Mario Batali | ideas that taste good

The ketchup tree

July 27, 2014 by antdina

We crave embellishment. The lace on a dress. The cornice where the wall meets the ceiling. The violins swelling as the most memorable line of the movie is uttered. The same remains true for the architecture of a meal. Would that fish and rice stand solely as nourishment, we’d have no use for tartar sauce or soy. Our hot dogs and hamburgers would lie plain. And we’d savor that protein tidal wave from the Summer grill un-aided by condiments. And yet […]

Categories: Design • Tags: 11 Plates, apple, citrus, Dahlia's Lounge, ketchup, Lupa, Mario Batali, peaches, pear, pickle, pickled peaches, pork, Salty Sow

A taste for ambiguity

June 8, 2014 by antdina

The human mind favors twists. It admires obscurity. It delights in the denaturing of categories. It is the gasoline which ignites the imagination. Artists know how to sing this song. They bust classifications as fervently as the mainstream endures to preserve them. Doubt this fact? Consider Rockabilly. Ask Lyle Lovett for his rationale of both a brass section and a steel guitar. Talk to Bo Jackson. Will he be remembered for the 1987 record breaking rushing or the 1989 MVP in the Allstars? Is he a football […]

Categories: Food Finds, The Taste Lab • Tags: ambiguity, cajeta, Cheddar cheese ice cream, David Bowie, Elvis, ice cream sandwich, Mario Batali, olive oil ice cream, peanut butter, Pizza, Qui, Thai food, William Shakespeare

Gamification comes to the kitchen

January 26, 2014 by antdina

Twister is a fun game. The dial spins. Left hand on red dot. Another spin. Left foot on blue. Then right on yellow. It continues until the family contorts into a modern sculpture anchored on a blanket of colored circles. Then gravity bests even those with the mightiest of yoga skills. The group collapses and laughter erupts. The game resets with everyone on their feet. We continue to play until our bodies, not our brains give out. The combinations stimulate […]

Categories: Design • Tags: appeteaser, apricots, burrata, dessert, fruit, Gusto, Ina Garten, Italian, Mario Batali, mincemeat pies, Otto, proscuitto, salad, savory, tagine, Twister, Tyson Cole, Uchiko

Use the ingredient that no one can steal

January 5, 2014 by antdina

Cooks treat the year-end holidays like recess. Time slows and rules evaporate. Experimentation increase. Role play moves creativity like water in a waterwheel. Family recipes are brought to life once more as recipe cards emerge from their tin coffins. Home-made lasagna can take minutes to prepare and decades to perfect. Food companies like Progresso or Barillo sell miles of pasta and oceans of sauce. The time laden steps of stewing meaty tomato sauce is replaced with a brightly decorated jar. […]

Categories: The Taste Lab • Tags: cooking, holiday, Italian, lasagna, lasagna bolognese, Mario Batali, meat sauce, pasta, ragu, ricotta, sauce, spinach pasta

Yes, cocktails can have a backstory and still remain fresh

September 15, 2013 by antdina

Some time ago, chefs decided to venture into cocktails. Maybe it was because they became so intent about the dinner experience, they took over the bar. Maybe because it was a natural part of owning restaurants. Of having greater say in every detail. Or maybe there was a culinary narrative not yet explored. Americans were stuck in a cocktail rut in the late 20th century. Like some broken record. A hairline scratch causes a five second loop. We sprint across […]

Categories: Food Finds • Tags: cocktails, gin, herbaceous, Lupa, Mario Batali, Second, Sweet Basil

ideas that taste good

storytelling through food

Tag: Mario Batali