Mario Batali

Dario Cecchini to Prepare Special Five Course Meal at Mario Batali's Del Posto

Filed under: Dining

On Monday, January 24th, Mario Batali's Del Posto restaurant in Manhattan will feature a unique five course meal specially prepared by by Dario Cecchini, world famous butcher and chef, who will travel from Italy for the event.

"Dario is the Maserati of butchers, the Bob Dylan of the Tuscan cow, the Jimi Hendrix of juiciness," an enthusiastic Batali told Luxist. "There is not one person more integrally involved in the true Italian beef experience than this single heroic figure. He can recite Dante and sing Verdi while taking a half a cow down to individual portions in an hour."

Often referred to as the "Michelangelo of Meat", Cecchini has a unique philosophy of respect for each and every part of the animal. He works with whole animals, beef and pork, utilizing each cut to its greatest potential, transforming what some might regard as lesser cuts into tasty dishes. Dario's consideration for the entire animal follows his family's traditions-they've been butchers for over 250 years, and at home they prepared the cuts that clients weren't interested in.

Cecchini's passion, hospitality and expertise have won him recognition from the likes of Alice Waters, Anthony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver and Prince Charles. His butcher shop, Antica Macelleria Cecchini and restaurants Solociccia, Officina della Bistecca and Dario+ in the Panzano village of Chianti, Italy, are well-known culinary destinations for food-lovers from all over the world.

The evening on January 24 will begin with a cocktail reception from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm featuring Del Posto Executive Chef Mark Ladner's selection of passed assaggi (hors d'oeuvres), Bellinis and Fontodi Chianti.

Guests will be seated at 8:00 pm in the Piemonte room at Del Posto for the five course meal.

Gallery: Mario Batali's Del Posto

A view of the interior of Del Posto from the lounge

Tags: Alice Waters, Anthohy Bourdain, Dario Cecchini, Del Posto, dining, dining out, Jamie Oliver, Mario Batali, Mark Ladner, Prince Charles

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Cocktail Recipes for Holiday Entertaining

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits, Holiday Guides

The Candy Cane Lane holiday cocktail by Van Gogh BLUE Vodka

Planning to throw a holiday party or an unforgettable New Years' Eve bash? We collected favorite cocktail recipes from some of the best mixologists around, all of which perfect for holiday entertaining.

Richard Leach, the head of the cocktail department at New York's Polynesian supper club, The Hurricane Club told us how to make his delicious banana, rum and fresh mint cocktail while Matthew Silverstein, the bar manager at Mario Batali's Del Posto gave us the recipe for his famous XO Champagne Cocktail. Olivier Flosse of New York's A Voce, shared his "Whisky del Frante" recipe while Chef Jon Ashton, in-house chef for Relish magazine, gave us his "Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert Shot". Finally, Kara Newman, author of Spice & Ice, a zesty book brimming with cocktail recipes, gave us the secret for making her "Spiced Caramel Apple" cocktail (check out our related story that features Kara's best tips for throwing a cocktail party).

From Van Gogh Vodka's "Candy Cane Lane" to the "Sugar Cookie", your guests will love these festive cocktails. Try out a few recipes and let us know us which ones you like the best in the comment field below.

Candy Cane Lane (seen above)
2 1/2 oz Van Gogh BLUE Vodka
1 oz White crème de menthe
1/2 oz Peppermint schnapps
Cream
Splash of Grenadine
Peppermint candy for garnish

Add a dash of grenadine into the bottom of a chilled martini glass and set aside. Pour the rest of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into the glass with grenadine to create a "swirl" effect. Garnish with peppermint candy.

For more holiday cocktail recipes, click on any of the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Holiday Party Cocktail Recipes

Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert Shots

Tags: A Voce, awards-main, Del Posto, food-pedia, Holiday cocktails, Hurricane Club, Kara Newman, luxist-awards, main-pedia, Mario Batali, New Years Eve, The Hurricane Club, Van Gogh BLUE, van gogh vodka

Mario Batali's Del Posto Launches New Cocktail Menu

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

Mario Batali's Del Posto restaurant in New York launches new cocktail menu.

Yesterday, Del Posto, launched a new bar menu that is bound to please every lover of classic and cutting edge cocktails. The restaurant is owned by celebrity chef Mario Batali, along with best-selling cookbook author and restaurateur Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, and her son Joe Bastianich, winner of the James Beard Foundation's "Outstanding Restaurateur" Award in 2008 (along with Batali).

So while Del Posto was recently awarded a coveted four star rating from the New York Times, it won't just be foodies who will be flocking to the Chelsea restaurant. Its cocktails are so delicious, that the bar at Del Posto is bound to be a destination of its own.

Bartender, Fabio Raffaelli, who hails from Milan, Italy, and Bar Manager, Matthew Silverstein, created the recipes that took the cocktail menu from seven to 27 different libations. The cocktails are not just delicious, but are also gorgeous to look at. Many of the cocktails are made with ultra premium rum, exotic liquers, fresh fruit juices and unique ingredients such as fresh rose water and Bitters that are imported from Germany.

Gallery: Mario Batali's Del Posto

Tags: champagne cocktail, cocktails, Del Posto, joe bastianich, Lidia Bastianich, luxist-awards, Mario Batali

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Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 06/13/10

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

From the Real Estalker:
--Teresa and Joe Giudice from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" have said that their home in Towaco, New Jersey is not for sale for $3,999,999 despite popping up in real estate listings. The pair filed for bankruptcy in October 2009.
-Mike and Irena Medavoy are selling their latest Beverly Hills home for $7.495 million. It's already listed as looking for backup.
--Mischa Barton has raised the price on her eight-bedroom Beverly Hills, California home to $8.695 million.
--Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie have picked up a five-bedroom home in Beverly Hills for $3.85 million.
--Canadian singer Celine Dion's newly completed home in Jupiter Island, Florida includes three swimming pools complete with water slides and a lazy river.

From the LA Times Hot Properties:
--Romance and thriller writer Tami Hoag has listed her Pacific Palisades house at $2.995 million with Luzette Vidal, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Westlake Village. She bought the house for $3.25 million in 2006.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--Estancia Alicura, a 180,000-acre ranch in the Patagonia region of Argentina has gone on the market for $30 million. The ranch is owned by Ward Lay, the son of Herman Lay, the co-founder of Frito-Lay Co. and the former chairman of PepsiCo. The listing is with Hall & Hall.
--An estate once owned by Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has hit the market. The home in the gated community of St. George's Hill, in Weybridge is listed for £5.95 million with Savills.

From the NY Times Real Estate:
--President Obama's New York City rental from when he was a student in New York City, No. 3E at 142 West 109th Street, is available for rent. It is listed with Dalila Bella of CitiHabitats for $1,900 a month.
--Philippe de Montebello, the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has bought a two-bedroom condominium in a high-rise at Madison Avenue and 94th Street for $1.75 million.
--Ken Mehlman, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee bought a two-bedroom condominium on the 17th floor of the Chelsea Mercantile at 252 Seventh Avenue at 24th Street for $3.775 million.

From the NY Observer:
--Designer Alexander Wang has bought a $2 million Tribeca one-bedroom from former New York Times Style editor Holly Brubach.
--The six-story townhouse at 63 East 82nd Street that belonged to Lawrence B. Salander, former director of the once-prestigious Salander-O'Reilly Galleries has sold at "very close" to the $14.25 million asking price.It was once listed as high as $25 million.

From the NY Post:
-Baseball legend Darryl Strawberry has signed a one-year lease for a high-floor two-bedroom apartment at the Ohm building on 11th Avenue and 30th Street. Two-bedrooms start around $3,600 per month in the building.
--Chef Mario Batali has been checking out some TriBeCa real estate, visiting the $14.95 million penthouse duplex at 33 Vestry St. and also looking at a TriBeCa townhouse in a similar price range.
--Loren and JR Ridinger, co-founders of Internet marketing and product-brokerage firm Market America, have put their Battery Park City penthouse duplex on the market for $7.9 million.

