The Olympic Flame Burns in the Reconstructed Roman Stadium, Athens, Attica, Greece
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Olympic Rings Fountain in Centennial Park, Atlanta, USA
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Gibson, Mark &...
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Luigi
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, Joanna
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Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy: Deliciously Simple Recipes for
Your Home Kitchen  

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La Belle Cuisine

The Good as Gold cookbook was compiled and published in honor of the Centennial Olympic Games, held in 1996 in Atlanta, GA. In our opinion, this is an outstanding cookbook which, unfortunately, didn't receive a great deal of publicity or recognition and is now out of print. Over fifty of America's finest chefs and famous cooks - including Daniel Boulud, Jacques Pépin,
Ella & Dick Brennan, Rick Bayless, Dean Fearing, Michel Richard and
Wolfgang Puck - present special recipes to salute the Centennial Olympic
Games celebration. We're delighted to celebrate the 2000 Olympic spirit
by presenting selected recipes from this cookbook.

Wolfgang Puck

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 pounds tomatoes, seeded and
coarsely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 bunch chervil, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and white pepper
Crème fraîche and chopped chives for garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions,
carrots, celery and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add
the tomatoes and cook 15 minutes. Add the chicken stock, chervil and
basil; simmer 10 minutes. Pour ingredients into a blender or food
processor and process until smooth.
Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the cream; simmer 5 minutes. Strain the soup through a wire mesh sieve into a clean pot. Season with
salt and white pepper. Ladle soup into heated bowls. Top with a dollop
of crème fraîche and chopped chives. Six servings.

Mustard Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup almond or safflower oil
Salt and white pepper

Salad:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced artichoke hearts
Salt and white pepper
1/2 cup diced green beans
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced radicchio
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup peeled, seeded, chopped tomato
1/2 cup diced avocado
4 teaspoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mixed salad greens, torn into bite-size pieces

To prepare the vinaigrette: Whisk together the mustard and vinegar in
a small bowl with a wire whisk. Slowly whisk in the oils. Season to taste
with salt and white pepper.
To prepare the salad and serve: Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Season the artichoke hearts with salt and white pepper and sauté about 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Transfer to a large bowl.
Cook the beans and carrots in a pot of boiling salted water until tender-
crisp; plunge into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and add to the artichokes. Add the radicchio, corn, red onion and celery.
Just before serving, add the tomato and avocado. Toss with about 2/3
of the vinaigrette and the Parmesan cheese. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Toss the remaining vinaigrette with the salad greens. Divide the salad
greens among 4 plates. Mound the vegetables on top. Four servings.

1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.), divided
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for brushing the dough
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Fontina cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) cooked artichoke hearts, sliced
2 cups (5 ounces) sliced eggplant, grilled or sautéed
4 teaspoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

In a small bowl stir together the yeast, honey and 1/4 cup of the warm
water. Combine the flour and salt in a mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Add the oil, yeast mixture and remaining 1/2 cup water; mix to form a
dough. Knead on low speed about 5 minutes. (If done by hand, knead
about 8 minutes.) Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and
knead by hand 2 to 3 minutes longer. Cover the dough with a damp
towel and let rise in a warm area for about 30 minutes. (The dough
will stretch when pulled.)
Divide the dough into four balls. Work each ball by pulling down the
sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat four or five times.
On a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your
hand until the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover with
a damp towel and let rest 15 to 20 minutes.
Place a pizza stone in the oven and heat the oven to as hot as possible,
500 degrees F. for most ovens. Roll each ball into a 7- or 8-inch circle
with the outer border a little thicker than the inner circle. Brush lightly
with olive oil. Top with 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, Fontina cheese,
artichokes, eggplant, Parmesan cheese, remaining mozzarella cheese
and oregano, dividing evenly. Place the pizzas on the baking stone and
bake 15 to 20 minutes until nicely browned. Makes four (seven- to
eight-inch) pizzas.
 

More Good as Gold recipes:
Jacques Pépin
Ella & Dick Brennan
Marcel Desaulniers
Robert Del Grande
Dean Fearing
Wolfgang Puck
Daniel Boulud

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