Wolfgang Puck: 2015 Oscar Winning Culinary Classics

And the winner is...Austrian Chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck who will once again be creating an extravagant feast for celebrities and VIPs attending this year’s 2015 Academy Award ceremony with a menu consisting of no less than 32 different dishes. Puck, who has catered the Governors Ball for over 20 years, has given people a sneak peek of what the stars attending the event can expect with a tapas-style menu to be served. The ingredients for the feast, which is expected to be attended by over 1,500 people, shows how lavish the offerings will be: five kilos of caviar, 350 pounds of smoked salmon, 5,000 eggs and 30 pounds of edible gold dust are just some of the items Puck will be using for the dishes. There will also be 1,300 oysters, 6,000 mini chocolate Oscars as well as over 1,000 bottles of Champagne, all served up by 950 kitchen and waiting staff. And the star of this years feast — a giant cake in the shape of Charlie Chaplin’s hat — plus of course, the big winners picking up an Oscar earlier that night!

Wolfgang Puck is overseeing the annual gala’s menu for the 21st year in a row

Photo © Michael Buckner - Getty Images

Following this year's theme, Puck and his team will be melding vintage and contemporary Hollywood for their delectable dishes and desserts. “Some people are vegan and vegetarian, some people don’t eat fish or don’t eat meat. Because of that, we're making lots of different dishes, from a little Parsnip Chips with Eggplant Purée, which are a little Middle Eastern, to Lobster Rolls with Bacon, which are traditional American.” Other dishes include Baked Potatoes with Caviar, Beet Latkes with Pastrami Duck with Apple Mustard, Black Truffle Chicken Pot Pies, Wagyu Shortribs with squash purée, Chilled Sweet Pea Soup, and Puck’s signature Oscar-shaped Smoked Salmon Matzo. "This used to be an event where everyone sat down like a formal black tie dinner. I thought that was very boring," Puck says. "It's much more fun and relaxed this way and everyone can taste all the dishes. Everyone likes small plates. We'll see this year who is going to eat seconds but I want people to try all the different dishes. There is a lot of food!"

Governors Ball Menu

February 22, 2015

Menu created by Chef Wolfgang Puck with Matt Bencivenga 

Pastry Team: Kamel Guechida, Della Gossett, Jason Lemonnier

Tray-Passed Hors D'Oeuvres

Mini American Wagyu Burgers with Aged Cheddar & Remoulade

Lobster "BLT" with Bacon, Tomato, Chive Aioli & Brioche

Beet Latkes with Pastrami Duck & Apple Mustard

Spicy Tuna Tartare in Sesame Miso Cone

Deviled Eggs with Spiced Crab

Parsnip Chips with Caponata & Capers

Aged Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Roasted Tomato 

Smoked Hominy Toasts with Avocado & Salsa Verde 

Crispy Artichokes with Citrus-Chili Gremolata

Cocktail Bites

Homemade Pretzels, Pimento Cheese

Five-Year Aged Gouda & Parmigiano-Reggiano

Deviled Eggs with Spiced Crab

Roasted Nuts with Rosemary, Cayenne, Sea Salt & Brown Sugar 

Breadsticks and Seeded Lavash

Passed Small Plates - Served Hot

Baked Potato with Caviar

Chicken Pot Pie with Black Truffles

Parsnip Soup with White Chocolate, Pears, Rosemary and 24k Gold

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Crispy Potato Galette with Smoked Salmon and Caviar 

Wagyu Shortribs with Hay-Smoked Kabocha Squash Puree 

Celery Root Agnolotti with Black Winter Truffles

Dover Sole with Fennel, Chili & Orange Miso Vinaigrette

Passed Small Plates - Served Chilled

Lobster Salad with Artichokes, Asparagus, Fava Beans, 

Baby Beets & Citrus Vinaigrette

Chinois Chicken Salad

Chilled Sweet Pea Soup with Black Truffles

Desserts

Coffee Oscar Lollipops

Peanut Butter Strawberry Lollipops

Apple Millefeuille with Cider Jelly

Violet Creme Brûlée with Blackcurrant Jelly

Passion Fruit Pate de Fruits

Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta with Raspberries 

Bittersweet Chocolate Cupcake with Marshmallow Frosting 

Hollywood Chocolate Mousse & Citrus Crème Brûlée

Chocolate Chip Cookies & S'mores Cupcakes

Puck’s famous 24-carat gold chocolate Oscars
(so everyone can go home with an Oscar!)

