Lidia's From Our Family Table to Yours

August 1, 2023
As PBS celebrity chef and restaurateur/entrepreneur Bastianich has emphasized in her previous dozen-plus collections, sharing food is sharing love. Readers can expect a preponderance of pasta recipes, along with the philosophy that anything with cheese (Grana Padano, in particular) is an instant hit. More than 100 recipes, created in concert with daughter Tanya, provide the sort of magical cuisine Bastianich is known for, with family stories featuring Grandma Erminia and grandkids--naturally--followed by instructions for the dish. Recipes familiar and less so parade by in the usual sequence, from appetizers (always served buffet style), soups, and salads to proteins and desserts (almost every sweet, she insists, is connected with a specific holiday). A few of the more unusual include red cabbage salad with cubed crispy ham and crespelle (Italian-style crepes), cheesy baked chicken wings, and chocolate ricotta brick cake. Not all dishes come with color photographs, but the step-by-step how-to's are complete. The many of us who can't get to one of Bastianich's NYC restaurants can try to master one of her recipes.

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September 1, 2023

Following up Lidia's a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl, Bastianich and her daughter offer Italian recipes for everyday and special occasions. Popular TV personality Bastianich explains that she cooks to express her love and has written this as a love letter to her family, filling it with personal stories and photos. Recipes include a paragraph of charming context, such as the rosemary chickpeas, which remind Bastianich of running through rosemary bushes as a child. Sections are laid out by type of dish: appetizer, vegetables, pasta, etc. Each section includes a brief introduction of how this course or food type can fit into a family meal such as Grandma's love of polenta to start the section on pasta, polenta, crespelle, and risotto. From the text, one can imagine a big family gathered around, eating, laughing, talking, and enjoying a meal together. VERDICT Will appeal to the home cook who entertains or just has a group of hungry people ready to devour delicious food; ideal for readers who want a reason to get together and share food family-style.--Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen

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Starred review from October 2, 2023
To Italian cooking legend Bastianich and her daughter Manuali (who most recently collaborated on Lidia’s A Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl), food is “an expression of love and caring”—especially cooking for and eating with family. In what may be her most personal work to date, Bastianich shares recipes from a lifetime of gatherings that fans will treasure. From mussel bruschetta and spicy crispy roasted cauliflower to cream of fava soup and beef rollatini, she offers inviting options suitable for busy weeknights or more leisurely special occasions. Each recipe provides a glimpse into Bastianich’s life, such as her grandfather’s love of prosciutto and onion frittatas or her grandchildren “toddling through garden” picking cherry tomatoes. Rigatoni with sausage and cabbage will forever be linked to her grandparents, who raised pigs, while simple roast chicken sparks memories of mother-daughter meals she treasured. Each entry feels intimate and heartfelt, and while Bastianich has always been appreciated for her relaxed approach to food, this latest collection brings her sincerity, accessibility, and culinary talent to a new level. Home cooks won’t be able to resist.