On the Oscar Menu

 
Chef Wolfgang Puck is once again at the helm of the Governors Ball, creating the menu for this year’s event. He’s been doing it for almost 20 years – that’s a whole lot of little gold-covered chocolate Oscars!

After a little incident, which involved me being pushed over by zealous photographers onto one of the Oscar lights (and sustaining minor burn injuries), I was able to sample some of the dishes which guests at the Ball will dine on. There’s something rather decadent about eating chocolate covered in gold!

The delicacies are all centred on the theme of the evening, The Smoked Salmon Oscars, the Chicken Pot Pie with Shaved Black Truffles and the gold-dusted chocolate Oscars – all staples over the past few years – will appear on the menu again this year, together with a few new items, like Lobster Taco with Tomato and Pickled Shallots and desserts that pay homage to the future of Oscar in 3D.

I chatted to Wolfgang and also to Gary Levitt, vice president of Sequoia, the company that stages the Governors Ball - who happens to be South African! He’s been in the States since 1986.

Some little-known facts about the Governors Ball:

– at 950, the number of staff, and 350, the number of culinary staff, the amount of people working the party almost equals the number of guests, which is 1500

– 1000 bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne will be served

– 1400 strands of Swarovski crystals will light up the room

– there will be over 200 shades of red visible to the naked eye, used in the decor, which is set to be more modern than ever before

– 5 kilos of American-farm-raised caviar will be consumed – shew!