Mario Batali has become such a household name, even the most casual cooks—or daytime talk show channel-surfers—know who he is, what he does (cooks killer Italian food ... and holds his own against Carla Hall on The Chew), and that he holds a special place in his heart for safety-cone orange Crocs. But if you think that's all there is to know about the Iron Chef, think again.
We uncovered some things you wouldn't expect about the Washington native, like his love of getting his "om" on, his dream of opening a food-focused theme park—and that time he bought 200 pairs of Crocs at once.
He's Really into Meditating.
Jerry Seinfeld—yes, he of Seinfeld fame—got Batali into meditating about six years ago, the chef said during an interview on the 10% Happier podcast. He took three classes led by meditation teacher Bob Roth, then started doing it on his own for 20 minute a day, every day.
"I'm in a high-pressure, high-tension situation almost every day, if you allow it to become that," Batali explained. "How I had been processing my days and overloaded information was slightly losing my temper every now and then, even if not visible to the outside world. ... [Meditation] allowed me to more carefully or more slowly react to what was offending me, bothering me, pissing me off, or totally enraging me."
He repeats a mantra in his head until all of the other thoughts zipping through his mind disappear, and he feels calm. "For me, it's not so spiritual. For me, it's much more about finding calm," Batali says.
He's Also an Avid Boxer.
Batali puts on his gloves and gets in the ring about four days a week, he told ABC News' Dan Harris. He also plays squash two days a week.
He'd Love to Open a Theme Park for Foodies.
In fact, he's already planning one. The green, "gastronomic theme park" will be based in Bologna, Italy, with the goal of getting people to make decisions about food. What, exactly, that means is unclear at this point—as is whether there will be a Meatball Tower of Terror.
"I'm not sure if we're having rides yet but we're trying to figure them out," he told Harris.
His Charity Work Isn't Just Lip Service.
In addition to launching the Mario Batali Foundation, an organization that focuses on educating and empowering children, he works with the Food Bank for New York City, The Lunchbox Fund (which provides meals for impoverished children in South Africa) and the Eat (Red). Drink (Red). campaign, a 10-day initiative in early June to raise money to end AIDS.
He's so serious about these projects that he's made them part of his regular routine. Batali volunteers or works on a philanthropic project "just about once a week," he says in his 10% Happier interview.
A Tip-Skimming Scandal Cost Him $5.25 Million.
Batali and his business partners were accused of tip-skimming back in 2010, which they reportedly settled out of court for $5.25 million. According to reports, tip money from wine and alcohol sales was used to pay sommeliers' salaries at Babbo, Bar Jamon, Casa Mono, Del Posto, Esca, Lupa, Otto and Tarry Lodge.
He's All About Meatless Mondays.
Batali goes vegetarian one day a week, and when he does, he loves a good eggplant meatball. He recently made them with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
He's Got a Secret to Getting Sh*t Done.
With 28 restaurants, 11 cookbooks, a co-hosting gig on The Chew and shooting a pilot show for Vice, Batali keeps busy. He has one key piece of advice for managing it all though: Compartmentalizing.
"Unless I'm opening a new restaurant tonight for the very first time, in which case, that day is spent entirely on the new restaurant, I figure out what part of my day and my week and my month and my year can go to each thing that I'm involved with," he says in the podcast. For him, that means devoting strict blocks of time to each project—and adhering to those time frames, so he doesn't fall off schedule.
He tends to prioritize projects based on three factors: how much money they'll make him, how much joy he'll get out of them, and how much social responsibility the project involves.
His Brownies Have a Very Special Ingredient.
Earlier this year, Batali debuted a double chocolate brownie recipe, in honor of the Denver Broncos—and their pot-friendly state. The recipe called for milk chocolate chips, gobs of butter, Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder, and 4 grams of marijuana.
However, High Times deemed his efforts an "embarrassing fail," noting that eaters wouldn't get high from these treats because the weed wasn't decarboxlated (heated to 240ºF for an hour or longer, in order for the bud's THCa to be transformed into THC).
He Bought 200 Pairs of Crocs at One Time.
When Batali learned Crocs planned on discontinuing his Bistro Mario Batali shoe, he ordered 200 pairs on the spot. He already owned 30—as well as 50 pairs of the Beach model shoe, all in bright orange, naturally.
He Hasn't Been Crazy About All of BFF Gwyneth Paltrow's Boyfriends.
At a dinner recently, Paltrow spilled that she's brought just about every boyfriend to Batali's restaurant, Babbo, during their 18-year friendship—and that the chef didn't always approve of the men in her life.
"He liked Brad Pitt, if you want to know," she says. "Didn't like Ben Affleck that much."
He Has a Surprising Hangover Cure.
Batali's a firm believer in a little hair of the dog—and sweating it out. He recommends exercising for 45 minutes, then chugging a beer. "Keep in mind, a hangover is the poison lying in dehydrated areas," he told People. "You need to pump it out."
He Doesn't Fear Death.
During his 10% Happier podcast interview, the conversation soon turned serious, delving into life, death, and what Batali believes happens after your heart stops beating. "When we come into the Earth, it's a brand new piece of something, but when we go into the Earth, when we leave the Earth, our energy re-enters the flow, and that's ecstasy, and it's eternal, and it's something remarkable."
While he isn't scared of dying, he's quick to clarify: "I'm not looking forward to it. I'm not rushing ahead to it."
He Does, However, Fear Something That Could Kill Him.
"I'm f*cking paralyzed in fear of sharks," he told Billboard. "That's why I have my house in Michigan: unsalted and shark-free."
There's One Food He Can't Stand.
Over lunch with rapper Action Bronson, Batali confesses to the one dish that grosses him out—and his description alone could turn anyone away from it. "I'll try just about anything, but there's a fruit called durian, the flavor of which I can only describe as a baby's diaper that sat in a gas station bathroom," he says.
We'll take your word for it, Batali.
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