When the world is glued to the spectacle of the Academy Awards, I will, as I have for many years, gather a few hours’ worth of top-notch edibles and begin an Oscar snack attack.I was going to write about events around town where folks could gather to watch en masse. But after checking my usual sources, it was obvious that this isn’t a night-out kind of thing. One exception: The Albuquerque Little Theatre (224 San Pasquale SW, 242-4750) is throwing its second annual Oscar-viewing bash on Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m. But generally speaking, restaurants aren’t celebrating the Oscars.For those hunkering down with friends, here are my requirements for Oscar night fixins: 1) Minimal kitchen time. Bagged snacks get opened—period. Or if you want to eat like the stars, nuke a Wolfgang Puck frozen pizza and serve it with a small salad. Pizza counts as a finger food, too. 2) Variety. You’ll need something sweet, something savory, something crunchy and something ice cream. It doesn’t mean you’ll eat everything, but you have to put on a good show—this is all about the show. And bring plenty of libations, tea and coffee. (Decaf please. I don’t want to be up all night counting acceptance speeches.) 3) Sustainable service. You don’t have maids like celebrities do, so you don’t want a pile of dishes after the list of awards drones to a close. Anything you can open and display on the table with a pile of napkins is fair game. 4) Quality. Easy doesn’t have to mean boring. A container of Van Rixel Bros. caramelized macadamia nut gelato is as good on your coffee table as it is on your dining table. Add some good crackers, caviar and crème frâiche, or takeout from your favorite restaurant, and you can ignore the TV altogether. 5) Swag. Sorry, the home version of Oscar night doesn’t include visits to swag suites with all of their free goodies—unless you’re Cocopotamus.
Mina's Dish Side Dishing: Cocopotamus Goes To Hollywood!
Local truffles hit the big time
Courtesy of Cocopotamus
Ally and Maxwell Sinclair are preparing for their upcoming trip to the city of glittering light. Their Cocopotamus dark chocolate fudge truffles—which are made right here in Albuquerque—have been chosen for inclusion in the coveted “swag bag” of the 83 rd Academy Awards. Ally tells me that an L.A. fan of their chocolates found the truffles at a California shop and recommended that they be included.“This is a huge honor for us,” says Maxwell. “We are very excited.” The couple will also take their handmade chocolate truffles to a charity event at The W Hotel in Los Angeles in the two days preceding the Oscars ceremony.
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