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 Read more

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 Read more

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 Read more

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 Read more

Mario Batali explains his new roof-top beer concept, Birreria. — The Feast NY What exactly is fish sauce? — Food Republic Learn how to make ice cream cones in a panini press! — Panini Happy Make Scott Conant's Spring asparagus soup recipe. — Huffington Post Food Mmmmm, buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy. — Simply Recipes Where hottie polo player Nacho Figueras likes to eat in NYC. Read more

Chef Mario Batali is on the hunt for a new assistant! Not just any assistant, but a media production coordinator to be exact, and he's letting Monster conduct a vast and extensive search for the perfect candidate. Prospective coordinators can apply for the job from now until June 13; Batali hopes to have the person up and running with his team around July 25. This morning I spoke with the Read more

Toast to Earth Day with five eco-friendly cocktails. — Huffington Post Food Expect prices at McDonald's to go up very soon. — Bloomberg Five Guys and In-N-Out lead a better burger revolution. — NPR Meet Google Offers, the latest Groupon clone. — Eater Watch the likes of Heidi Montag open an eatery on VH1's Famous Food. — Slashfood Guess what? Table-to-farm is the new farm-to-table. Read more

Will you watch The Chew, a daytime food talk show with Mario Batali, Michael Symon, and Carla Hall? — Eater Target beats Whole Foods in sustainable seafood rankings. — Village Voice A guide to New York City's best passover desserts. — Grub Street NY How to kill your lunch and other things you learn on a farm. — Huffington Post Food Must make: linguini with clam sauce. — Simply Read more