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Mario Batali to Light Empire State Building Orange Tonight!

YumSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:15:26 -0700

When the sun goes down on New York tonight, celebrity chef Mario Batali and Hollywood actor-director Stanley Tucci will light Manhattan's Empire State Building bright orange. Batali and Tucci, both board members of the Food Bank, are spreading the word about the orange which, aside from matching Batali's clogs, also happens to be the symbolic color for raising funds and awareness of hunger relief. The duo are helping to kick off a hunger relief campaign called Go Orange! for the Food Bank for New York City. For every $1 donated, the food bank donates five meals to the needy, and at least 1.3 million New Yorkers — most of them children or the elderly — risk going hungry.

Those of you living in or near New York: Will you be checking it out from your window? I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Source

Trend Alert: Celebrity-Crafted Food Carryalls

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700

These days, virtually every celebrity — from Lauren Conrad to Jessica Simpson — has his or her own womenswear, footwear, accessory, and fragrance line. But celebrity lunchbags and farmers market totebags? Lately we've seen the celebrity, fashion, and food worlds collide, with all sorts of celebrity-designed carryalls for everything from our groceries to our lunch.

PartySugar and I might have been on to something when we said that we prefer to carry our farmers market goodies in style. It seems others were thinking the exact same thing. First, Whole Foods announced Sheryl Crow would be custom-designing its latest green grocery bag. Then celebrity chef Mario Batali jumped on the design bandwagon, randomly unveiling his own line of sleek lunch bags. The latest? A collaboration between Jennie Garth and the Sierra Club.

While I'm a bigger fan of some of the designs than others, if this trend encourages shoppers to be more eco-friendly — wasting less resources on plastic and paper grocery bags and lunch bags — then it's for the better. What do you think of the trend? Would you buy Sheryl's, Mario's, or Jennie's bags?

Source, Source, Source, and Source

Who Has the Best Italian Cooking Show?

partysugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:00:36 -0700

Yesterday Giada De Laurentiis was on the cover of the New York Post magazine. The article discusses her life as a new mother and her role as one of the industry's sexiest chefs. Giada refuses to describe her cooking style as a form of porn, but admits that her show is different: The way we shot close-ups, I just wanted the food to look beautiful. I thought that's what Americans loved about Italy — that it is so sensual and romantic. It's not PBS-style cooking. Lidia Bastianich, sorry, but she's kind of boring. I mean, I love Lidia, but you can fall asleep watching her. And Mario Batali? I love Mario to death...but he's not romantic or sensual. Those are the things I bring to the table.

I find it hard to believe that Giada would so quickly put down her peers and am curious to see what you think of the matter. Do you agree with Giada? Are Mario and Lidia boring? Which celebrity chef has the best Italian cooking show?Source

Who Has the Best Italian Cooking Show?

Giada. Everyday Italian has always been a wonderful show.

Lidia. She's classic and Lidia's Italy is informative and entertaining,

Mario. Molto Mario features delicious, authentic Italian cuisine.

My favorite Italian cooking show is ________ (fill in the blank below).

I've never seen any of these shows.

Gwyneth Loves to Cook, Set For Second TV Food Tour

YumSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:15:00 -0700

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is shunning personal chefs and raw-foods-only diets for the joys of home cooking. She recently told People magazine:

I cook all the meals for my house. I really love to cook. Breads and pizzas is what I'm cooking and we all love it. We have a wood-burning pizza oven in our garden. Right now the weather is nice in London, so I'm using that oven a lot. You can cook anything in there. It's amazing.

It's no surprise that Paltrow is so passionate about cooking, her first travel food show, Spain . . . On the Road Again with Mario Batali, debuted on certain PBS stations over the weekend.

The dynamic duo has already signed on to do a second series that will take place in Italy further cementing Gwyneth's love for food.

Did you tune in this past weekend to see the pair eat their way through Spain? What did you think of it, and will you be watching their follow-up in Mario's motherland Italia?

Source

Gwyneth and Mario Share Their Kitchen Must Haves

partysugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:00:39 -0700

Yesterday Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow were featured guests on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The celebrity chef and actress promoted their food-related travel series, Spain . . . on the Road Again, which debuts Sept. 20 on PBS. Gwyneth and a newly slimmed-down Mario each shared five kitchen items they can't live without. To find out what they were,

Rachael Ray Is the World's Richest Chef

partysugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:15:38 -0700

Last week Forbes released a list of the 10 top-earning celebrity chefs. The richest celebrity "chef" is Rachael Ray who, thanks to her four Food Network shows, daytime television show, magazine, and Dunkin' Donuts deal, makes $18 million a year. She's followed by Oscar caterer Wolfgang Puck ($16 million) and Gordon Ramsay ($7.5 million).

