Chef Mario Batali Crosses the Country in Search of the Best Italian Food : Food Network

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America has a love affair with Italian food and fine wine. Now, on the Food Network’s cooking channel, Chef Mario Batali crosses the country in search of the best Italian recipes on his hit show Ciao America. On Ciao America, Mario Batali meets up with families, chefs, shopkeepers and food gurus to reveal their secrets and recipe collections for making the most delectable Italian food.

Mario Batali’s Background
Mario Batali initially studied Spanish theater at Rutgers University, but soon after graduating, he began training at Le Cordon Bleu in London, and withdrew from Rutgers almost immediately. Instead, he gained his cooking techniques and culinary skills during an apprenticeship with London’s legendary chef Marco Pierre White and three years of intense culinary training in the Northern Italian village of Borgo Capanne.

Celebrity TV Host and Author
Always eager to educate the masses about Italian food and cooking with wine, Mario hosts three programs on the Food Network, Ciao America, Molto Mario and Mario Eats Italy. He also battles on the Food Network series Iron Chef America. Mario has authored Simple Italian Food, Mario Batali Holiday Food, The Babbo Cookbook and Molto Italiano - Simple Classic Italian Recipes to Cook at Home.

Mario Batali’s Accolades
Mario Batali was named "Man of the Year" in the chef category by GQ Magazine in 1999, and in 2002, he won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: New York City award. Mario is also one of the recipients of the 2001 D’Artagnan Cervena Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, a prestigious lifetime achievement award.