I know House of Cards is an old name on the awards circuit, and it wasn't a favorite to win at the SAG awards, but how damn good do those ribs look every time Francis goes to his former favorite spot?! Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright were both nominated, so I thought a veggie version of the politician's favorite DC eats would be a good way to enjoy my favorite awards show. Food from a political show felt right on this particular night, anyway.
Read moreAwards Show Eats [Golden Globes 2017]
I have spent nearly every awards show Sunday camped on the couch for five hours since I was in sixth grade, when E! Started airing Live from the Red Carpet. I had a strict silence rule and typically ended up watching by myself while my parents checked in on me periodically and my brother made unsuccessful pleas to watch football during commercials. Now, I’ve replaced that silence with overwhelming amounts of food, and I’m game for couch commentary. I took this year’s awards as my opportunity to launch this project with a bang by cooking food based on three of this year’s nominated shows.
honey cakes [Game of Thrones]
Game of Thrones is one of my all-time favorite shows, but I can’t say their cuisine sounds like it’s made up of dishes that entice me. Although the last season was a kickass one for Sansa, and her favorite lemon cakes would be an obvious choice, I wanted to go a different direction. The show might not have taken home any Globes, but at least these were a winner.
I took the recipe from one of the authorities, Inn at the Crossroads (I made the modern ones), and chose to add the lavender icing they suggest. Details here.
bagel casserole [Transparent]
Admittedly, I have only seen snippets of this show, and it’s been coming up on my to-watch list for a while now, but I know there is a big Yom Kippur scene where there are bagels, like any good break fast. I found an alternative to the normal bagels and lox spread you might find at any big breakfast, especially a Jewish one and it’s definitely a great option to sub in if you want to be a little more hands-on about it. I missed what has seemed to become a reserved spot for Jeffrey Tambor's speech at these events, but making this recipe made me want to move up my start date for the show.
I adapted it from the recipe I found. Details here.
eggos five ways [Stranger Things]
Like any good millennial, I watched the entire season of Stranger Things in one day, and the obvious food moment was Eleven’s obsession with Eggos. I can’t blame her—I don’t let myself buy them because as a child I could eat upwards of 12 at a time for breakfast and as an adult I should probably not do that to myself. But I gave myself an exception so I could dress up her favorite snack five kid-friendly ways that served as an appetizer OR dessert while it sat out through the ceremony. I was surprised this didn't win anything but the kids were all so cute, they stole the red carpet anyway.
Recipes came from the mom blogs of the internet. Details here.
eggos five ways [Stranger Things]
from l to r: pb&j, banana nutella, chicken and waffle, s'more, grilled cheese
I arrived a little late to the Stranger Things party. I knew I couldn’t multi-task while I watched, and I know myself well enough to know I don’t have the self control to watch it an episode at a time. Finally in December, I had a completely free Saturday. I started it immediately when I woke up, and eight hours later was relieved to be rid of the FOMO I had been experiencing for the five months that I hadn’t watched it.
There aren’t a ton of food moments in the show that aren't pre-packaged or semi-homemade. Eleven’s Eggo obsession was intriguing and endearing, so in the absence of a waffle iron, I decided to go semi-homemade myself and turn America’s favorite freezer waffles into the foundation of different kid food, five ways.
Yom Kippur bagel casserole [Transparent]
From the first season out, Transparent has been a constant on the awards circuit. Like House of Cards for Netflix, it put Amazon on the map. Though I can’t relate to a lot of the issues in the show, which is probably why it makes a great watch, I CAN relate to having a modern Jewish family that eats a lot of amazing food on holidays. Season two featured a big Yom Kippur scene complete with the remnants of bagels and lox, so I reinterpreted this mainstay Jewish option with something a little more imaginative.
Read moreMasha Heddle's honey cakes [Game of Thrones]
Sansa has never been my favorite character, but I appreciate her sweet tooth. I think to drive home her femininity, they highlight her penchant for the desserts of Westeros and I can’t say I blame her. Her most famous favorite is lemon cakes, of course, so I went off that as inspiration to search for other sweet options from the series, a place where a creepy inn owner made unlimited sweet cakes for Catelyn when she was a child. I didn't want to miss making something for a favorite show, especially when it is nominated. Plus, it's always great to see the cast dirt-free and looking glamorous, even if they aren't taking home the trophy.
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