Beautiful Beet Latkes with Duck Pastrami

Puck's signature Oscar-shaped Smoked Salmon and Caviar matzo appetizers

Luscious Parsnip Soup with White Chocolate, Pears, Rosemary and 24k Gold

Vegan taro root tacos, lobster shrimp dumplings, and vegan white bean quinoa cakes

Crispy potato galettes made with smoked salmon that Puck makes himself

Lobster Roll canapés with bacon

Buttermilk-Marinated Fried Chicken and Creamy Grits with Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce

Spicy Tuna Tartare in Sesame Miso Cones

What would a party be without sushi?

Wild salmon with ginger and almonds

Chicken Pot Pie with Truffles

Caramel garden, coffee soil, chocolate malted tree with fleur de sel

Chocolate dipped strawberry cheesecake pops

Puck's Charlie Chaplin-inspired Hollywood Cake

Piper-Heidsieck will be serving up 1,500 bottles of champagne 

— including 750 of their exclusive Rare bottles

Wolfgang Puck’s Mini Cheese Burgers with Remoulade & Aged Cheddar 
Makes 12 mini burgers
Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck

3/4 lb prime ground beef, such as Kobe-style
1/4 tsp Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
12 small slices of cheddar cheese
12 mini sesame brioche buns
Arugula leaves
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
3 cornichons, sliced

Remoulade Sauce:
2 cups heavy cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp peanut oil
3/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper


For the remoulade sauce, combine the heavy cream, garlic, rosemary and paprika in a medium saucepan, and reduce by half. Allow to cool to room temperature. In a sauté pan, heat the peanut oil. Sweat the onions, red and yellow bell pepper until glossy. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature.

Preheat a grill or grill pan. Put the ground beef in a bowl and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together with your hands to combine. Take about 2 tablespoons of the ground beef and roll it in the palm of your hand like you are making meatballs. Flatten the top slightly and put the mini burger patties on a side plate. Drizzle the burgers with oil and season the tops with salt and pepper. Turn the burgers over and season the other side.

Place the burgers on the hot grill. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn them over with tongs. Put about 1/2 ounce of aged cheddar cheese on top of the burgers, allowing it to melt. While that’s cooking, put the brioche circles or mini buns on the grill. Let them toast slightly on both sides, about 2 minutes total time.

To put the burgers together: Put the toasted brioche circles or bun halves on a platter. Top each with a small spoonful of Remoulade. Put the burger on top, cheese side up, followed by an arugula leaf, a slice of tomato and a slice of cornichon. Top with other half of the brioche or buns, and secure with a decorative pick.

Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon
Makes 12 to 14 latkes
Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck

1 lb russet baking potatoes, peeled
1 small onion, peeled
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking oil, such as canola, peanut, or safflower
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tsp minced fresh dill
Lemon juice
1/2 lb smoked salmon or gravlax, sliced thinly
4 oz Sevruga Caviar for garnish, optional


Using the large holes of a box grater or the grating disk on a food processor, shred the potatoes into a mixing bowl, then grate in the onion.

Line a large bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Transfer the mixture to the towel-lined bowl, twist the towel around it and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Alternatively you can pick the mixture up by handfuls and squeeze dry. Transfer to another bowl. Add the egg, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and stir with a fork until well blended.

Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large, heavy skillet or in a an electric fryer set at 350°F until it ripples and feels quite hot when you hold your hand over it. With a metal tablespoon, carefully place a spoonful of the mixture into the hot oil. Press down on the mixture with an offset spatula to form an evenly thick pancake about 3 inches in diameter. Add more spoonfuls, taking care not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook the pancakes until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning them over carefully with a slotted metal spatula. Transfer to a tray or platter lined with paper towels to drain. Continue with the remaining mixture. If not serving right away, allow to cool completely. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 400°F, place the potatoes on a baking sheet and heat in the oven until crisp, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche or sour cream and dill. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. To serve, transfer the hot potato pancakes to a platter. Spoon a small dollop of the crème fraîche mixture onto each pancake and top with folds of smoked salmon with a garnish of caviar. Serve immediately. 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Black Truffles
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck

8 oz elbow macaroni
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tbsp finely chopped black truffles
1/2 medium white onion
1 bay leaf
10 oz sharp aged white cheddar, grated
3 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Pinch cayenne
3 tbsp butter
1 cup brioche bread crumbs
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Sliced fresh black truffles for garnish, optional


Preheat oven to 350°F. In large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni to al dente, about 7 minutes. Strain and place on a lightly oiled sheet pan. While the macaroni is cooking, in a separate pot over low heat, 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 cayenne and fold in macaroni. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheddar. Melt the butter in a sauté pan and toss breadcrumbs and parsley to coat. Top the macaroni with breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven let stand for about 5 minutes. Serve with fresh shaved black truffles.

The 2015 Academy Awards Penicillin
Serves 4

8 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch
3 oz Fresh lemon
3 oz Ginger syrup
4 pieces candied ginger for garnish


Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Pour in four rocks glasses with hand-chipped ice and garnish of candied ginger.

Spiced Banana & Persimmon Bread with Cranberries

A delicious, moist, sweet, and flavourful bread that's a wonderful alternative to traditional banana or pumpkin bread, this Spiced Banana & Persimmon Bread with Walnuts and Cranberries is great with coffee or as a mid afternoon snack. The fragrant combination of ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves adds a Christmasy flavour to this festive loaf, and sprinkled with a little coarse brown sugar before baking in the oven creates a lovely crunchy top without adding any extra sweetness. I added dried cranberries and walnuts, however any dried fruit, nut or even dried coconut would be equally delicious.

Butter and brown sugar blended until smooth in a standing mixer

Flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, walnuts and dried cranberries

All blended together with mashed banana and persimmons

The batter is scooped into a loaf pan and sprinkled with coarse brown sugar and then baked at 350°F for 50-60 minutes

The bread is done with a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean

After 10 minutes, the loaf is removed from the pan and allowed to cool on a baking rack

Spiced Banana & Persimmon Bread with Cranberries & Walnuts
Makes 1 loaf

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup white or brown sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/4 tsp salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 ripe Kuku persimmons, peeled with centre removed and puréed
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup turbinado or raw sugar, for garnish


Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using a standing mixer. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, walnuts, dried cranberries and salt and mix well. In another bowl, combine the mashed bananas, mashed persimmon, milk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Pour into a greased bread pan and smooth the batter out into an even layer and sprinkle the top with a 1/4 cup turbinado or raw sugar to add crunch. Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and continue to cool on wire rack.

Spinach Ricotta Gnudi with Béchamel & Tomato Sauce

One of my favourite winter dishes is Baked Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi, which are delectable little dumplings 'naked' of their pasta wrapper. A kissing cousin to gnocchi, these fluffy pillows of loveliness are made with ricotta rather than potato, which makes them lighter and more delicate in ways gnocchi rarely are. The technique for making these ethereal clouds of ricotta begins with a simple mixture of spinach, ricotta, eggs and parmesan cheese that's shaped into oval egg-size dumplings, then coated with a light dusting of flour. Placed in a baking dish, the gnudi are arranged in neat rows, covered with a rich and creamy béchamel sauce, a splash of sweet tomato sauce and baked in the oven for about an hour. It couldn't be easier. Four or five gnudi make an impressive starter; eight to ten, a dreamy main course that's damn close to food heaven.

