"Oscar" news and stories

For over ten years now, Wolfgang Puck has been serving the stars at the Governor's Ball - also known as the official "after party" for the Academy Awards, where all the nominees congregate to look glamorous, talk to the press and eat dinner. Not all of the secrets of the Oscar ceremony itself, like what the stage is going to look like, are revealed ahead of time and the menu for the Ball was clearly a bit hush-hush to start. Fortunately, little by little, information leaked out.

The Ball is not going to be a sit-down affair, but an elegant/casual cocktail-type of party, an the overriding theme this year will be "Oscar goes organic." The food, in addition to being organic and/or humanely raised will be small or bite-sized, and will include favorites (and Puck standbys) like sushi, grilled Kobe beef, Spicy Tuna Tartare in a Sesame Miso Cone, Smoked Salmon Oscars with French Farm-Raised Osetra Caviar and Roasted Pumpkin Squash Ravioli with White Truffles. And, of course, there will be plenty of champagne and chocolate Oscar statuettes to go around.

Click past the jump for a preview of the whole menu.

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When I saw this cocktail, my first thought was how well it would go with Nicole's Red Velvet Roll Cake. Ok who am I kidding, what wouldn't go well with that, really? Wanting to stick to the Acadamy Award-party theme though, I'm sure this would make a great addition to your cocktail party.

The drink, available at L.A.'s Four Season's hotel, sells for $18 a glass. Red carpet worthy, indeed. Since many of us don't have that kind of budget for a single beverage, the recipe fortunately includes some modifications that may make it easier for you to enjoy this at home. Also, the infused tequila they mention requires five days to sit. Since Oscar night is only two days away, I would recommend simply muddling the fruit together first, then add the tequila, shake vigorously and let sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Strain before using.

The original recipe can be found after the jump.

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The Academy Awards are just three days away, and I'm sure a number of you are hosting Oscar parties. If nothing else, it gives you good reason to get friends and family together to enjoy some delicious food and drinks - what could be better than that? Over the next few days we're going to take a look at some dishes that you may be able to serve to your guests, Oscar-style, while waiting to find out who wins Best Picture.

I came across this article written by Wolfgang Puck, world-class chef and owner of Spago's plus many other restaurants around the country. Since he has been serving up dishes to the stars since the 1970's (at his restaurants, as well as at the award shows themselves), I decided there was no better way to kick start our own little Oscar party than by spotlighting one of his recipes.

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Three cocktail recipes with a Oscar/Film link -

Bullshot

• 1 ½ shots Vodka
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon
• 4 drops Tabasco sauce
• 4 drops Worcestershire sauce
• ½ shot Lime Juice
• 1 pinch celery salt
• 1 pinch black pepper

Pour ingredients into an ice-filled glass and stir. Down in one! A hangover cure apparently. Made famous by Noel Coward, the quintessential 20th century Englishman who was nominated for an Oscar in 1942 for Best Picture In Which We Serve

Cowboy Martini

• 3 shots  Gin
• ½ shot sugar syrup
• 8 fresh mint leaves
• 4 drops orange bitters

Shake ingredients with ice so that the mint is broken up by the vigorous motion. Strain into a martini glass. Obviously in praise of those Broken backed Cowboys nominated for several categories including Best Picture.

Corpse Reviver

• 1 ½ shots cognac
• 1 shot Calvados
• 1 shot Red vermouth

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a martini class. Garnish with a twist of orange. In support of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride nominated for best animation.

Wolfgang Puck has been the chef in charge of coordinating the menu at the official post-Academy Awards dinner for over ten years. Every year he tempts the taste buds of Hollywood's elite and never fails to impress. The dinner is served to more than 1600 guests, and coordinating the staffing necessary to serve that number of people simultaneously  - hundreds of personnel in the dining room and kitchen - almost requires more skill than putting together an award-winning menu.

The menu will feature chicken and black truffle risotto, smoked salmon pizzas and, of course, gold dusted chocolate Oscars made from Valrhona chocolate in custom molds. Other foods will be shaped as Oscars to bring fun and a unifying theme to the evening, like Oscar crackers as appetizers and pastry Oscars with the main course. Pastry chef Sherry Yard has created an "Asian-inspired Zen fantasy" dessert, in a black and white chocolate opera cake enhanced with coconut filling, a pineapple sour cream ice cream cone and a sprinkle of pineapple and passion fruit.

[Photo from Sky.com]

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