Tags: alexander wang, Barack Obama, celebrity real estate, celine dion, Hilary Duff, mario batali, Mike Comrie, mike medavoy, ringo starr, tami hoag, Teresa Giudice, ward lay

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More New York Temptations Promised For LeBron James

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Sports

Last week I wrote about a couple of chefs (Michael Symon from Cleveland and Jean-Georges Vongerichten from New York City) trying to influence LeBron James with free meals. Since then the deals have only gotten sweeter, at least on the New York side. Fans who want the basketball phenom, shown at right accepting the Spike TV Guy's Choice Award for "Unstoppable Jock," to come to New York and play for the Knicks just keep ladling out the promises. The NY Daily News rounds up a few more which include enough food offers to make sure that James never pays for a meal again. Bo Dietl offered a regular seat at Rao's, the chief cook of Smoke in Da Eye offered LeBron unlimited barbecue and Bob Bertrand of The Original SoupMan pledged free soup for life. That's not all, Bliss Spa has offered him treatments and the Palm Tribeca seeks to tempt him with hickory-smoked ribeye steak with jumbo Nova Scotia lobster for two.

Samantha Choi of the Classic Car Club Manhattan offered him an annual membership worth $10,000 and all sorts of New Yorkers filled up a trailer full of gifts outside Madison Square Garden so that they can be delivered to LeBron James in Cleveland. Hotelier Andre Balasz has offered LeBron a loft suite at the Mercer Hotel in SoHo and Alexandre Petrossian will send over a snack of Royal Ossetra caviar sandwiches. Sean Combs posted his appeal on Twitter promising LeBron James free Sean John clothing and Ciroc vodka for life. On the Cmon LeBron website, Iron Chef Mario Batali appears in video (after the jump) in a Cmon LeBron T-shirt upping Michael Symon's promise of an Iron Chef meal a month to an Iron Chef meal every two weeks in New York City.

What's next, will Los Angeles weigh in? Some rumors have David Geffen buying a share in the Clippers and bringing LeBron James to Los Angeles to enliven the much-maligned franchise. Could Chicago be far behind with promises of a lifetime of free deep dish. For LeBron, whose is facing a July 1 deadline, the culinary possibilities seem nearly endless.

Tags: bliss spa, ciroc, expire-images:2010-7-11, lebron james, mario batali, mercer hotel, michael symon, nbc, New York Knicks, Petrossian, sean john

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Mario Batali Joins Meatless Mondays Movement

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Chef Mario Batali is famous for his love of meat but he's taken a big stand for eating a little less of it. Batali has joined the Meatless Mondays movement and he's bringing the dinners in his restaurants along with him. Starting past Monday and every Monday thereafter, his restaurants including Babbo, Del Posto, Esca, Lupa, Carnevino Italian Steakhouse and Osteria Mozza will offer at least two vegetarian entrees. The dishes will be designated on menus with a Meatless Monday logo.

"The fact is, most people in the U.S. eat way more meat than is good for them or the planet," said Batali in a press release. "Asking everyone to go vegetarian or vegan isn't a realistic or attainable goal. But we can focus on a more plant-based diet, and support the farmers who raise their animals humanely and sustainably. That's why I'm such a big believer in the Meatless Monday movement!"

Others involved in the Meatless Monday movement include food writer Michael Pollan, Al Gore, Sir Paul McCartney, Simon Cowell and Gwyneth Paltrow. The project began in 2003 and encourages people to opt to go meatless once a week.