While owning a restaurant doesn't necessarily factor into a chef's riches (Ray owns no restaurants), it's clear that more exposure and countless endeavors amount to more money.

Puck owns 15 restaurants and has a soup line in grocery stores and a collection of knives sold on the Home Shopping Network. Ramsay has numerous restaurants and hit television shows in both the US and UK.

Although television played a huge role in the success of Ray, Puck, and Ramsay, it's interesting to note that the fourth and fifth richest chefs, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and Alain Ducasse, have little to no television presence, but each own more than 15 restaurants worldwide. To check out the complete list of the world's richest chefs,

Getting to Know Anne Burrell

partysugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:00:08 -0700

Let me introduce you to Anne Burrell. Anne's a multi-tasker with many roles in the food industry. First and foremost, she's the executive chef of a restaurant, Centro Vinoteca, in New York City. She works at the restaurant six days a week and isn't much of a home cook. In her downtime Anne competes as Mario Batali's sous chef on Iron Chef America. However, her latest role is as a hostess of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, a new show on Food Network. This Sunday (at 9:30 a.m.) Anne's coming to a kitchen near you and she's teaching you how to cook like she does in her Centro Vinoteca. Earlier this week I chatted with the former Culinary Institute of America instructor, to see what she had to say,

Gwyneth, Mario Team With Chipotle For Spain . . . on the Road Again

partysugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:30:24 -0700

I can't wait to watch PBS's up and coming travel-food show, Spain . . . on the Road Again. The show — which has already been filmed — stars the random, but fabulous foursome of Gwyneth Paltrow, Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, and Claudia Bassols. Although the air date is yet to be determined, more details about the show have been released. According to an article in Advertising Age, the series will:

culminate in an Iron Chef-esque competition emceed by Mr. Batali and Ms. Paltrow. In between visits to the Prado Museum in Madrid, an impromptu chat with starchitect Frank Gehry and countless trips in topless convertibles furnished by Mercedes, Ms. Paltrow lets her newfound appreciation for the less-refined side of food shine.

In an attempt to highlight their "Food With Integrity" slogan, Chipotle has signed on as the show's main sponsor. The fast-food Mexican chain owned by McDonald's wants people to know their commitment to using natural meats and organic products.

While the combination of Chiptole, Gwyneth, and Mario seems odd, I have a feeling the show is going to be amazing. What do you think of the partnership? Are you looking forward to Spain . . . on the Road Again?

Source

Get Your Hands on Barilla's Free Celebrity Inspired Cookbook

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:13:31 -0800

What do Chris Daughtry, Debra Messing, Natalie Portman, Stanley Tucci and Marisa Tomei have in common? Well besides being celebrities, they are all part of the new Barilla Celebrity Italian Table cookbook. The five famous faces contributed their favorite pasta dishes, which were then recreated by Mario Batali. They were then given special treatment by party planner David Tutera. The end result is six stunning menus — Batali also put together his own — and party plans for each of them.

The best part about the book is that it's absolutely free. That's right you can preview it online or download your own copy. For each copy downloaded, Barilla will donate $1, up to $100,000, to America's Second Harvest. So what are you waiting for?

Are a New Rachael and the Return of Jamie Enough to Help Food Network?

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:18:31 -0800

Yesterday, the New York Times ran an interesting article about the current state of the Food Network. Not only has it canceled Emeril Live — Emeril himself is not leaving the network and enough new episodes have been filmed to fill 2008 — but ratings have slumped over the last year. According to the article, the network's ratings have slipped to a daytime average of 544,000 people from 580,000 a year ago. Likewise, its weekend shows have lost 15 percent of their audience, causing Food Network to pay back several advertisers.

Although they're losing out on new Emeril episodes, as well as the upcoming Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow show (strange note — the article states that Food Network passed on it as it wasn't "the right fit," however Batali says he never offered them the show), the network still has media-maven Rachael Ray. There will be 60 new episodes of 30-Minute Meals, as well as a new travel show called Rachael's Vacation. They are also planning new shows from British chefs Jamie Oliver and Danny Boome and Memphis restaurateurs Gina and Pat Neely. However is this going to be enough? Currently Food Network doesn't even hold the top-rated food show on cable. That honor goes to Bravo's Top Chef.

So you tell me, is it the end of an era at Food Network, or is it capable of pulling off a comeback?

