I can't remember when he has had cooking demonstrations on. I mean, I don't usually watch his show past the monologue and comedy bits (brilliant) because the guests sometimes bore me and the most of the music acts he has don't particularly excite me. But it was interesting to find these recipes on the site. He has stuff up there from Todd English, Rocco DiSpirito, and several recipes from Mario Batali. Note: you actually can click on the recipes even though it looks like they aren't linked.
After the jump is the recipe for DiSpirito's Chocolate-Butterscotch Fondue.
Lidia Bastianich has long been one of my favorite chefs. This may seem strange, given my ardent vegetarianism (and gradual shift toward veganism) and her propensity for meat dishes, but I believe that a good chef is more than just the dishes they create. Presence, skills, and love of food are what separate a good chef from a great one.
Bastianich has the presence and authority of an accomplished chef, while still managing to maintain that grandmotherly charm. She's a strong woman (mother, breast-cancer survivor) who has taught people of the likes of Mario Batali, yet she is never boastful or arrogant - just confident and knowledgeable.
My favorite of her tv episodes are the ones where she makes her own pasta, expertly making little nests with the dough, dropping the egg into the center, and kneading until she winds up with a fresh, doughy ball of goodness. Watching her make gnocchi is great fun - she gently twists tiny pieces of dough into the perfect shapes, all while chatting to the camera.
So, obviously, I was thrilled to find Epicurious's "Easter with Ease" section, featuring what Bastianich does best: traditional Italian food with a fresh twist. From braised artichokes with pecorino for the veggies to braised lamb shoulder for the carnivores (and a decadent-sounding Limoncello tiramisu for dessert with a whopping pound of mascarpone cheese), she's got it all covered.
But you don't have to celebrate Easter to enjoy this food - make these recipes anytime!
I've been featuring a lot of books lately that aren't actually cookbooks, but books that are about food, cooking and eating. Today's featured book is no exception. Called How I Learned to Cook, it is a collection of essays by some of the world's most famous and accomplished chefs in which they share some of the pivotal moments in their culinary educations. There are stories from 40 chefs, including Rick Bayless, Mario Batali and Eric Ripert.
As someone who has always been fascinated by how people chose the career paths they take in their lives, I love dipping into this book and reading about the moments that have influenced successful people. There is also a fantastic companion book called Don't Try This at Home, which includes stories of culinary catastrophies.
Sheer wanton excess is the name of the game for some restaurants, as New York Times food critic Frank Bruni found upon his visit to Le Cirque.
In the article, Bruni outlines some of the decadent, near-sinful entrees that lined the table, including fois gras-stuffed ravioli, white truffles, and immense cuts of beef and lamb. Bruni expertly sums up the scene, noting that while the food is enjoyable and the staff, inviting, "[they are] probably...contributing to what is a yeti-sized carbon footprint."
Excessive eating and drinking at restaurants is nothing new. In most cases, it's encouraged. In fact, some might say, what's the point of going out to eat if you don't self-indulge?
We saw this lifestyle secondhand in Bill Buford's "Heat," which depicted the author's experience as a chef alongside chef and Food Network star Mario Batali. Buford unabashedly detailed Batali's oft-hedonistic outings, nights filled with lavish food and drink, and plenty of it.
But then, who are we to judge? If we were privy to such a lifestyle, would we not imbibe in what is probably considered more than our fair share? Perhaps. But Bruni makes a good point in that these lifestyles are being - (and should be) - looked at under an increasingly sharp microscope. In a world that has, in the past few years, become less self-absorbed and more self-aware, is it possible that excessive eating and imbibing will become not only passé, but looked down upon?
I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to Food Network's Iron Chef America. I never got into the original show. I didn't know any of the chefs, the translation of the narration was odd, and they cooked way too much fish, octopus, and other seafood (not a big fan). But I like the U.S. version. It has Mario Batali and Cat Cora and is hosted by Alton Brown and has Jeffrey Steingarten as a judge, so what's not to like?
