Ask Mario Batali

You come from a family which has a history of crafting Italian food. What lessons are you able to take away from a family like yours?

Who or what inspired you to become a chef? Who influenced you?

What is your favorite kind of food to eat?

How do you feel about chefs, like yourself, achieving celebrity-style status? Did you ever imagine yourself being as famous as you are today?

One restaurant can be a challenge to run yet you co-own 12 and have plenty of PR work and your own TV show on top of that. How do you manage to juggle it all and maintain your standards for food and service in all of them?

Food prices have been soaring over the past couple of years. How has this affected how you run your business and what do you think needs to be done to get prices under control again?

I find myself often wondering about Food Network TV personalities' political views. Could you give us a brief summary of your political stance?

I'm traveling to Italy soon, what one dish would you recommend I try, above all others?

Do you have a favorite brand of olive oil? What region of Italy would you say produces the finest olives and olive oil?

On the rare occasion you find yourself free between your restaurants, television, merchandise and writing, what does the perfect "day off" look like?

What are you listening to on your music player these days?

I have recently fallen hard for polenta, but am confused about what kind to buy. How is it different from the meal I use to make corn bread? what is the difference between the "instant" kind and the regular kind, which only takes 5 minutes, anyway? How do I get the risotto-like, creamy texture on the inside, like my favorite restaurant does?

mario:

I have been a fan of your cooking show for a long time, I try to make home made pasta, and the pasta did not turn out like yours, could it be , that I worked the dough too much?

Organic foods are becoming much more mainstream and available for people who love to cook. As a celebrity chef how would you inspire more people to switch over to organic?

Are there any Italian dishes which have either lost popularity or never been popular in the U.S. which you think could be a hit? In other words, what's the next pizza or pesto?

I have family members in the service industry who complain all the time about their feet - what footwear do you recommend to those on their feet all day?

Do you ever go on a diet? How do you eat to lose weight?

While you were working your way toward being a Chef Superstar, did you imagine your path would also include footwear fashion icon?

What's your greatest challenge as a professional cook?

Dear Mario,

Glad to see you're going to focus on the Spanish cuisine. What are the African and French influences you see in Spanish cuisine in light of the Moors of history and proximity to both cultures to Spain? Also, I would love to see you publish a cookbook that features recipes that includes the integration of ingredients of both of those cultures into Spanish cuisine. What's the likelihood of that?

Renee

What is your opinion about living in U.S.?
What are the better differences from an italian life?

Which meal of yours made Italy see food from a different perspective?

When and how did you come to the decision that you wanted to become a chef?

Mr. Batali, would you mind giving your version of the perfect pizza ingredients to an absolute lover of the famous Italian pie?

I love that your next show will be taking place in Spain. Do plan to advocate the benefits of cooking local seasonal dishes on your show, organic foods, or the "slow food" movement?