Lidia Bastianich

cook, writer

Lidia Mattichio Bastianich is one of the best-loved chefs on public television, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Her current PBS series, *Lidia's Italy*, has garnered numerous accolades, including the 2009 James Beard Award for Best Television Show. Her latest cookbook, the lushly illustrated *Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy*, complements the TV series and provides an appetizing look into the regional cooking of many lesser-known parts of Italy. Her previous public TV credits include *Lidia's Family Table*, *Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen*, and *Lidia's Italian Table*. A proud grandmother of five, Lidia's ebullient approach to life and cooking is summed in her signature line, "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!" or "Everybody to the table to eat!"