Yummy Links: From Mario Batali to Homemade Spice Mixes

partysugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 08:00:35 -0700

Mario Batali believes that 99.9 percent of Americans over-sauce their pasta. — Serious Eats
Love to bake cupcakes? These must-have accessories will make them a little bit sweeter. — iVillage
Get crafty and make your own reusable grocery bag. — Apartment Therapy
Do you know the name of this fruit? — CasaSugar
How would you like to be fired for truffle squishing? That's what happened this week to one of Britain's top chocolate makers. — Slashfood
Food in New York City has become its own brand. — Will Work For Food

Between starring in reality shows and launching magazines, do celebrity chefs actually cook?. — Chow
Get the nutritional breakdown on your favorite nuts. — FitSugar
If you don't want to spend tons of money on cookbooks, think about joining Booksfree. — Culinate
Get prepared for holiday baking by making your own apple and pumpkin pie spice mixes. — Baking Bites

Gwyneth, Batali, Bittman, and Claudia Hit the Road

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:33:11 -0700

A few months ago, I mentioned that Gwyneth Paltrow was heading to Spain with Mario Batali in order to film a show for PBS. Well, for all of you who thought it was too crazy to be true, I have news for you: They've started filming!

That's right, according to the Associated Press, Paltrow and Batali — along with Mark Bittman (aka the New York Times's "Minimalist") and Spanish actress Claudia Bassols — are spending much of the next four months cruising around Spain in a fleet of Mercedes. Their producer, Charles Pinksy, hasn't told them what their itinerary is, but cameras in the cars will capture their reactions.

"It is going to be a road trip as if anybody else was taking a road trip, although we've planned things out. We've got some special things that maybe other tourists might not get a chance to do, as well," Pinsky told a press conference Tuesday in Madrid.

I don't know about you, but I am definitely going to tune in. Batali and Bittman are always worth watching — especially together — and the addition of Paltrow and Bassols should make for very entertaining television. What do you think? Are you going to watch?

Yummy Links: From Mario Batali to CornNuts

YumSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:01:03 -0700

Mario Batali now has a regular online column. Does this mean he's become one of those food bloggers that he hates? - Serious Eats
Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito shares his family recipes. - Secret Sauce
Learn more about Ani Phyo, a true life raw foodist. - Culinate

The alstroemeria flower (aka Peruvian lily) will look great as your next floral centerpiece. - CasaSugar
When ultra cheap comfort food becomes gourmet, the prices go up too. - Will Work For Food
Don't put away that grill! If you do, you'll miss out on grilled pork tenderloin with herbed cornmeal rub. - Apartment Therapy: The Kitchen
According to Zagat, London tops the list of most expensive cities to eat in. - Yummr
Sick of fresh food going bad? Here are some food storage tips. - Fit Sugar
You've been eating them for years, but what exactly are CornNuts? - Chow

Mario's Sticking with Food Network?

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 08:07:18 -0700

Looks like either the New York Post (and thus the rest of the food world and ABC News) was fed some false information, or Food Network has had a change of heart.

The folks at Edible TV and Newsday are both reporting that Mario's departure from Food Network was just a hot rumor.

"Mario is very much a part of Food Network" said Mark O'Connor, the network's vice president of public relations. "He is continuing to do a couple of episodes of 'Iron Chef America.'" O'Connor conceded that neither "Molto Mario" nor "Ciao America with Mario Batali" were in production but noted that the former program "still airs in repeats."

Mario's assistant and media maven, Pamela Lewy, has also confirmed that Mario is still with Food Network and that he is currently taping the next season of Iron Chef America. She also does not understand why the NY Post created the story.

Another Food Network source has also said that along with the new ICA episodes, Mario will also continue to film specials with the network.

I'm not totally sure what to make of it all, but I'm guessing it's stuff like this that makes Mario hate bloggers...

Source: Newsday and Edible TV
Image Source

Food Network Says Ciao! To Mario

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:03:31 -0700

A few weeks ago we mentioned Mario Batali's new show with Gwyneth Paltrow. If you recall, the show of them road-tripping through the Spanish countryside will be aired on PBS, not Food Network. At the time, I wondered why that was the case, but assumed it might have something to do with it being in conjunction with Spanish television. However it turns out it might actually have something to do with Mario Batali splitting up with Food Network. That's right, after an eleven year run on FN, Batali is hanging up his FN chef's coat.

Sources say the network told Mario that his multiple shows would not be renewed.

