Mario Batali: Italian Grill

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Did you think Mario Batali would leave grilling to fellow Food Network-er Bobby Flay? Uh-uh. Mario is going after the Memorial Day crowd with Italian Grill (HarperCollins 2008) written with Judith Sutton. Mario goes from Antipasti to Pizza to Meats and Vegetables, all with Italian flare – which means great ingredients, good seasonings and simple presentation. What is grilling Italian style? It is all about ingredients – because you can use the same grill for any cuisine – the only other thing that changes is what you choose to burn. Check out Mario's list of Ingredients and Techniques for the Italian Kitchen (p. 14-23) and you'll understand why this book is different from most BBQ manuals focused on steak. He includes artichokes, bottarga, cephalapoids (octopus, etc), and fregula (Sardinian couscous) along with cheeses like Ribiola and Scamorza. If you are wondering what to do with your vegetable patch's bounty, Mario's Antipasti chapter is full of recipes that display his love of cured pork - and vegetables. There's Prosciutto with Grilled and Fresh Figs (p. 29), Asparagus Wrapped in Pancetta with Citronette (p. 30), Fresh Robiola wrapped in Mortadella (p. 34) and finally Radicchio in Pancetta with Pears and Balsamic (p. 36). Mario encourages you to replace one cured meat with another – though warns against smoked bacon, which will overwhelm vegetables. The smell of melting fat along with the taste of crunchy grilled vegetables is what he is after. Mario adds sources for ingredients like Grateful Palatte's Bacon-of-the-Month Club and Coach Farm (p.49) owned by his wife's family. Nearly every recipe is accompanied by a photo by Beatriz da Costa and a few include pix of Mario and his two sons, oddly shoe-less given Mario's adoration of Crocs (which do come in kids' sizes). To be sure, there is a hefty meat section that does not shy away from big cuts like a Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Garlic, Rosemary, and Mint (p. 178) a more unusual Gilled Arista-Style Pork Loin with Milk Sauce (p. 182) Arista (the name means "the best") is a celebratory Tuscan dish, sometimes made wit a whole suckling pig studded with garlic and slowly spit-roasted. I like this garlicky pork loin roast, in the same spirit but a lot easier to do. Then there is the Split-Roasted Prime Rib (p. 196) This is the most dramatic dish in my canon of grill recipes. When it's properly cooked, you are heroic; if it's overcooked, you are a dog – so be careful, and use a thermometer to check the temperature. Good advice even if you are cooking one in the oven. This isn't Mario's first foray into the world of smoke and flames. Remember Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style (Read Super Chef's review). The book stays well clear of his NASCAR cookbook, offering more sophisticated and authentic and non-authentic grilling recipes. But if you are still hankering for NASCAR, then start your grills and your video camera and enter Mario's contest. Mario (or the powers that be) have teamed up with Viva Paper Towels for a promotion/contest. Contestants submit their best grilling recipe and video demonstration for a chance to win an appearance with Mario and his "good friend" Rachael Ray at Dickies 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway on November 2nd. For every entry $1.00 will be donated to Food Bank for New York City by Uncle Ben's. Good luck. Previous articles: Mario Batali: Still on Food Network? Mario Dumps Iron Chef for Gwyneth Paltrow Mario Batali's Ernst Benz Watch Mario Batali Bistro Crocs FOOD FLICKS: Mario Batali on Jimmy Kimmel Mario Batali Marketing Webcast TIME for Mario Mario Batali: 2 Brothers Mario Batali Tailgates NASCAR Style Newsweek Cites Juliette Rossant on Mario Batali Juliette Rossant: Forbes Tastemakers Mario Batali: Molto Italiano Newsweek Bets on Mario Batali's Basting Brush Iron Chef Pizza Wars: Batali v. Puck Nancy Silverton & Mario Batali's Mozza Anita Lo Defeats Mario Batali on Iron Chef America Molto Mario Massascres Mahi [Food Television - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Mario Batali --> back to Super Chef