Quantcast Vegetarian StarMario Batali (4)

8th Annual Can-Do Awards Dinner

“It’s really about evaluating what you eat every day. If you’re familiar with the methane that beef production creates, it exceeds all of our combustion engines combined. Meatless Mondays is not that hard for anybody. It’s probably easier to do than organic. I’m trying to make sure we all have a bridge between ideology and reality.”

Mario Batali, on why he chose to adopt Meatless Mondays in his 14 restaurants.

Possibly Related Posts:


Mario Batali Restaurants–Examples Of Meatless Monday Dishes

Written by Vegetarian Star on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 in Chefs, Food & Drink, Restaurants.

Mario Batali "Meatless Monday"

Mario Batali "Meatless Monday"

Now that Mario Batali has embraced Meatless Monday at every one of his 14 restaurants, you might be wondering what you might find on the menu with the signature “MM” beside it.

Lupa Ristorante in New York City, for example, might have Meatless Monday patrons dining on Sweet and Sugarsnap Pea Cappellacci, a vegetable stuff pasta dish. And NYC’s Casa Mono features a beet salad with onions and honey almond granola.

Casino lovers in Sin City can go wild for wild leeks –Ramps charred alla piastra with olive oil, salt and pepper.

The Huffington Post has a beautiful slide show of some examples of Meatless Monday food in Mario’s restaurants.

Possibly Related Posts:


Mario Batali Supports Meatless Mondays In His Restaurants

Written by Vegetarian Star on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 in Business, Chefs, Food & Drink, Restaurants.

8th Annual Can-Do Awards Dinner

Mario Batali has announced that he supports Meatless Mondays!

The chef who has given hints during interviews that people should focus more on plant based foods instead of meats, will have all of his 14 restaurants adhere to the veggie holiday as well.

Every Monday, there will be at least 2 vegetarian dishes served, such as pasta or pizza.

In addition, many of the restaurants will designate the items as Meatless Mondays options, with Mario’s “MM” logo.

“The fact is, most people in the U.S. eat way more meat than is good for them or the planet,” maintains Batali.

“Asking everyone to go vegetarian or vegan isn’t a realistic or attainable goal. But we can focus on a more plant-based diet. That’s why I’m such a big believer in the Meatless Monday movement!”

Visit the Meatless Mondays website, a project by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, for more information on the meat-out day, including recipes.

Possibly Related Posts:


Mario Batali Says Vegetables Are The Next Big Thing

Written by Vegetarian Star on Monday, May 3rd, 2010 in Chefs, Food & Drink.

8th Annual Can-Do Awards Dinner

Mario Batali says the next big “it” trend in food will be vegetables.

The chef who was previously known for his meats and grease has lightened both his physical load and recipe collection, with his latest cookbook, Molto Gusto, featuring more vegetarian meals he now is more likely to incorporate into his diet after losing 35-40 pounds.

Besides making vegetables the focus of the meal, Batali says people will be eating with principles.

“I think the next big thing in people’s mind is actually eating with a point of view, eating with an ideology,” Batali told Seattle Times. “It is all the things that we should be thinking about but we never had to because we are in the richest country in the world of all time. Now thinking maybe about spending a bit more for an heirloom varietal. Or a specific type of grown thing [that is] completely fertilizer-free.”

Possibly Related Posts:


Mario Batali “Molto Gusto” Lets You Meet New Vegetables

Written by Vegetarian Star on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 in Books, Chefs, Food & Drink.

Premiere screening of Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.


Remember when you tried a shiitake mushroom for the first time?

Different in taste and texture from the white button ones you consumed on pizza at the county fair, yet a great experience that hopefully led to many more.

Mario Batalis latest cookbook, Molto Gusto, may have you meeting new vegetables, according to The Buffalo News.

“Some of the vegetables in “Molto Gusto” are relatively obscure – salsify, cardoons, black kale, sunchokes – but the breadth of vegetable preparations in “Molto Gusto” is infectious. Armed with Batali’s suggestions, it seems, readers could tackle almost any vegetable they bring home.”

Let’s get to know these one at a time.

Sunchoke: Jerusalem artichoke
Salsify: A flowering plant, also known as goatsbeard. Described as having the taste of oysters.
Cardoon: May be used as a vegetarian source for enzymes in cheese production.
Black Kale: Member of the cabbage family nicknamed Curley or Dinosaur.

We’re thinking meeting them all in a big taste test would be awesome.

Kinda like vegetable speed dating.

Possibly Related Posts:


Mario Batali Restaurants Do A Little Better With Less Meat

Written by Vegetarian Star on Thursday, April 15th, 2010 in Chefs, Environment-Eco-Green, Food & Drink.

Premiere screening of Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

As previously reported, Food Network chef Mario Batali‘s new cookbook features an extensive section of meatless recipes.

What’s more, Delaware Online is reporting that Mario’s 15 restaurants are featuring less meat as main courses on the menu than before.

Is Mario ready to open a completely vegetarian restaurant?

Not yet.

But he is encouraging his fans of Italian food to make changes.

“You don’t have to be an obsessive monk. You just have to try to do a little better — and maybe not every day.”

Doing better without being obsessive allowed Mario to lose several pounds, but doing a little better can do a lot for the environment too.

According to Environmental Defense, if every American skipped just one meal of chicken a week and traded it for a vegetarian meal, it would be the equivalent of taking a half million cars off the road in carbon dioxide savings.

Could you do a little better this week and trade the chicken sandwich for a PB & J?

Possibly Related Posts:


Mario Batali “Molto Gusto” Tastefully Includes Vegetarian Recipes

Written by Vegetarian Star on Monday, April 12th, 2010 in Books, Chefs, Food & Drink.

Mario Batali "Molto Gusto"

Mario Batali "Molto Gusto"

Mario Batali‘s latest cookbook, Molto Gusto, is being highlighted by Food Examiner Dara Bunjon for its colorful photographs, pasta cooking and pizza making tips and variety of recipes based on culinary expertise.

She also adds that there is a “large mouthwatering selection” of vegetarian recipes that “carnivores will love.”

Now we’re talking!

Has Mario picked up on Italian where Giada de Laurentiis left off?

The chef who recently said protein is “over represented on the plate” and recommended everyone fill their dishes with more foods from the garden, lost over 40 pounds by eating more vegetarian meals, presumably like those from the “Vegetable Antipasti” “Insalata” and “Pasta” sections of Molto Gusto versus the “Seafood and Meat Antipasti” one.

Possibly Related Posts:


Chopard Flagship Boutique  Launch in Hotel La Mamounia

Missing was her foodie pal Mario Batali as Gwyneth Paltrow took another trip “On The Road Again,” this time to the southern United States.

Gwyneth visited Nashville, Tennessee for a few months in a quest to eat, drink, enjoy incredible culture and meet friendly people.

In the latest edition of her newsletter Goop, Gwyneth says a restaurant called “The Family Wash” has a vegetarian Shepherd’s pie worth the road or plane trip.

“This bar is as cozy and intimate as could be; it has a worn-in, comfortable feel to it. There is a low stage in the back for all the musicians that come through playing bluegrass, country and rock. The Vegetarian Shepherd’s pie is spectacular, made of layers of perfectly seasoned lentils, mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese.”

Traditional shepherd’s pie usually contains ground beef or lamb.

Although The Family Wash serves items for meat eaters too, it definitely is a place to eat with mixed company, as there are other veggie friendly items on the menu like hummus and salad with quinoa.

Possibly Related Posts: