TOP 5 EASY AND ELEGANT OSCAR WORTHY RECIPES

Hosting an Academy Awards viewing party? Here are five of my easiest Oscar worthy party bites inspired by the menu created by Wolfgang Puck for the Governors Ball.  Get all of my Oscar party tips here.

The best thing about Wolfgang Puck's menu is that it is filled with comfort food favorites, not a lot of over the top gastronomy, using quality ingredients instead of flashy techniques. So make your best comfort food dish like Mac n Cheese or you can get items like pizza or sushi from your favorite restaurant. A cheese board is always easy; guests can graze while gathered around the television.

DEVILED EGGS WITH TOPPINGS: What could be easier? Make the deviled eggs in advance and add the toppings just before guests arrive or allow them to add their own toppings. If you really feel like splurging, you can go all Wolfgang and get some caviar or truffles to shave on top. Get the recipe...

HAM AND CHEESE IN PUFF PASTRY: An unexpectedly elegant twist on ham and cheese that is so delicious, my friend Justin put it in his new cookbook. With layers of flaky, buttery puff pastry and gooey, melted cheese, this will become of your favorites, too.  Get the recipe...

CITRUS PICKLED SHRIMP: Without question, this my favorite party recipe. You can make it for a big or small crowd, you can make it in advance, and best of all, it is always a hit.I've made it for casual or very elegant occasions and adjust the way I serve it to the event. Get the recipe...

HOMEMADE TRUFFLES: You must have chocolate for an Oscar party and serving your own homemade truffles is one of those wow factors your guests will always remember. For their "award" or favor, package these in a gold box for friends to take home. Get the recipe...

DARK AND WHITE DOUBLE DRIZZLED POPCORN: What's a movie party without popcorn? Take ordinary popcorn to the next level with lots of melted chocolate. What could be better (or easier) than that? Get the recipe...

MY TOP 5 BISCUIT RECIPES FOR NATIONAL BISCUITS AND GRAVY DAY

FEBRUARY 21 IS NATIONAL BISCUITS AND GRAVY DAY!

What could be a better way to start the weekend than with biscuits and gravy? Here are four of my favorite biscuit recipes from my blog and a very entertaining interview with Alton Brown by William Shatner as Alton makes biscuits and gravy. His famous Ma Mae's biscuit and gravy recipe is below.

MOM'S WEEKNIGHT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS The recipe my mom made most often. While she never wrote it down, I made these with her so many times, I doubt I will ever forget how to make them. Get the recipe...

THREE INGREDIENT WHIPPING CREAM BISCUITS My mom would make these biscuits at times if she wanted to serve Strawberry Shortcake and had no cake. They are not sweet but certainly sweeter than buttermilk biscuits. Get the recipe...

BACON CHEDDAR BISCUITS While the texture of these wonderful bites is more like a muffin than a biscuit, take care to make them when you have a crowd or you will eat the entire batch. Get the recipe...

BISCUITS AND CHOCOLATE GRAVY It is said that women living on farms around North Alabama would make chocolate gravy for leftover breakfast biscuits as a treat for the children when they could not afford sweets or desserts. Now, they are more of a brunch item. Made with cocoa and sugar, they are affordable yet rustic decadence. Get the recipe...

RECIPE: MOM'S TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Growing up, we always had homemade biscuits, cornbread, or rolls with our supper. My mom would make these biscuits for supper most nights or for breakfast on Saturday. She must have made thousands of them; if her biscuit pan could only talk! There were always a few on the stove. We loved to split and toast the leftovers and drizzle them with honey for a sweet treat. Since we were a family of six, my mom would roll these out thinner than the kind of biscuits folks like today… but I still prefer a thin biscuit because that’s what I grew up with. If you like them super fluffy, roll them out thicker. If you like them with “flaky layers” - you need to roll out your dough and then and fold them over multiple times (it is called “laminating” the dough like it is done for croissants) to get that result. I fold like a letter going into an envelope— in thirds. Then into a small square. Roll and repeat at least 3-4 times. But I chill the dough prior to baking.

If, like me, you like them on the thinner side, then follow the directions below. Happy rolling! xo

MOM'S SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: 15 minutes

DIRECTIONS:

½ cup cold butter (one stick)

2 cups self-rising flour

¾ cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or fork. Add the buttermilk. Stir just until moistened. Turn out onto a floured work surface. Flour rolling pin. Knead 3-4 times. Roll dough ¾” thick. Cut with a 2” circle biscuit cutter that you flour between each cut. Place on a greased baking sheet about 1/4" apart for fluffy biscuits. Separate them by 1" for a crisper biscuit. Brush with melted butter and bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about a dozen.