Wolfgang Puck’s Pizza with Smoked Salmon and Caviar

Wolfgang Puck Salmon Pizza

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. pizza dough
  • 1 tbsp. chili and garlic oil
  • 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp. dill cream
  • 2 1/2 oz. smoked salmon, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp. fresh chives, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. Sevruga caviar, optional

Directions

  1. Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll out the dough into an 8- inch circle, with the outer edge a little thicker than the inner circle.
  3. Brush the dough with the oil and arrange the onions over the pizza.
  4. Slide a pizza paddle or rimless baking sheet under the pizza and then slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
  5. With the pizza paddle or a large spatula, carefully remove the pizza from the oven and set it on a cutting board. Use a knife, an icing spatula, or the back of a spoon to spread the Dill Cream over the inner circle.
  6. Arrange the slices of salmon so that they cover the entire pizza, slightly overlapping the raised rim. Sprinkle the chopped chives over the salmon.
  7. Using a pizza cutter or a large sharp knife, cut the pizza into 4 or 6 slices. If you like, spoon a little caviar in the center of each slice. Serve immediately.
Photo and recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck

Moet’s Official Governors Ball Cocktail

Moet Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Sugar
  • 1 oz. Hum Botanical Spirit
  • Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Reserve
  • Rose petal

Directions

  1. Make a syrup with 1.5 cups sugar and 1 cup hot water. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
  2. Add 1 cup fresh lime juice and 1 cup fresh lemon juice and refrigerate. Syrup may be substituted with 1 pint agave nectar.
  3. Fill a chilled Champagne Flute half way with ice.
  4. Stir 1 ounce of fresh squeezed sour mix and 1 oz. of Hum Botanical Spirit with fresh ice.
  5. Strain into the Flute to fill 1/2 way and top with Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Reserve.
  6. Garnish with a single rose petal.

Recipe courtesy of oscar.com

Sherry Yard’s Rich Oscars Fudge

Sherry Yard Oscars Fudge

Ingredients

  • 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine and melted
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 oz. water
  • 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tbsp. Jack Daniels
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

  1. Line a 9 inch x 9 inch baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Melt chocolate in a microwave at 50% for 1 minute. Stir and continue in microwave until the chocolate is completely melted. Pour into the bowl of a food processor, reserve.
  3. Fit the bowl of a stand mixer with the whip attachment.
  4. Add the egg yolks and whip on medium speed for 1 minute.
  5. In a small saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil.
  6. Whip egg yolks on high speed and stream in the hot sugar syrup, continue to whip for 30 seconds, remove from mixer.
  7. With the food processor running add the yolk mixture to the chocolate, scrape down.
  8. Add the remaining ingredients in order given.
  9. Pour into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly.
  10. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cut into desired shape.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck and Sherry Yard

Spiced Pork Braised with Prunes and Apricots

Spiced Pork

yield: (makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients

  • Pork shoulder (a little over 2 lbs)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground fennel
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 brown onion, cut into 2 cm dice
  • 1/2 cup port
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 8 prunes, pitted
  • 8 dried apricots
  • grated zest of 1 orange
  • 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
  • 2 cups veal stock
  • freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. About 1 hour before cooking, cut pork into 2 cm dice. Mix the spices and sea salt together. Rub over pork pieces. Cover and leave to marinate.
  2. In a large, heavy-based saucepan, heat extra virgin olive oil. Add half the pork and fry until evenly brown. Repeat with remaining pork. Set aside.
  3. Add the onion to the pan and a little more salt. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until softened.
  4. Add port and reduce by half.
  5. Add red wine and boil for 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol.
  6. Return pork to pan. Add prunes, apricots, orange zest, bay leaves and stock. Bring to a boil.
  7. Rude heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
  8. Remove lid and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until pork is tender.
  9. Remove pan from heat and take out bay leaves.

Italian-Stye Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

Pear and Almond Flan

Back to Marina Libia 

Pear and Almond Flan

Flan

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp soft brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup caster sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2/3 cup almond meal
  • 2 Tbsp self-raising flour
  • 3-4 pears, skin on
  • 2 Tbsp blanched almonds

Directions

  1. Line a circular flan dish (or 23cm cake tin) with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Sprinkle soft brown sugar over the baking paper.
  3. In a bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar to create a smooth, creamy mixture. Make sure all the sugar is disolved.
  4. Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the creamed mixture.
  5. Add the almond meal and flour. Mix well.
  6. Cut the pears vertically, leaving on the skin and stalk. Place pear pieces decoratively in the dish, flat sides down.
  7. Fill gaps with blanched almonds.
  8. Pour the cake mixture over the pears and almonds and press down.
  9. Bake in preheated over at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the cake mixture feels firm at the center.
  10. Allow to cool.
  11. Ease the flan away from the edge of the dish with a knife, place a large serving plate on top and turn it over.

