Another Academy Awards Party Idea: The Classic Years of Hollywood

I mentioned last week a great Oscars party idea. Treating your guests to a night at the movies. Here's another theme. Throw a party that Clark Gable and Carole Lombard would have loved to have come to. Take you and your party back to the glamour days of Hollywood. Invite your guests to come in costume as Hollywood stars. Not the Julia Roberts and Tom Cruises of today though. Charlie Chaplin. Joan Crawford. Bette Davis. Jimmy Stewart. Anyone before 1960 is fair game.

And put people in the mood by decorating your party space with vintage photos of Hollywood stars. Hang movie posters of classics like Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. Even have some of those great soundtracks playing on a CD player as people walk up to your door. You can always watch movies like L.A. Confidential for more ideas.

Of course, the food and drinks have to stick with the theme too. Serve a great classic cocktail like the Flame of Love. And if you're having a retro Oscar party, you have to serve things that stars like Lucille Ball would expect back in the day. And their idea of elegance is different than ours. Things were "heartier," less dainty. You could always serve pigs in a blanket. Or smoked salmon on toast with a touch of cream cheese and a garnish of capers. That was exotic to the stars of yesteryear. Here are two other recipes that would have fit right in.

Crispy Sausage-Stuffed Olives
Makes about 35 appetizers.

If Deano and Frank weren't putting all the olives in their martinis, they would have loved this tasty hors d'ouerve. These are perfect served in an over-sized martini glass.

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Large pitted green olives (1 can or large jar)
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Combine the sausage, garlic and red pepper in a bowl. drain olives and rinse. Stuff each of the olives with 1/2 teaspoon of the sausage mixture.

Pour flour onto a plate and beat egg lightly in small bowl. Mix olive oil and breadcrumbs and spread onto second plate.

Roll each olive in flour and shake off excess. Dip olives, one at a time, in egg and coat evenly with bread crumbs. Refrigerate olives for at least 10 minutes (or up to 2 hours).

Heat oil to 375 degrees in heavy frying pan or sauce pan. Working in batches, fry the olives in the oil about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined tray to drain.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Here's another recipe that fits right in with your retro theme.

Shrimp Dip
This dip can be served cold or warm. You can also substitute one pound of crab meat for the shrimp if you'd like. I serve it with round wheat crackers.

1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pound cooked shrimp, shells and tails removed (Help yourself out and buy the frozen pre-cooked shrimp in a bag.)
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 dashes of Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
Juice of 1/2 lemon

In a double boiler over simmering water, blend cream cheese and butter. Stir often to keep cream cheese and butter from separating. Add shrimp, onion, seasonings and lemon juice. Blend with spoon until smooth. If serving warm, serve immediately. If serving cold, chill in refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight.