The only thing to do with Mario
Batali is to love him. The only thing to do with the recipes in Molto
Italiano is to savor them. All of them. Every last one of them.
And do not be abashed when you lift the plate to your mouth, driven
to lick the plate clean. Molto Italiano is a must for the lover
of fabulous food.
When Mario Batali first appeared
on television, we were struck by his air of seriousness and his obvious
love for Italian food. He handled his ingredients with reverence, and
seemed to enjoy simplifying the mysteries of cooking. Batali was the
real stuff. And his devotion to food was that of a lover, not a chef
devising intricate schemes for a meal. While other chefs were scrambling
for superstar status by mixing odd ingredients and plating food in new
ways, Batali was laconic, working with the humble ingredients that have
given us culinary joy for centuries. Stardom fell easily on him simply
because he loves everything about food, including he people who sit
to eat. "It should be love and joy and music and art and dance
and being together that drive us to cook, to eat, and to share,' says
Mario Batali in the introduction to Molto Italiano.
Assuming that the home cook loves
food as much as he does, Batali aims to simplify, and in his hands,
simple becomes sublime. He is on our side and we love him for that.
He gives us the most solid advice: "The most important step you
will take in the creation of any meal is the first one, the shopping."
Molto Italiano features dishes
from many of the twenty-one regions of Italy and many side dishes, each
of which can be served as a light meal. There are over 300 recipes organized
by course (antipasto, soup, pasta, fish, etc.). Batali includes some
of the signature dishes found in his earlier volumes, such as Short
Ribs in Barolo, and Bucatini all'Amatriciana, but adds tantalizing new
ones, such as Malloredus with Fennel, Game Hen with Pomegranate, and
Lamb Shanks with Orange and Olive. The section on sweets is heavenly,
froman Abruzzese Chocolate Cake, and "Clouds on Cream" (Sciumette),
to a Coffee Granita.
The book also features a brief guide
to Italian wines written by David Lynch, photographs by Beatriz Da Costa,
aglossary to guide the reader through Italian ingredients (though most
are familiar by now), a list of essential equipment and a page of sources.
The recipes are designed to be easy to follow - Batali's insistence
on the simple once again.
About
the author: Mario Batali divides his time among his many
Italian hotspots, the flagship of which is Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca.
A recipient of numerous culinary accolades, Batali hosts his own television
programs, Molto Mario, Mario Eats Italy, and Ciao America with Mario
Batali. Mario is also one of the three Iron Chefs on Food Network's
new hit Iron Chef America. He lives in New York City with his wife,
Susi Cahn, and their two sons, Benno and Leo.
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