Mario Batali's ultimate midnight snack

As the Italian Prince of Parties, what's your most impressive party trick?

Prepping ahead so I can mingle! Spending too much time at the stove while my friends are on their second Negroni is a party foul in my book. I like to plan the menu ahead of time (that means planning Thanksgiving in August) and work backwards to prepare each course. This usually requires chopping the day before, baking and braising the morning of, and then simply warming or quickly grilling when it's time to eat. A fantastic playlist is another trick as music and cooking are inextricably linked in my mind.

Italian food in New York is unlike anywhere else in the world. What makes it so?

I consider all food in New York to be unlike anywhere else in the world. We have some of the greatest chefs of our time here, so Italian food, just like many other cuisines, really took off here.

Where are you most excited about eating in the world right now? And if not where, what?

Paris, hands down. I recently stopped there on my way home from Stockholm (where the Nordic cuisine was f---ing delicious) and I was absolutely mind-blown by Yannick Alleno and Eric Frechon's food [at Pavillon Ledoyen and Hotel Le Bristol respectively]. My wife Susi and I are returning to Paris this fall for our anniversary, and I'm already looking forward to my first bite when I land: a perfectly flaky warm croissant with an espresso.

What's your favourite midnight snack?

Cold Chinese food with a heavy-handed dash or two of hot sauce. I'm still using up the Batali Bros sauce that I made as holiday gifts last year, but green Tabasco is killer too. It's only a true midnight snack if the only way I can see what I'm eating is with the help of the refrigerator light that shines straight from the door that's still open.

Who do you think would win in an arm wrestle between Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg?

C'mon…Martha! Have you seen her make meringues? Snoop might be too preoccupied with some other recreational activity to win. Just a guess, but I'd want to watch that arm wrestle regardless.

What are you listening to at the moment, and why?

The Grateful Dead. There's no better music for my daily drives up and down the Northern Michigan peninsula, where I spend my summers.

Mario Batali's television series Moltissimo starts on Monday, July 31 at 8pm on SBS VICELAND