Oscars 2012: Wolfgang Puck unveils menu for Governor's Ball
(CBS) The winners won't be the only ones getting Oscar gold on Sunday.
Gold-dusted mini chocolate statuettes will be on the menu at the Governor's Ball, which takes place after the Academy Awards and draws Oscar winners, nominees, presenters and other Hollywood insiders.
Pictures: Sneak peek at the Governor's Ball menu
Complete Coverage: The 84th Academy Awards
Wolfgang Puck's menu features more than 50 dishes, including one-bite hors d'oeuvres and small-plate entrees that will be passed throughout the evening, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said. Those include smoked salmon on Oscar-shaped flatbread, chicken pot pie with shaved black truffles, lobster tacos with tomato and pickled shallots and beet salad with pistachio butter, burrata and citrus balsamic.
"We are so excited to help create a new energy for the Governors Ball this year," Puck, who is in his 18th consecutive year creating the gala's menu, said in a news release. "With fantastic California ingredients, a few luxuries, and some favorite comfort foods, there will truly be something for everyone, and inspiration for anyone hosting a party at home. We are happy to celebrate Hollywood's brightest stars and most accomplished artists with our culinary artistry."
The menu will also feature macaroni and cheese, braised short ribs with parmesan polenta, lamb chops with a mint cilantro vinegar and baked potato wrapped in gold with caviar and creme fraiche, according to Reuters.
Dessert includes Puck's gold-dusted chocolate Oscars and another sweet treat from pastry chef Sherry Yard that pays homage to the future of film - a "staircase" of chocolate mousse and chiffon cake leading to a white-chocolate Oscar placard.
"We got the idea because all these movies like 'Hugo' are in 3-D," Puck told Reuters. "When you look at it in 3-D you feel like the chocolate is coming out on you."
Moet & Chandon, the official champagne of the Oscars, will be served at the gala, both on its own and in the brand's official Governor's Ball cocktail - the "Moet Red Carpet Glamour," a combination of sour mix, Hum botanical spirits and champagne, garnished with a single rose petal.
