Paparazzi-chased limousines and never-ending flash of camera flashes. Form-fitted, haute couture-dressed beauties dripping in diamonds floating down the cascading red carpet. Acceptance speeches that have been rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed because, “It’s just an honor to be nominated.” Uh-huh. We’ve heard that one before.

The Academy Awards telecast is one of my favorite TV nights of the year, when the pomp and circumstance of Oscar’s big night and the celebrity falderal come front and center and we cheer—and jeer—the winners and the losers of Hollywood’s biggest popularity contest.

Which makes it the perfect night for us to pop some champers ourselves, invite some friends over and party like the Hollywood royalty we aren’t.

Who will be the big winner? It’s anyone’s guess with Vegas bookies as nervously sweaty about the odds as the ravenous, 10-day cleanse-ed actresses starvingly awaiting Wolfgang’s braised short ribs to be served.

For me, I have my odds-on favorite to win and a recipe to honor it in all the glory it’s leading man and his abs deserves.

Ever since the 1996 Golden Globes, when Brad—yeah, we’re on a first name basis, just don’t tell my husband—won the award for Best Supporting Actor and thanked his “love o’ my life, the angel Gwyneth Paltrow”—oh, if only that had worked out—I have been rooting for the poor little guy who just can’t catch a break to win at The Big Show. Maybe this will be his coup de grace, the one thing that will put him on a cover of a magazine.

So what’s my tribute to the big night?

I’m pairing Brad Pitt’s heart and soul that became the Best Picture-nominated movie Moneyball with my must-have at any baseball game: the illustrious Hot Dog, glammed up with puff pastry, smokey mustard and herbs. A dressed-up version that is so simple to make and perfect for serving a crowd.

Every party needs a dressed up table, and this is a completely amazingly designed full package nod to Oscar that you MUST check out. Party decor, invitations, drink tags and your much-needed Oscar ballet, Twig and Thistle has done all of the work for you with these amazingly fun and oh-so-greatly designed download-ready printables, ready to rock your party to the stars.

I loved putting this compete Best Picture Oscar-inspired dinner menu together with a cheers to 2012′s movie-making greatness, some fabulous food bloggers recipes and a long night of acceptance speeches, devoured below.

The Novice Chef’s Homemade Soft Pretzels create new and happier memories with the movie Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Kitchen Runway’s Herb and Parmesan French Fries are a savoury homage to Midnight In Paris

The Spinning Plate’s Endive Apple and Mache Salad emblemizes the organic moviemaking ways and message of The Tree of Life

Zoom Yummy’s Loaded Potato Soup is simple in its roots but elevated with the nomination of War Horse

Best Recipes Evar’s Hawaiian Chicken BBQ puts a little hula hula in George Clooney’s The Descendents

The Cooking Bride’s Not So Terrible Awful Chocolate Pie brings out delicious naughty thoughts like in The Help

Tidy Mom’s Homemade Moon Pies shoots us on a Voyage to the Moon in the fanciful homage in Hugo

Bakingdom’s Black and White Cookies makes us cheer out loud for The Artist

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Tagged as: dinner, entree, hot dog, lunch, puff pastry, recipe, sandwich, sausage