Tags: chef, mario batali, meatless monday, meatless mondays, vegetarian

Assouline Launches Luxury Collection Destination Guides

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Holiday Guides, Books

Luxe publisher Assouline has come out with a passport to the prestigious Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts in the form of limited edition set of guidebooks. The Luxury Collection Destination Guides unlocks the charms of six destinations – Italy, Greece, Argentina, India, Spain, and the United States. The Luxury Collection's world-renowned concierges act as your personal guide, offering an insider view of each locale's most unique restaurants, boutiques, and cultural sites. Each book features a passage and recipe from a celebrated chef including Mario Batali for Italy, Francis Mallmann for Argentina, José Andrés for Spain, and Charlie Palmer for the U.S. Curated by Assouline, the collection is beautifully photographed by the Luxury Collection's Global Explorer Andréa Fazzari and packaged in a vintage inspired travel box. The guides will be exclusively offered as a complete set at Assouline Boutiques in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York, as well as www.shopassouline.com and other major retail stores for $140.

Tags: Argentina, Assouline, books, Charlie Palmer, Greece, guidebook, India, Italy, Luxury Collection, Mario Batali, restaurants, Spain, The Luxury Collection, travel

Celebrity Chefs To Convene In Aspen For The Food & Wine Classic

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

If David Kiley's comprehensive look at pig dinners got your mouth watering, you need to book tickets for the 28th annual FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen on June 18-20, 2010. The event will feature demonstrations and seminars with chefs such as Jacques Pepin, David Chang, Giada DeLaurentiis, Michael Symon, and Thomas Keller. Top Chef judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons will cook delicious meals, as well as hosting a Classic Quickfire with Top Chef season 6 winner Michael Voltaggio competing against Top Chef Masters season 1 winner Rick Bayless.

New to the festival are chefs Tim Love and Art Smith and wine expert Paul Greico. The American Express Trade program will host trade-only power lunches with David Chang, Morimoto, among other greats. And for pig lovers there is The Grand Cochon event, featuring ten chefs who will create their best pork dishes at the Hotel Jerome. Tickets for the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen are $1,185. FOOD & WINE will donate 2% of the proceeds from every Classic ticket to Grow for Good ,FOOD & WINE's national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encouraging sustainable agriculture.

To do even more for Grow for Good you can opt for a Grow for Good pass at $3,100 per pass. Along with all the regular pass benefits, each Grow for Good Pass will include a $1,000 donation to the Grow for Good Campaign out of each pass price, an invitation to the Classic Welcome Reception held Thursday, June 17th, a ticket to FOOD & WINE's Best New Chefs dinner held Saturday, June 19th, a one-time pass to the Classic Green Room, the VIP Gifting Suite, having your name listed on the Green donors page in Tasting Notes, the Classic event program and VIP access to seminars and Grand Tastings.

Tags: david chang, food and wine, GiadaDeLaurentiis, jacques pepin, mario batali, michael symon, rick bayless, thomas keller, Tom Colicchio

Tony Bourdain And Eric Ripert Plan Radio Show

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Tony Bourdain has always seemed to me to be the Howard Stern of the food world, brash, smart and always entertaining. So it makes sense that he will be joining the Sirius XM network with his own radio show. Bourdain and his friend, fish-loving French chef Eric Ripert are going to have a five-week radio show on Sirius XM's Martha Stewart Living Radio.

Bourdain told the AP that part of his personal challenge is to see how uncomfortable he can make Ripert. If you've ever watched the two interact on "No Reservations" you know that Ripert is the more subdued of the pair, although not without his own sense of humor. I can only assume that for Ripert, the charming chef of Le Bernardin, his own personal challenge might involve making sure Bourdain doesn't go too far off the rails. At least it is on satellite radio so Bourdain won't have to keep his love for salty language in check, in fact the pair are planning a "food porn" radio segment devoted to saucy descriptions of culinary creations.

The show "Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert: Turn & Burn", will run for five weeks starting February 18. The first episode will also feature another charismatic chef, the flame-haired bon vivant Mario Batali. On February 25 they will broadcast live from the South Beach Food and Wine Festival and speak with special guests during the live broadcast, including Chef Daniel Boulud.