Thawed frozen chopped spinach squeezed dry

Ricotta, eggs, grated parmesan, freshly ground nutmeg are added to the spinach then seasoned with salt and white pepper

The mixture is well combined with a wooden spoon

To make the dumplings, use your hands to form the spinach-ricotta mixture into the shape and size of a small egg, slightly elongated like a quenelle

The gnudi are then coated with a light dusting of flour

The béchamel sauce starts with a roux of butter and flour

Warm milk is gradually added to the roux until the béchamel becomes silky and smooth, then it's seasoned with fresh nutmeg

A layer of béchamel is spooned over the base of a greased baking dish, 

into which the gnudi are laid in neat rows

The remaining béchamel sauce is spooned over the gnudi

Tomato sauce is ladled over the béchamel 

Grated parmesan is sprinkled overtop

Basil can be arranged over the gnudi before being baked at 350°F for 50-60 minutes

Hot and bubbling, the gnudi are ready to be served

Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi with Béchamel Sauce
Makes about 20 dumplings - serves 4 as an entrée or 6 as a starter

Dumplings:
2 10oz/300g packages frozen spinach, thawed and chopped
1 10oz/300g tub fresh ricotta cheese
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil, chopped for garnish
1 tbsp butter, for greasing the baking dish
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups homemade or quality store-bought tomato sauce

Béchamel Sauce:
4 cups whole milk
7 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg


Thaw the frozen spinach, then drain and squeeze dry, getting rid of as much extra water as you can. It will make the dumplings hold their shape better.

In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, eggs, half the Parmesan cheese and a generous grating of nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper, and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

While the oven is preheating, prepare the béchamel sauce by heating the milk in a saucepan. In a separate pan, melt the butter, then add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon and cooking the roux until it becomes lightly golden, about 5-6 minutes. Add a ladleful of the warm milk at a time, stirring constantly so it doesn't form lumps. Continue until all the milk has been incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, and additional nutmeg to taste. Continue cooking and stirring on low heat for another 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken and become very smooth. Remove from the heat and cover.

Generously butter a large 9"x12" baking dish, and spoon enough béchamel sauce to cover the bottom. Pour the flour onto a flat plate. To make the dumplings, use your hands to form the spinach-ricotta mixture into the shape and size of a small egg, slightly elongated like a quenelle. Dust each dumpling very lightly in the flour and place them over the béchamel in neat rows. Continue until all the mixture is used up. Cover the dumplings with the remaining béchamel, dot the surface with tomato sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake until the top is lightly golden, about 50-60 minutes. Serve piping hot with a good sprinkling of fresh basil on each serving.

Toronto Dining Series Chef Showcase with Amy Rosen

Featured as the opening culinary event of Toronto's 2015 Visa Infinite Dining Series was Canadian food writer Amy Rosen, presenting star chefs from her newest cookbook, 'Toronto Cooks: Signature Recipes from the City's Best Restaurants'. Held at the St Lawrence Market for one night only, the evening showcased the culinary talents some of the city's top chefs: Basilio Pesce of Porzia; Alexandra Feswick of The Drake; Teddy Corrado of the The Drake 150; Alex Molitz and Michael Mooney of Parkdale's Geraldine; and for a sweet finish, Atul Palghadmal of Jelly Modern Doughnuts. To get the evening off to a fine start, a charming couple from Dairy Farmer's of Canada were serving Whipped Ricotta Crostini garnished with fresh thyme and marjoram and a drizzle of olive oil as guests entered the dining event, in addition to a special Parisienne Milk Punch cocktail served by Mixologist Michael Mooney of Geraldine on Queen West in Parkdale. With cocktails in hand, guests found their tables or perches and settled in for a six-course menu of delectable offerings.

A charming couple on the Dairy Farmer's of Canada cheese station serving Whipped Ricotta Crostini using Quality Cheese Bella Casara Ricotta on garlic country bread

Bella Casara Ricotta supplied from Quality Cheese in Vaughan

Bella Casara Mascarpone from Quality Cheese also

Whipped Ricotta Canapé drizzled with olive oil and garnished with fresh thyme and marjoram 

The Six-course dinner menu for the Visa Infinite Dining event featuring chefs from Amy Rosen's cookbook 'Toronto Cooks'

A Parisienne Milk Punch made with Calvados, rum, absinthe, coriander, roobius, lavender, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, pineapple, lemon and milk by Michael Mooney of Geraldine

The first course of the evening was a simple, elegant and delicious Ontario Rainbow Trout Crudo Canapé with wild flower granita, raw celery and espelette pepper served on a house made potato chip served nestled in a clam shell, created by Chef Alex Molitz, now at Geraldine, having left Farmhouse Tavern about 6 months ago. With four chefs bustling around the St Lawrence Market open concept kitchen, all hands were on deck as each chef helped one another in plating every dish, regardless of who had authored the recipe — a shining example of culinary camaraderie.

