Biographical note:

Mario Batali counts 24 restaurants, nine cookbooks, nurmerous television shows and the 50,000-square-foot Eataly marketplace among his ever-expanding empire of deliciousness. Mario and his business partner, Joe Bastianich, recently opened B&B Burger&Beer in The Venetian Hotel & Casino, their fourth restaurant in las Vegas. Mario is also the author of nine cookbooks including the James Beard Award Winning Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes (Ecco 2005); and Molto Batali: Simple Family Meals from my Home to Yours (Ecco 2011). Mario appears 3 times a week on ABC's "The Chew," a daytime talk show that celebrates and explores life through food.

Jim Webster is a newspaper copy editor, writer, blogger, culinary tourist and amateur caterer. He works at The Washington Post and has worked at the Miami Herald and St. Petersburg Times.

Main description:

Bestselling author and world-renown chef Mario Batali pays homage to the American farmer-from Maine to Los Angeles-in stories, photos, and recipes.

AMERICA -- FARM TO TABLE: Simple, Delicious Recipes Celebrating Local Farmers


Mario Batali, who knows the importance of ingredients to any amazing dish, sees farmers as the rock stars of the food world. In this new book he celebrates American farmers: their high quality products and their culture defined by hard work, integrity, and pride. Batali asked his chef friends from Nashville, Tennessee, to San Francisco, to tell him who their favorite farmers were, and those farmers graciously shared their personal stories along with their top-of-the-line produce and products.

In Seattle, Chef Matt Dillon introduces readers to Farmer Pierre Monnat, who produces fava beans and lamb. Batali then features those ingredients in such mouth-watering recipes as: Lamb Shank Sloppy Joes and Fava Bean Guacamole. In Washington, DC, Chef Jose Andres from Jaleo introduces us to Farmer Jim Crawford, who grows corn, broccoli, and strawberries Batali's accompanying dishes include: Chilled Sweet Corn Soup and Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Salsa. Other stops along the way include: Tampa; Austin; Nashville; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; New York, San Francisco; Portland, Maine; Chicago; Cleveland; Suttons Bay, Michigan; and Vail, Colorado. With over 100 superb recipes, this is the book that every home cook will want upon returning from the farmer's market or grocers.