Oscar Appetizers To Help You Shine

Instead of watching the Oscars by yourself, why not invite a few friends over for a fun, casual evening? And since you can't have a party without some great food, The Saturday Early Show invites David Myers to take the Chef on a Shoestring challenge.

Chef Myers is one of Los Angeles' hottest restaurants, Sona, which features contemporary French cuisine with Japanese accents. And he created a menu for eight with an $80 entertaining budget.

Chef Myers seeks three things in his kitchen: perfection, creativity and harmony. His culinary vision and commitment to cultural diversity are what make Sona among the best and most popular culinary destinations in Los Angeles.

The following are his recipes for Oscar Entertaining Hors d'Oeuvres

Grilled Miso Marinated Beef Skewers

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. flank steak, sliced against the grain into thin ribbons
1/2 cup miso (red or white, red preferable)
16 skewers

Method:

1. In a bowl, toss your sliced meat with the miso. Toss well, so the miso is coating the meat.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place bowl in the refridgerator and let the meat marinate for an hour.
3. Thread the ribbons of flank steak on the skewers. Place two to three pieces of meat on each skewer.
4. Using a grill pan or an indoor electric grill, grill the meat on high heat, 2 minutes per side.
5. Transfer to a serving platter. Cover with foil and keep warm until ready to serve.

Grilled Shrimp with Rosemary

Ingredients:
24 shell-on shrimp, extra large or jumbo
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
12 skewers

Method:

1. Soak the skewers in cold water for an hour. This will help the skewers from burning.
2. Peel the shrimp and devein.
3. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with 1/4 cup olive oil and rosemary. Season with salt/pepper.
4. Place two shrimp on each skewer. Place the skewers on grill pan or indoor grill. Using high heat, grill until shrimp becomes opaque - usually 1 minute per side.
5. Remove from heat, and serve on a platter.

Ingredients:
1 round of Brie (approx. 1/2 lb)
2 Tablespoons dry white wine
24 slices of white bread
Oven-safe casserole
Butter to butter casserole

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Place brie in an oven-safe casserole dish that has been buttered.
   
3. Using a spoon or a paring knife, create a one-inch hole in the middle of the cheese.
   
4. Then pour 2 Tablespoons of dry, white wine in the hole.
   
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
   
6. Remove from the oven. Serve hot with toast points.

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
   
2. Remove the crusts from the bread slices, cut each slice into four triangles.
3. Place the bread on a non-stick baking sheet. Lightly toast in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes -- checking to make sure bread isn't becoming too dark. Then turn the bread and toast for another 2 minutes.
4. Cool the toast points on a cooling rack prior to serving.

Ingredients:
2 pints fresh blackberries, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup sugar
cinnamon stick

For the simple syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Shallow baking pan 13-by-9 or 13-by-11
Fork for scraping

Method:

1. Combine the blackberries, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup red wine, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon stick in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil using medium heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, remove from heat. Let mixture cool for 15 minutes.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, but do not press down or the mixture will become cloudy.

For the granita:

1. Add cooled simple syrup mixture to strained berry mixture to taste.
2. Put the mixture in a shallow baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight or at least eight hours.
3. When ready to serve, take a fork and scrap into fine crystals.
4. Serve in fun martini glasses.

Miso: It is a paste used in Japanese cooking. It is a fermented grain or bean paste made from ingredients such as soybeans, barley and rice. There are many varieties of miso now available. Barley (mugi) or soybean (hatcho) miso is usually recommended for daily use. Miso is especially good for the circulatory and digestive organs. It is high in protein and vitamin B12.

Flank Steak: Flank steak is a tougher cut of beef but if you don't overcook it and you slice it thin, against the grain, the meat will be tender and quite enjoyable. A flank steak is a long, fibrous cut of beef, which comes from an animal's lower hindquarters.

Brie: This is a soft creamy white cheese; milder than Camembert.