So are you having a Project Runway season opener watch party? I would be, if I weren’t 37 weeks pregnant and the tiredest, crankiest woman in Lawrence.

PR, among my friends, is a ritual, a shared experience, a bond. Mr. Meat and Potatoes has to tolerate it because I (barely) tolerate hours of football, weekend after weekend, year after year. He secretly likes PR, I think. One year at our finale party, I suggested he go down the street to the local watering hole if he was going to be a curmudgeon during our viewing, but he stayed, made bets on who would win, picked the hot chick, and mostly just enjoyed the food that we came up with. Choosing food and fashion over the nudie bar? Ya, he might have to turn in his man card on that one.

The goal for PR watch parties is to make food that is unexpected. Possibly from ingredients that are unexpected. But it must be fierce enough for Christian Siriano. If you have an ingredient you’re not sure about, you just have to make it work.

One year, we all wore clothing of our own creation, too. I think I broke out The Bedazzler. But then, I am over the top and don’t suggest you all humiliate yourselves quite at my level.

If, IF I were hosting a PR party this year, here are a few of the things I’d make.

Pickled Grapes. Oh, the divinity. Oh, the weirdness.

1 lb seedless grapes (I like to use a mix of colors for aesthetics and texture)
1/2 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C white wine vinegar
1/3 C orange juice
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
2 tsp coriander
1 T cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Step 1) Clean the grapes and pull them off the stems.

Step 2) Put liquids, sugar, and spices in a saucepan and simmer until everything is dissolved and well-combined. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Step 3) Put the grapes in a jar, pour the liquid over (and add the stick), and put the lid on tight. Overnight, they’ll start to get really flavorful, but by day three or four they’ll be out of the world. If they make it that long.

Another fun little morsel: Zucchini Squash.

Zucchini squash is growing in my garden. It’s a weird little gourd, sort of pumkin, zucchini, and squash combined. It’s versatile, then. Moreso, I think, than the straight version of any of the above vegetables. Plus, who wants a straight version of anything on PR night?

The inside of a zucchini squash is very pumpkin-like, with large seeds and guts in the big center cavern. Immediately, then, one is tempted to roast them like we do on Halloween with the big gourds. But I can do one better.

Zucchini Squash Seeds, Two Ways.

Sweet Seeds:
2 C cleaned zucchini squash seeds
1 egg
1 C granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp orange zest

Step 1) Heat your oven to 325 degrees.

Step 2) Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest in one bowl.

Step 3) Beat the egg until frothy in another bowl.

Step 4) Using a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer, dunk the seeds into the egg wash and then immediately run them through the sugar mixture.

Step 5) Bake the seeds on a cookie sheet in one layer for 20 minutes or until toasted. Stir every 5 minutes or so.

Spicy Seeds:

1/2 C peanut oil
2 C zucchini squash seeds
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T kosher salt
1 T red pepper flakes
1 tsp hot pepper sauce – whatever brand is your personal fave.

Step 1) Mix the lime juice and hot pepper sauce in one bowl, and the salt and red pepper flakes in another.

Step 2) Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet until almost to the smoking point.

Step 4) Drop seeds in the oil and cook for several minutes until brown but not burned, stirring constantly.

Step 5) Spread out to dry over paper towels and then dredge them in the liquid. Follow with a sprinkling of the salt/pepper mix.

But you’ve had to harvest a lot of squash to get this many seeds. So you’ll need some interesting ways to use up all that delicious squash you have laying around now.

I recommend a tower of fried things.

Fried Squash Croquettes

8 zucchini squash, seeded
1/3 C butter
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic
1 C grated parmesan cheese
1 C “other” cheese – I recommend something rather hard, like asiago
2 C Panko bread crumbs
Herbs – whatever you have around…
1 C peanut oil or canola oil – maybe more
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1) Roast the squash. Just cut it into hunks, brush it liberally with butter, and pop it in the oven on a cookie sheet for about half an hour.

Step 2) Puree the squash. Once it’s cooled, you can scoop the filling out of the shells. I recommend saving the shells – they might be good for serving some pickled grapes or something in later. Just put the squash in the food processor and give it a couple of good turns. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth.

Step 3) Mix the puree with the panko so that you get a rather stiff consistency. Add in the eggs, cheese, and herbs, and stir it all well. If you need more Panko to make the right consistency, be not afraid.

Step 4) Make into balls and set aside. Do not chill the balls, though, because you’ll have trouble cooking them through later if you do.

Step 4) Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet until almost smoking, and drop the balls in, turning carefully to brown on all sides. If you think you’ll have better luck with flatter disks, smash the balls down a little. I usually do.

Step 5) Arrange them into a tower, with some sort of dipping sauce on the side. I recommend a homemade garlic aioli. Garnish with big leafy herbs and pickled grapes. Drizzle with aioli, if you your heart wants to.

I also recommend that you invite your friends to bring “guessing game” items to your fete, wherein guests will have to identify secret or odd main ingredients. But then again, I recommend wearing bedazzled pants, so who am I to say?