Golden Globe Week is Here! Now, How to Do a Golden Globe Dinner...Light-Weight Style

By Laura Medina

The official Golden Globe Dinner for next Sunday the 12th's Golden Globe Awards on NBC.

Before the media blitz and television hype of awards shows (so folks have something to watch while trapped inside during a blizzard, suffering from cabin fever) the Golden Globe Awards started as a dinner party among industry reporters, of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who just happened to reward what is and whomever happens to be the best in their respective fields of film and television of that year; and it always happens at the Beverly Hilton Hotel since 1961.

Upholding this fifty-three years-old tradition are the Beverly Hilton Hotel's Executive Chef Suki Sugiura, who handles the light-weight appetizer trio; Executive Sous Chef, Christopher O'Connell handling the main "surf & turf" entree of beef and fish; and Executive Pastry Chef Thomas Henzi whipping up a fruity concoction.

To the envy of many chefs and to a relief of many hitting their New Year's Resolutions, each and every ingredient is locally sourced within a 10 to 30 miles radius of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the freshest of the best produce.

Cooking and prepping an international televised awards show is a daunting task, feeding the most health-conscious under the multi-camera glare over a three-hours award show, how to feed and keep fed without going hungry in designer ballgowns.  Tons of issues and concerns to consider for an awards show chef which requires an army of 200 staffers to keep Hollywood's best satisfied and svelte for one whole night, no easy task.

Executive Sous Chef, Christopher O'Connell is proud and works hard to keep this unique tradition, 'We try to out do ourselves year after year.  We pride ourselves on not repeating the same flavor profiles. I might use the same components year after year but they wouldn't be the same." 

Every year for the Golden Globes, the chefs have to come up with a fresh new "dinner" theme so the attendees wouldn't be bored or allow all that good meat and produce go to waste..

This year's Golden Globe Dinner theme, honoring the international casts of international hit shows, such as "Downton Abbey" is Global Cuisine made with local Los Angeles ingredients within the greater Los Angeles area, respecting the international caliber of actors and the environment and everybody's health.

 Golden Globes' Trio of Appetizers.

Feeding the most health-conscious over three hours, in front of the cameras, has to be well-choreographed and paced.

Obviously, first-up is the Trio of Appetizers assembled and seared by Executive Chef Suki Sugiura.  

The Trios of Appetizers are: Grilled Eggplant with Sundried Tomato Pine Nuts Hummus on Seared Tomato; Mini Sweet Pepper with Feta Cheese, Pomegranate, Herb and California Olive Oil on Grilled Pita, and Grilled Artichoke on Multigrain Tabbouleh and Tahini.

What this scribe...this very "glam-slammed" busy scribe likes about these Trio of Golden Globe Appetizers is this, these appetizers (or snacks to whet your appetite) are easy to make, the ingredients are very affordable and attainable, and so easy to assemble that you can ask your kids to mix and stack for you, during the afternoon before the Golden Globes that the only thing you have to do is buy a bottle of champagne then relax in front of the tv while they go to bed.  Now, isn't that a nice, easy, and cheap treat for moms?!

If you're sans kids, the minimal amount of cooking is so quick and light and finding such ingredients already cooked doesn't give you, the singleton, any excuses not to make them.  Shoot, you can throw a Golden Globes cocktail party alone on these appetizers.

Okay here's the Trio of Appetizers Recipes:

 
Grilled Eggplant with Sundried Tomato Pine Nuts Hummus on Seared Tomato

 

Hummus Ingredients (This scribe's advice, you can buy tub of hummus to 

forgo this step but it's up to you. But, if you need a fresh-from-scratch hummus, 

this is the way to go.)

1 cup dry chickpeas,soaked overnight with 2 tbsp baking powder and 2 garlic cloves

1 large lemon, puréed, for juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp sundried tomato purée

3 tbsp roasted pine nuts, chopped

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup tahini

Cumin

Salt and pepper

 

 Instructions/Method:  Making the Hummus

•

Drain soaked chickpeas and cook in plentyof water until tender

•

Drain and then purée

•

Combine chickpea purée with garlic and sundried tomato puree,

chopped pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini

•

Add salt and pepper and mix all ingredients until 

texture is smooth and clingy

Assembly: Grilled Eggplant (Asian)*You can ask your tween kids to help you out on the assembling.  They'll think it's fun.*

–

4 thin sliced lengthwise, grilled

•

Thinly slice and grill eggplant with sundried tomato, pine nuts, and hummus on seared tomato

•

Place sundried tomato hummus on center of grilled eggplant

•

Fold each end towards the

center to wrap hummus and place eggplant/

hummus on top of 4 slices of seared tomato (approx. ½ “ thick) 

