The Main Course

This week on The Main Course, Patrick Martins is joined in the studio by Minetta Tavern’s chef, Bill Brasile. Tune into this episode to hear what Bill learned at his past jobs at restaurants like Morimoto, 360, Wallsé, and Lespinasse! Find out why it’s a chef’s job to learn not just technique, but professionalism. What lessons did bill learn from legendary chefs like Jean-Louis Palladin or Kurt Gutenbrunner? Later, hear Patrick and Bill talk about the speakeasy feel of Minetta Tavern, and how the space tries to harken to an earlier time in the history of New York restaurants. Learn about the consistency of Minetta Tavern’s menu, and why Bill is so passionate about charcuterie. Thanks to our sponsor, Hearst Ranch. Today’s musical selections have been provided by EULA.

“You rarely have the equipment and the inspiration. When that comes together, it’s like a great performance.” [18:45]

— Chef Bill Brasile on The Main Course

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Eataly is expanding to Chicago; tune into this week’s episode of The Main Course to hear Patrick Martins talk meat and cheese with Eataly’s cheesemonger and salumi buyer, Greg Blais. Find out how Greg defines ‘cheesemonger’ in 2013, and why Italy’s cheese traditions reflect the influence of so many countries. How do FDA regulations affect Greg’s buying processes. Learn why you should never mess with a classic like Iberico ham or prosciutto di Parma, and why Greg prefers heavily-aged hams. Find out how the Chicago Eataly location will reflect the surrounding immigrant populations. Americans have been updating European traditions for centuries; how will an Eataly in Chicago alter the city’s food landscape? Find out all of this and more on this week’s episode of The Main Course! Thanks to our sponsor, S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Today’s music has been provided by Obey City.

“I’m a believer that governance over foodstuffs is necessary, but I often question the motives… I question the motives of everything; that’s why I’m a cheesemonger.” [18:50]

“If I can sell you a six-year-old glass of milk, I’m doing pretty good!” [19:20]

“Being classic doesn’t mean that it’s passe.” [27:35]

— Greg Blais on The Main Course

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Mario Carbone talks about the inspiration for his newest restaurant, Carbone, with Patrick Martins on this week’s episode of The Main Course. Find out about Mario’s childhood in Queens, and his culinary training with greats like Daniel Boulud and Wylie Dufresne. What attracted Mario to the old-style of New York Italian restaurants? Hear about the customer’s ‘food IQ’, and why Mario updates classic Italian with fresh, local ingredients. Later, Matt Molina calls into the program. Trained at the Los Angeles Culinary Institute, Matt Molina got his start in cuisine at Campanile, where he worked his way from line cook to chef de cuisine. After six years under Nancy Silverton at Campanile, Molina left the West Coast to delve further into contemporary Italian cuisine at Del Posto. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Molina was more than ready for his executive chef post at Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza, Green Restaurant Association-certified additions to LA’s Italian culinary scene courtesy of Silverton, Mario Batali, and longtime partner Joe Bastianich. Since assuming charge of the restaurants—and taking on a very proactive role in their standards of sustainability, environmentalism, and organics—Chef Molina has earned three stars from the LA Times. In 2008, Osteria Mozza was nominated for “Best New Restaurant” award by the James Beard Foundation and in 2012 Molina himself was nominated for “Best Chef: Pacific.” This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures. Thanks to Idgy Dean for today’s music.

— Mario Carbone on The Main Course

“Japanese cuisine has a huge influence on Los Angeles given our geography.” [40:20]

— Matt Molina on The Main Course

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Patrick Martins is exploring American and Mexican traditions on this week’s episode of The Main Course. Do you think you could survive pre-Industrial Revolution? Tune into Patrick’s introduction to learn about the link between survival skills and the mission of the Heritage Radio Network. Later, Patrick talks with Sam Edwards of S. Wallace Edwards & Sons about his family business’s 87 years of ham-curing tradition. How did The Fancy Food Show push Edwards’ products into the spotlight? Hear about the Virginia terroir, and how Sam deals with food safety regulators on a daily basis. Later, Aaron Bullington joins the show to talk about the unique tortillas that he uses in his San Francisco burrito stop, Burr Eatery. Hear how Aaron took three years to recreate the flavors and textures of authentic Mexican tortillas. What’s the secret ingredient in Aaron’s recipe? Find out how Burr Eatery educates consumers about pasture-raised meat through its delicious dishes! This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods. Thanks to Pamela Royal for today’s music.

“The peanut-fed hog sort of died out in the 1950s… They let the hogs run wild in the fields after the peanut harvest. They didn’t have to feed them any corn or soybeans that they harvested, and it was a way to clean up the peanut fields.” [18:30]

— Sam Edwards on The Main Course

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On today’s installment of The Main Course, Patrick Martins is covering cooking and sourcing with Union Square Café’s Executive Chef Carmen Quagliata and Joseph Hubbard, sustainable lamb and goat farmer. Hear about Carmen’s affinity for whole animal butchery, and how the quest for better ingredients can sometimes hurt a restaurants bottom line. How has dining in New York City changed since Carmen’s start at Union Square Café, and how has the dining experience altered the restaurant’s menu? Find out if Department of Health regulations hinder burgeoning cured meat traditions in the kitchen. Joseph explains how he works with restaurant’s to provide animals of different qualities depending on chefs’ recipes. Find out how ranchers and farmers can maintain their land by raising a wide variety of livestock! This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“I’ve learned more about lamb from the people who raise them than butchering and eating it myself.” [33:15]

