How Wolfgang Puck Prepares for the Governors Ball

Believe it or not, Wolfgang isn't a movie buff — he sees only one or two a year. He got the gig cooking for the Governors Ball 18 years ago because celebs had been heading to his restaurant, Spago, instead of the Academy's official party. Wolfgang has been cooking for the ball ever since, but he doesn't think about the menu until about a month and a half before the big day. The classics — mini Kobe burgers, smoked salmon and those famous gold-covered chocolate Oscars — are always on the menu, but for the rest, Wolfgang is a procrastinator. "I work much better under pressure," he says.

Once he pins down the menu, Wolfgang starts shopping for ingredients. But this isn't your normal trip to the grocery store. Last year, Wolfgang phoned a fish supplier in Holland to get top-quality Dover sole. If he needs black truffles, he calls his guy in France. "We get the best ingredients and try not to mess them up too much," he jokes.

As soon as nominees are announced, event planners send out invitations, and soon afterward, the special dietary requests start flooding in. Even though Wolfgang makes several main dishes (including a vegetarian one) and dozens more appetizers, he still has to accommodate picky eaters.

In the days leading up to the Oscars, Wolfgang spends more time in front of the camera than at the stove; his press tour includes as many as 10 interviews in a morning. The number one question he is asked: How do you decide on the menu? "This is like making a song or creating a painting," he says. "You find inspiration, you decide OK and then you do it."