A Night at the Oscars
WARNING: VERY CHEESY HUMOR TO FOLLOW.
Blame it on the Mardi Gras vacation we’ve enjoyed this week, or the silly star-struck-ness that I feel towards the Academy Awards (or perhaps on the drink you see above…), but David and I decided on a whim yesterday to throw ourselves an Oscar party. This is sort of a tradition for us–last year, I even dressed up in an old bridesmaid’s dress (because my close friends sometimes read this blog, I won’t disclose which one!) and a plastic tiara to cook our party food and enjoy our evening with the stars.
I’m a total sucker for the Hollywood glam, and David and I are both movie fanatics, so I guess it’s no surprise that we watch the Oscars every year. This year, though, we’re taking our celebrating to a whole new corny level. And for some reason, I felt inclined to share our corniness with you. So, without further ado, I present the evening’s menu, and the recipe for the dessert cocktail pictured above.
To kick off the evening, we shall be having Constant Garden Salad, for which no illegally obtained pharmaceuticals will be used. We promise. For the main course, Brokeback Ribs glazed with a Chipotle-Marmalade sauce will be accompanied by Pimp’d Out Sweet Potatoes (the kind that someone like Terrence Howard might sing about). For our dessert cocktail, a Chocolate Mint Crash Martini demonstrates that liquor of all shades can reside in harmony.
And, the recipe for the martini represents my first-ever contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging over at Kalyn’s Kitchen. Please give a big round of applause for…
Chocolate Mint!
To make the Crash Martini, you will need:
1 ounce of heavy cream
1 ounce of caramel or chocolate flavored cream liqueur, like Cask and Cream or Godiva
1 ounce of vanilla vodka
2 or 3 sprigs of chocolate mint
Smash the mint leaves and vodka together with the handle of a wooden spoon or other blunt instrument (I’m sure there’s a proper bar tool for this). This process, of infusing the mint into the vodka, is called muddling, I’m told. Let the minty vodka sit while you prepare the rest. In a martini glass, pour in the cream first and then the cream liqueur, carefully so that the colors mingle but don’t mix entirely (this requires a bit of a steady hand). Remove the mint leaves from the vodka and top off the martini with the vodka. Enjoy and try to concentrate on how well those flavors get along. Hopeful, isn’t it?
This is really more like dessert than a cocktail, but I bet it would make a fabulous addition to ice cream or coffee too.
The rest of tonight’s recipes are to follow next week…stay tuned!
March 5th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
Very fun. I have to admit, I am a total freak for the Oscars as well. I would absolutely be sick if I had to miss watching them.
March 5th, 2006 at 7:02 pm
Jeniffer,
I hope you had some Wensleydale at some point — or perhaps a rabbit terrine?
March 5th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
you are such a wonderful dork =) sounds like a fun night! J and I were diappointed with best picture. you? need a couple extra of those martinis?
March 6th, 2006 at 7:02 am
I love chocolate martinis.Probably my favorite drink.They sound even better with mint.
March 6th, 2006 at 7:02 am
I am so there! [We are movie geeks, too. We watch every year.] I thought it was a good show this year. [I loved Crash. And Good Night and Good Luck, and Brokeback - actually, there were too many excellent films this year to choose!]
Wish we could have stopped by for one of those martinis. Now I know what to do with the patch of chocolate mint in my garden [wait, it’s still under snow]. Soon!
Now when are we going to see a picture of you in the dress?
Very fun, creative post!
March 6th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
Pimp’d Out Sweet Potatoes, huh? Sounds like a fun night with all those yummy chocolate mint martinis! Yum-my.
March 6th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
Love the Oscar menu - so glad Crash got recognizedl excellent movie.
March 7th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
Kalyn, I’m so glad to know we aren’t the only Oscar freaks. I watched every second!
Kevin, Rats! Were Rabbit Terrine would have been a perfect addition. Ah, well, I hope Wallace and Grommit will forgive me.
Kate, Thanks for calling my dorkiness wonderful. It certainly is, um, dorky. And we actually were secretly rooting for Crash. I loved it…and I love to pull for the underdog. Although, I agree with Karina–so many good movies this year!
Emily, You should definitely try the mint if you like chocolate martinis. It’s sort of mint julep meets mint chocolate chip ice cream, but with vodka. How could it be anything but good?
Karina, Yes, I agree; I thought it was a good show. I wish you could have come by for a martini too; you’d be welcome any time. Oh, and whenever you show us your vegetarian dominatrix outfit, I’ll show you my bridesmaid dress and tiara get-up. Deal?
Rorie, Yes, the potatoes were pimp’d out. What, do you not think I seem like a girl who is capable of pimping? Just you wait and see…:) !
Sweetnicks, Thanks! I totally agree–we loved Crash.
March 10th, 2006 at 4:31 am
So clever!
March 13th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Wow! I love ALL martinis, but especially chocolate ones. Thanks for the great recipe!
March 27th, 2006 at 12:22 am
[…] Named after the Best Picture Winner… The Crash Martini from the Weekly Dish. […]
September 27th, 2006 at 11:51 pm
I would not trade blogs for anything. They are a versatile tool of communication and yours in no exception.