Wolfgang Puck addresses his assistant for the day, Los Angeles Times staff writer John Horn, while preparing dishes from the menu for the 2013 Academy Awards Governors Ball. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
Bowls of fresh vegetables line the countertop where Wolfgang Puck will demonstrate some of the recipes he has planned for the 2013 Academy Awards Governors Ball. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Times staff writer John Horn arranges oven-roasted beets into a salad. The salad features fresh burrata and mixed greens, and is one of dishes that Wolfgang Puck has on the menu for the 2013 Academy Awards Governors Ball. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
Wild mushrooms and spices simmer before being included in a mushroom and truffle risotto that is a featured dish Wolfgang Puck has put on the menu for the 2013 Academy Awards Governors Ball. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
The salad of oven-roasted beets, burrata and mixed greens is seen assembled. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
A rack of lamb seasoned with a variety of spices is cooked for an exceptionally long time to meet the tastes of some academy members. “There was a time when I was really young when I would not have served that,” Puck says. “But as I get older, I get more tolerant.... The most important thing is that the guests are happy.” (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
The lamb is dressed with a mint sauce in its presentation. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
Oscar-shaped sweets are placed into a cooler to refrigerate them before they are packaged. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
Award-winning celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, left, shows Los Angeles Times staff writer John Horn how to prepare dishes from the menu for the 2013 Academy Awards Governors Ball. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
