Academy Award Governor’s Ball Mouth Watering Recipes from Wolfgang Puck

For those chefs out there, don’t you fantasize what it may be like to cater the Governor’s Ball for the Academy Awards?   Well, wonder no more!!!  This year, Wolfgang Puck has shared his recipes at http://www.oscars.org.

Here are a few special sneak peaks at what all the nominees and winners will be munching on afterwards

BACON-WRAPPED PARMESAN-STUFFED DATES

Makes 18

I love this easy appetizer’s combination of sweet, salty, nutty, meaty, and smoky flavors and smooth,

creamy, and crispy textures—all wrapped up in just an intense bite or two. The effect works best when

you seek out ingredients of the highest quality. You’ll need a wooden toothpick to secure each stuffed and

wrapped date for baking and serving. And let me add one more important word of advice: People will love

these so much that you might want to plan on making multiple batches.

18 large dates, preferably Medjool, slit lengthwise and pitted

18 pieces good-quality Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano, each about 1 by 1/4 inch

6 slices good-quality smoked bacon, cut crosswise into thirds

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Insert a piece of Parmesan into each date. Then, wrap each date with 1 piece of bacon, securing it with a

wooden toothpick.

Arrange the dates 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Then, using tongs, turn the

dates over. Continue baking until the bacon is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes longer.

With the tongs, transfer the dates to paper towels to drain, carefully patting them dry with more paper

towels. Serve immediately.

 

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BLACK TRUFFLES

(recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck)

Yield: Serves 4

8 ounces elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

3-1/2 cups milk

1/2 medium white onion

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch cayenne

3 tablespoons finely chopped black truffles

10 ounces sharp aged white cheddar, grated

3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated

2 drops black winter truffle oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup brioche bread crumbs

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Sliced fresh black truffles for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni to al dente (approximately 7 minutes).

Strain and place on a lightly oiled sheet pan.

While the macaroni is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter and whisk in the flour.

Continue to cook over low heat for 4 minutes stirring constantly. Add the milk, chopped truffles,

onion and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove onion and bay leaf.

Turn off the heat and add 3/4 of the aged cheddar and all of the other cheeses. Season with salt

and black pepper and fold in macaroni. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining

cheddar.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan and toss bread crumbs and parsley to coat. Top the macaroni with

bread crumb mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven let stand for about 5

minutes. Serve with fresh shaved black truffles.

 

 

PENICILLIN

1.5oz Johnnie Walker Back Label

.75oz lemon juice

.75oz ginger syrup (2:1 simple syrup : fresh ginger juice)

float of peaty single malt scotch (Lagavulin, etc)

garnish with skewered ginger candy or lemon