Easy movie-themed nibbles for your Oscars night party

Sebastopol’s Rialto Cinemas Oscar viewing party combines food and fun for a delicious effect.|

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

March 7, 2023

As soon as the Academy Awards nominations were announced at the end of January, the team at Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol sat down and started brainstorming the menu for their annual Oscar Night Party.

The theater has hosted its awards night viewing party for several years as a benefit for Food for Thought food pantry, a Forestville nonprofit that provides food for county residents with serious medical conditions. But the focus on food served at the Oscars event is a more recent development.

“The food has become a little more preeminent in the whole event over the last couple of years,” said Roxanne Goodfellow, chief operating officer of Rialto Cinemas. “Last year was the first year that we’d done a menu that was tied to the movies, which was fun.”

The Rialto’s snack bar transcends the usual theater standards of popcorn and candy. It has an established menu of salads, sandwiches, pizza and snacks made in a small kitchen behind the snack bar. Even so, the annual Oscars party is a departure from the norm.

Coming up with the carefully curated, movie-themed menu is easier said than done. Creativity plus a sense of humor come in handy.

“We’re having fun with the movies, because a lot of the movies this year are really dark. They’re just really dark,” said Ky Boyd, owner and director of the Rialto and master of ceremonies for the awards night.

This local event isn’t meant to be a knockoff of the high-holy holiday of Hollywood glitz and glamour that includes Wolfgang Puck’s storied post-ceremony feast. Although the Rialto will have a red carpet for guests to walk, their menu feels equally doable for those whose red carpet on Oscars night is the living room rug.

Noah Hoffman heads the kitchen at the Rialto. This will be his first time catering the awards-night party, which features eight snacks and noshes, including two desserts, plus a sparkling nonalcoholic Blue Avatar cocktail.

Hoffman said he’s looking forward to serving his recipe for hot wings inspired by “Top Gun: Maverick,” a nominee for best picture. That idea was a no-brainer everyone agreed on immediately.

“I’ve had the sauce recipe that I’ve been playing with for awhile,” Hoffman said of his sweet-and-spicy combination of Mae Ploy Chili Sauce and Frank’s RedHot sauce. “I really liked the movie, so I was excited to do the sauce and have ‘Top Gun’ be in the running.”

Another best picture nominee, the “Elvis” biopic, lent itself to an obvious food pairing, too. After considering some kind of peanut butter and banana sandwich, they finally landed on banana pudding with candied peanut topping as one of the desserts.

It took a little longer to settle on a dish to represent “The Banshees of Inisherin,” a best-picture nominee set in Ireland about a friendship turned sour. It inspired a plethora of ideas for the Rialto team, from Irish stout cake to Irish soda bread to potato dishes. They even considered fingerling potatoes with ketchup, but that idea was left on the proverbial cutting room floor for reasons we won’t divulge here because this is a food section, after all. (If you’ve seen the movie, you know.)

“You have to be a bit irreverent with some of these things,” Boyd said. “We usually start somewhere inappropriate and work our way down to appropriate.”

In the end, an Irish stew with potatoes and carrots won.

“(The character) Dominic is a tragic figure in that movie, and the last meal you see him eat is a stew” Hoffman said.

Other films aren’t so easy to find a suitable food pairing, due to their emotional heaviness.

“Some of the films you struggle with,” Boyd said. “We never came up with anything for ‘All Quiet on the Western Front.’”

They strayed from best picture categories to come up with dishes to balance out the menu, even going into slightly more obscure categories, like writing for adapted screenplay.

In that category, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” had them stumped for a bit.

“That was a real challenge. What do you do for ‘Glass Onion?’” Boyd said. “And Noah came up with onion dip.”

“In a glass,” Hoffman added.

This is not your mother’s onion dip made with sour cream and soup mix. Hoffman caramelizes onions then mixes them with sour cream, mayonnaise and cream cheese and serves it with toasted seasoned pita wedges and fresh veggies.

The dip met everyone’s approval at a team taste test of all the dishes.

“This tastes very fresh and springlike,” Goodfellow said. “It will sit on a crudite or piece of pita very well.”

Hoffman dipped into the best actress category when creating “Blonde“ Bombshell Blondies as an homage to Ana de Armas’ starring turn in the movie ”Blonde.”

At least one dish was inspired by a mash-up of two nominated films. “The Fabelmans” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” became Everything Mrs. Fabelman Wanted in a Bagel Dog Bite.

It may not be fancy fusion, but it’s fusion, nonetheless. And the dip for the dogs is genius. Hoffman was looking for a way to use the Rialto’s leftover red wine, so he used it to infuse the honey-mustard dipping sauce.

