Oscars

82nd Academy Awards is on Sunday and I've yet to decide on a recipe (or recipes) to try. Feels like it needs to be worthy of Alec Baldwin (who Vanity Fair calls Too Big To Fail) and Steve Martin (Canadian). Seriously, was Ricky Gervais that bad at the Globes that we needed two hosts for the Oscars to make up for it?

There's really only two directions to go. Option a) TV-centric, crunchy, golden and deep-fried OR option b) carnivorous with a testosterone driven red. Since, I'm nowhere near the chapters of cooking protein, I'm going with option a. This book is supposed to last throughout 2010. So, am taking my time. And also very intimidated by the photos of the later chapters. Vegetables, I can handle. 

This time of year, what we Southern Californians can call the end of winter a.k.a. 64 and sunny, reminds me of  when I was almost 21, visiting not even living in LA, no money, no dream, no car, no boyfriend, I had no clue either. 

Spent Christmas 2000 with my family in LA. Was planning to go back to South East Asia just after the holidays were over because well, I was living there at that time. A call comes in from Manila and it's an ex-boss who used to be the executive pastry chef at Morton's in West Hollywood. Before I could even say, "Hi Buds, how are you??" I had been recommended to be interim pastry chef at Morton's. For, um, tomorrow. Castle Rock had bought the restaurant out for their holiday cocktail party  and needed this pastry chef in the kitchen at 8AM. Huh?? Well... Another pastry chef either walked out, was sacked, failed a drug test or a spelling test, got caught being paid off by the paparazzi or handing their resume to an agent in the dining room. Whatever - they lost one. Rob Reiner was throwing a party and damn it, someone needed to make mini brownies and blondies. So there I was, fresh out of Culinary School, just finished my stage (apprenticeship) with Jeremiah Tower, about to walk into day one of the 9th ring of the Hollywood's elite dining circle. Clearly, I had no clue where this was going and / or what I was in for. 

It gets better. 

Castle Rock's little party turned into a semi-permanent gig. Three weeks and (what felt like) 1000 hours into my little slice of West Hollywood I found myself planning my first Vanity Fair Oscar Party dessert menu. Once again not having a clue or knowing the gravity of the situation. I planned this menu to impress. I was so (stupidly) ambitious. This was Vanity Fair, after all. At least, I knew what VF was or is. I've read old issues from the 80's in our student house when I was studying in London. Ya, I was fully aware of my clientele. I actually did say those words out loud. Only to have my chef LOL me to my face. Lorenzo (chef) proceeds to tell me that 1/3 of the guests who come don't eat, the other third can only eat undressed lettuce due to the fact that they're on their ninth quadruple heart bypass and the other third is kosher so their food gets delivered. My grand plan of replicating Pierre Herme's Riviera (7 kinds of chocolate, in 7 different forms, all stacked in one cylinder) was out the door faster then a B- script. 

Relentless, I came up with a Sea Salt and Caramel Praline Semi Fredo with Blood Orange Glee and a Steeped Mint Sauce Reduction for the dinner. After-party cocktail reception had all these handmade, toiled-over petites fours and quantities in the thousands. Three thousand (yup, 3000) miniature dark chocolate and almond biscotti, 3500 fresh raspberry cheesecake squares, 4000 mini chocolate chip cookies with little things of milk to dunk cookies in. I remember being up for the whole week and being crabby for the first 3 days AND the following 4 days. I thought the week would not end. I loved being in it. 

Less then a week later I had flown back to Manila. I had finished my tour. Lived to tell, etc-etc. I was invited to be the after Oscar Party's pastry chef 6 more times. 

VF Party of 2006 felt really different. I had this feeling like I had to take mementos home, take photos (also because I could now afford a little digital camera) and spend quality time with my "classmates" (for these parties, it's almost like we get asked back and its the same chefs and line cooks and kitchen assistants). 

VF Crew 2006: 

(always the token girl)

This after party being my 6th one, I pretty much graduated my ideas of hand-blown sugar and and desserts standing on a point. We made the classic Apple Tart, about 3000 individual portions of them. 

Also about 10,000 of these vegetable breadsticks that Martha (as in Stewart) had recommended we make. 

There were about 6 of these rolling racks filled with 4-days worth of vegetable bread sticks

I write this uber-long post in the hopes that when I get to the end I've made a few selections. Um... I've got my top 3 and will either make two of three or three of three. 

Next: Spuddies | Bloomies | Le Kit Kat (there must be dessert). 

Can't wait for Sunday. 

P