Tags: eric ripert, EricRipert, mario batali, MarioBatali, radio show, RadioShow, satellite radio, SatelliteRadio, sirius, tony bourdain, TonyBourdain

Baseball Pitcher And Chef Partner On Super Brunch

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Charity, Sports

In the short-lived world of professional sports Jamie Moyer is a bit of a legend. He has spent 22 seasons in Major League Baseball and will enter the 2010 season as the oldest pitcher in the game at the age of 47. Moyer and his wife, Karen are extremely active off the field as well. Together they founded The Moyer Foundation which has a mission to provide comfort and support to children enduring a time of profound physical, emotional or financial distress. The Moyer Foundation has raised more than $19 million to assist over 200 different non-profit organizations that serve the needs of children in severe distress. The Moyer Foundation created and funds Camp Erin, the largest national network of bereavement camps for children and teens.

The Moyer Foundation, founded by MLB pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen, are joining together with The Mario Batali Foundation to present their "Super Bowl Super Brunch" on Saturday, February 6th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Viceroy Hotel in Miami. This brunch has tickets priced at $1,000 and will be hosted by the Moyers and Batali, with honorary celebrity co-chairs - Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Buffett and Emeril Lagasse. Other guests will include professional athletes and sports personalities. The afternoon will feature a gourmet brunch designed by Batali, wine and specialty cocktails, cooking demonstrations by Batali and Lagasse, live entertainment and a silent auction. Proceeds from the special event will benefit The Moyer Foundation's Camp Erin™ program and The Mario Batali Foundation.

Charity Folks is also holding an auction that includes two tickets to the 2010 Super Bowl in Miami, Florida on Sunday, February 7, two tickets to the Super Brunch and hotel accommodations at the Viceroy Hotel Miami in one room for two people are included for February 4 - February 8, 2010. Bidding was at $5,500 last time I looked. Proceeds from this auction also benefits the Mario Batali Foundation and the Moyer Foundation.

Tags: jamie moyer, JamieMoyer, mario batali, MarioBatali, moyer foundation, MoyerFoundation

Celebrity Chefs Announced For Marina Bay Sands Resort

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

The celebrity chef lineups for the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore has been revealed and they are taking no chances at the $5 billion resort, bringing out some of the world's culinary big guns. The resort will feature restaurants by famous chefs from around the world. The six chefs announced include Mario Batali (New York), Daniel Boulud (New York), Wolfgang Puck (Los Angeles), Santi Santamaria (Barcelona), Guy Savoy (Paris) and Tetsuya Wakuda (Sydney). Chefs Santi Santamaria, Guy Savoy and Tetsuya Wakuda will have their restaurants on the mezzanine layer of the casino while Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud and Wolfgang Puck will have signature restaurants situated near Marina Bay Sands Theatres. Each of the six chefs is personally involved in the concepts, menus, and interior design of the six different restaurants.

When completed, Marina Bay Sands will feature have approximately 2,500 luxury hotel rooms, the rooftop Sands SkyPark, a museum, Las Vegas- style gaming, the Paiza Club for premium players, theatres, entertainment, an outdoor event plaza, and shopping and dining venues. In a press release, Batali calls the resort "the most exciting project I have ever been involved with" but the most philosophical quotes come from the European chefs. Santi Santamaria ponders the possibilities of "culinary poetry" saying he wants his cuisine to "delight the senses and awaken emotional memories with a cuisine of wisdom." Guy Savoy expresses a similar view saying that" cuisine is the art of instantaneously turning produce suffused with history into happiness." They sound like perfect fits for a city that prides itself on the quality and infinite variety of its food.

[via NY Daily News]

Source

Tags: celebrity chefs, CelebrityChefs, daniel boulud, DanielBoulud, food-awards, guy savoy, GuySavoy, marina bay sands, MarinaBaySands, mario batali, MarioBatali, santi santamaria, SantiSantamaria, singapore, tetsuya wakuda, TetsuyaWakuda, wolfgang puck, WolfgangPuck

Mario Batali Owes Big For Failed Restaurant

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Red-haired chef Mario Batali recently closed his seafood restaurant, The John Dory, but the bills linger on. The NY Daily News reports that Batali and his business partner Joe Bastianich (son of TV chef Lidia Bastianich) are on the hook for nearly $75,000. A lawsuit says that they owe $45,000 in rent as well as other expenses including $15,000 for chilled water. The John Dory was located next to Batali's NYC restaurant Del Posto but it closed on August 29 after only being in business for nine months. Bastianich has said that the bills will be paid soon. This appears to be an isolated episode and not an indication of cracks in the Batali empire which includes Babbo and other restaurants in New York City as well as outposts in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Source