Tonight is a big show, as Jamie Oliver appears for the first time and goes up against veteran Batali. It airs at 10pm Eastern and is followed by the premiere of Oliver's new show Jamie At Home.
Ha, just kidding! But I had to get your attention, right? Actually, men and women are equal in the kitchen, though they have their differences. I learned about the differences between men and women the first time I went to the beach (ba-doom bang - thank you everyone, I'm here all week!).
Esquire has a really nice section called Recipes For Men, where they feature a bunch of recipes from men, for men. Of course, don't worry ladies, we're probably making these for you tonight). Lots of meat and potatoes, sure, but spaghetti, lobster, and stews too.
A lot of our food traditions and habits we learn from our parents at an early age. Take pasta sauce. I come from a large Italian family, so we had spaghetti every single week when I was growing up. My mom made her sauce (my dad's recipe, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it was award-winning) and when we put it on the pasta, we put a lot. Not enough so it gets all watery and the pasta is swimming, but certainly enough to cover the pasta out to the edge (more than the photo above).
Now here comes Mark Bittman at The New York Times who agrees with this approach. While most cookbooks will tell you to make a lot of pasta and just add a couple of ladels of sauce in the middle of the plate, Bittman suggests you turn the amounts around and make twice as much sauce as pasta. Mario Batali, in a video from Serious Eats after the jump, disagrees.
I've had the olive oil gelato at Mario Batali's Otto and found it quite good. And I've sampled the lox ice cream at Max & Mina's in my stamping grounds of Flushing, Queens, and found it to be interesting at best. Until the other day, though, I'd never heard of a frozen dessert quite as strange as nicotine and peppermint gelato.
The bizarre flavor created by East Hollywood gelato guru Tai Kim of Scoops isn't a smoking cessation device, although it is made with crushed Nicorette gum. Nicotine and peppermint gelato is part of a lineup of flavors created for a rock-and-roll tour of the Sunset Strip and "other places of subcultural importance, " hosted by Esotouric Tours.
Other flavors include Hemp Oil and Honey, Vanilla and Jack Daniels, Pomegranate and Poppy Seeds, Mint and Jim Beam, Nicotine and Avocado and Beer Sorbet. I've always thought that Ben & Jerry's should make a slightly more countercultural version of Wavy Gravy called Owsley's Orange Sunshine. But enough of my acidic wit. Here's what I'd like to know dear reader, what's the strangest flavor of frozen confection you've ever encountered?
If you are a Mario Batali fan who is starting to twitch and suffer from signs of withdrawal due to the fact that your favorite orange-shod chef won't be around to inspire and entertain you on the Food Network, fear not! He is now writing a regular column over at that bastion of online food writing, Serious Eats. It actually seems like a terrific way to get your regular dose of Mario, as his writing is punchy, appealing and natural-sounding. In his current entry, he offers up a recipe for Pasta Pomodoro that sounds absolutely delectable.
According to a little tidbit of info over at the New York Post, chef Mario "Orange Clogs" Batali won't be back at the Food Network.
"Sources" say that executives at the Food Network did not renew any of chef Batali's contracts, which include his own show "Molto Mario," and a spot as an Iron Chef on "Iron Chef America."
Guess that means we'll only be able to catch the Italian chef on his new show touring Spain with Gwyneth Paltrow on PBS this fall.
Either that, or in person at one of his bazillion Italian-themed restaurants in New York, Los Angeles (Mozza!), and Las Vegas.
Remember that show on the FoodNetwork in which Mario Batali and a sidekick toured Italy? Well, this October and November, Mario is taking his orange clogs for a culinary tour of Spain. His sidekick this time, though, is actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
According to an interview with Gwyneth in W magazine (the one with the cover shot where she most definitely doesn't look like herself), she offered to go with the Iron Chef, who asked if she was joking. She wasn't. Gwyneth spent many a childhood summer in Spain, and apparently, will "eat all that stuff. The crazy fish things, the eels." The only things she won't eat are beef and pork products, which is such a shame. How do you go to Spain and not eat Jamon Iberico?