— Carmen Quagliata on The Main Course

“Small producers’ prices are affected by the imports, because they can import lamb cheaper than we can sell them.” [38:00]

— Joseph Hubbard on The Main Course

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Step up your Father’s Day game with the Batali Brothers! This week on The Main Course, Patrick Martins invites one half of the Batali Brothers, Leo, into the studio to talk about his new cookbook, The Batali Brothers Cookbook. Leo and brother Benno wrote the book for their father’s 50th birthday, and joining Leo in the studio are mom and dad – Susi Cahn and Mario Batali. Tune into this episode to hear how Leo and Benno tested their recipes on their family’s friends. Find out how the Batali family treats meals at home, and why it’s important to know your butcher. How did Mario react upon receiving the cookbook? Listen in to learn more about some of Leo’s favorite foods, including tzatziki and duck testicles! This program has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

— Leo Batali on The Main Course

“One of the ways to make sure that kids will be open to eating everything is having them come into the kitchen with you.” [14:45]

— Mario Batali on The Main Course

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Jody Williams is cooking up simple dishes straight from the bar at her ‘gastroteque’, Buvette. This week on The Main Course, Patrick Martins invites Jody Williams into the studio to talk about what makes Buvette special- the details. Find out how the design elements of the space and the charming food makes Buvette one of the best restaurants in New York City. How does Jody express her creativity through food with such a limited kitchen? Find out why Alice Waters loves Buvette, and hear about timing in Jody’s restaurant. Find out more about Jody’s upcoming book, and her new opening in Paris! Later, Patrick checks in with famous curer Sam Edwards. Tune into this episode to hear what Sam learned at Zingerman’s 4th Annual Bacon Camp! This program has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures. Thanks to Pamela Royal for today’s music.

“What I like about aperitif is that it’s a moment to do nothing.” [31:00]

— Jody Williams on The Main Course

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We’re touching on a myriad of topics of this week’s installment of The Main Course – from pit bulls to trucking! Patrick Martins is joined in the studio by Chef Bret Macris of Rose Water in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Tune into this episode to hear Bret talk about his love of pit bulls, and why the breed is so misunderstood. Find out how Bret feels about GMOs, and why Monsanto is using the technology incorrectly. Patrick and Bret also welcome Bret’s wife, Becky Brooks-Macris, into the studio to talk about their past at Campanile in Los Angeles, and how that restaurant inspired their work with local, seasonal food. How does agriculture differ on the West Coast? Later, Patrick checks in with Larry Boukal of Cannonball Express to talk about changing trucker culture. How has CB radio communication defined trucker communication, and how are modern truckers feeding themselves on the road? Find out all of this and more on this week’s episode of The Main Course! This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market. Thanks to Pamela Royal for today’s break music – ‘This Body’.

“The West Coast is the perfect climate for growing anything you want to grow.” [26:15]

— Bret Macris on The Main Course

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Dine at ‘the end of the line’ and learn about olive oil on this week’s episode of The Main Course. Patrick Martins is joined in the studio by Bonnie Pipkin and Tania Ryalls, founders of the blog End of the Line Dining. Hear about Bonnie and Tania’s idea to eat at restaurants at the end of New York City’s subway in order to explore neighborhoods and different cuisines. What neighborhoods have they explored thus far, and how have they been received as neighborhood outsiders? Find out where Bonnie and Tania are headed next, and hear about Bonnie’s last day as a waitress at Roberta’s! Later, Patrick invites Steve Jenkins of Fairway Market to talk about his history in the food world. Find out how Steve initially became fascinated with foreign cheeses and meats, and why he has become disillusioned with the FDA’s stance on importing cheeses. Steve talks to Patrick about the three criterion necessary for choosing a quality olive oil for your kitchen, so make sure you tune in to this week’s episode of The Main Course! Thanks to our sponsor, Cain Vineyard & Winery. Thanks to Obey City for today’s music.

“How can I operate as a master cheesemonger when 45% of the cheeses that I want, I’m not allowed to get from the idiot FDA?” [29:00]

“You’re not going to find a bottle of olive oil at a supermarket in this country that is worthy of your kitchen.” [37:15]

— Steve Jenkins on The Main Course

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Patrick Martins is joined in the studio by two accomplished chefs on this week’s installment of The Main Course. First up is Cal Elliott- Chef/Owner of the restaurant Rye in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Learn about Cal’s past as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, and how that work inspired his do-it-yourself ethic. How has Williamsburg changed since the opening of Rye, and what are the dining trends in the neighborhood? Hear how Cal constructed the restaurant by hand. Later, Patrick talks with Hadley Schmitt, the Executive Chef at Northern Spy Food Co. Hear about the restaurant’s focus on local and seasonal food, but also their emphasis of working with like-minded producers of quality products. Tune in to learn about Hadley’s creative processes in the kitchen. Is it ever acceptable to serve a dish that doesn’t look pretty? And what percentage of a restaurant’s budget is devoted to sourcing food? Tune into this episode to find out! This program has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch. Thanks to Idgy Dean for today’s music.

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