"He said that if his shows weren't going to be renewed, then he wasn't going to do 'Iron Chef,' " said a network insider. "And then they essentially said 'ciao'"

So no more Molto Mario and no more Iron Chef Batali — which sort of explains why they are looking for the Next Iron Chef.

Batali has been with the network since 1996. There's no word on whether or not his show will air in repeats.

What do you guys think about this? Do you think it's a mistake?

Source: New York Post
Image Source

Summer Reading: Vino Italiano

partysugar — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:38:11 -0700

A cross between a dictionary and a coffee table book, this reference guide, Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines Of Italy, is an excellent addition to any wine lover's collection. Written by Mario Batali's business partner, Joseph Bastianich & co author David Lynch, the book introduces each region of Italy detailing not only the wine, but significant wineries, recent successful vintages, and delicious native recipes. The authors write in a highly personal manner making this book as much about wine commentary as it is about living an authentic Italian lifestyle. It also advocates eating and drinking locally, claiming that the best regional wines pair with traditional dishes from that specific region. If you love wine, or have a passion for Italy, this comprehensive book is highly recommended reading.

Gwyneth Paltrow Heads To Spain With Mario Batali

YumSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:03:12 -0700

It appears that Jake & Maggie Gyllenhaal are not the only celebrities who enjoy hanging out with Mario Batali. In a recent interview with W Magazine - complete with stunning photos - Gwyn states that she'll be co-hosting a PBS food show with Mario Batali. The show will be a road-trip set in Spain and will film this October and November. When asked about how it came about (the two are pals), Gwyn said:

"I told him, 'I'll go with you.' Later, he was like, 'Are you joking?' And I was like, 'No, I'm actually not joking!' "

"I eat all that stuff. The crazy fish things, the eels, I love it all."

We know that Mario's had this show in the works for a while - he signed a 26-episode deal this past Spring - but we had no idea he'd have a co-host! I don't know about you guys, but I think it could be a fun show. I'll definitely keep you posted if I hear anything else!

Source: W Magazine and Chicago Tribune

Do Food Bloggers Affect the Food Industry?

YumSugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 06:30:18 -0700

Mario Batali recently got an opportunity to tell us exactly how he feels about food bloggers. The article, entitled Why I Hate Food Bloggers is an interesting read, however the comments are where things really get interesting. Some people feel that real journalism has its faults as well, while others agree with Mario, saying that food blogs have become too tabloidy and publish first, fact check later. The whole thing makes me wonder, do you think food bloggers affect the food industry?

Jake Gyllenhaal Knows His Food - After All, He and Maggie are Pals with Mario

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:55:32 -0700

I never saw the article, but according to the New York Post, it seems like Jake Gyllenhaal offended some fans in February's GQ magazine. The actor-slash-foodie was quoted as saying, "I actually love to go to a farm and get fresh milk or watch a pig get slaughtered." His reps aren't denying the quote and now some fans are horrified and furious. I guess being ignorant about your food is the real way to win fans.

Too bad for Jake, because I doubt his pal Mario will let him get away with food ignorance. Yep you read that right, Mario, as in Mario Batali. In fact, he, his sister Maggie (and their mom Naomi), have appeared on two episodes of Molto Mario (both in 2003). I caught the gnocchi one the other day (thanks to missjq for letting me know when it was on) and I found the dessert episode online. Our lovely video producer took my favorite two bits and turned them into a short clip for you, but the full version is after the jump:

To watch the entire episode (22 minutes),

Happy Hour: Blood Orange Bellini

partysugar — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:43:41 -0800

Fashion Week started on Friday and I thought for today's happy hour cocktail I would do my favorite fashionable drink recipe, the Bellini. I first became obsessed with drinking Bellinis while reading Bergdorf Blondes. Typically a Bellini is made with fresh white peach puree but since it's winter I say we substitute the peach puree with blood orange juice. If you have never had a Bellini you MUST try one right now. Oh my gosh, this is the first time ever that I want to get up and leave my desk, run down to Whole Foods for some blood oranges, and stir up a Bellini for everyone in the office. To do the same,

Flippin' Mario Toy

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 16:46:12 -0800

In case your week needed a little bit more cheer, I'd like to present you with the Mario Batali Wind Up toy. Just turn the switch and watch him flip spaghetti and meatballs in one hand, shake a bottle in another while gliding across your countertop! I'm not sure exactly why or when he licensed his likeness for this funny little toy, but I sure am thrilled. I only wish I had known about this before Christmas as it would have made a great joke gift for quite a few foodies on my list. The Mario Batali Wind Up toy will set you back $14.95.