Benno and Leo Batali, the sixteen- and fourteen-year-old sons of famed restaurateur Mario Batali, recently created their very own cookbook in honor of their father’s fiftieth birthday. The Batali Brothers Cookbook hits the shelves in hardcover form tomorrow, and we’re excited about the secrets for original comfort food inventions like pocket burgers as well as classics like spaghetti and meatballs. Most of all, the fact that this cookbook is written by kids for kids means that young chefs can be encouraged to love cooking and healthy habits at an early age–what’s not to love?
Here’s a taste of what’s in the book:
Sloppy Sloppy Joes
This is one of the first dishes we learned to make without our dad, which made us feel pretty good. This dish is practically made for a family meal, so you can eat, share, and have fun with very sloppy Sloppy Joes. Serves 4 to 6 people.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds ground chuck
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- One 12-ounce jar of mild salsa
- 6 hamburger buns
Directions
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and rub it onto the bottom of the pan with a paper towel and tongs.
Add the ground beef and, while it’s cooking, break it up with something like the back of a spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients, except for the buns, and mix while still chopping the mixture up with the spoon.
When the liquids start to simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook for 4 minutes.
Open the buns and stuff in the meat.
