Mario Batali (Photo: Ken Goodman)
Chef, restaurateur, and television personality Mario Batali is best known for Italian cuisine, but for his new book, Big American Cookbook: 250 Favorite Recipes from Across America (Grand Central Life & Style), he searched for delicious recipes from all corners of the United States. The result is a collection of the best dishes that America has to offer, celebrating the treasures of state fairs, shared dishes from church socials, and prized specialties from every ethnic group in the melting pot.
Covering all of the country’s regions, Batali shares everything from our geo-specific BBQ styles (of Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, and the Carolinas) to the variations of chowder along the Northeastern seaboard and from the spicy gumbos of the Gulf Coast to the berry pies of the Pacific Northwest.
In a conversation with Joe Yonan, food and dining editor of the Washington Post, Batali discusses what these American recipes passed down through generations reveal about our food culture, and how he made personal additions to the recipes that give tradition a fresh boost.
Copies of Big American Cookbook are available for purchase and signing.
