Jamie Oliver Vs Mario Batali - Celebrity Chef Faceoff!

Warning SPOILER! Through friends with Pay TV, Herr Mouttarde was able to report that he’d just witnessed Jamie Oliver’s defeat in his showdown with American Iron Chef (Italian) Mario Batali. Mario Batali, the Michelin star winning American is a favourite of Herr Mouttarde's, who appreciates the fine dining slant which all his meals on the series have taken so far, while I’ve recently reverted to be being a Jamie Oliver fan again (love/hate relationship), after rehashing his early cookbooks from some dusty and forgotten shelves.

While not particularly high profile here in Australia, Mario Batali has had his fair share of media exposure in the US. He was part of the Food Network family, with multiple TV shows and has gone on to open a string of restaurants, including a Michelin Star winner Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca. He’s had a handful of cooking shows and has further opened a string of restaurants. Jamie Oliver probably needs less of an explanation to the Australian audience, with Jamie At Home repeats showing on Channel 10, I still remember his early Naked Chef series and all the rest, including that onstage cooking tour he embarked on a few years back.

So, in a battle of celebrity chefs Mario Batali has triumphed – by only 2 points. Who would you have voted for?? I was backing Jamie lol. I’m planning to watch the episode myself so asked not to be told details and apparently Jamie will be taking on the rest of the American Iron Chefs as part of a series. How do you think he’ll fare?? I think this concept makes for great TV, especially for foodies like me:D I’d love to see a cook off involving Gordon Ramsay.

Who would star in your ultimate celebrity chef showdown?

Bacon Madness

Thanks to random net surfing, I’ve recently stumbled across some unexpected bacon products. The first is deep fried bacon, simply the thought of this mortifies me….. For $6 (US), it’s now possible to acquire deep fried bacon as an appetiser. Rashers of bacon, dipped in egg wash, dusted with flour and deep fried in vegetable oil….served with a suspicious looking white “gravy”.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against deep fried food. I really enjoy the crunch of a good hot chip/calamari ring /spring roll, or the barely there crispness of freshly cooked tempura batter. I even appreciate that as a cooking technique, while being energy dense, deep frying offers a method of keeping food moist while adding another dimension to texture and flavour.

Of course there are many things deep fried that I never would have thought of frying - I’ve eaten a deep fried Mars Bar (I quite liked it lol) and my Scottish friends once told me that back home it’s possible to get deep fried pizzas, but still, the idea of deep fried bacon doesn’t appeal to me…

Don’t be fooled by the shirt

A quote from the chef: “Just hearing about it makes your heart skip a beat”. An understatement, at best… Yes I could easily get started on the dangerous effects of this appetiser on the human cardiovascular system……

The second item is the world’s first bacon flavoured chocolate bar – Mo’s Bacon Bar. Apparently a hit with the British palate, the option of having chunks of smoked applewood bacon and salt in your milk chocolate is so appealing that the entire supply in the UK was sold out within the first 48 hrs….

I recall a Simpsons episode (yes this ramble is Deep), where Homer can’t comprehend that an assortment of meats (bacon, pork, ham, hot dog) come from the same animal “Oooo a Magical Animal”, and am reminded that pig meat, is indeed versatile.

I guess I really can’t pass judgment until I’ve personally tried it… To be honest I’ve eaten much weirder things before and if the opportunity presented, I’d definitely be up for at least a nibble. That being said, I won’t be going out of my way to find them.