a Blanket

We went with spicy merguez here, with a tangy cilantro dip to cut the heat. Think of these as an unexpectedly moving comedic performance.
Duck Confit Crostini with Pickled Cherries and Duck Cracklings

Angie’s doing it. J. Lo’s doing it. Go on, show a little leg. Here we employed our new favorite trick of crisping up duck skin for a savory garnish. Pickled cherries cut the richness of the duck mixture, and they’re also great tossed into leafy salads or with roasted vegetables, too (that’s why the recipes leaves you with a little extra). You’ll keep thinking about this performance long after you’ve left the theater.
Popcorn with Nutritional Yeast and Aleppo Pepper, Popcorn with Herb Salt, Popcorn with Dried-Shrimp Salt

What’s a movie night without popcorn? We’re a little obsessed with nutritional yeast right now, so we blitzed some up with Aleppo pepper and salt for that spicy-cheesy popcorn vibe. Try the herb salt with whatever herbs you have on hand, or the dried shrimp salt if you’re feeling adventurous. This is an addictive snack you’ll want to sneak in to the theater.
Apple and Fontina Grilled Cheese

You know how Meryl Streep is just good in everything? Always? This recipe is like that.
Deep-Fried Beets with Horseradish Dip

We love the idea of disguising something in an unexpected role. (Like putting Steve Carell in a prosthetic nose.) Instead of traditional cocktail meatballs we breaded and fried marinated beets for a surprising presentation, then served them alongside something rich and creamy. Like Channing Tatum.
Each of these snacks are honored simply to have been nominated in this category. They’d like to thank the Academy, their team, and the entire cast and crew for making this dream into a reality.