The food, flowers and fun on Oscar Sunday: A preview of the annual Governors Ball
HOLLYWOOD (KABC) -- It's an Oscar tradition: A preview of the food-filled, flower-filled, fun-filled Governors Ball. Chef Wolfgang Puck is back for his 26th year creating delicious dishes for the event, and this year, the menu he and his staff have created will be 70% plant-based.
"If you season it right, if you add vegetable, mushroom, things with a lot of flavor, you don't miss it," said Puck.
"We did hibiscus tacos, you know? We did so many great things so I'm excited to share that with you because I think they're exciting for me," said Eric Klein of Wolfgang Puck Catering.
"Everything we do vegetable-wise is all locally sourced from California and we're getting it all from nearby farms," said Byron Puck of Wolfgang Puck catering.
When it comes to the ball's ambiance, there is always a goal its creators have for their 1,600 guests.
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"Elegance, warmth, comfort--and celebrate the industry collectively. That's what we think they're going to feel this year," said Cheryl Cecchetto, Governors Ball producer.
"It has a sense of kind of bringing people together. You know, we want it to be a room of bringing people together," said Lois Burwell of the Academy's Awards and Events Committee.
The flowers are part of it. This year, Mark's Garden is creating about 400 arrangements.
"The blooms are really beautiful in and of themselves," said florist Michael Uncapher. "We're doing 12,000 blooms coming in from all over the country and all over the world."
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As for beverages...champagne will pour from Piper-Heidsieck. Add to that, some 1,200 bottles of wine from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Also invited to the ball, Don Julio tequila and mix master Andy Seymour.
As for dessert, there are 43 options... 35 of them vegan.
As a pastry chef from France, it's not easy, right? I won't use butter. I won't use my good dairy. I won't use, right?" said executive pastry chef Gary Lardiunat. "So you have to be creative."