Chef Basilio Pesce of 'Porzia' composing Chef Alex Molitz's Rainbow Trout Crudo appetizer, the first course of the evening

An Ontario Rainbow Trout Crudo Canapé with wild flower granita, raw celery and espelette pepper served on a house made potato crisp served in a clam shell, designed by Chef Alex Molitz of Geraldine

A 2013 Nadjas Vineyard Riesling from Flat Rock Cellars from Niagara was the 

first wine pairing of the evening with Chef Pesce's Citrus Salad

Chef Alexandra Feswick helping to plate Chef Pesce's Citrus Salad course

Citrus Salad with blood orange, naval orange, clementines, ruby grapefruit and pomegranate seeds with mixed olives in Bomba Calabrese oil by Chef Basilio Pesce of 'Porzia'

The second course was a bright and tangy Citrus Salad with blood orange, naval orange, clementines, ruby grapefruit, pomegranate seeds and mixed olives marinated in a hot Bomba Calabrese oil and garnished with fresh mint, a recipe created by Chef Basilio Pesce of 'Porzia', a Southern Italian culinary hotspot on Queen West that the chef named after his Mom. After working at some of Toronto’s most celebrated restaurants like Canoe, Bymark, North 44 and Biff's Bistro, Basilio opened his own restaurant two years ago, serving homestyle Italian cuisine with a focus on local, ethically grown ingredients. With a name like Basilio Pesce, he seems to have been destined to become a chef!

2012 Origin Chardonnay from Rosewood Estates Winery was paired with 'The Drake' Chef Alexandra Fewick's Gnudi, which was the best dish of the night

Chef Alexandra Feswick of 'The'Drake' reducing the cream sauce for her Gnudi, which she made with equal parts ricotta and parmesan rolled in semolina

My favourite dish of the night was hands-down Chef Alexandra Feswick's pillowy Ricotta & Parmesan Gnudi poached in cream and served with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and fresh pea shoots, inspired by a dish her Mom used to make at Christmas, however this sensational recipe is based a chance meeting she had with Mario Batali at The Spotted Pig in NYC years ago. According to Alex, she was eating at the restaurant when everyone jumped up as Batali arrived on his Vespa sporting his signature orange clogs. They chatted about Italian cuisine and the secret to making the perfect gnudi, a technique that Alex brought home with her and practices to this day. Rolling the gnudi in semolina, refrigerating it for a couple of days then poaching it in cream is the key. Alex has mastered this dish — it was light, luscious and bursting with delicate flavours.

Chef Alexandra Feswick's outstanding Ricotta & Parmesan Gnudi poached in cream with Sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms and Fresh Pea Shoots, inspired by a trip she made to ‘The Spotted Pig’ a few years ago when she ran into Mario Batali, and also based on Alex's mom’s famous mushroom and pea dish

2011 Growers Blend Cabernet Franc from Tawse Winery paired with the next course, a Venison Carpaccio by Chef Teddy Corrado of The Drake 150

Venison Carpaccio with Shaved Foie Gras, Orange Zest and Baby Mustard Greens by Chef Teddy Corrada of The Drake 150

The two entrées were from Chef Teddy Corrada of The Drake One Fifty, the new eastern outpost of The Drake on York Street in Toronto's financial district. His first dish was a Venison Carpaccio with shaved foie gras, orange zest and baby mustard greens. Wafer thin and garnished with "shaved" foie gras, which was actually finely grated frozen foie gras, was completely overwhelmed by a heavy hand of orange zest, which rendered the headline ingredients of the dish entirely without flavour. The Olive Oil Poached Octopus with blistered shishito peppers and Drake "X-oh! sauce was another matter. The octopus was perfectly cooked, lovely and tender with a lightly crispy outer layer garnished with a salty umami XO sauce and served with blistered bright green shishito peppers.