 

Mini Sweet Pepper with Feta Cheese, Pomegranate, Herb and California Olive Oil on Grilled Pita

 

 Ingredients:

2 pieces mini whole sweet peppers, halved

3 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds

2 oz feta cheese, chopped into

small cubes

1/2 tsp dry oregano

2 tbs parsley, chopped

1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 thick slice of lightly grilled pita

bread,cut 1” x 2”

Method: Sweet Pepper and Pita Bread

•

Grill half mini whole sweet pepper just enough for a crunch. Do not cook fully

•

Mix feta cheese, pomegranate, and herb in olive oil and stuff mix onto the mini pepper

•

To assemble–place stuffed mini pepper on top of grilled pita bread

*Again, you can ask your tween or/and teen to help you mix 

the cheese stuffing then filling the peppers with the  stuffing.*

Grilled Artichoke on Multigrain Tabbouleh and Tahini

 Multigrain Tabbouleh Ingredients (Again, another great basic recipe):

2 oz bulgar wheat, cooked

2 oz quinoa, cooked

2 oz couscous, cooked

1 cup tomato, chopped

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/3 cup fresh mint leaf, chopped

3 scallion, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

 

 Method: Tabbouleh

•After cooking bulgar wheat, quinoa and couscous, add all ingredients in a bowl 

and mix well

•Refrigerate until prepared to serve

 

 Grilled Artichoke Ingredients:

1 fresh California artichoke–medium sized, cooked, cut into quarters and grilled

3 leaves of fresh baby spinach

 

Tahini Ingredients (Another great basic recipe):

¼ cup tahini paste

½ tsp garlic purée, finely chopped

3 tbsp lemon juice

½ cup cold water, if needed to achieve desired consistency

 

Plating Your Trio of Appetizers *The kids will enjoy 

this part*

 

Assembly:Assemble each component-A, B, and C–clockwise on plate

(A) Grilled eggplant:

•

Place the grilled eggplant assembly on top seared tomato

(B)

Mini sweet pepper

•

Place mini sweet pepper on top of pita bread

(C)

Grilled artichoke

•

Lay out 3 leaves of baby spinach and place tabbouleh 

on top

•

Place grilled quarter-cut artichoke on top and pour 

tahini sauce on middle of the artichoke.

 

 Mediterranean Spice Crusted Braised Beef Short Rib & 

Smoked Filet of Atlantic Sea Trout

 

Every year, the Beverl Hilton Chefs have to up the ante.  

This year is no different.

 

 Looking at the mouth-watering "surf & turf" dish of the 

main entree, I asked Executive Sous Chef, Christopher 

O'Connell, why not filet mignon and salmon.  He said that combination has been so many times before that it is 

redundant, (alright, cliche but a classic). "Besides, he added, 

"Beef shortrib has been a hit.  People love it, so why not? 

Plus, the Mediterranean Shortrib holds up well."

 

As for the "surf" portion, Chef O' Connell wants to give trout 

its proper due. 

 

Again, salmon has been done many a times that it is 

"played out" at awards shows.  "There aren't that many 

places that do the amount and the caliber of trout that we 

do here. We smoked the trout to pair well with the beef."

 

He used polenta as a side dish.

 

He's proud of the fact that this "surf & turf" dish can be easily re-created at home with the exact same protein or similar protein.  Shoot, you can even use grits instead of polenta.

 

 So yes, it is okay to be "old-school" use traditional filet 

mignon and salmon as your main Golden Globe entree...

 

ENTRÉE ENSEMBLE RECIPE

Mediterranean Spice Crusted Braised Beef 

Short Rib

Sautéed Smoked Filet of Atlantic Sea Trout 

with 

Spinach Sweet Corn Ragout

Light Cream of

Tomato Dill Sauce

 

 

Mediterranean Spice Crusted Braised Beef 

Short Rib

20 oz prime beef short rib

1 ½ tbsp harissa pepper

Braising stock and crusting

 

 Method: Short Rib

•

Heat sauté pan (add olive oil) and season short rib with 

salt and pepper

•

Sauté short rib until nicely brown and remove from sauté pan. Put aside

 

 Braising Stock Ingredients:

2 cups dry white wine

1/2 gallon chicken stock

1 medium sized carrot, sliced

1 whole medium sized onion, sliced

5 cloves of garlic

1 stick of celery, sliced

2 whole fresh tomatoes,largely diced

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tbsp Spanish paprika

1/2 tsp whole black pepper

 

 Method: Braising Stock:

•

Sauté onion, garlic, celery until the texture is soft

•

Add tomato, paprika, cumin, white wine and chicken 

stock andcook several minutes before adding short 

rib into stock

•

Cook at 375°F oven for 3 ½ hours

 

Crusting Ingredients:

1 cup panko

1 tsp of garlic,puréed

1 tsp Spanish paprika

1/3 tsp cumin powder

1/3 tsp cardamom

1/3 tsp coriander

3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

 

Method: Crusting:

•Mix all ingredients together in a bowl 

 

 The Final Assembly of the "Surf & Turf" Entree:

–

Short Rib:

•

Remove cooked short rib from braising stock 

and drain

•

Spread harissa pepper on top of the short rib

•

Spread crusting mix on top of short rib

•

Broil short rib until the crusting is brown and crispy. 

