MOLTO MARIO: Restaurateur and TV Food Network icon (and Iron Chef) Mario Batali may be well known for his flame orange hair and color Crocs on his feet, but the reason why his feet are always visible is because you’d be hard pressed to find him in anything other than shorts. Tipping his hat (as if he’d ever wear one) to the chefs of our area, Batali explained why he never chooses to wear sweatpants in the kitchen like some other chefs may: “I’ve made a career out of wearing shorts. Sweatpants are too post-‘Sopranos.’ Guys out on Long Island are doing it though.” Wait, did he just insult us?

BURRATA, ANYONE? Speaking of Italian classics, we have recently heard tale of a delightful cheese that is almost mozzarella, but not quite. The raw mozzarella is made into a rounded sack into which fresh strands soaked in a cream mixture are stuffed. The whole thing is then tied off to set and then served sliced, often with just a drizzle of olive oil. It looks fantastic, but is hard to find; apparently it has a short shelf life. If anybody in the area is making some, be sure to let us know at foodie@longislandernews.com. We’d love try it for ourselves.

A CUT ABOVE: Rise Above Bakery (33 Main St. Huntington, 351-9811) prides itself on its classic recipes and offbeat creations that are reminiscent of old world treats. Speaking of old treats, A Rise Above created the fantastic chocolate cake with fresh whipped vanilla cream icing that is pictured here and also on the cover of this special edition. If you’ve never stopped in before, at least peek inside and admire the old kitchen implements that line the wall. If you’ve been then you already know what we’re talking about.

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