Wolfgang, do your thang.

If only all jobs came with
a six course Wolfgang Puck tasting menu . . .

I was privileged to attend a work dinner at a co-worker's (lovely) home recently. (Scroll down for photos.) Her husband is a chef and somehow through his cheffy connections arranged to have the dinner catered by the famous Wolfgang Puck. A normal entry would insert some P(l)uck-y trivia here but I don't have internet connection at home these days. Instead of my usual impeccable research, this entry will have to stand on my own musings.

I do have a WP memory: he had an pan-Asian restaurant in Seattle called ObaChine when Asian-fusion was hip and I drug my parents there once. It felt too trendy for them, but I was utterly enamored with the quirky presentations and magical flavor combinations-- and have associated the WP brand with them every since. (Even though the concept did not turn out to be one of WP's best.) I was 16 or so at the time and had no idea the breadth of places I'd be lucky enough to eat later in life, but I was certainly old enough to appreciate the food.

I've become a bit cynical of chef-cum-brand names since then. Mario Batali spatulas? Really? Am I going to make better Italian food by using his endorsed spatula? I'm still a little skeptical but I will say this much: WP's catering company rocked a pretty fabulous six course tasting menu. I don't know if WP is always this good, or if he was just on top of his game as a favor for a friend, but I like it. Wolfgang, do your thang.

In fact, I have an idea. Wolfgang, you are a brand, you need to market yourself. You can't just let Mario Batali outsell your cookware with his spatulas. Besides, do you really want to demean your culinary genius by plucking down your name and caricatured image on stray kitchen utensils? You need something to truly showcase your art . . .

I have just the thing: "My Year with Wolfgang." You cook, I'll follow you, eating and photographing my way through a year of your creations, and I'll write it all up in splendid form. My extensive blog readership will be your loyal following. We could even do a little Food Network special, get Ruth Reichl to get us a column in Gourmet . . . sounds good, no? Call my people and we'll work out the details.

Ahem. In the mean time, would you, my loyal readers, like to see what WP whipped up for us? (It got dark by course three, and my camera was on its last legs of battery power, but I managed to eek out photos with the aid of some candlelight.) Try saying the names of the dishes out loud to amplify the mystical deliciousness . . .

Appetizers: I hit the tail end of some passed appetizers when I arrived. They were the kind that make you nervous as you approach, unsure exactly what portion is meant to be eaten and what is the the proper procedure. Usually I think experimental art food of this kind a little more pretentious than anything I'd want to subject on friends, but a (very handsome) waiter was only too happy to explain no, the parmesan cheese shreds fluffed like clouds on the plate do not go atop the tuna tartare in a sweet-sesame cone, and no, you do not eat the cucumber wheel in which the cones are perched.

First Course: Hamachi with Heirloom Tomatoes, Avocado and Cucumber Gazpacho Consomme'

Normally you think of gazpacho as kind of a V8 smoothie, thick and full of texture. This gazpacho was nearly clear, belying the punch of flavor it packed. Tricky, tricky.

Hamachi is also known as yellowtail, a fish often used in sushi. Notice also the little purple flower adding a nice splash of color. Part of the magic for me in WP's food is the extraordinary care given the arrangement, the perfect placement of tiny splendid garnishes.

Second Course: Hand Formed Sweet Corn Agnolotti with Mascarpone and Summer Truffles

People at my table liked this course, a signature dish at WP's restaurant Spago, best. (There WP also does a sweet pea version.) The corn pasta bits were light and sweet indeed, reminiscent of cream of corn soup but with a sublime rich texture (mascarpone) and incredible flavor (summer truffles).


Agnolotti means "priest hats" in Italian. They're a little pasta ravioli with a meat or vegetable stuffing from the Piedmont region of Italy. Unlike the traditional semicircle agnolotti, ours were rectangular. They're usually served with a simple sauce, like browned butter (or in our case, mascarpone & summer truffle) so as not to detract from the flavors inside.

Third Course: Butter Poached Turbot with Carrot Ginger Puree and Citrus Yuzu Foam

The baby food-esque puree had a nice spicy tang to it, a good counterpoint to the frothy lemon foam atop.


Turbot--pronounced TUR-but--is a funny looking fish indeed, flat and wide like a sting ray. It's from the Atlantic (as opposed to the Hamachi, from the Pacific) and tastes a little like halibut. It is prized for a delicate flavor and bright white flesh.

Yuzu is a hardy East Asian citrus fruit that looks like an undergrown dimply grapefruit, but makes for zesty garnishes or sauces. The strong fragrance makes it a favorite for bathing as well; sometimes hole fruits are left in a cloth bag in a hot bath so the steam takes on the aroma.

Fourth Course: Lacquered Duck Breast with Celery Root, Cherries and Szechwan Pepper Honey

I've never had celery root in this form before; it was pureed, like a pile of wasabi but with an unexpectedly sweet taste, again a nice light contrast to the rich, syrupy duck lined with crunchy bits of fat and skin. "You sure lacquered that duck!" doesn't really sound like a compliment but when Wolfgant does his thang, a lacquered duck is fine by me. (Apologies for the bad photos from here on down, but I wanted you to at least see it.)


Entree Course: Snake River Farms New York Strip, Summer Onions and Yuzu Kocho Reduction

I was surprised this was steak and not lamb, it was so tender and perfectly rare. It was served with half a browned baby bok choy, very tender as well. I really liked the Yuzu Kocho reduction, a lemony gel, to cut the grease. (A friend with more knowledge of Japanese cooking than I have takes issue with my description of Yuzu Kocho as a lemony gel. It is, she insists, a delicacy, a citrus pepper that often comes blended as a paste (from which the reduction was made) and used in sushi.)


Dessert Course: Warm Chocolate Souffle' Cake with Spun Sugar, Whipped Cream and Fifty Bean Vanilla Ice Cream

Ok, come on, do we really need to know the ice cream has fifty beans? Does it really taste better with fifty beans? Sometimes I think gourmet food naming goes a little overboard. But it doesn't really matter because I was pretty focused on the chocolate by that point. And either I am hallucinating, or it had a little bit of blueberry in the melting part inside- a nice version of souffle' for summer. (See also, chocolate with salted caramel.)