Italian-Stye Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

Spiced Pork Braised with Prunes and Apricots

Back to Marina Libia 

Italian-Stye Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

yield: (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

  • Green zucchini (1 lb 10 oz), cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3 handfuls basil, chopped
  • Sea salt
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
  • Freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. In a heavy-based saucepan, heat a little extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Add zucchini, garlic, basil and a good pinch of sea salt.
  3. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 9 minutes.
  5. Pulse the soup in a blender until well pureed, but not completely smooth.
  6. Return soup to pan and stir in cream and Parmesan.

Moose Milk

eggnog

Ingredients

  • 12 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brandy
  • 1 cup dark rum
  • 1 cup creme de cacao or Kahlua
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 pint half-and-half
  • ½ pint vanilla ice-cream, softened
  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream, whipped
  • Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

  1. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and set aside.
  2. Beat egg yolks with sugar.
  3. Add brandy, rum, creme de cacao, milk and half-and-half, mixing well.
  4. Beat in softened ice-cream.
  5. Fold in whipped cream and beaten egg whites.
  6. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately.
NOTE: The USDA recommends not eating foods containing raw/uncooked eggs. However, in-shell pasteurized eggs may be used safely without cooking.

Zabaglione

Zabaglione

yield: (makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients

  • 4 egg yolks
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ cup marsala

Directions

  1. Put egg yolks and sugar into a large stainless-steel mixing bowl and using a large whisk, beat until thin and pale yellow (about 5 minutes).
  2. Bring a large pot of water just to a simmer over medium heat (do not let it boil). Set bowl with yolks and sugar over simmering water to make a double boiler.
  3. Gradually drizzle in marsala, whisking continuously. Continue whisking until mixture is light and foamy, almost tripling in volume and holding soft peaks (about 15 minutes). Do not let egg cook around the edges of the bowl.
  4. Spoon into 4 small dessert dishes (or stemmed glasses) and serve either warm, at room temperature or chilled, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and cranberries or strawberries.
Photo Courtesy of John McCoy, dailynews.com

Italian Cheese Plate

 

Cheese Plate

yield: (makes about 12-16 servings)

Ingredients

  • ½ pound Gorgonzola 
  • ½ pound Taleggio 
  • ½ pound La Tur 
  • ½ pound Sottocenere with truffle 
  • Assorted Italian olives 
  • Fresh baguette slices and crackers 

Directions

  1. Arrange the Italian cheeses on a plate (and attach handwritten ID labels to the cheeses) along with a small dish of olives in the center.
  2. Serve with baguette slices and crackers.
Photo Courtesy of John McCoy, dailynews.com

Sudburian Blueberry Pie

Blueberry Pie

yield: (makes two 9-inch pies)

Ingredients

CRUST:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • Water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 pound solid vegetable shortening

FILLING:

  • 4 to 5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Crust:

  1. In a measuring cup mix together egg and vinegar. Add enough water to measure ¾ cup.
  2. Combine with salt, flour, baking powder and brown sugar and cut in shortening with two knives until mixture is of pea size.
  3. Remove mixture and form into a ball. Cut into 4 portions.
  4. Roll one portion (¼ of dough) out on a floured pastry cloth or cutting board to a 10-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch pie dish, leaving overhang.
  5. Repeat and use rolled out dough to line another 9-inch pie dish.

Filling:

  1. Combine all filling ingredients, mixing well. Divide filling evenly between the 2 unbaked 9-inch pie crusts.
  2. For top crust, roll out each remaining dough portion on a floured board, one at time.
  3. Cut each into strips and place lattice fashion over top of each pie, crimping edges.
  4. Bake pies in a preheated 425-degree oven 15 minutes.
  5. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 30 minutes, until golden brown and blueberries are bubbling (add foil around crust edges during baking if they begin to over-brown).
  6. Sprinkle top with a little sugar. Place under broiler quickly to brown, if desired.
Photo Courtesy of John McCoy, dailynews.com