Many people know Mario Batali as the energetic TV chef and restaurateur, but some are unaware of his role as a philanthropist. In 2008, he launched the Mario Batali Foundation, aiming to make sure children are well read, well fed and well cared-for.

Since then, the foundation has worked with numerous organizations that share the same goal. One of those, Books for Kids, has as its mission the promotion of literacy among children in low-income, high-risk communities across the country.

Their latest collaboration is helping to bring a new and improved library to the children of Goddard Riverside. Nearly 70 percent of children enrolled in Goddard Riverside’s daycare center, at 114 W. 91st St., live below the poverty line. The new library will serve almost 100 children in the neighborhood.

“To be able to help children read, to give them this fundamental building block to a successful life, is remarkable. I am ecstatic that my foundation is able to help create a Books for Kids library and champion literacy programs for all children in need,” Batali said at the opening on Sept. 13.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony included a dedication ceremony, book reading and tour of the new library. An animated Batali read the children the Dr. Seuss story “Green Eggs and Ham.” Prior to the reading, the preschoolers showed their own interpretation of the story to Batali and sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” for guests.

The new library includes a much larger selection of books and a colorful reading space that invites children in to read and learn. The children will now also have the opportunity to take books home.

“Books for Kids is once again thrilled and honored to have the continued support of the Mario Batali Foundation in the creation of a Books for Kids library in a community in great need on the Upper West Side,” Shawna Hamilton Doster, Books for Kids executive director, said.

Doster explained that Books for Kids wants to bridge the gap for low-income children and give them the same opportunities as other children in the city.

City Council Member Gail Brewer, who represents the Upper West Side, attended the event and explained that she is happy to see the new and improved library, and that Goddard Riverside has always been trying to help the residents.

“There is no question that a library of this magnitude will go far in supporting our school readiness goals for our young children and be a major resource for our families,” stated Stephan Russo, the executive director of Goddard Riverside Community Center.

By Regan Hofmann

Take a simple, slightly special childhood food. Something you might get after acing a particularly hard spelling test, or to celebrate the first snow day of the year. Nothing fancy, mind you—just outside the norm enough to feel like a treat.

It’s no secret that chefs all over the city have been coming back to exactly these comforting memories for the past few years, spurred by the conflicting desires to meet consumers on their economic level and continue to push the creative envelope

Some add unusual ingredients. Some up the refinement level. And some just go over the top, letting their inner 8-year-olds go screaming through the pantry. Hot dogs? Yep. Cupcakes? We all know that one. Hot chocolate? You’re up. Here’s how this latest immature indulgence has evolved, just in time for the season of splurging.

Exotic/Traditional: Jacques Torres (350 Hudson St., betw. Charlton & King Sts.), www.mrchocolate.com

By now, of course, haute chocolatiers like Vosges and Mast Brothers have made spice-infused chocolate positively pedestrian. But back when the idea of adding chiles to chocolate was just a glimmer in an Aztec’s eye, Jacques Torres’ wicked hot chocolate was the first to blow New Yorkers’ minds and tastebuds.

Mexican hot chocolate is, of course, the grandaddy of them all. But when the idea of making a cacao-based beverage first hit, sugar was not common on the continent and the brew was spiceheavy and bitter. Fast-forward some 1,500 years and Mexico has found the sugar and lost most of the spice, save for cinnamon, which adds a piquant edge. In his take, Torres combines his dark chocolate with cinnamon, allspice and a blend of chile peppers to create a thick, fragrant brew that warms the palate in more ways than one.

Traditional/Indulgent: Otto (1 5th Ave. at 8th Street), www.ottopizzeria.com

Mario Batali’s Otto doesn’t do anything that isn’t straight from the Italian playbook, from its extensive salumi list down to the gelato that wins converts faster than you can say “really? olive oil?” Gianduja is that winning creation that pairs rich, roasty hazelnut paste with sweetened chocolate, originated in Turin, Italy, in the 1850s and ubiquitized by Nutella. Yes, the Europeans beat us to the “you got chocolate in my peanut butter” moment by about 75 years—but hey, at least we get that snappy orange wrapper.

Otto’s gianduja calda can be found on the restaurant’s dessert menu, which means you can rest assured this treat’s going to be more meal than beverage. Milk and hazelnut chocolates are melted into hazelnut-flavored milk and topped with whipped cream, and the cup comes with a dainty quaresimale, shortbread-like biscotti, perched on the saucer. Dip the cookie in your cup to marvel at how thickly the drink coats it, but save it for nibbling on separately— its crisp nuttiness is a perfect foil for the intense chocolate.

Indulgent/Childish: Coolhaus (check @CoolhausNY on Twitter for the day’s locations)

A food truck venture that began in California and has since branched out to Miami and two trucks—and a cart—in New York, Coolhaus’ main business is build-it-yourself ice cream sandwiches. The name is a cute play on the architect Rem Koolhaas, but not to worry. Though the concept is light as air, their offerings are serious business: inventive, delicious homemade ice creams and cookies in flavors from horchata and eggnog to red velvet and pumpkin spice.

In the wintertime, the truck, which roams the city but can currently be reliably found at the Union Square Holiday Market, offers similarly playful, creative hot chocolates. Flavors include dirty mint, nutella (take that, Italians!) and salted caramel. You know that kid’s urge to take all of your favorite things and combine them into one great Frankenstein’s monster? That’s how these drinks taste, in the best possible way.

Start to look for it, and you’ll see that almost any food trend can be parsed in the same way. What’ll be the next big kid’s treat to proliferate in 2012? My money’s on Rice Krispies squares—hey, stranger things have happened.

PHOTO courtesy of Jacques Torres chocolate.