And like the Super Bowl day, Oscar night has a way of sneaking up on you.
Scratch Event Catering owner and chef Matthew Hayden said throwing a last-minute Oscar bash doesn't have to be complicated to be classy.
It all comes down to preparation and using what you have available in unique ways.
Hayden encourages hostesses and hosts to get as much as they can done in advance.
“All you are doing at the end is a little assembly or pulling stuff out of the oven,” he said. “Otherwise, it will ruin your party.”
Simplicity can be a party-saver, Hayden said.
Pantry items like store-bought puff pastry can be used in several different ways.
“You can make a tart out of anything,” Hayden said. “Apples and cheese and brie and cranberry. You can put meatloaf and a little barbecue in puff pastry.”
You can reinterpret American favorites for an elegant and fun touch. Provide toppings like sour cream, bacon, chives and cheese for a mashed potato bar, Hayden said. Martini glasses can be used in the place of bowls. A gumbo bar or chili bar can be prepared in a similar fashion.
“You’ve taken some relatively mundane foods that people love and now you have reinterpreted them into something small and cute and sort of elegant,” he said.
Hayden said appetizers do not have to be fancy to be fabulous. Hummus dips made of mashed chickpeas and tahini are also crowd-pleasers. Hayden has added everything from black beans to dried fruit and apples to his dips.
Now that you have inspiration for the menu, here are a few other easy things to do:
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