Lidias Italian-American Kitchen: The Companion to her New 52-Part Public Television Series her most Instructive, Personal, and Inspiring Cookbook
by By Bastianich, Lidia Matticchio
Category: Cooking , Regional & Ethnic , Italian

Lidia Bastianich, loved by millions of Americans for her simple, delectable Italian cooking, gives   us her most instructive and personal cookbook yet. Focusing on the Italian-American   kitchen—the cooking she encountered when she first came to America as a young adolescent—Lidia pays homage to this “cuisine of adaptation born of necessity.” But she transforms   it subtly with her light, discriminating touch, using the authentic ingredients,   not accessible to the early immigrants, which are all so readily available today.   The aromatic flavors of fine Italian olive oil, imported Parmigiano-Reggiano and   Gorgonzola dolce latte, fresh basil, oregano, and rosemary, sun-sweetened San Marzano   tomatoes, prosciutto, and pancetta permeate the dishes she makes in her Italian-American   kitchen today. And they will transform for you this time-honored cuisine, as you   cook with Lidia, learning from her the many secret, sensuous touches that make her   food superlative.  You’ll find recipes for Scampi alla Buonavia (the garlicky shrimp   that became so popular when Lidia served the dish at her first restaurant, Buonavia),   Clams Casino (with roasted peppers and good American bacon), Caesar Salad (shaved   Parmigiano makes the difference), baked cannelloni (with roasted pork and mortadella),   and lasagna (blanketed in her special Italian-American Meat Sauce). But just as   Lidia introduced new Italian regional dishes to her appreciative clientele in Queens   in the seventies, so she dazzles us now with pasta dishes such as Bucatini with Chanterelles,   Spring Peas, and Prosciutto, and Long Fusilli with Mussels, Saffron, and Zucchini.   And she is a master at teaching us how to make our own ravioli, featherlight gnocchi,   and genuine Neapolitan pizza.  Laced with stories about her experiences in America and her discoveries as a cook,   this enchanting book is both a pleasure to read and a joy to cook from.