Italian Grill [Hardcover]

Mario Batali (Author), Judith Sutton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2008

From Mario Batali, superstar chef and author of Molto Italiano, comes the ultimate handbook on Italian grilling, which will become an instant must-have cookbook for home grillers.

Easy to use and filled with simple recipes, Mario Batali's new grilling handbook takes the mystery out of making tasty, simple, smoky Italian food. In addition to the eighty recipes and the sixty full-color photographs, Italian Grill includes helpful information on different heat-source options, grilling techniques, and essential equipment. As in Molto Italiano, Batali's distinctive voice provides a historical and cultural perspective as well.

Italian Grill features appetizers; pizza and flatbreads; fish and shellfish; poultry; meat; and vegetables. The delicious recipes include Fennel with Sambuca and Grapefruit; Guinea Hen Breasts with Rosemary and Pesto; Baby Octopus with Gigante Beans and Olive-Orange Vinaigrette; and Rosticciana, Italian-Style Ribs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ingenious....this is an essential collection for any serious backyard cook.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

“In his new cookbook, Italian Grill, the star chef steps up to the grate with amazing recipes that express his extroverted approach to flavor.” (Food & Wine )

“Mario Batali is a madman/hero. Is there nothing he’s not good at? Great chef, successful restaurateur, an author, an intellectual, host of a ridiculously informative and much-too-good-for-television TV show, afficianado of fine rock and roll, and a man of Falstaffian appetites.” (Anthony Bourdain )

About the Author

Mario Batali is the James Beard Award-winning author of eight cookbooks, including Molto Gusto, Molto Italiano, Spain...A Culinary Road Trip, and Italian Grill, as well as the iPad app Mario Batali Cooks! With a host of television shows to his name, fifteen restaurants, and Eataly—a 50,000-square-foot Italian marketplace in New York City’s Flatiron district, which he co-owns with his partner, Joe Bastianich—Mario Batali is arguably one of the most recognized and respected chefs working in America today. Mario splits his time between New York City’s Greenwich Village and northern Michigan with his wife and their two sons.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ecco; 1st ed edition (April 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061450979
• ISBN-13: 978-0061450976
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mario Batali's world now encompasses three New York City restaurants -- Babbo, Lupa, and Esca -- as well as a wine store, The Italian Wine Merchant. He is the host of Food Networks popular Molto Mario, as well as an upcoming new series, Mario Batalis Italy. He lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Believe piastra, but take grill with a huge grain of salt, July 30, 2008

By 

R. C. Jackson "Curtis Jackson" (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Italian Grill (Hardcover)

After a week or so with Mario Batali's "Italian Grill", I can give you a good rule of thumb: Everything he says involving a piastra (or which might possibly involve a piastra) is dead on. Everything he says otherwise you should seriously question in regard to cooking times/temperatures.

When Mario says to make the piastra HOT, he means it. When there are recipes like the thick onion slices with lemon thyme, that presumably could be cooked on the piastra even though it isn't mentioned in the recipe, they should be cooked hot hot HOT on the piastra. When you follow his prep and his timings on these recipes, you will find yourself in Italian grill nirvana. Every time.

But when there are rotisserie or grill recipes such as the 3-inch-thick ribeye, you should assume that Mario has tested on a grill that has the approximate power of an Easy Bake Oven, for those of you old enough to remember that toy.

My grill is no great shakes -- a 2002 Weber Genesis. Most steakophiles would scoff at its meager grilling power; commercial steak grills are 1100-1300F; I'm lucky if I can get mine to 550F after a week of preheating. Yet Mario says to take a room-temp 3-inch-thick ribeye and cook it over a hot grill on the hottest part of the grill for 10-12 minutes before even turning it. Are you kidding me? I cooked mine for 4 minutes a side to develop a crispy crunchy crust, then put it vertically on its t-bone for the next 30 minutes on indirect medium to get it to 120F internal temp. Even with only 4 minutes per side on direct high heat, the outside was crunchy and barely edible.

Same for the rotisserie duck I did today on indirect medium heat. Mario says 1.25 - 1.75 hours for a 4-4.5 lb. duck. My 5.25-lb. duck cooked in exactly one hour; I didn't even get a chance to apply the second coat of glaze because it was already done the first time I checked it! The skin, far from being crisp as advertised, was flabby in most places because it was cooked too fast to let the fat melt off in time.

So get the piastra. Even though my first one cracked all the way through on first use even though oiled on both sides; it had visible hairline cracks on the ridged side when I got it. The replacement so far appears pristine, and DAMN but it does a great job once you really get it really hot! But for recipes in the book that obviously make no sense on the piastra, imagine that the directions are given for a grill that has half the power that yours has. Then you'll be fine.

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Italian Grilling Twists, May 2, 2008

By 

rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Italian Grill (Hardcover)

Mario definitely is passionate about bringing Italian cusine to our midst and he certainly has captivated much of us through his tv, cookbooks and restaurants. Here he piles on with grilling Italian.

It is not what most of us Americans are into on the grill, with BBQ sauces and glazes, etc. Italians are more about clean, natural flavors with light marinades. Batali admits that this is not all pure Italian grill recipes, but authentic shaped and massaged through his culinary prism. I think the results are spectacular and luscious and fun and you might also.

I came across this work watching the Borders kitchen interview with Andrea (Immer) Robinson, and they did three dishes which made me purchase this. I've tried them so far, and if they are promise of the rest of the collection, this is just outstanding resource for us grillers.

Think of Radicchio in Pancetta with Pears and Balsamic. You'll understand Italian grilling by this one. Bitterness of radicchio sweetened by charring and fat of pancetta with sweetness of pears and balsamic. Exquisite beyond description and so easy to do!

Have had off-and-on success with zucchini, so his Marinated Zucchini with Ricotta and Botarga is winner. Ricotta stacks with oil are surrounded by marinated, grilled zucchini slices which have been marinated in spicy EVOO. Grated bottarga (new ingredient for me, but found at my gourmet supply store) was exceptional, but knocked out with mint and serrano chilies.

Last of the three is killer: Spicy Black-Pepper Coated Drumsticks. Two stage cooking is the trick with non-Italian buttermilk marinade spiced up with Tabasco chipotle hot sauce and fennel, served with "wowzer" dipping sauce of Gorgonzola with red wine vinegar and oil. This as Andrea said upon tasting where we got term "finger lickin' good."

Anxious to try some others,in fact many here, such as: Sea Scallops Alla Caprese; Waxy Potatoes in Chianti Vinegar; Pork Shoulder Braciole; Spit-Roasted Duck with Orange and Rosemary.

There are no desserts, since this is unItalian. But there is great and thorough 'Ingredients' section as well as sources and truly nice 4-color photos.

One to buy, use and give as gifts.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Grilling Recipes, June 24, 2008

By 

Paul Osterhout "Computer and Cooking Nerd" (Coral Springs, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Italian Grill (Hardcover)

So far, every recipe I have tried has been great. I LOVE the fact that there are plenty of non-meat recipes. Don't get me wrong. I love meat, but I have friends who have grilling parties. This lets me bring alternative dishes that aren't the same old thing.

My typical M.O. is to put bookmarks on the main recipes I want to try. With Italian Grill, there were so many recipes I want to try, that I didn't even bother.

Definitely will be using this for tailgating.