From meaty maitake mushroom salad to bourbon-spiked salted caramel milkshakes, take a look at the plant-based spread at this year’s Oscar’s after-party.
In line with the fabulously plant-based award season, the Governor’s Ball – the Oscar’s official after-party – made plant-based food the star. While not exclusively vegan, the Michelin star-worthy menu curated by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck featured over 40 plant-based options – which is about a 20-percent increase from years prior.
Here are just a few of the mouthwatering dishes that deserved an Oscar on their own.
Amuse Bouche
Roasted Cauliflower Toast
Avocado toast is for the fans – the stars know cauli-toast is where it’s at. This trendy bite was adorned with agrodolce shallots, golden raisins, and sumac.
Compressed Salad
Made with watermelon, housemade cashew ricotta, and mint-infused agave, this sweet-yet-savory amuse reminds us of a bite-sized burrata salad.
Eggplant Caponata Crostini
What’s a party without a perfectly composed crostini? We’re stealing this idea and serving this simple eggplant-topped toast at our own Oscars watch party.
Tray-Passed Hors d’Oeuvre
Bell Pepper Caviar
This spicy delicacy was served upon delicate aquafaba mousse nestled on light, puffed-air bread.
Root Vegetable Potstickers
While we’ll be warming up vegan potstickers in the microwave, celebrities got the star chef treatment with these addictive, doughy vegetable bites served with carrot ponzu sauce for dipping.
Wild Mushroom Cigar
Also known as an umami bomb, this tiny appetizer packs a ton of flavor. A medley of mushrooms are complemented with truffle aioli and truffle ash for a truly convincing edible cigar.
Sweet Potato Tempura
We can guarantee this tempura would have been light and crispy without being too oily – because no one needs oil stains on their tux. Each morsel was accompanied by a creamy, minty-fresh cilantro aioli.
Passed Small Plates
Maitake Mushroom Salad
This Mediterranean dish is composed of meaty maitakes, cool baba ghanoush, sumac-spiced pita crumbs, and garnished with a nutty tahini dressing and a sweet but savory burnt onion syrup.
Fruit and Avocado Salad
Made from frozen tangerine segments, gooseberries, avocado chunks, cucumber, and mint tossed in an aji amarilla vinaigrette, there’s no doubt guests were helping themselves to seconds.
Wild Mushroom Bolognese
Puck clearly has an affinity for the mighty mushroom. This hearty small plate featured al dente rigatoncini pasta smothered in a meaty mushroom and tomato sauce.
Vegetable Tagine
For those who like it spicy, this Moroccan stew offers a bit of heat alongside cauliflower couscous and dried fruit harissa.
Housemade Tofu
There’s store-bought tofu, and then there’s homemade tofu. The two could be different products. Served warm, this scratch-made tofu was accompanied by hijiki seaweed-infused rice, delicate carrot greens, edamame, and ginger ponzu sauce.
Warm Vegetable Plate
Highlighting the best of winter produce, this vegetable-forward dish included braised leeks, fennel sunchoke purée, cipollini onions, and green beans drizzled with a tomato herb pistou.
Chef Action Station
Vegan Cheese
Wheels upon glorious wheels of gourmet vegan cheese! If we could attend, this is where you’d find us all night.
Sweets
Parfait of Boba
While boba can be divisive, everyone would have wanted a petit jar of this elegant dessert made with compressed honeydew, green tea almond milk mousse, and coffee gelée.
Kumquat Eton Mess
A traditional British dessert, this veganized version features light-as-air pavlova, kumquat jam, sweet tangerine cream, luscious meringue, and a precious kumquat tuile.
Salted Caramel Brownie Cookie
Every single word of this sweet creation has us drooling.
Margarita Push Pop
The stars can’t have popsicle juice running down the sleeves of their designer gowns. This thoughtfully engineered alcoholic sweet treat puts that risk to rest.
Dark Chocolate and Yuzu Ravioli
This flavor combination is something we’ve never tried – and truthfully never considered – ever before. However, we’ll happily taste-test this new fruity chocolate creation.
Ube and Coconut Cream Tart
Can we order this in advance for all of our spring and summer parties? Our go-to coconut cream pies and lemon tarts simply won’t cut it after learning about this treat.
Boozy Milkshakes
Those who didn’t win an award can drown their disappointment in one of two vegan alcoholic milkshakes – a bourbon-spiked banana, oat, and salted caramel version or an old fashioned-infused orange sorbet with bitters granita. Cheers to next year!
Housemade Valrhona Chocolate Bars
With four vegan flavorus such as dark chocolate horchata, dark chocolate cookies and cream, and vegan white chocolate lavender, there’s no doubt guests were stuffing their clutches and pockets with these handcrafted bars.
Original source: https://vegnews.com