Mario Batali’s sixth cookbook is entitled “Italian Grill”, and if you aren’t an owner or are on the fence about purchasing it, give this recipe a shot as a trial, it’s not only simple but truly amazing. An American concept with an Italian twist, Mario describes this grilled recipe as ” buffalo wings go to Italy”.
Mario’s Spicy Chicken Drumsticks are bathed in a deliciously spicy chipotle buttermilk marinade, and served with a gorgonzola dip rather than traditional blue cheese dressing. In place of celery sticks, Mario uses fennel bulb sticks, which can be dipped in the dressing as well.
WWMD? (What would Mario do?) Visiting New York City and wondering where to go for good eats and food culture? Here are tips from the biggest NYC foodie of all, Chef Mario Batali!
Mario discusses his favorite venues, including the Union Square Market, Despana on Broome St in Soho, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx for Italian, Ferdinando’s Focacceria in Brooklyn, and taking the 7 train through Queens. He’s a big fan of walking to explore the city, and venturing out of Manhattan to discover all of New York’s diverse burroughs. For more insider tips on NYC’s hot spots, visit NYCgo.com.
Agree or disagree? Have an insider tip of your own? Share it with us in the comments!
Taste this! Only a handful of amazing visions to be seen at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2009, Average Betty and I have taken our best shots and embedded them into a slideshow. We schmoozed with the best of them: Celebrity chefs Michael Chiarello, Giada De Laurentiis, Mario Batali (and his clogs), Top Chefs Hosea Rosenberg, Stephanie Izard, Richard Blais, and Fabio Viviani, David Chang, Ming Tsai, Michael Symon, Jacques Pépin and his daughter Claudine Pépin, Joe Bastianich, José Andrés, Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, and several of the Best New Chefs. Here’s a just a tiny taste of the amazing experience. Enjoy!
Thank you Bravo Tv! A winning dish from the premier episode of Top Chef Masters, Hubert Keller’s macaroni and cheese with prawns (or shrimp) and mushrooms recipe, prepared by charming Top Chef Fabio Viviani from Café Firenze and chef Michael Demers of Veloce Cibo restaurant.
So, here is the big question, what is the difference between shrimp and prawns? The answer is as clear as mud. For a thoroughly confusing explanation from a scientist (including college flashback terms such as arthropods, ecoskeletons and Malaconstracans) read this. Chowhound foodies discuss it with a bit more clarity here, and here is Wikipedia’s definition of prawns. So the short answer is yes, there is a scientific difference, and more importantly cultural differences regarding what are referred to as shrimp or prawns.
prawn
shrimp
The bottom line: can you use shrimp in this recipe? Yes! For more delicious Hubert Keller recipes, visit his restaurant site, Fleur de Lys. Select Secrets of a chef, and go to recipes.
Creamy Mac and Cheese with Prawns, Mushrooms and Fresh Herbs
Chef Hubert Keller
Top Chef Masters, Season 1, Episode 1, Elimination Challenge Winner
Ingredients
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 3 large carrots, diced
* 1 large onion, diced
* 1/2 quart cream
* 4 ounces half and half
* 1 cup white mushroom, sliced
* 1 1/2 cup Swiss cheese
* 2 pounds prawns, diced
* 1 pounds cooked pasta
* 1 cup whipped cream
* 5 tablespoons chopped parsley
* 6 egg yolks
* Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large pot, add butter, carrot, onion and sweat for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the cream, salt and pepper and simmer until it gets thicker (10 to 15 minutes). Add the mushroom and Swiss cheese, simmer for 5 minutes. Add the prawns and pasta and mix gently until very hot. Fold into the whipped cream the parsley and egg yolks. Season with salt.
Transfer Mac & Cheese into bowl and cover lip with the whip cream mix.
Hungry for more? Here is top Chef Alex Eusebio’s Macaroni and Cheese with white wine, bacon and 5 cheeses.
