After the Academy Awards in Hollywood on Sunday, many of the A-list stars will head straight for the academy’s own Governors Ball, where chef Wolfgang Puck will whip up about 50 different dishes in a lavish spread.
Your home Oscar viewing party may be slightly more subdued than the academy’s glittery bash—and with a slightly lower budget—but your guests can still eat like the stars! Chef Puck shared some of the (doable) Oscar night recipes he'll be making on the big night, so you can try them at the same time in the comfort of your own home. Check out these crowd-pleasing options for a healthy appetizer, a hearty main dish and a vegan-friendly dessert.
Power Smoothie Shots
It won’t surprise you that juicing is wildly popular among the Hollywood crowd, and they won’t be without their healthy-eating staple on the big night: Servers will be passing trays of this fresh, organic juice blend as guests enter the ball. To make 12 shot-size servings, you’ll need:
- 6 leaves kale, ribs removed
- 4 large stalks celery, leaves trimmed
- 2 green apples, cut into wedges
- 1 medium organic English cucumber
- 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled
Juice all ingredients, stir well and serve right away.
Baked Mac and Cheese with Black Truffles
Just read the words in the recipe name and try not to drool. This one is a can’t-miss crowd pleaser — and the truffles make it feel so rich and decadent. To serve four, you’ll need:
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 ½ cups milk
- ½ medium white onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- A pinch of cayenne
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped black truffles
- 10 ounces grated sharp aged white cheddar
- 3 ounces grated gruyère
- 1 ounce grated parmesan
- 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. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni to al dente (about seven 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 four minutes stirring constantly. Add the milk, chopped truffles, onion and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes before removing the onion and bay leaf.
Turn off the heat and add three quarters of the cheddar and all of the other cheeses. Season with salt and black pepper and fold in macaroni. Pour into a two-quart casserole dish and top with remaining cheddar.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan and toss bread crumbs and parsley to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumb mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and let stand for five minutes. Serve with fresh shaved black truffles.
Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Almond Cream Frosting
With so many high-profile celebs living vegan lifestyles these days — including, of course, Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres — Puck will be serving an amped-up numbed of vegan dishes on this year’s vast menu. Please all your friends, no matter their dietary preferences, with this dessert that’s gluten free as well as vegan. To make two dozen, you’ll need:
For the frosting:
- 1 ½ cups plain or vanilla-flavored almond milk
- ¾ cup soy milk powder
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon coconut extract
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the cake:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose gluten-free baking flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup arrowroot powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup hot brewed dark-roast coffee
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1 ⅓ cups agave nectar
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
First, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of a food processor with a stainless-steel blade, combine the almond milk, soy milk powder, agave nectar, coconut extract and vanilla. Process for two minutes. Slowly add half of the coconut oil, then half of the lemon juice, then the remaining half of each. Continue processing until the mixture is blended. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the frosting has firmed up enough to spread (about six hours).
Next, for the cupcakes, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325. Line two 12-cup muffin tins or four standard-sized six-cup muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, potato starch, cocoa powder, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Stir well with a wire whisk until thoroughly blended.
In a separate bowl, combine the hot coffee, coconut oil, agave nectar, applesauce and vanilla. Stir with a whisk until blended. Add the wet ingredient mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir with a whisk until a smooth batter forms.
Pour batter into cups until each is nearly full. Bake on the middle rack. After 15 minutes, rotate the baking tins front to back. Continue baking until the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed at their centers, about seven minutes longer. Remove from the oven and leave in tins at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then, remove the cupcakes from the tins and leave on wire racks to cool completely. Frost the cupcakes when they have cooled.
Alesandra Dubin is a Los Angeles-based writer and the founder of home and travel blog Homebody in Motion. Follow her on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.