Chefs make a meal out of Oscar nominations

Chefs tackle meaty roles every day, and no one thinks to nominate them for an Oscar. But what if there were a golden statuette for Outstanding Hors D'oeuvre or Best Supporting Side Dish?

We asked chefs and other food world notables to come up with menus inspired by this year's Best Picture hopefuls. And the nominee entrees are:

BLACK SWAN: From Traci Des Jardins, chef of Jardiniere in San Francisco. Inspired by the movie about a prima ballerina dancing on the edge of madness as she tackles the demanding role of Odette/Odile, this meal is a study in black and white.

— Maine diver scallops, white rose potato puree and black Perigord truffle nage

— Slow-poached breast of pheasant, black trumpet mushrooms and butter-braised parsnips

— Dark chocolate pave, white chocolate crema and macadamia nut praline, cocoa nib ice cream

THE FIGHTER: This movie was inspired by an Irish family in Massachusetts, so Food Network Iron Chef Michael Symon based his meal around those two things. Symon, who is chef/owner of Roast in Detroit and Lola, Lolita and B Spot in Cleveland — and was a high school wrestler to boot — planned the meal to go from humble beginnings to big finish.

— Fried clams with celery leaves, radishes and lemon aioli

— Lobster chowder with smoked corn and coriander

— "Irish stew" with celery root, parsnips, potatoes and truffle

— Double chocolate cake with smoked sea salt

INCEPTION: New York pastry chef Martin Howard was inspired by Inception when he created the "Treat within a Treat" cupcake. Where the film excites fans with a dream within a dream scenario, Martin created a devil's food cupcake that is filled with butter cream. The filling is concealed by a topping of chocolate ganache. "I added my own twist on the traditional butter cream with a hint of Lucid absinthe to add an extra layer of flavor, and, of course, as a nod to the film's lucid dreams," he says.

127 HOURS: The visceral but gripping story of a trapped mountain climber's struggle to survive inspired Kelly Liken, chef/owner of Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail, Colo., to think about what she would choose to eat for her last meal. The answer: Florida stone crab and creamy mustard sauce.