(approx. 10sec)

 

Smoked Filet of Atlantic Sea Trout

12 oz smoked filet of Atlantic Sea Trout

 

 Method: Atlantic Sea Trout

• Heat sauté pan to medium heat and add olive oil

•Add sea trout and cook each side for

approx. 1 ½ minutes until golden brown

 

 Spinach Corn Ragout

8 oz of fresh spinach blanched and squeezed

1/3 cup onion finely chopped

2 ozsweet kernel corn

  

Method: Spinach Corn Ragout

•

Heat sauté pan and add olive oil and fresh butter

•

Sauté onion until clear / transparent

•

Add pre-blanched spinach and corn

and toss and season with salt and pepper

Light Cream of Tomato Dill Sauce  

Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp shallot

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 bay leaf

1/2 fish stock

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 ½ tbsp chopped dill, chopped

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

 

Method: White Light Cream of White Wine 

Dill Sauce

•

Heat sauce pan and add olive oil and fresh butter

•

Add shallots and sauté slowly until you achieve 

soft consistency / texture

•

Add white wine and bay leaf and reduce by half

•

Add fish stock and reduce by half

•

Add heavy cream, cook and reduce to 1/3

•

Strain and add lemon juice, chopped dill and salt

and pepper

 

Final Assembly

•

Place spinach corn ragout on top of sautéed Atlantic Trout 

Presentation

•

Place short rib on lower left hand side of plate

•

Place Atlantic Trout on lower right hand side of 

plate

•

Pour sauce between the short rib and trout

•

Place desired seasonal vegetables and starch on 

upper part of the plate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gusto Mango Dessert

 

Executive Pastry Chef  Thomas Henzi, ironically, 

doesn't like overly-sweet desserts. 

 

He uses yogurt as the base of this mousse because 

he likes his dessert to be tangy;and it's light, 

great for the health-conscious attendees.

Especially important for an awards show dinner, you 

as apastry chef have to know what event 

you're cooking for and for who are the 

diners and what they're concerned about.

Almond Sponge Cake Ingredients (You can buy ready-made

sponge cake at the supermarket):

300g/10.7oz almond paste

125g/4.5oz whole eggs

75g/2.7oz egg yolks

275g/9.8oz egg whites

100g/3.5oz sugar

120g/4.3oz pastry flour, sifted

 

Method: Almond Sponge Cake

•

Mix almond paste, whole eggs and egg yolk

•

Whip egg whites & granulated sugar to a peak 

before adding to almond mixture

•

Once mixed, incorporate sifted pastry flour 

and spread on silpat sheet

•

Bake at 200*/392 F for 10 minutes

•

Cut out rectangles of 70 x 245mm 

/ 2.8x 9.6 inches

 

Mango Yogurt Crème Ingredients

400g/ 14.3oz yogurt

180g /6.4oz white couverture 

(melted white chocolate)

6g /0.2oz gelatin leaves

2 ea orange zest

300g / 10.5oz mango puree

300g / 10.5oz heavy cream 35%,

soft whipped

 

 Method: Mango Yogurt Crème

•

While stirring with a hand held wire whisk, heat up 

yogurt just before it begins to bubble

•

Add soft gelatin leaves and stir through until melted

•

Pour over the chopped white couverture 

and stir through until smooth

•

Add zest and mango puree and fold in the soft 

whipping cream

 

This the basic, if you just want the Mango Yogurt Creme

dolloped on top of the Sponge Cake.  

But if you wantto go all out fancy, go 

right ahead with these sauces.

Guava Gelee Ingredients:

230g /8.0 oz guava puree

30g/1.0 oz dark rum

50g /1.7 oz granulated sugar

6g /0.2 oz gelatin leaves

1 ea vanilla beans

 

 Method: Guava Gelee

•

Warm up guava puree, rum, vanilla 

beans and granulated sugar. Add

the dissolved gelatin leaves 

and mix well.

