Tater Chic

On his day off, Hans Rockenwagner is at command central in the house in Mar Vista that he and his wife, Patti, recently renovated. It’s Sunday and they’re about to have a party: cocktails--and potatoes--for 20. The gregarious chef is whipping up batches of sweet and Idaho mashed at the 12-foot-long kitchen island and talking about the root vegetable that, not surprisingly, is a favorite of the native of Schliengen, Germany.

When he was 12 and apprenticing in his family’s restaurant there, spaetzle, a characteristic Black Forest dish, was one of his specialties. “You can eat potatoes with practically anything,” says the now 44-year-old Rockenwagner, a tall, tousle-haired blond whose eyes are fanned with laugh lines.

He is an award-winning chef, tapped in 1984 to be top dog at Chicago’s acclaimed Le Perroquet restaurant. He moved west a few years later (“Chicago’s climate reminded me too much of Germany,” he explains) and opened his popular eponymous restaurant in Venice, moving in 1991 to the Frank Gehry-designed Edgemar complex in Santa Monica. This year, Rockenwagner celebrates its 20th anniversary, a notable accomplishment in a town famous for its fickle diners.

The chef’s innovative fusion of classic European and California cuisines, often with whimsical presentations, has won him a reputation for, as one Zagat survey put it, “creating fun, down-to-earth food that dazzles.” In one dish, crab, asparagus and bell peppers cut at angles and assembled en pointe resemble a mini skyline, while a mushroom appetizer is shaped like a tepee.

You get the idea.

As if running a busy restaurant and preparing to open a second in Venice (it will be called 3 Square Cafe and Bakery) weren’t time-consuming enough, he and his wife, a vice president of communications at Comcast Corp., are involved in charitable and political events throughout the year. Recently, two post-Hurricane Katrina dinners raised money for New Orleans restaurant workers as well as the American Red Cross. Among other nonprofits that have benefited from the couple’s largesse are Share Our Strength, Planned Parenthood, Meals on Wheels, Westside Children’s Center, the Koreatown Youth & Community Center and a slew of Democratic Party events.

But then comes Sunday. This is the day when--to relax--the Rockenwagners invite their friends to their new digs, a contemporary two-story home with an outdoor kitchen, swimming pool and tennis court.

Typically, the house is filled with more than the aroma of Rockenwagner’s cooking: There also is the scent of fresh wood shavings. His avocation is making furnishings for both his home and restaurants. “It’s as effortless for him to make a piece of furniture as it is to create an exciting dish,” Patti says.

On the Thursday afternoon before the party, he begins building a new dining table. “At one time in my life I thought about being an architect,” he says. “Making furniture is a lot like creating a recipe--you use the best ingredients and search to combine new things. The main difference is that furniture lasts.”

When entertaining at home, Rockenwagner keeps the menu simple and fun, and makes sure his guests are fully engaged. To that end, he’s conjured up a number of participatory events. To inaugurate the outdoor wood-burning oven he built in August, he set out pizza dough, rolling pins and various toppings and let guests assemble the pizzas of their dreams. An annual Christmas cookie bake follows the same pattern. Friends are left to their creative devices under the chef’s friendly supervision. “It’s great fun seeing the combinations people come up with. You can really see their personalities emerge.”

As a gustatory warm-up to the holiday season, this Sunday he challenges the guests--from the worlds of film, music, food, publishing and design--to create the ultimate mashed potato “martini.”

Atop his walnut-and-finn-ply dining table, bright orange, green and blue Le Creuset bains maries hold the purees. The potatoes are “the vehicle,” the chef says, for the two dozen toppings: duck confit and truffled eggs, caviar and smoked salmon, wasabi mayonnaise and romesco sauce, to name a few.

“The more the better,” says Rockenwagner, who suggests arranging the toppings by color (“Don’t put all the red things in one area”), flavor (“Scallions next to caviar, cheeses next to salsa, things that would be nice together”) and texture (“Soft next to crisp--duck confit and bacon bits, mmm. I like dishes to play off each other--crunchy and soft, hot and cold, sweet and spicy--so you have these little explosions in your mouth.”).

