Wolfgang Puck's Tips for an Award-Winning Oscar Party

by Nicki Gostin, Posted Feb 26th 2010 @ 4:00PM

Wolfgang Puck at the Governor's Ball, 2009. Photo: Getty Images.

2010 marks the 16th year that famed Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck will be creating the menu for the Governor's Ball, which takes place immediately after the Academy Awards. The gregarious gastronome spoke to Slashfood to reveal some "Puckish" tips for hosting a successful Oscar viewing party.

What is your best tip?
WP: I think you have to decorate the house a little bit, so it looks like it has something to do about movies. If you can buy some new or old movie posters and put them up, I think it's nice. Have the people who come by get dressed up a little bit, so that way they don't come like slobs like it's another party. Then it's good to serve some sparkling wine or champagne or something, which makes it festive.

What about food?
WP: The best thing is to serve a buffet -- to have some good salads, like a chopped vegetable salad, some asparagus, some cooked artichokes, and then some warm dishes, like braised short ribs, especially if you're on the East Coast, where often the beginning of March is still very cold. People love braised short ribs and the great thing is that you can make them way in advance. You can freeze them or you can keep them in the fridge for a few days beforehand and then you just reheat them slowly and serve with some polenta and Parmesan cheese. People are going to think they are in the best restaurant.

I like to make a gratin of potatoes, which is potatoes, milk, a little garlic, salt and pepper and cheese on top. People love it and it's easy to make. Plus, you can make it early on in the day. For desserts I like to have mainly smaller pieces, like cookies with maybe some ice cream; great chocolate-chip cookies, coconut cookies or lemon cookies or pecan bars. I would also have good red and white wine.

What are your secret tips?
WP: I think it's really important to get a whole overhaul view of the party, what impression you want people to get from your party. It's nice in the evening to have candles because you're going to have the TV blasting anyway, so candles make it a little fancy. Also you don't want to stay in the kitchen during the telecast, so it's good to set up a buffet where you don't have to really tend to it all the time.

Ever served pigs in a blanket at a party?
WP: You know, I never have. I like sausages but more homemade sausages.

So you couldn't bring yourself to serve them.
WP: No, not yet. I was thinking if I could make a special sausage. I thought about it the other day. It would be interesting to find a twist on pigs in a blanket. We would make our own truffle sausage and roll them in a good puff pastry.

Would you ever have a bowl of chips?
WP: You know I don't like all this processed food. I'm really against it. I think we eat too much of it. If you want to do a party, try to serve things you can make at home. You can buy some good bread and serve it with some good cheeses.

How about pizzas -- you're famous for your pizzas.
WP: You know we have a frozen pizza in the stores. I use it at home but I don't serve it just out of the freezer. I finish it off with some fresh basil, some fresh Parmesan and a little drizzle of olive oil; that way it feels like a homemade pizza.

When you were growing up, what was your favorite dish that you mom made?
WP: I love sweets the most. For dinner we had crepes with apricot jam and powdered sugar on top. I would have them with a glass of milk. That was a perfect dinner for me.

I love Austrian desserts.
WP: Austria is very famous for its warm pastries and afternoon cakes.

Filed Under: Chefs, Interviews, Features
Tags: Academy Awards, featured, Governors Ball, oscar party, oscars, wolfgang puck

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)

3-02-2010 @2:30AM handbags said... Who do you think would Joile march with to Oscars? I doubt whether she would stick back to Brad..Brangelina seems history!
Regards handbags
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3-03-2010 @8:06PM DJ said... I think she should go with her father. It would be an interesting twist and represent her reconciliation with him. It would also keep the rumor mill going as no one guy would be at her side.

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3-03-2010 @4:04PM Victor said... Hey Nicki

It's Victor from Media Needle on behalf of Hyundai. Great interview with Wolfgang. I saw it, and thought I could contribute with some Oscar party planning and recipe widgets on Hyundai's Facebook page. (Facebook.com/Hyundai). These are free to embed, share, but not eat...

