By Jacquelynn D. Powers, Photographs: Chris Kilkus

hile most celebrity chefs are content to coast on their laurels and paid appearances at food festivals, Wolfgang Puck, the original superstar toque, is still obsessed with the way America eats. For what he calls the "second act" of his impressive career, Puck, 58, is launching a healthful culinary initiative that is far-reaching and significant. Dubbed the WELL program, the basic tenets endorse organic produce, cage-free eggs, crate-free livestock and sustainable seafood. It also signifies the end of trans fats and foie gras.

The nascent WELL (Wolfgang's Eating, Loving and Living) plan touches on every aspect of his empire, from the gourmet dining rooms in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Maui and San Francisco to the airport kiosks and frozen pizzas. By the end of 2007, all of these components are receiving a nutritious nine-point makeover.

The spark for this innovative measure was the 25th anniversary of Puck's famous Spago eatery in Los Angeles. This restaurant has been credited with introducing California cuisine to the rest of the world, as well as designer pizza. Even after a quarter-century, Spago is still the power spot for both Young and Old Hollywood. "We have had 25 years of success with Spago," Puck says. "So what are we going to do to celebrate? Instead of throwing a big block party, we are going to be socially responsible for our next 25 years. Our aim is to teach people about living and eating better. It means we are going to use all organic ingredients, humanely treated animals and sustainable seafood. It's not necessary to have all these trans fats in food."

However, Puck, a father of four, is not a pioneer of the wellness cause. Cities such as New York and Philadelphia are banning trans fats, and even Burger King is switching to cage-free eggs. But Wolfgang stands out from his peers with his total and immediate dedication to cruelty-free eating. The James Beard Award-winning chef partnered with The Humane Society of the United States for this endeavor and met with the organization's president, Wayne Pacelle, to implement the plan. "These are the people I want to be associated with," Puck explains. "They are happy we are taking the lead on something they have been trying to do for many years."

For Puck, this compassionate way of cultivating produce and raising livestock seems normal. After all, he was born on a farm in Austria and his meals came from the land. "Everything was natural," the self-taught chef recalls. "We didn't spray chemicals. If there were snails in the garden, we picked them out ourselves. It wasn't complicated." Even in Europe today, there is a major organic movement. "Europeans are more advanced than us on this," he asserts.

Consequently, Puck sources his food at farmers' markets and uses earth-friendly purveyors like Chino Farms and L.A. Specialty. At this year's Academy Awards Governors Ball, an event Wolfgang caters annually, the theme was Oscar Goes Organic, and the menu featured Dungeness crab cakes, pizza with white truffles, stir-fried-chicken lettuce cups, beet-and-goatcheese napoleon, and miso-glazed black cod ...

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