I don't know about you, but I'm excited for the show to air on PBS. Gwyneth's voice is a little annoying to me, but I adore Chef Batali.
Today was the first day that really, truly made me feel like it was summer. Humid, suffocating, with just a hint of agony and despair. And it's only June 27th.
Another reason to dislike summer? Reruns. There are more and more original shows in the summer now, but it's rather depressing when your regular shows are in reruns for 2 or 3 months. Martha Stewart's show has been in reruns (it's not one of my regular shows but I tune in now and then), but starting July 16 she'll have two weeks of special "Martha's Summer Session" episodes, where famous chefs will come in and cook. Included: Mario Batali will make Shrimp From The Devil Priest, Michael Lomonoco will make Skirt Steak With Chimichurri Sauce, and Rick Bayless will make Jicama, Beet, and Orange Salad.
Other guests will include Sue Torres, Michael Schulson, and Scott Conant.
But don't feel left out, he probably hates you too! If you run a food blog, that is.
Yeah, the chef doesn't like food blogs. He says he doesn't usually hate anything, but food blogs "live by different rules," as he explains. He's ticked that food bloggers are too snarky and hide behind an anonymous name or alias. That's not true with most of the food blogs that I happen to read, but whatever. Batali does indeed have some good points about blogging though, not just food blogs but blogging and journalism in general. He even gets in a dig at the people who published the essay.
If ever you wondered how chefs pair wines with their favorite foods, you can stop wondering now. Forbes has put together a list of celebrity chefs and their favorite food and wine pairings with everything from fish tacos with a Viognier to osetra caviar and Champagne. If you don't have the patience to flip through the slideshow, here's the summary:
Mario Batali - spicy fish tacos with a serrano chili crema with Argentinian Viognier
Daniel Humm - nutty, cave-aged gruyere cheese with Krug or Dom Perignon Champagne
Laurent Tourondel - spicy lamb merguez "burger" with rose from Navarra, Spain
Michael Lomonaco - ancho chili-rubbed prime rib eye with Sonoma Syrah
Wylie Dufresne - pigeon with smoked cocoa, black truffles and onions, served with a Barolo Chinatto
Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson - San Daniele prosciuttowith Edi Simcic Tocai
Anne Gingrass - Bollinger Champagne Brut with osetra caviar
Tony Esnault - Inniskillin ice wine with a dark chocolate
Gabriel Kreuther - seared foie gras and litchis with a raspberry-flavored beer
Will Goldfarb - chocolate parfait with chai, mango ice cream, dairyless coconut ice cream, mini India tuiles and spray-dried coconut with Syrah
Did you know that the 
I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to Food Network's Iron Chef America. I never got into the original show. I didn't know any of the chefs, the translation of the narration was odd, and they cooked way too much fish, octopus, and other seafood (not a big fan). But I like the U.S. version. It has Mario Batali and Cat Cora and is hosted by Alton Brown and has Jeffrey Steingarten as a judge, so what's not to like?
Men are better cooks than women.
A lot of our food traditions and habits we learn from our parents at an early age. Take pasta sauce. I come from a large Italian family, so we had spaghetti every single week when I was growing up. My mom made her sauce (my dad's recipe, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it was award-winning) and when we put it on the pasta, we put a lot. Not enough so it gets all watery and the pasta is swimming, but certainly enough to cover the pasta out to the edge (more than the photo above).
I've had the olive oil gelato at Mario Batali's Otto and found it quite good. And I've sampled the lox ice cream at Max & Mina's in my stamping grounds of Flushing, Queens, and found it to be interesting at best. Until the other day, though, I'd never heard of a frozen dessert quite as strange as nicotine and peppermint gelato.
According to a little tidbit of info over at the New York Post, chef Mario "Orange Clogs" Batali won't be back at the Food Network. 
Today was the first day that really, truly made me feel like it was summer. Humid, suffocating, with just a hint of agony and despair. And it's only June 27th.
But don't feel left out, he probably hates you too! If you run a food blog, that is.
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