We're excited to again be the official red-carpet sponsor for the Tony Awards on Sunday, June 12. While you're watching our real-time feed (on Nordstrom.com) of all the style and excitement at Broadway's biggest night ( and seeing if you're the lucky winner of a $500 Nordstrom gift card), invite some friends over and enjoy all the action while imbibing and snacking on some delicious nibbles from our cookbooks and restaurants.

We've got four simple recipes for entertaining a crowd: an easy, creamy artichoke dip with Parmesan cheese, a gourmet popcorn bar with three flavor-packed seasoning salts, a wine-spritzer-meets-sangria cocktail and our version of a French 75 champagne cocktail with orange liqueur and real gold flakes-so fancy.

Easy Baked Artichoke Dip
From our Nordstrom Flavors Cookbook
(Serves 12 to 14)

Creamy, cheesy and just a little smokey with a roasted red pepper, this baked artichoke dip is a winner-and it couldn't be simpler to throw together for low-stress entertaining.

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, preferable Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cans (13 1/2 ounces each) artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 can (7 ounces) diced green chiles, drained

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 1/2 cups of the Parmesan cheese, the vinegar, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the artichokes, bell pepper and chiles. Transfer to a decorative baking dish and, using the spatula, smooth the surface. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.

Bake uncovered until lightly browned and gently bubbling around the edges, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving directly from the dish.

Three Seasoned Salt Recipes
From our Nordstrom Flavors Cookbook

In our cookbook, we offer these three recipes for seasoning salt as an easy way to add lots of flavor to any number of dishes with something premade that's on hand, rather than digging through your spice cabinet. But they also make for an excellent way to spice up simple buttered popcorn. Let your guests mix and match and find their favorite.

Smokey Southwestern
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Spicy Creole
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Garlic and Onion
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

To make each seasoning, in a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Pass each mixture through a coarse-mesh sieve into another bowl. Transfer the seasonings to airtight containers and store in a cool, dark place for up to 2 months.

GM 75
From our Nordstrom Bars

While you don't have to add the gold leaf (we don't at our bars where this version of a French 75 is served), the flakes dancing in this cocktail's effervescent bubbles does add a theatrical flair, which is perfect for this occasion. Be sure to use real (24 karat), edible gold flakes.

Ingredients: (per cocktail)
1 ounce Grand Marnier (or similar orange liqueur)
1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 teaspoon simple syrup
Prosecco to fill
Ice for shaking
Orange peel for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, add 1 scoop of ice, Grand Marnier, lemon juice and simple syrup. Cap and shake vigorously 20 times. Double strain into a champagne flute and top off with prosecco. Squeeze the orange peel, use it to rim the glass and stir the cocktail before dropping it in.

Vine Street
From our Nordstrom Bars

With muddled grapes, mint, rosé and lime juice, this surprisingly refreshing champagne cocktail with vodka is like a perfect mix between a wine spritzer and a light sangria. Excellent for hot-weather and summer sipping.

Ingredients: (per cocktail)
5 grapes
4 mint leaves
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce lime juice
1 3/4 ounce Tito's (or similar quality) vodka
1 ounce rosé wine
Prosecco
Grapes and a mint leaf to garnish

Chill wine glass with ice and water. In a cocktail shaker, muddle grapes, mint, simple syrup and lime until pulpy and well combined. Add Tito's, rosé and one scoop of ice. Cap and shake vigorously 20 times. Empty now-chilled wine glass of ice and water. Double strain cocktail into the glass and top off with prosecco. To garnish, skewer two grapes with a mint leaf between them and balance on rim of glass.

Final tips: Download printable Tony Award ballots for your guests to fill out and have a prize (like a gift card or small gift) for the person who got the most right. (A drinking game based on those who guess wrong in a category also might be a way to go, if that's more your style.)

Serve the popcorn in festive, individual-sized cones, which are super easy to make ( here's a good tutorial), and can be made with any color paper imaginable to suit your theme.

Check back on Sunday, June 12 for our Tony Awards coverage and all the celebs and style on red carpet.

- Jeff Powell