On awards night, the Rialto will not serve everything, everywhere, all at once. Instead, they’ll deliver food to guests at their seats during commercial breaks while they also play games and trivia.

“We want to keep people engaged and have fun with it,” Boyd said. “Each course is a surprise. It’s a continual reveal.”

Boyd continued, “There’s a lot of serious stuff in the Oscars ceremony, and we try to provide the levity. And hopefully this year nobody gets slapped.”

‘Glass Onion’ Dip with Toasted Pita Wedges

Makes 6-8 servings

For the dip:

2 large yellow onions, chopped

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chives, minced (reserve ¼ cup for garnish)

1 ½ cups sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

8 ounces cream cheese

3 pinches salt and pepper

¼ cup French’s fried onions (or other fried onions), for garnish

For toasted pita wedges:

6 pita rounds

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (or ground lemon peel)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the butter or oil. Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent.

Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to turn a golden caramel color, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Add cooled onions and remaining dip ingredients (except the fried onions) to a food processor. Pulse until well blended. Chill for at least an hour.

To prepare the toasted pita wedges: In a small bowl, combine oil with seasonings and mix together. Lightly brush pita bread with olive oil mixture. Place bread on a baking sheet and toast under the oven broiler until lightly brown and just starting to crisp. Remove from oven and cut into wedges.

Just before serving, top chilled dip with reserved chives and fried onions. Serve with pita wedges and freshly cut vegetables.

Inisherin ‘Faint Heart’ Beef Stew

Makes 6 servings

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into cubes

½ cup flour, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste (season liberally)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cups yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 ½ cups finely minced carrots

1 ½ cups finely minced celery

4 cups liquid such as water, beef stock, Guinness (or other stout beer) or red wine (or a combination)

¼ cup garlic, finely minced

3-4 bay leaves

Fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary or sage, (optional)

1 cup cubed potatoes, a mix of Yukon Gold and baby red potatoes or other waxy variety that will hold its shape

Lemon zest and parsley, for garnish

In a large bowl, add flour, salt and pepper. Then add stew meat and toss together.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add stew meat, cooking until well browned.

Add onions, carrots, celery and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

While stirring, slowly add liquid and bring to boil. Then add minced garlic, herbs (if using), bay leaves and potatoes.

Reduce to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 45 minutes. Lower heat to lowest setting and cook for another hour, unattended.

Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed.

Before serving, garnish stew with lemon zest and parsley. This stew can be made ahead and reheated for serving.

Everything Mrs. Fabelman Wanted in a Bagel Dog Bite

Makes 6-8 servings (36 pieces)

1 ½ pounds jumbo all-beef hot dogs (such as Miller’s brand), cut into 1-inch pieces (6 jumbo hot dogs)

2 packages crescent roll dough or 1 package puff pastry dough

½ cup cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup whipped cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil

2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning

Honey mustard or other dipping sauce of choice, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from package and roll out to about ⅛-inch thickness.

Spread whipped cream cheese over rolled-out dough and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cut dough into pieces that will wrap around hot dog pieces, approximately 1½-inch squares.

Place 1 hot dog piece on each square of dough and wrap dough around hot dog.

Place wrapped hot dogs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush each piece with butter or oil, then sprinkle on the bagel seasoning.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, then let stand for 2 minutes before serving.

Serve with honey mustard or other dipping sauce of your choice.

‘Blonde’ Bombshell Blondies with Mochachino Sauce

(Recipe adapted from “Once Upon a Chef”)

Makes 8 servings

For the blondie:

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

For the mochacino sauce:

1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

2 ounces brewed coffee (decaf is OK), reserve 1 ounce of coffee

2 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream (add more for creamier sauce)

Pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon and salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8½-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter or spray with cooking spray. Line greased pan with an 8-inch-by-11-inch piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. (The butter will help the parchment stay put in the pan while you create seams in the corners and along the edges of the pan.)

Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl beat the melted butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. On low speed, mix in the flour and salt until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is set and lightly golden. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool. Using the parchment overhang, lift the blondie from the pan and transfer it to a cutting board; cut into 1-inch-thick strips. Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.

Note: If you want a very blonde blondie, substitute white chocolate or butterscotch chips for the chocolate chips.

To make the mochachino sauce: While the blondies bake, in a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water) heat chocolate, 1 ounce of coffee, half-and-half or cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt over low heat. Stir with a spatula until chocolate melts and ingredients are well blended. Add remaining coffee until desired consistency is reached.

Drizzle cooled blondies with some of the chocolate sauce and serve with leftover sauce for dipping.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Graue at 707-521-5262 or jennifer.graue@pressdemocrat.com.

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