"mario tailgates nascar style" news and stories

When I first saw Mario Batali's new paperback Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style on Jessica's Biscuit, I thought it was a joke. I got my hands on a copy at a local bookstore today and, indeed, it's real. Apparently Mario likes NASCAR. At least, that's what the introduction lead me to believe, as he speaks of NASCAR fans in the first person plural. The recipes are a combination of American "cookout" food and some recycled items from Mario's previous books. Ham and cheese biscuits and "Mario's Kick Ass Barbecue Sauce" mingle with pork braciolona and grilled lobster with Limoncello. I just don't know about the logistics of stuffing, trussing and braising a pork shoulder in a tailgait environment. Still, I have to give the man credit for continuing to broaden the palate of the average joe. But with Mario's well-known penchant for using unusual meats, I'm a little surprised that I didn't see any roadkill cookery in here. Maybe I just didn't look hard enough.