Mario Batali

Talk about starting off with a bang: last night, the 2012 New York City Wine & Food Festival kicked off with a comedic roast of Anthony Bourdain by celebrity chefs and comedians, and it seemed like just about every star chef who's seen a camera was there to sling mud at the food personality who made his name slinging mud. As pal Sarah Silverman told Bourdain in a prerecorded video message: "There's gonna be a lot of great lines tonight, and you can't snort any of them."

Great lines indeed. It was a rare opportunity to see another side of the stars of Food Network, who puts on the yearly festival; everyone from the bubbly Rachael Ray to the modest Eric Ripert cracked a dirty sex joke (or 10). Although Bourdain was the subject of the roast, there were plenty of other subjects of interest, primarily Guy Fieri's douchiness, Mario Batali fat jokes, and Ray's inability to cook. Catch up with the best lines you missed from last night's shockingly irreverent, profanity-filled comedy roast of Anthony Bourdain.

Mario Batali has restaurants on both coasts, but during the Summer, the Italian-American chef is inspired by a unexpected locale: Michigan. Each Summer, chef Batali, his wife, and his kids pack up and head to their Michigan home, complete with a picturesque view of the lake and an outdoor wood-burning oven. Get ready to be envious: the chef shares photos of his whereabouts and family meals via Twitter.

What's the appeal for serious foodies who might not be familiar with Michigan? Mario claims he really loves that Michigan's food culture is "unique and unapologetic." In terms of ingredients, he says Michigan offers local fish and magnificent stone fruit that can obviously be shipped anywhere, but are best enjoyed "right out of the water, right out of the dirt, or right out of the tree." While at a Pure Michigan event, Mario Batali spoke to us about what he's craving this Summer and how to prepare it.

An expansive restaurant empire, a talk show, and a children's foundation aren't enough to keep Mario Batali busy; the chef also released his ninth cookbook, Molto Batali: Simple Family Meals From My Home to Yours, in the past week. Yet surprisingly, when we caught up with him, what we discovered was an underlying theme to his life philosophy: that of simplicity. Whether it's the return of the family meal, his healthy eating philosophy, or his plans for the holidays, everything in this chef's life seems to reflect his inclination toward a pared-down, rustic lifestyle.

We checked in with America's foremost Italian chef for an update on Eataly, his growing food emporium; the hottest ingredient in Italian cooking right now; and, his thoughts on the always-controversial Anthony Bourdain.

YumSugar: Family meal cookbooks seem to be a big thing right now. Why do you think that is, and what's the point of view of your cookbook?
Mario Batali: The family meal has always been an important part of the American psyche; it's just been on hiatus for a few decades. It all comes back to my belief that it's all about family, children, and confidence through the guise of deliciousness. Entertaining at home for family and friends rounds out the equation.
 
YS: What are your plans for the holidays this year?
MB: We'll be at our house in northern Michigan for Christmas. I bake the ham in my wood-burning oven.

YS: Porchetta has certainly had its moment in the spotlight. What's going to be the next big Italian ingredient?

Find out his answer when you keep reading.

You don't need to own a pair of bright orange Crocs to whip up a meal with Mario Batali! His new cookbook for families — Molto Batali: Simple Family Meals From My Home to Yours — makes it easy for everyone to channel the orange-clogged chef and create delicious meals for the kids and grown-ups alike. We love the book's take on incorporating fresh, seasonal ingredients throughout the year so much, that we're working with the famous chef to give away signed copies of the book to five lucky readers! All you have to do is become a follower of LilSugar on Twitter, and tell us which of the scrumptious dishes he provided exclusively to us you want to make at home! Want more details on how to win? Then keep reading!

• First, follow LilSugar on Twitter
• Tweet at us by selecting one of these recipes: Braised Chicken, Ziti Ragu, or Hazelnut Meringues .
• Be sure to include the following message and hashtag to qualify: "Hey @LilSugar I want to make @mariobatali _____________ for my family. bit.ly/tEl7qN #MoltoBatali"

To be eligible, you must be a Twitter user following LilSugar, but hurry — the giveaway ends on Nov. 7! Check out the full list of rules here, and start tweeting!

To kick off the third morning of the NYC Wine & Food Festival, four of the industry's top tastemakers, restaurateurs Mario Batali and Marcus Samuelsson, TV host Andrew Zimmern, and Food & Wine editor in chief Dana Cowin gathered for a panel discussion to talk about what makes the best restaurant experience.

They all had plenty to say about the state of dining — especially the jocular Batali. Here are just a few of his one-liners.

• On turning tables: "We have loud music at Babbo while you're eating soigné food. From 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. we turn it up and make it faster to get people out of there."
• On tables in New York: "The beauty of New York is, even if five million people on Yelp hate me, there are still eight million left."
• On how far the industry's come: "Thirty years ago, restaurant staffs were people who just got out of jail or people who'd just gotten out of the military and were on their way to jail."

Keep reading for the rest of Mario Batali's restaurant zingers.

Eataly, the Italian food emporium backed by Mario Batali, made a splash last Summer when it opened in Manhattan's Madison Square Park. One year later, it's still surpassed all expectations, even doubling financial projections. And that's just the beginning: today, Eataly co-owner Joe Bastianich announced plans to roll out Eataly in Los Angeles and Washington DC, with the next opening coming as soon as the end of 2012.

Meanwhile, others have caught on to the success of the 60,000-square-foot public food market, which includes, among other shops, a fish restaurant, a pasta and pizza joint, a panini bar, and a brewpub. Top Cheffer Bryan Voltaggio has admitted to modeling his upcoming Frederick, MD, venture, North Market Kitchen, on Eataly. The San Francisco International Airport's shiny new terminal includes Napa Farms Market, a food emporium that features locally produced foods, a dining court, and takeout meals to go. And Oakland's up-and-coming Jack London Square has long had a public market in the works.

With its manifold shopping and dining options, is the all-encompassing specialty "public foods market" the food scene of the future? What do you think of the concept of one-stop shops for culinary education, browsing, shopping, and dining?

Source: Flickr User Carl MiKoy