2012 Select Pinot Noir from Rosewood Estates Winery

Olive Oil Poached Octopus with Blistered Shishito Peppers and Drake "X-oh! Sauce" by Chef Corrada

Chef Atul Palghadmal of Jelly Modern Doughnuts (with Chef Alex Molitz behind) presenting his Trio of Doughnuts, the dessert and final course of the evening

Trio of Bite-Size hand-filled and hand-dipped Doughnuts: Lemon Curd topped with meringue; Chocolate with Callebaut Ganache and Edible Gold Leaf; and Classic Jelly

The final course and sweet ending to the dinner were a trio of fresh, fluffy and fabulous bite-size doughnuts from Chef Atul Palghadmal of Jelly Modern Doughnuts, and "one for the road" from mixologist Michael Mooney — a cocktail named 'Anonymous' made with black cardamom infused Bulleit Bourbon cold brew coffee, cinnamon tincture, maple syrup and Fernet Branca served with a lime leaf. With my new 'Toronto Cooks' cookbook in hand, I made way around to each of the chefs to get them to sign the latest addition to my culinary library, and then wound my way home across the street in sub arctic temperatures.  

Mixologist Michael Mooney's final cocktail of the evening — 'Anonymous' made with black cardamom infused Bulleit Bourbon cold brew coffee, cinnamon tincture, maple syrup and Fernet Branca served with a lime leaf — photos are getting fuzzier now!

A signed cookbook by Amy Rosen was included in the $125 fee for the dining event, 

and which I got signed by each of the chefs — a wonderful keepsake

The upstairs kitchen of the St Lawrence Market was still aglow from the evening's dining event, 

as I made my way home across the street!

Gnudi with Mushrooms and Pea Shoots
Serves 6
Recipe courtesy Chef Alexandra Feswick

Gnudi:
1 cup ricotta cheese
q cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
8 fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt
6-8 cups semolina, divided
3 cups whipping cream

Mushroom Sauté:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups oyster mushrooms
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish:
1 cup pea shoots
Freshly grated parmesan cheese


For the gnudi, combine the ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest, chives, pepper and olive oil and mix until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

Spread 3 cups of semolina in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Working with about 1/2 tbsp of prepared cheese mixture at a time, form into balls using the palm of you hand if necessary. Layer the cheese balls on top of the semolina in the baking dish and cover with the remaining semolina flour. Cover and refrigerate for 12-48 hours. When ready to cook, remove the gnudi from the dish and shake off the excess semolina before poaching.

For the mushroom sauté, melt the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. When the butter begins to bubble, add the oyster and shiitake mushrooms — note: I finely sliced them first — and sauté until golden brown and softened, 10-15 minutes. Wipe the pan with paper towel to remove excess oil and reserve pan for poaching the gnudi.

To finish the gnudi, set the reserved frying pan over medium-high heat and warm the cream for 3 minutes, or until just beginning to bubble. Add the gnudi and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, rolling the gnudi in the pan for 3-5 minutes, making sure the balls stay coated as this will help them keep their shape. The gnudi are ready when the cream begins to thicken and the gnudi begin to swell.

To serve, spoon the gnudi into pre-warmed dishes and garnish with the sautéed mushrooms, fresh pea shoots and grated parmesan.

Alex's Garlicky Sausage Minestrone Soup
Serves 6-8
Recipe courtesy Chef Alexandra Feswick

1 onion, diced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 lb pepperoni or dry cured sausage, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 stems fresh oregano
2 stems fresh basil
1/2 cup red wine
1 28-oz can tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 can red kidney beans

Garnish:
Parmesan, freshly grated
Cracked black pepper

Sauté vegetables in an oiled pot over medium-high heat with pepperoni, garlic, oregano and one basil stem. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the remaining ingredients except the garnishes, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the basil and oregano stems. Garnish with Parmesan, pepper and remaining basil.