Fine food also part of Wall Street tycoon’s world

Get about 10 pages into Jordan Belfort’s bestselling autobiography, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and you’ll hope you have the time to finish it all in one sitting. From the hyperactive corporate headquarters of Stratton Oakmont, the investment company he began in the 1990s, Belfort usually made millions of dollars before his morning coffee cooled, both for himself and his risk-taking clients. His frenzied lifestyle matched his meteoric rise to the top of the financial world, and was filled with excesses that can only be described as mindboggling. Eventually, it all caught up with him, and he ended up in federal prison.

A man who is truly lucky to still be alive, Belfort now lives an infinitely more sedate and simple life in California, remorseful for his past indiscretions. He enjoys writing and spending time with his two children. His book is available everywhere, and look for a movie version of “The Wolf of Wall Street,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort, scheduled to begin filming in 2008. It will be directed by Martin Scorsese. For more info: www.randomhouse.com

•The biggest restaurant tab you ever picked up:

“It was $35,000 for three people at the Forge Restaurant in Miami Beach. Of that, $30,000 was wine: one bottle of Chateau Lafitte Rothschild 1945 and one bottle of Chateau Lafitte Rothschild 1912.”

•Was there ever a time when cash could not buy a table at an exclusive restaurant?

“Yes, at Rao’s. The tables are not for sale. Other than at that spot, money always bought me the best table.”

•A sandwich that represents your life:

“Rare roast beef, melted Swiss cheese, peppercinis, spicy Dijon mustard and some red onion, on rye bread. Maybe add a bit of salt and fresh-cracked black pepper. My favorite sandwich to regularly enjoy is smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers, on whole wheat bread.”

• Special place to enjoy meals with your children:

“I prefer to stay at home with the kids for a fun night, make my famous Caesar salad and steak, and put in a good movie. If we go out, it would most likely be a family-style Italian restaurant.”

• THE place for lunch on Wall Street:

“The hottest place on Wall Street for lunch is Cipriani’s.”

JB’s Family Steak and Salad

Salad

1/3 cup of safflower oil

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar

2 squirts of anchovy paste

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

Fresh juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon dry English mustard

1 raw egg

Croutons

Grated cheese

Romaine lettuce, torn not sliced (enough for 4 salad portions)

Mix all ingredients, adding the egg last. Then toss with lettuce in a large wooden bowl, making sure to coat fully. Add croutons and cheese of choice to taste. Mix again. Chill salad before serving.

Steak

4 best-quality steaks (size of choice)

Sprinkle salt, freshly ground black pepper and onion powder on both sides of steak and rub in thoroughly. Add 1/2 teaspoon of steak sauce to each side. Cook as desired.

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