The tradition of Italian cooking is that of the matriarch. This is the cooking of grandma. She didn't waste time thinking too much about the celery. She got the best celery she could and then she dealt with it.
Mario BataliThe Gulf Coast has the potential to create a culinary raw ingredient paradise that smart cooks can capitalize on.
Mario BataliI think Tabasco brings me pure heat and Southern kind of familiarity, along with the vinegar and the barrel-aged spices.
Mario BataliThe difference between 'Molto Italiano' and 'The Babbo Cookbook' is that the ingredient lists in 'Molto' are about half or even a third the size. In 'Babbo,' they are very long, they are very real. That's exactly how we make them in the restaurant.
Mario Batali