By VANESSA McCRAY
vmccray@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY — Mario Batali advocates for "absolutely delicious, simple food."
That's the kind of fare that will be served at two local events featuring the celebrity chef, TV personality and restaurateur. Batali, who has a home in Leelanau County, will be at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City on Saturday, Aug. 14, as part of the National Writers Series. He also again will donate an afternoon lunch for 12 people to be auctioned off Thursday, Aug. 5, for the Leelanau Conservancy.
The Writers Series event includes food prepared by The Cooks' House and Epicure Catering and inspired by Batali's recipes. Batali will be present for audience questions and an interview with host Paul Saginaw, of Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor. Organizers are preparing for as many as 2,000 attendees.
Batali said his Writers Series participation was prompted by his friendship with series' founder Doug Stanton, whom the chef met through novelist and former Leelanau County resident Jim Harrison. Batali's most recent cookbook is "Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking."
"The idea of what really great Italian food is, they take whatever is local, wherever they are," he said.
When perusing area farm markets, Batali invokes a strategy for selecting the best produce.
"I look for people really attached to their stuff. They bring it to the market with a certain joy. It's just a remarkable thing," he said. "It's very exciting to cook that way ... not to necessarily have a recipe in mind but, more or less, how many things you want to make."
That means picking up "killer radishes" from Northport's Bare Knuckle Farm and selecting foods from here, like Lake Michigan whitefish and cherries. The chef said he shops at Hansen Foods in Suttons Bay and Carlson's for fish. He dines at Eat Spot in Northport, The Cove in Leland for its scenic waterside view, and The Cooks' House on East Front Street in Traverse City.
Eric Patterson, chef and owner of The Cooks' House with Jennifer Blakeslee, said they looked for quick-to-prepare, easy-to-serve dishes while creating the Batali-influenced menu for the Writers Series.
"It's going to be interesting cooking his stuff," Patterson said. "They asked us to use his food, which is entirely understandable. It's always a challenge for a chef to cook another chef's food because there's stylistic differences."
The Cooks' House plans to make grilled beef brisket with herbs, corn on the cob, farro with cucumbers and roasted tomatoes, pennette all'amatriciana, and grilled focaccia with roasted garlic, scallions and provolone.
Prepping for such a large crowd will be a change for Patterson, whose intimate eatery is loved locally for its small size. He said cooking for thousands comes down to organization, and the dishes will feature local, seasonal foods.
Cammie Buehler and Andy Schudlich's Epicure Catering also will prepare food for the Writers Series event. Buehler said their menu features local sausages grilled with red peppers and onions, peaches in fresh basil, green bean antipasta, cacio e pepe and grilled ciabatta with herbs. The dishes emphasize vegetables and all grilling will be done onsite, she said.
Buehler said they are familiar with Batali's style of food, having worked as cooks on one of his book's photo shoots. Batali uses their Omena farm for his annual meal to benefit the conservancy.
Supporters can bid on a lunch for 12 prepared by Batali at the conservancy's picnic and auction. The auction takes place at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5, at the Newton Farm on Jelinek Road between Leland and Northport. Batali has donated a meal since 2005, and it has raised more than $250,000 for the conservancy. The winners can help Batali with food preparation for the meal and a wine tasting.
"If they enjoy getting their hands a little dirty, we make the meal from start to finish," Batali said.
Advance registration for the picnic and auction ends today, Aug. 2, after which prices increase. For more information and prices, call 256-9665.
Tickets to the Writers Series Aug. 14 event range from $35 to $99, depending on proximity to the stage, and are available online at www.nationalwritersseries.org. Batali's favorite songs will play throughout the event, magician Billy Harris will perform and mixologist Bridget Albert will concoct a Traverse City-inspired cocktail. For more information, call (800) 838-3006.
All recipes courtesy of "Molto Gusto" by Mario Batali, ecco 2010
Radicchio and Ginger Salad
2 ozs. young ginger, peeled
1½ lbs. radicchio, cored and each head cut into 8 wedges
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
1 t. sugar
¼ c. lemon agrumato oil or ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil plus a generous pinch or grated lemon zest
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
Maldon or other flaky sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Using a Benriner (Japanese mandoline) or other vegetable slicer, thinly slice the ginger; or slice it paper-thin with a very sharp knife. Combine the radicchio and ginger in a large bowl, tossing gently.
Whisk the vinegar and sugar together in a small bowl. Whisk in the oils, then whisk in salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the salad with half the vinaigrette, and serve the remainder on the side. Makes 6 servings.
Farro with Cucumbers
8 ozs. (about 1½ c.) farro, preferably "perlato," or semipearled, or wheat berries, picked over and rinsed
1 lb. cucumbers, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 medium red onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 red finger chile or Serrano chile, cut into tiny dice
⅓ c. packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
½ cup red wine vinaigrette
Maldon or other flaky sea salt
Combine the farro and water to over by 2 inches in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer, skimming off the foam. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer and cook until the farro is just tender, about 25 minutes if using pearled farro, about 1½ hours if using whole-grain farro (or wheat berries).
Drain the farro and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, onion, chile, and basil, mixing well. Add the vinaigrette, tossing well. Season well with salt and serve, or let stand at room temperature for 1 hour to bring out the flavors. (The farro can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.) Makes 6 servings.
Pennette with Summer Squash and Ricotta
Kosher salt
1 c. fresh ricotta
6 T. extra virgin olive oil
½ c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving
2 to 3 T. warm water
1 lb. summer squash or zucchini, or a combination, cut lengthwise in half and sliced into ⅓-inch-thick half-moons
Maldon or other flaky sea salt
1 lb. pennette rigate
6 T. coarsely chopped fresh mint
Coarsely ground black pepper
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons kosher salt.
Meanwhile, whisk the ricotta and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil together in a small bowl. Add the Parmigiano, whisking until it is evenly incorporated. Whisk in 2 tablespoons warm water, then whisk in another tablespoon of water if necessary to loosen the consistency.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the squash and cook, stirring, until just tender and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Season well with Maldon salt and remove from the heat.
Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ⅓ cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta and the reserved pasta water to the squash, stirring and tossing over medium heat to mix well. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and allow to steam together for 2 minutes.
Stir in the mint, season with Maldon salt if necessary and with pepper, and transfer the pasta to a serving bowl. Garnish with dollops of the whipped ricotta and serve immediately, with additional grated Parmigiano on the side. Makes 6 servings.