He encourages friends to return for several tastings. “At first people are a bit timid,” says Rockenwagner. “They just try one or two ingredients--a little potato with caviar, a dab of sour cream.” As they return--no doubt empowered by one of his lingonberry vodka martinis or limoncello-basil champagne cocktails--they become surer of their culinary skills.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis announces upon arrival that she’s on a Weight Watchers diet, then piles on a mini-smorgasbord: corn, asparagus, truffled eggs, pesto, bacon, cheddar, Parmesan, salsa and slivered almonds. “I’m eating around the potatoes,” she says. The second time up, screenwriter Dale Launer (“My Cousin Vinny,” “Ruthless People”) selects the same toppings: duck and fennel confits, truffled eggs sprinkled with Parmesan. “Venture out a little bit, Dale,” chides Rockenwagner.

Although the chef has never done a calorie count on the potatoes made with whipping cream and lots of butter, he says you can go light on the spuds and heavy on the toppings. “Asparagus and beets don’t have many calories--but what the heck, you’re not invited to a mashed potato party every day. You can be good tomorrow.”

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Menu

*Potato Puree Mousseline

*Sweet Potato Puree

Suggested Toppings:

Duck confit; Pickled mushrooms; Salsa; Sliced Almonds; Fennel confit; Blanched asparagus; Corn; Cooked red beets; Bacon; Chives; Assorted pitted olives; Chopped scallions; Truffled egg; Grated Swiss cheese; Grated cheddar cheese; Goat cheese; Parmesan; Smoked salmon; Caviar; Bonito flakes; Sour cream

*Chicken Bourbon Gravy

*Romesco Sauce

Wasabi Mayonnaise

Pesto

*Bienenstich “Bee Sting” Cake

*Cinnamon Stars

Sugar Cookies

Macaroons

*Limoncello-Basil Champagne Cocktail

*Lingonberry Martini

*Mint Melonade

*Recipe included below

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Recipes

Potato Puree Mousseline

Serves 10

2 pounds peeled and quartered Idaho russet potatoes

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspooon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/3 cup whipped cream (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a pot of lightly salted water, cook the potatoes 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender. Drain and place on a wax paper-lined sheet pan. Slightly dry the potatoes by placing the pan in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Puree the dried potatoes through a manual food mill. Heat the butter and milk together. Gently pour the milk-butter mixture over the potatoes and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon. (Do not use a whisk because it will make the puree gooey and glutinous.) Season to taste with salt and ground white pepper. At this point, you can fold in the whipped cream (soft peak) to make the potatoes fluffier and richer-tasting.

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Yam Puree

Serves 10

3 pounds yams

1 cup half-and-half

5 ounces butter

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Salt to taste

Wrap the yams in aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. In a saucepan, heat the half-and-half and butter. Take the yams out of the oven and remove the aluminum foil. Peel off the skins and puree through a manual food mill directly into the hot half-and-half and butter mixture. Mix well with a spatula, add a pinch of cinnamon and season with salt.

To keep the purees hot, place them in heat-resistant metal containers, cover with plastic wrap and set them into a simmering water bath.

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Chicken Bourbon Gravy

Makes about 5 cups

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup bourbon

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling, add the flour and continue stirring until the roux is golden, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bourbon and stir continuously with a wire whisk until the gravy thickens. (If not continuously whisked to this point, the gravy will become lumpy.) If the gravy is too thick, add more chicken stock until the desired consistency is reached. Add the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Romesco Sauce

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 dried ancho chiles

1 cup toasted almonds

2 red bell peppers, roasted and peeled

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of one lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

Salt to taste

Reconstitute the ancho chiles in boiling water, then drain, stem and seed. Process all of the ingredients in a blender, slowly adding the olive oil in a thin stream. Process until smooth. Season with the lemon juice and salt to taste.

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Marinated Shiitake Mushrooms

Makes about 2 cups

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon sliced garlic

1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger

3/4 pound baby shiitake mushroom caps (smaller than 1 1/2 inches in diameter, cleaned and stems removed)

1 cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sambal oelek chile paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

Sesame Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, ginger and mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are seared. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and reduce over medium-high heat until almost no liquid remains. Stir in the chile paste and salt, and remove from heat. Add the vinaigrette and mix. Set aside to marinate for at least 6 hours. Can be kept in the refrigerator for up to four days.

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Sesame Vinaigrette

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon roasted white sesame seeds

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a small metal bowl, gently heat the vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool. Stir in the salt, pepper, sesame seeds and soy sauce. Then whisk in the sesame and vegetable oils.

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Limoncello-Basil Champagne Cocktail

1 serving

1 ounce limoncello

1 large basil leaf

Prosecco (or another dry sparkling wine)

Pour the limoncello into a wine flute. Grind the basil leaf with several drops of limoncello in a mortar and pestle. It should yield about 1 teaspoon. Add the basil mix to the flute and top with Prosecco or sparkling wine. Garnish with a basil leaf, if you wish.

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Lingonberry Martini

2 to 3 servings

3 ounces vodka

1/2 ounce grenadine

4 ounces pineapple juice

1 tablespoon lingonberry jam

Splash of lime juice

Pour all the ingredients over ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Shake, then strain into a martini glass.

Chill the lingonberry jam before mixing and make sure the vodka is below freezing to get a true lingonberry taste.

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Mint Melonade

Serves 10

2 ripe cantaloupe

1 cup lemon juice

11/3 cups simple syrup (2/3 cup water and 2/3 cup sugar brought to a simmer and cooled)

20 medium mint leaves

Peel and seed the melons and cut into pieces. Place the melon, lemon juice and simple syrup in a blender and process until the fruit is pureed. Add the mint leaves and blend again for no more than 3 seconds. Pour over ice in tall glasses and garnish with a slice of melon and a twig of mint. You can add seltzer water to the mint melonade for a lighter drink.

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Bienenstich

“Bee Sting” Cake

Makes one 10-inch cake

Custard Filling:

1 1/2 cups milk, divided

6 tablespoons flour

1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

5 egg yolks

2 eggs

7 tablespoons sugar

Place 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl. Stir in the flour until smooth. Bring the remaining 1 cup milk and vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, eggs and sugar until smooth. Slowly whisk a little of the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixture. Then add the rest of the milk to the egg mixture. Pour all of it back into the saucepan and turn the heat to low. Whisk in the milk-flour mixture and continue to cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens and begins to simmer, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the vanilla bean. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard. Cool slightly, then refrigerate until cold. The custard can be made several days ahead.

Cake:

Butter for greasing pan

4 1/4 cups flour

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon malt powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

5 (1/4 ounce) packets active dry yeast (3 1/2 tablespoons)

3 eggs

7 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup milk

Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch spring-form pan. Use a piece of foil to enclose the outside bottom and sides of pan. Set aside.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, malt, vanilla and lemon juice in the bowl of an electric mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top and slowly mix to combine. Add the eggs, and mix on slow speed, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl when necessary. Add the melted butter and slowly pour in the milk. Mix the batter on slow speed for about 2 minutes, until the batter is thoroughly combined. Scrape the batter out of the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to a 10-inch round about 3/4-inch thick. Lift off the board and place in the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the almond topping.

Almond Topping:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/3 cups sliced almonds

1 tablespoon honey

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the sugar and cook on low heat until smooth. Add the almonds and honey and stir to coat. Set aside and keep warm. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the rack in the center of the oven. Spoon the almond topping on top of the cake to within 1 inch of the edge. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Let cool slightly. Run a knife around the inside edge of the cake and remove the spring-form pan. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cooled cake in half horizontally. Spoon the chilled custard over the bottom half of the cake, replace the top and serve.

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Cinnamon Stars

Makes about 50 cookies

4 medium-size egg whites

9 ounces powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

9 ounces finely ground almonds

9 ounces finely ground hazelnuts

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whip the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer until frothy. Add the powdered sugar little by little until combined. Add the salt, lemon juice and cinnamon. Whip until soft peaks form. Set aside 1/3 of the egg white mixture. Fold the nuts into the remaining 2/3 of the egg white mixture and let sit for 5 minutes. Cover and chill for 15 minutes. Take a small amount of the mixture out of the refrigerator and place between two well-floured pieces of parchment paper. Roll it out to no thicker than 1/4 inch. Cut out with a star-shaped cookie cutter and place on a nonstick baking sheet or a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Apply a thin layer of the remaining egg white mixture over each cookie with a pastry brush. Bake for about 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack.