Mario Batali blazed into the Pittsburgh area this past Saturday to promote his new cookbook Molto Batali: Simple Family Meals from My Home to Yours. The event, hosted by Market District in Pine Township, included a 30-minute cooking demo and book signing.

I was invited by the Market District social media crew to join several local bloggers as a special VIP guest to explore the store and receive front row access during the cooking demostration. My friend Mary from The Fork and the Road came as my “plus one” for the festive day. While waiting the café, I also met Annie from Anne Oakley’s Kitchen. I learned, while clutching my shiny new copy of Mario’s book, she is both a blogger and budding entrepreneur selling pies at a local farmer’s market.

The store buzzed with activity as the line grew longer in anticipation for Mario’s arrival. First it reached to the international section then past a display of live lobsters before weaving around the frozen foods aisle. We were escorted through the crowd to our reserved space in front. A few minutes later, Mario took center stage and immediately began cooking. He seemed to feel right at home grabbing ingredients displayed across the counter and sharing stories as he chopped. It was a striking visual to see the team of Market District chefs (who no doubt prepped the items in advance) observing behind the scenes. As an extra bonus, they had the privilege of sampling the two courses Mario demonstrated.

The first course was corn fritters with an arugula salad. Mario prepared a quick pasta dish next that included fusilli tossed Italian sausage, chopped kale and parmesan cheese. He referred to fresh kale as “nature’s little colon cleanse” and that statement will forever be burned in my mind. Simplicity and seasonality was a common theme peppered throughout the demonstration. Later, I learned this was the basis for his book with each chapter representing a different month of recipes for the year.

A book signing immediately followed. Mario was gracious and made a point to say hello to each person who stepped up to the table. I found humor in a sign outlining the autograph guidelines. Halfway down, it stated “Mario will not sign knives.”

I wondered, while heading home, “is there really that big of a demand for autographed knives?”

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The weather reached well into the 80s this week in Pittsburgh. It certainly was not a good time for my central air conditioning to stop running. Especially considering it’s only two years old and we just made the last payment. In a desperate attempt to stay cool, I found solace in this refreshing beverage.

I love the combination of all three flavors wrapped into one. When I’m feeling feisty, I add a splash of sparkling water and a shot of vodka for an extra kick.

Thankfully all is well with the air conditioner. Everything was covered under the warranty and no charge for the service visit.

I’ll drink to that!

Iced Cranberry Mint Green Tea
1 (64 oz) jug cranberry juice, not cocktail
5 green tea bags
10-12 fresh mint leaves
2 Tbl. honey

Bring the cranberry juice to a boil in a large pot. Add mint leaves and honey to a large heat-safe pitcher. Pour the cranberry juice in the pitcher and add tea bags. Steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain the liquid and allow to cool. Serve over ice. Serves 6-8 people.

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While waiting in line at the checkout counter at my local grocery store, my eyes scanned the magazine rack. I flipped through several before impulsively purchasing a pamphlet-sized beauty published under the Betty Crocker brand. That was nearly two years ago. I found the magazine while organizing my bookshelves recently and decided to give this recipe a whirl.

I’m a huge fan of cinnamon and nutmeg. So I decided to increase their original quantities to give the bars a bit of a boost. The end result is a soft and chewy dessert (or snack) with just the right amount of spice that will leave you saying “mmmmm.”

Snickerdoodle Bars
Adapted from: Betty Crocker “It’s Summer!” magazine

2 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cinnamon Filling:
1 Tbl. ground cinnamon
1 Tbl. sugar
½ tsp. nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar using a mixer. With the mixer on low, slowly add one egg at a time allowing them to be incorporated into the butter before adding the next. Pour in the vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients. Continue to mix until just combined.

Lightly coat a 9X13 inch pan with cooking spray. Spoon half of the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Toss the cinnamon filling ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the batter. Using two teaspoons drop the remaining batter across the top allowing some of the cinnamon filling to peak between the drops.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. The bars should be soft, but not raw in the middle.

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