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The Academy Awards are being handed out Sunday evening which happens to be Elizabeth Taylor’s 79th birthday. Queen Liz, of the once sultry looks and lavender eyes reigned as Cleopatra, was a huge star from the 1950s to the ’70s and twice won the Oscar.
I wonder who watches award shows, particularly the Oscars. I may get cards and letters on this and might be accused of sexism, but my bet would be on women of any age. The ones who want to see the sometimes gorgeous more often grotesque gowns the actresses wear, to Joan Rivers and the “Fashion Police,” as well as the myriad of women’s clothing designers.
The list of nominees is a diverse group of films and actors. I was riveted by “The King’s Speech” and laughed out loud during “The Kids Are All Right.” As a young girl, I longed to be a ballerina just like Natalie Portman in “Black Swan,” but healthy and sane.
Sir Elton John hosts an Oscar Night Party. So do Vanity Fair and Wolfgang Puck. I’m sure there are some of us who comedian Bill Cosby calls “regular people” who invite the gang over to goggle at dresses, make wagers on the winners and enjoy good food and drink.
As Lucy would say to her landlady, “Ethel, I have an idea.”
Why not prepare foods around this year’s Oscar nominated films and actors? Portman is a nice Jewish Harvard-educated girl who was born in Israel to American parents. My thoughts went immediately to Israeli salads.
“The Fighter” takes place in Boston. So I thought about New England Clam Chowder, which must be the official soup of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
“The Kids Are All Right” is about a modern American family living in California. Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo plays a chef. You can easily find Puck’s recipes online.
Finally, what is more British than trifle? I think Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush (OK, I know he’s an Aussie) would approve. Space does not permit my giving you a recipe for trifle. It’s a big glass bowl filled with layered ladyfingers with custard cream and fruits. You can get a recipe online or create your own sweet concoction.
Avocado Salad with Cucumbers, Persimmons, Papaya and Citrus
from “The Foods of Israel Today” by Joan Nathan
Ingredients:
1 persimmon, peeled and diced
1 papaya, peeled, seeds removed and diced
1 long crisp cucumber, sliced in rounds
1 grapefruit, peeled and diced
1 orange, peeled and diced
Juice of 2 lemons
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon of honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 avocado, peeled and diced just before serving
1/2 head of radicchio
Directions:
Place the first five ingredients in a glass bowl.
Place the next five ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil, taste and adjust the seasonings, then pour over the fruit. This can be done hours in advance.
Add the avocado just before serving and blend well with your hands.
Serve in a bowl lined with the radicchio.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: If you cannot find persimmons, you could substitute a mango or pomegranate seeds. I would use a ruby red grapefruit and a large navel orange in this recipe.
New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks of unsatled butter
2 medium onions, chopped
4 stalks of celery, diced
6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups of bottled clam juice
1/2 cup of flour
2 cups of half-and-half
24 ounces of clams, shucked
Directions:
Melt 1/2 stick of the butter in a 4-quart pot. Add the onions and cook over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the next four ingredients and sauté for about 10 minutes more. Add the clam juice, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes.
In a small pot, melt the remaining butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over a very low heat for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in a cup of the hot stock and pour the mixture back into the cooked vegetables. Simmer a few minutes until the stock is thickened.
Add the half-and-half and clams and heat gently for a few minutes. Taste and correct for seasonings.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: Whole Foods and many fish stores sell already shucked clams with their liquid. SPR
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