Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Ewwww! Tell me this is just a rumor



Posted on Gawker, What Has Two Thumbs and a Boatload of New STD's?

I quote, "Celebrity chef Mario Batali has been enjoying la dolce vita this summer, with late-night drinking sessions at the Spotted Pig.

During one recent bacchanal, which lasted almost until sunrise, the red-headed restaurateur told his companions he was leaving to "drop in on Courtney Love."

"He said that he 'often' drops in on her," said our man with the big ears.


Believe me, I love Mario and his cooking, and this is in no way is posted to reflect his win over Chef Costentino...It just came up in a search. I'm pretty sure Mario is married with a couple kids and was only joking...probably hoping everyone would vomit.

Monday, April 23, 2007

And the winner is...Batali (46 - 44)




Chef Chris Cosentino brought great dishes to the table, but in the end Iron Chef Mario Batali's cuisine reigned supreme. I was a little surprised, however, that Batali had no offal dishes (unless you count caul fat) knowing he was going up against Cosentino. Batali focused his dishes on a trip to Majorca, Spain...do the the Spaniards use offal? I'll have to research that.

Back to the show. I was trying to catch the dishes as fast as I could, but I know I missed some. If anyone caught the whole menu, please post it or send it to me. Though I am hoping Chef Chris might might post his dishes on his blog, Offal Good.

Just found...Whoa! Paolo posted a blow-by-blow of the show at MenuPages Blog. Awesome. But I'll post an abbreviated rundown.

Cosentino


1. Cheese crostini of ricotta w/ garlic bread
2. Sea scallop crudo with pickled and raw garlic
3. Garlic pasta with [thinly sliced] snails
4. Garlic roasted squab holding a clove in its talon (including the head cut lengthwise to expose the brain)
5. Eighty garlic clove braised pork belly & tripe
6. Garlic infused honey mousse and pine nut brittle

Batali


1. Tapas: garlic bruschetta with lomo, garlic-potato tortilla, brandade stuff piquillo pepper
2. Gambas (langostine) al ajillo
3. Cod with green garlic emulsion
4. Cold gazpacho soup (garlic, almonds, melon) &; sopa de ajo with the quail egg ricotta ravioli
5. Lamb chop with escalivada (squash blossoms)

The score:

Taste: 25-24
Plating: 13-7
Originality: 8-13
Total: 46-44

C'mon! An "8" and he used the squab talons, livers and brains. Chris was robbed.

Anyhow, I think the best part of the show was when Mario was dribbling some sauce over the cod and Alton Brown said, "Look, Mario is saucing his codpiece." I've watched enough Alton to know that joke wasn't a freudian slip. Good one, Alton.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Cosentino vs Batali in Battle Garlic

Sunday, April 22, 2007 @ 9:00pm EST/PST
The Food Network


"Chef Chris Cosentino enters Kitchen Stadium for the first time and challenges Iron Chef Mario Batali to a culinary showdown. Will Chef Cosentino's creativity best Iron Chef Batali?" Food Network's Iron Chef America page http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ia/episode/0,1976,FOOD_16696_50398,00.html

Chris is a chef who believes in the use of offal in cooking, and I love eating offal. This past week I was in NYC for the Manny Awards, the "Grammy" of Pharmaceutical Advertising, and had the opportunity to eat at the Stage Deli. I ordered the toungue sandwich and it was awesome. Fall apart tender slices of beef toungue piled 4 inches high on rye bread. Dipped in russian dressing it was heaven. The sandwich also came with 5 or six large dillpickles and a bowl of fresh made cole slaw. I highly recommend the place. Unfortunately, while eating there I missed the chance to sample a foie gras terrine at Maisson right next door. Which means I just need to get back to NYC soon. And I hope to get back to San Francisco to eat at Incanto one of these days. Until then, watch two great chefs battle it out.

For more background on Chris Cosentino visit his web blog, Offal Good.