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I love Mario Batali. The cheerful ginger purveyor of all things Italian who’s always dressed in bright shirts and my grandma’s Crocs makes me giggle with delight.

Mario Batali

He’s a dynamo in the kitchen and an ingenious marketer, both of which make me crush on him just a little bit harder.

Normally, I prefer my men a little on the angry and intense side.

I like men that get irate, although there’s a fine line between easily annoyed because someone is falling down on the job versus complete wackadoo.

I like ’em with a little edge. Think Gordon Ramsay or Anthony Bourdain…not Marv Albert or Alec Baldwin.

So Mario Batali wins my heart purely for his cooking and marketing genius. He doesn’t bring the brooding intensity or layered complex hostility I enjoy in my men. He’s nice. I mean really nice.

Even when he talks with my boyfriend Eric Ripert about how he got revenge on a jackass chef. He’s still nice about it.

I learned that little tasty tidbit one night while watching random youTube cooking videos on television.

The idiot chef threw a hot pan of food at our Mario’s chest because it wasn’t cooked to said dumbass’ specifications. So, Mario dumped two huge handfuls of salt in the douches mother sauce before walking out. I have the utmost respect for how nicely he got his silent revenge.

Can I digress for a minute and say what an awesome invention Chromecast is? Don’t get it twisted Google, I’m not trying to market for you, but Chromecast has made me want to cancel the $50,000 I pay to the cable company monthly. Anyways, back to our conversation.

I watched a lot of Gordon Ramsay that night and needed a little calming television so I could properly enjoy my Cabernet induced buzz and fall into a peaceful sleep.

As I continued browsing the internet, I found a site that contains Mario Batali’s mind-blowing pizza crust tip recipe.

It was so simple! I cried, I screamed, I laughed!

If you’ve ever made a pizza crust, you too will shed a tear at its simplicity. Par-bake or pre-bake the pizza dough. That’s it. You heard me right. I literally shed tears…why didn’t I ever think of that?

By par-baking your pizza crust it has a chance to get nice and chewy. You will never cut into a soggy underbaked middle ever again. You will finally have a perfect pizza crust every single time!

Mario Batali, I could kiss you, you and your pizza, which I would then eat.

Here’s my Mario Batali (Inspired) Pizza Recipe:

    1. Get in the car and go to the grocery store
    2. Buy raw premade pizza dough from the bakery section and then get your toppings
    3. Go back home
    4. Make sure you have an empty wine bottle
    5. Throw down some flour on your clean countertop
    6. Fight with the dough
    7. Attempt to hand toss it and received scared looks from your friends as they fear the dough and their dinner will end up on the floor
    8. Give up and then continue to fight with the dough
    9. Open another bottle of wine, I like Ca’ Storica Amarone della Valpolicella 2017  (from Trader Joe’s) for pizza night
    10. Pour yourself a generous glass
    11. Take a break and then roll out the dough using the empty wine bottle as a rolling pin
    12. Roll it out for at least 30 minutes or until it stays put
    13. Oil a cookie sheet or use a large cast iron skillet
    14. Slide or get assistance to move your dough onto the cooking surface
    15. Par-bake or pre-bake your pizza crust for 10 minutes at 400 degrees
    16. Top with your favorite toppings
    17. Bake for 20-30 minutes
    18. Don’t forget about your pizza while drinking
    19. Let it cool for 3-5 minutes
    20. Serve and enjoy the best pizza you’ll ever eat this side of Italy

mario-batali-pizza-crust
Buon Appetito!

About the Author Alexandra Andersen


I founded Wine & Drama to make you laugh and help you learn all about wine, food, and living well. I love stinky cheese, my Nespresso machine, Loire Valley white wines, bold full-bodied reds, and championing ladies in winemaking.

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