Best-Picture-Inspired Food for Oscar Night

The BFG test kitchen has come up with themed foods for each of this year’s Best Picture nominees to inspire your Oscar night menu.

Enjoy a cocktail and popcorn during the red carpet pre-show, then end the evening with a sundae fit for a King. Or, start with dessert and end with a salad–it’s your party, and anything can happen on Hollywood’s biggest night!

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

The latest entry in the Avatar saga taught us the way of water. However, on this special night you may be in the mood for the way of… cocktails. A Blue Lagoon aperitif featuring blue Curaçao evokes the ocean home of the Metkayina clan, as well as the iconic blue skin of the Na’vi.

Host tip: Pair your drink with a bowl of Pandora Flakes, just like the Sully family eats!

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

This film centers on Padraic and Colm, two (former) friends whose daily ritual once included a pint at the pub in their small Irish village. On Oscar night, raise a glass of your preferred Irish ale, stout, or lager when one of your favorites picks up a statuette.

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

This best picture front-runner features a magical bagel, coated in literally every thing, which threatens to consume anyone in its path. Traditional “Everything Bagel” seasoning adds deliciously savory flavor, and honestly any dish on tonight’s menu would probably taste better with a sprinkle of it. Luckily, this seasoning blend has started to show up in the supermarket spice aisle. So, grab a bottle and go nuts! It is highly unlikely that you’ll create a black hole which will destroy the known universe (and every single one of the infinite multiverses).

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

For the ultimate popcorn movie, what else but THE iconic movie snack? And just like Top Gun, popcorn is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Splash a little sriracha (the one with the rooster on the bottle) onto your popcorn in honor of Maverick’s new wingman, lil’ Goose, er, Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw.

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS

For a film that features an extensive sequence of vomiting and diarrhea, Triangle of Sadness has surprisingly tasty food options. For snacking, the clear choice is pretzel sticks, the de facto currency among the shipwreck survivors. If you want something filling, try the Captain’s burger and fries (the seafood on that ship seemed a bit dodgy).

Host tip: Use the pretzel sticks to pit your guests against one another by offering the snack only to those whom you hold in favor. First person to bring you another blue cocktail gets a cup of pretzels!

TáR

In one memorable scene, predatory conductor Lydia Tár takes the young cellist, Olga, out for lunch. Lydia suggests the cucumber salad as a vegetarian option, and Olga then proceeds to order and devour a plate of veal. In this one instance only, let us stand with Lydia Tár and serve a “gurkensalat” of sliced cucumber with vinegar and dill, a dish as crisp and acidic as the maestra herself.

THE FABELMANS

The Fabelman family are often seen sharing meals, including a brisket on Shabbat and a roasted chicken dinner. You could braise a brisket or roast a chicken yourself, or just buy some smoked brisket from a local barbecue joint. However it is prepared, the meal must be served a la Mitzi Fabelman: on paper plates with plastic cutlery (or an environmentally friendly disposable option).

Host tip: Whenever you deem the meal to be over, regardless of whether everyone has finished eating, just fold up the tablecloth with all the plates inside and toss everything in the trash!

WOMEN TALKING

For this film about a group of a Mennonite women debating whether to leave their colony, traditional zwieback rolls provide literal “bread for the journey,” since eating a Bible is not recommended. Shake a little Everything seasoning on top before baking the rolls and see what happens. (It won’t make a black hole! Probably.)

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

The trenches of WWI did not offer many culinary delights. For Oscar night, do not attempt to steal a goose, as the soldiers do at one point in the film. A potato or an onion would be much easier to nick with minimal commotion.

Host tip: Your potato can double as a paperweight for Oscar ballots!

ELVIS

For dessert, an ice cream sundae inspired by The King’s most famous snack: a banana-peanut butter-bacon sandwich. Start with a dollop of peanut butter, add the ice cream of your choice, a few banana slices, and top with candied bacon.