Mario Batali is the brain behind famed culinary establishments Eataly, Del Posto, and Babbo, among others. He's also written many bestselling books and cookbooks, including "Molto Italiano" and "Molto Gusto."
But when he's not writing (or cooking), he's reading the books that inspire his culinary genius.
We asked Batali to share his reading list with us. Here are his 10 favorites, along with his reasons for his picks.
"The Road Home," by Jim Harrison
"I love Harrison's ability to capture the wonders of nature and the twisted complexity of human interaction," said Batali.
"The Road Home" is told from the perspectives of five different characters, namely the protagonist Dalva as she returns to Nebraska to find the son, born of incest, whom she'd abandoned 30 years ago. The book continues the saga of the Northridge family from Harrison's 1988 book Dalva.
"One Hundred Years of Solitude," by Gabriel García Márquez
"A mystical and beautiful adventure entwined with the magic of the mysterious gypsy culture," Batali told us of "One Hundred Years of Solitude."
This book, which is full of magical realism, depicts the village of Macondo and its residents, including José Arcadio Buendía, who built the village and who deals with the shadows of a civil war and the ghost of the man he killed who still haunts his house.
"Don Quixote," by Miguel de Cervantes
"Captures the bravura and picaresque genius of the Spanish character," Batali said.
Originally published in two volumes, "Don Quixote" tells the story of a self-made knight who, after reading so many chivalrous tales, decides to revive chivalry by setting out on a series of disillusioned, though good-intentioned, adventures. It's one of the most canonical books in Spanish literature.
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