Enjoy
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3-03-2010 @4:24PM Amy3e said... so excited for Oscars this year.. having a party at our place so enjoyed this article. Found some fun ideas for contests, games and decorations plus some good appetizer and pizza recipes ( including one of his!) at
http://www.celebrationideasonline.com
It should a good night
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3-03-2010 @4:35PM Pamela said... Does anyone besides celebrites have Oscar parties? Does anyone actually WATCH the Oscars? As if Hollywood needs another excuse to tell the world how wonderful they are, and how worthless the rest of us are. Would not waste my money on any movie, and certainly would not throw a party in honor of a bunch of sleaze balls!
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3-03-2010 @7:08PM Rich said... That's a good question. I don't know a single person who has an Oscar party in their homes or even has time to watch the Oscars. We are all too busy with jobs, running kids to different activities, helping them with homework etc...It's really not on our list of priorities.

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3-03-2010 @9:43PM Fred said... Is your life as incredibly boring as you make it sound? Perhaps if you removed the stick from your nether regions you might not be so quick to judge what others greatly enjoy. Uh...Rich, that goes for you, too.

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3-03-2010 @11:38PM Doreen said... I agree w/ you 100%! If people want to come and watch (doubt it) @ my house it most likely would be chips & dip, maybe wings, popcorn, what ever they bring. (kidding, kinda) I know the same ole' bla bla bla, superbowl stuff. We most likely won't be watching, but it will be a good time ( excuse for some) to get everyone together! Like my friends need an excuse? lol We just seem to make a party out of nothing!

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3-03-2010 @5:37PM A.G. said... wolfgag puke...hawking the same old crap...nothing new ...and pimping his garbage frozen pizza flavor cardboard...YUCK!
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3-03-2010 @5:15PM Master Shake said... A.G. - yeah, hawking frozen pizza - it's call CAPITALISM, dude. He's rich. You're not. There's a reason.

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3-03-2010 @4:49PM A. G. said... Pamela,

I couldn't agree more...people can't be anymore brain dead, even if they had a lobotomy!
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3-03-2010 @5:12PM non ya business said... Woolfgang PUTZ you mean......
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3-03-2010 @5:38PM Lassie said... You know who holds these "parties"? well to do (not exactly rich), bored NYC yuppies, that's who. I was invited to one as a guest of a guest years ago. They actually: laid out a red carpet leading into their foyer and were standing there taking pictures of the guests as they arrived. (We had all been instructed to dress up to the max.) As if we were celebrities. I swear. to. God. Yeah, movie posters put up on the walls, yeah, champagne and catered finger foods. We even had to play a lame trivia game about movie stars, and won prizes ('gift baskets' like the celebs get, only of course worth a fraction of a fraction. My friend got one with name brand hand lotion, lip gloss, sunglasses, bubble bath, a loofa, and I forgot what else.) OK, all in all, it was a fun party after a few vats of champagne were guzzled, but talk about silly! ... Here's my sure fire party food for any occasion:

1 pkg. Hillshire Farms cocktail franks or Li'l Smokies (sorry, no homemade truffle sausage here)
1 tube crescent rolls, regular or reduced-fat

Open tube of rolls. With scissors, snip each of the 8 wedges into 5 pieces. Wind bits of dough around each 'pig' (it doesn't have to be perfect, a small amount of dough only is needed to go around once). Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes. Serve with your choice of condiments, with lots of chips and dips. TAKE THAT, Wolfgang Puck! People LIKE these.

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3-03-2010 @5:45PM Sharonlynn said... Screw celebrities and their damn vanity awards.
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3-03-2010 @7:09PM Rich said... You know, I would imagine no matter how good a pizza is in real life, it just can't come out right after being frozen. I've tried just about every brand of frozen pizza and none of them work out very well.
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3-03-2010 @8:35PM Harry O said... Puck has been in America for how long? He still can't speak worth a S***. I cannot understand why he can't or hasn't worked on it. It's not "Foody". He just sounds like a typical growling, guttural German. Makes his crap way less appetizing.
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