And last, but not least, we simply must mention Mario Batali, who we will see in Aspen! Here’s a quick clip of him with Gwyneth Paltrow discussing Mac and Cheese.
From the Food and Wine classic in Aspen, Colorado, this video with chef Mario Batali features his recipe for a delicious frittata with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses.
Mario sings the praises of farm fresh eggs versus store bought, an important component of a perfect frittata. What exactly is different about them? Besides the obvious age factor, farm fresh eggs tend to have a richer flavor, and are fluffier when cooked. If the chickens are eating greens, the yolks from the farm will have a darker yellow color, a result of carotenoid plant pigments called xanthophylls.
Much as we may wish, it’s difficult to eat like a king when the wallet is thin. One of the top food trends for 2009 is affordable cuts of meat, and skirt steak scores a touchdown in that game. Where does skirt steak come from? From the short plate of the cow, in front of the flank. (Plate = Belly in meat speak.) A good way to think of beef tenderness is that the more frequently the muscle is used, the tougher it will be. Tougher cuts of beef include the round, flank, brisket, and chuck, and they require longer cooking times, typically with moist heat, to enable a tender end result. Tender cuts are typically more expensive, and include rib meat, sirloin, and short loin, these cuts can be cooked with dry heat methods and for a shorter time. Skirt steak is classified somewhere in between, known as a medium in terms of beef cut tenderness. Properly prepared it can be as tender and delicious as any high end fancy contender. Touché!
Our video today features Chef Mario Batali (yes again, we are addicted!) preparing a succulent skirt steak served with cannellini beans and salsa verde.
Speaking of Mario, did you catch the “Last Supper” episode of Top Chef? Based on the book, My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals / Portraits, Interviews, and Recipes a slightly morbid yet delicious book about what chefs would choose for their last meal on earth, Mario chose an elaborate multi course meal, including “marinated anchovies with bruschetta; mozzarella en carozza (a Neapolitan-style grilled cheese sandwich); and fresh Amalfitana pasta with shrimp and zucchini.” Photographer Melanie Dunea shares a gorgeous photo slideshow of the book, found here.
Click “read more” for Mario’s skirt steak recipe. Continue Reading
Originating in Bologna, Italy, Bolognese sauce refers to an Italian meat based sauce, with a minimal amount of tomato. Bologna is within the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy, the native home of classic culinary ingredients such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, delicious Balsamic vinegar, Mortadella, and Prosciutto di Parma. Italy, as you know, is a country that takes their food very seriously, and the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, which is the Italian Gastronomic Society, has strict requirements on what dishes can be classified as Bolognese. Their strict ingredient requirements are confined to to beef, pancetta, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, meat broth, red wine, and as an option, milk or cream, although traditonal Bolognese dishes frequently include ground pork or ground veal. Here in this video, our beloved chef Mario Batali shares his technique for Ragu Bolognese, a meal close to his Italian roots. This classic Italian pasta dish is simple and requires minimal prep time, but will require an hour and a half of cooking time, and having made it more than once, we can honestly say that it is worthy of every minute. Absolutely give this recipe a try, you will not regret it.
Are you saucing your pasta correctly? Chef Mario Batali explains in this video why sauce should not be overly used, and tips for the correct way to serve your pasta dish. Remember, more is not always better!
Mario Batali’s sixth cookbook is entitled “Italian Grill”, and if you aren’t an owner or are on the fence about purchasing it, give this recipe a shot as a trial, it’s not only simple but truly amazing. An American concept with an Italian twist, Mario describes this grilled recipe as ” buffalo wings go to Italy”.
a slightly morbid yet delicious book about what chefs would choose for their last meal on earth, Mario chose an elaborate multi course meal, including “marinated anchovies with bruschetta; mozzarella en carozza (a Neapolitan-style grilled cheese sandwich); and fresh Amalfitana pasta with shrimp and zucchini.” Photographer Melanie Dunea shares a gorgeous photo slideshow of the book, found 