•

Fill up in small cylinder flexomat 

molds 4cm / 2” and freeze

 

Coconut Cremeux Ingredients

400 g / 14.0 oz coconut puree

12 0g / 4.2oz egg yolk

150 g /5.2oz whole eggs

150 g /5.2oz butter

120 g /4.2oz powdered sugar

4g /0.1oz gelatin leaves

 

Method: Coconut Cremeux

•

Whip egg yolk, eggs and powdered sugar

•

Add warm coconut puree and reboil 

to 86*C / 218* F (crème anglaise)

•

Add the dissolved gelatin leaves and soft butter

•

Homogenize with a hand held blender and fill 

into small half dome flexipan molds and freeze

 

Tropical Compote Ingredients:

80g. /2.9oz. orange juice

50g /1.8oz lemon juice

80g /2.9oz brown sugar

1ea vanilla bean

250g/8.9 oz pineapple cubes

320g /12.5oz mango cubes

 

Method: Tropical Compote

•

Boil orange juice, lemon juice, 

brown sugar and vanilla bean

•

Add pineapple cubes and cook for 7 minutes

•

Add mango cubes and continue 

to cook for 4 minutes

•

Allow time to cool and save in the refrigerator 

until ready to use

 

Crème Anglaise Ingredients:

280 g/ 10.0oz milk

280 g/10.0oz heavy cream

50 g /1.8 oz granulated sugar

110g /3.9oz egg yolk

 

Method: Crème Anglaise

•

Boil milk & heavy cream

together

•

Mix granulated sugar and egg yolk

before adding to the hot milk / cream

mixture

•

Cook to 85*C and homogenize with 

hand blender 

 

To Assemble:

•

Pipe 50% of the flexipan full with 

mango crème and add

½ sphere of coconut cremeux 

and allow to set in the freezer 

for 15 minutes

•

Place on disk of guava gelee

and add tsp of tropical compote 

and additional mango crème,

leaving enough room for the 

almond sponge disk

•

Freeze overnight. Once frozen, 

remove the Gusto Mango from the

flexipan mold and spray with white

couverture

•

Decorate with chocolate garnish, 

whipped cream and berries 

and proceed to plating with 

vanilla anglaise and 

a spoon of tropical compote

 

 Sure, this year's Golden Globe dinner must be

fancy but it is light-weight healthy appropriate

for New Year's Resolution and the ingredients

are affordable.  In fact, some of them can be

bought ready-made and all you have to do

is stack and spread.  The proteins are classics,

nothing exotic or expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Golden Globe dinner party isn't complete

without champagne.

 

The official champagne of the Golden Globes,

 Moët & Chandon swirled this cocktail, 

exclusively for this year's Golden Globes,

" Moët Golden Night" concocted by Aida

MollenKamp.  If you can't get Moët &

Chandon, any sparkling white wine will

do...

 

Made to celebrate the glamour and glitz of 

the awards season, Moët Golden Night, is a 

decidedly sophisticated cocktail of cardamom 

syrup, pear brandy, and Moët & Chandon 

Imperial Brut Champagne. Garnished 

with a “fan” of fresh pear slices, this cocktail 

is the perfect sipper to 

toast the festivities.  

 

Makes: 6 cocktails // Enough simple syrup 

mixture for 8 cocktails

Total Time: 25 minutes

Hands On Time: 5 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup unrefined granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

20 whole cardamom pods, crushed using 

the back of a knife or a mortar and pestle

1/4 cup pear brandy

1 (750 ml) chilled Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne

2 small ripe Forelle or Seckel pears, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, stir 

to dissolve the sugar, add the crushed cardamom 

pods and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 

Simmer the simple syrup for 5 minutes, 

then remove from heat and allow to steep 

and cool for 20 minutes.

Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the simple 

syrup, discard the seeds and pods,  and place 

the simple syrup into a liquid measuring cup. 

Add the pear brandy and stir to combine. 

(The pear-cardamom simple syrup mixture 

can be made up to 2 days ahead and 

the Asian pears can be peeled up to 2 hours ahead.)

Just before serving, cut the pear off the core and 

slice pear lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick slices. 

(Separate slices into stacks of three and 

spread slightly to make a fan. If cutting slices 

ahead of serving time, coat them with 

a little lemon juice to prevent them from 

browning.)

To serve, add 1/2 ounce of the pear-cardamom 

simple syrup mixture to 6 white wine glasses or 

6 Champagne coupes (this makes enough syrup 

for 8 cocktails). Add 4 ounces of chilled Moët 

& Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne to each 

glass, filling each glass about halfway. 

Garnish each glass with three pieces 

of fanned pear slices and serve.

 

Yes, you can throw your own Golden Globes 

dinner party or just throw a casual chic 

cocktail get-together or just an intimate dinner, 

relaxing in front of the tv, in the privacy of your 

own home without the glares of the camera, 

unless you want to...