Tags: mario batali, MarioBatali, new york city, NewYorkCity, restaurant, the john dory, TheJohnDory

Celebrity Restaurant Grease Fuels Growing Business

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Is there a market for celebrity restaurant grease? Further makes hand soap and candles from waste grease of some of Los Angeles's finest restaurants. The business began when Marshall Dostal began using restaurant grease and converting it to biofuel for his car. His wife Megan, a former event planner for Vogue Magazine, saw the drums of glycerin, a byproduct of the process and a business was born. Further products use an aromatic scent of bergamot, olive and exotic grasses. The Further candle is made from purified waste grease from Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton's delicious Mozza restaurant and sells for $24. I love this idea, I think there could be a whole line of signature candles for various restaurants.

Source

Tags: candle, candles, further soap, FurtherSoap, mario batali, MarioBatali

Mario Batali, Mexican Style

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Mario Batali took a turn away from the Italian fare he is famous for at an event recently to benefit his new charity, The Mario Batali Foundation at the Food and WIne Festival in Aspen. Batali prepared a gigantic batch of machaca for his friends, family and fellow chefs. The Mario Batali Foundation has a mission to educate and empower children with a goal of making sure that all children are well read, well fed and well cared for. Also on Batali's board is his longtime friend, musician Michael Stipe.

Batali's machaca is a little more labor-intensive than your standard taco meat but definitely worth the effort. For the event Batali used Strauss Meadow Reserve veal from Allen Brothers. The meat was marinated in a mixture of Worcestershire, lime juice, garlic, chipotle, cumin and black pepper overnight. After browning, onions, peppers and herbs are added. The meat is cooked for two hours until falling apart, shredded, and returned to the liquid. Then the mixture is slowly cooked down until the meat is close to dry. The result can be used in tacos, flauta and just about any other Mexican preparation. The complete recipe is after the jump.

Source

Tags: celebrity chef, CelebrityChef, food, machaca, mario batali, MarioBatali, mexican, recipe, tacos

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Italy, by Way of Iowa: La Quercia's Artisanal Salumi

by Paul Rogers (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Thanks to celebrity chefs like Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich, it's hard to come across a restaurant review these days that doesn't mention, if not wax poetic about, the appeal of cured pork. The word salumi has entered the lexicon. (For the uninitiated, it's an umbrella term meaning Italian-style cured meats--not to be confused with salami.) How can we home cooks tap into this rich culinary vein? Sure, in upscale neighborhoods specialty food stores abound. But an even better way to get started is to check out the offerings from La Quercia, a family-owned salumi maker in Iowa that supplies scores of restaurants and shops across the country and sells its products online at www.laquercia.us. (The Hawkeye State might seem an odd source of prosciutto and lardo, but since Iowa is the nation's largest producer of pork, it sort of makes sense.)

La Quercia, whose products are nitrate-free and made exclusively from the meat of free-range pigs, makes several types of prosciutto plus other delicacies such as pancetta, speck and coppa. But it's their guanciale that instantly won me over after I bought it at my local Fairway market in New York City.

Guanciale (gwan-CHA-leh) is salt-cured and unsmoked pig jowl. Ask any Italophile worth her olive oil, and she'll tell you it's the key ingredient in two classic pasta sauces, carbonara and all'amatriciana. The latter is less widely known. It's fashioned from tomatoes, onion, garlic, guanciale and a pinch of red pepper and topped with pecorino cheese. I, for one, can't make it often enough. Here's a story about the dish and a surefire recipe, courtesy of Florence Fabricant of The New York Times.

Tags: coppa, guanciale, La Quercia, LaQuercia, lardo, Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali, pancetta, proscuitto, salumi, speck

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