Hosting an Oscar party? Award-winning appetizers that will dazzle your guests

MILWAUKEE -- If you're hosting an Oscars party -- you need to glam up your grub. Chef Alisa Malavenda with the Art Institute of Wisconsin joins Real Milwaukee with some award-winning appetizer recipes.

Award Winning Appetizers and Cocktails for Oscar Night

APPETIZERS

 “Hamming” it up on the Red Carpet

  Prosciutto Bread Sticks

Roll the ends of bread sticks gently in butter , place a few arugula leaves at the end of the bread stick and then wrap prosciutto around the top half of the buttered  bread stick.  Fill the bottom of a clear glass vessel with cherry tomatoes and stand bread sticks in glass container.

Tequila-Lime Shrimps Shooters with Chipotle Sauce

Makes 24 shooters

Combine all ingredients except shrimp in blender or food processor and pulse to mix. Mixture should still have some texture.
Pour over prawns and let sit 15-30 minutes before serving. Do not over-marinate.

Chipotle Sauce
1 cup good quality mayonnaise
2 chipotle pepper in adobe
juice of 1/2 lime
Chop chipotles in processer. Add mayonnaise and lime, puree.

To assemble
Pipe a small amount of chipotle sauce in bottom of shooter cup or mini martini glass. Place one prawn, tail up, into cup. Garnish with cilantro sprig.

The “BROOKLYN” Twirl

This is inspired by the scene in the movie Brooklyn when they are teaching her how to twirl pasta like a real Italian.

Wall Street Bubble Bursting Olive Poppers

Inspired by the movie “The Big Short”

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Beat the cheese and butter together, in a  food processor, until smooth. Stir in the flour and cayenne- not in the food processor, but by hand. Mix until dough is smooth. (If crumbly mix in 1 teaspoon of water.) Place about a half a T. of the cheese dough around each olive, covering it well and rolling into a ball. Roll each ball in the sesame seeds and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake for  15 – 20  minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and serve at room temperature.

Chef’s Tips:

You can make the dough ahead of time and keep refrigerated for about a week or you can freeze for later use. You can prep the olives ahead of time except for the seeds.

Other fun ideas for appetizers:

The Martian- Roasted Potatoes in “night soil” – make small roasted potatoes – roast until tender and toss in Black olive puree while warm to resemble dirt

Bridge of Spies - Make spoons cut out of pie crust or make your own cracker crust- serve with crème fraice and caviar with small bottle of airline size stoli on ice

Beef Leonardo Di “CARPACCIO” – thin sliced beef carpaccio with crostini, arugla and shaved parmesan – drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with capers

Create an award winning snack bar:  truffle salt and white cheddar popcorn , spiced nuts, chocolate covered potato chips with gold leaf , chocolate dipped strawberries infused with grand marnier.

 COCKTAILS

 Red Carpet Glamour “Shot”

Where dreams come true and its all about that gold statue

Dip shot glass into warm water and coat rim with gold sugar. In an iced cocktail shaker pour dream catcher and vodka – shake and pour into shot glass for a glamorous” shot

The Brooklyn Divide

Pour ingredients into a shaker filled with ice

Stir or shake

Strain into a chilled martini glass

Garnish with a twist of Orange Peel over side of glass to resemble her Irish red hair

The Boston Globe Blackberry Thyme “Bramble”

Makes four

Steep lavender tea in 8 oz .

Make simple syrup by taking ½ cup of sugar,1 cup of water , 2 sprigs of thyme. Bring water and sugar to a simmer until sugar is melted and steep thyme stems for about 15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

Combine 8 oz of tea and ½ C simple syrup . pour 2 oz of the mixture in each champagne glass

Pour champagne over the syrup and add frozen blackberries.

The Martian “Reclaimed Water”

Pour all but 6 oz of water out of a water bottle

Pour in tang powder mix or drops and shake vigorously until tang has dissolved

Add Vodka and triple sec and shake again.

Chill in refrigerator and affix Nasa Labels to front of water bottle.

Through the Looking Glass Wonderland Cocktail

Inspired by “The Room”

In a chilled cocktail glass drop a sugar cube and douse with 2-3 dashes of bitters.  Top with bourbon and sparkling cider or champagne