Grill contest

[Sugar Bear]

Here's some info on a cool grilling contest for all you experts:

http://mariobatali.com/grillingcontest/

[Pam]

thanks for the info...we are hosting a cook out tomorrow and will use some of Mario's ideas...I also have the cookbook by Steve Raichlen called "How To Grill" which is a great resource as well..good stuff!

[Sugar Bear]

Raichlen's book is great. Bobby F. has a new grilling cookbook out and he often has some really good recipes. And the new Food and Wine mag has some really fun grilling ideas.

[John Libonati]

I'm sorry about my rant but... First let me say I absolutely idolize Mario Batali. When I finished culinary school I interned at Po for 3 months and then at Boule in NYC. I love that he and Rachael are trying to raise money for Food Bank NYC. My only problem is: NYC has enough people to donate time, money and food for the Food Bank. Why don't RR & MB do something for their home town Food Banks? Or Texas where Uncle Bens / Mars Foodservice is headquartered?! (Yes it's the M&M Mars company. That $20,000.00 donations doesn't look like a big deal anymore, huh?) It just ticks me off seeing so many people going to big cities for two things Fame & Fortune and abandoning where they came from. I'm sure Mario's home town of Seattle, WA could use the Food Bank donation more than NYC. How about Rachael donating the money to Glens Falls, NY?
So many people abandon the towns they were raised in for the "big" city to make lots of money and then never look back. Meanwhile those cities are closing down shop after shop while the "big" city is probably opening up two shops for every one that closes in the small town.
I was born and raised in NYC and for as much as I love the "big" city... it has enough. It's time to share the love!

[Sugar Bear]

I was just going to put the last reply in the No Good Deed Goes Unpunished file but it does merit a response. First of all, New York IS Mario's hometown. He has lived there for almost twenty years and is raising his family there. His wife, who has been his partner in helping both Share our Strength and Food Bank, is a native New Yorker. He has used his talent and celebrity to raise millions of dollars to fight hunger. Also, Mario hasn't lived in Seattle since he was about 13, having spent high school years in Spain. More importantly, hunger doesn't discriminate between cities or states of countries. If one kid goes to bed hungry in New York or Seattle or wherever, that is one kid too many. There are many fine restaurants and celebrities in Seattle (and some extremely rich high tech entrepreneurs) that are probably helping the communities in which they live. Let's keep positive, appreciate good deeds, and try to find ways to help our own community.