Lidia’s Italy

Dear Friend of Lidia,

Pack your bags, because you’re going to Italy -- Lidia’s Italy! With the
April premiere of Lidia Matticchio Bastianich’s new 26-episode cooking series
distributed by American Public Television and appearing on Public Television
Stations around the country, we invite you to take an armchair adventure to this
sunny country with its bustling cities, expansive countryside, rich history, warm
people, aromatic wines and incredible food. There’s traveling and exploring and
toasting and cooking and plenty of eating.

Journey with Lidia to her ten favorite regions around Italy as she introduces you
to friends and family and takes you to food markets, fishing villages and farms as
you haggle over the price of fish and forage for the perfect truffle. Then, return
back to Lidia’s familiar kitchen to prepare a sumptuous meal as you, the viewer
cook along.

Lidia shows you her roots – her childhood days in Istria and on the Adriatic,
as well as her favorite recipes for root vegetables. From time to time, Tanya
Bastianich Manuali, Lidia’s daughter, joins her mother in her travels, and uses her
Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance Art to give the viewer a deeper understanding and
appreciation for some of the cultural masterpieces that surround them.

So come along and experience Tuscany like you never have before, eat like a
Roman, and drink wine in the very vineyard where the finest grapes were picked
and fermented to perfection. This is Italy, Lidia’s Italy! This season, when
Lidia says “Tutti a tavola a mangiare!” She’s inviting you to her tables in Friuli,
Maremma, Naples, Puglia, Sicily and Trieste and more.

Lidia is available for interviews and can discuss food, travel and her new
television series. If you are interested in an interview, a sample DVD of her new
show, or would like some additional information, please call me at (212) 758-1488
or email me at shellyb@lidiasitaly.com.

Sincerely,

Shelly Burgess Nicotra

Tavola Productions, Inc.

TAVOLA PRODUCTIONS

243 East 58th Street z New York, NY 10022 z Tel. 212.758.1488 z Fax 212.935.7687 z www.lidiasitaly.com
 For Immediate Release
Lidia’s Italy
LIDIA’S ITALY DEBUTS ON PUBLIC TELEVISION

A Behind The Scenes Taste Of Italy -- Lidia Style!

New York, NY – March 26, 2007 – Lidia’s Italy, a brand new cooking series starring
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, is produced by Tavola Productions and distributed by APT
– American Public Television, and makes its debut in April on Public Television Stations
nationwide. WHYY in Philadelphia is the presenting station. (Please check local listings for
exact dates and times).

The new 26-episode series will feature one of America’s best-known and best-loved Italian
chefs preparing regional Italian dishes with a new twist – this season Lidia takes you on
a gastronomic tour of Italy where she explores various regions, and prepares and tastes
delectable dishes with her Italian family and friends. This is not just a new season of Italian
cooking with Lidia, this is an unfolding love story where the viewer gets to see Lidia in her
element – choosing fresh fish directly from local fishermen, digging for truffles in the soil
of her ancestors, and choosing ripe red tomatoes from the volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius.
This is not just Italy – this is Lidia’s Italy.

In Lidia’s own words: “Come with me to some of my favorite places in Italy. I will take you
to cities where you will immediately feel that you belong. We will go to sleepy towns that will
mesmerize you with their beauty and tantalize you with their traditions. And I will send you
off with a bundle of recipes to make your own, so that you will be able to capture the flavors
of the places we visit. I will send you off with the flavors of Italy.”

Each 30-minute episode will feature footage of Lidia in Italy as well as two to three recipes
for the home cook that are based on recipes Lidia tastes and perfects during her travels, and
then demonstrates in her own familiar home kitchen -- the stage for her previous Public
Television shows.

An example of a typical episode is “Savor it Saor,” where Lidia takes the viewer on an
excursion to the Friuli region, home to some of the best Italian white wines, and then
demonstrates how to properly marinate sardines and prepare mouth watering veal chops
based on a recipe from Trieste. Additional regions that Lidia explores will include Tuscany,
Naples, Rome, Padua and Treviso, Piedmont, Puglia, Sicily and Istria. The recipes prepared
on the show can be found in the Lidia’s Italy companion cookbook coming out in April
(Knopf, $35.00), and will feature recipes and photos of various dishes as well as images of
Lidia in different phases of her Italian journey.

TAVOLA PRODUCTIONS

243 East 58th Street z New York, NY 10022 z Tel. 212.758.1488 z Fax 212.935.7687 z www.lidiasitaly.com
 Lidia’s Italy
Continued on next page...
Joining Lidia in certain episodes is her daughter, Tanya Bastianich Manuali, an authority on Italian
Renaissance Art with a doctorate in Art History from Oxford University. Tanya will introduce
some of Lidia’s favorite hidden cultural treasures and explain the relationship of these magnificent
works of art within the context of history, as well as their present day significance.

Lidia’s Italy is produced by Tavola Productions, Inc., and premieres in April on Public Television
throughout the country. Please check local listings for the exact date and time. In addition to her
weekly show, Lidia will be making personal appearances at Public Television Pledge Drives and
events in several cities throughout the country.

About Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Lidia has been a Public Television favorite since her first cooking series premiered in 1998. Over
the past eight years, she has become one of America’s most beloved television chefs through
her three previous series, Lidia’s Italian Table, Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen and Lidia’s
Family Table. Lidia’s Family Table continues to attract record viewers. Examples include:

z 2.3 rating/164,400 HH, WNET May 05

z 4.7 rating/57,330 HH, KETC St. Louis, February 06
z 2.6 rating/76,635 HH, WHYY, May 05
z 3.5 rating/26,500 HH, KLRN, April 06

In addition to being the star of a nationally-syndicated television series, Lidia is also a best-selling
cookbook author, restaurateur, vintner and entrepreneur. Her cookbooks include her upcoming
Lidia’s Italy as well as Lidia’s Family Table, Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen, Lidia’s Italian Table
and La Cucina di Lidia. She is chef/owner of four successful New York City restaurants – Felidia,
Becco, Esca and Del Posto, and is the proud chef/owner of Lidia’s in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

She is also founder and president of Tavola Productions, an entertainment company that produces
high quality broadcast productions, has developed her own line of specialty sauces that are sold
in discriminating retail establishments nationally, and together with her son Joseph, is an award-
winning vintner with vineyards in Friuli and Maremma, Italy. Her years of work in the food and
restaurant industries have earned her top honors and accolades from the James Beard Foundation,
IACP, The New York Times and Wine Spectator to name a few, and Lidia’s Family Table was
nominated as best television food show nationally by the James Beard Foundation. For more
information about Lidia Bastianich and Lidia’s Italy, please visit www.lidiasitaly.com

TAVOLA PRODUCTIONS

243 East 58th Street z New York, NY 10022 z Tel. 212.758.1488 z Fax 212.935.7687 z www.lidiasitaly.com
 Lidia’s Italy
Fact Sheet

Series Name:
Lidia’s Italy -- Twenty six-episode television cooking series broadcast on Public
Television Stations in local markets across the US. Lidia’s Italy, a 350-page
companion book featuring all dishes featured on Lidia’s show as well as many
additional recipes (Published by Alfred A. Knopf, April 2007, $35.00).

Distributor:
American Public Television (APT)

Presenting Station:
WHYY (Philadelphia, PA)

Production Company:
Tavola Productions, Inc.
243 East 58 Street
New York, NY 10022
(212) 758-1488
President: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Host/Executive Producer: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Executive Producer: Julia Harrison
Director: Bruce Franchini
Supervising Producer: Shelly Burgess Nicotra

Debut Date:
April, 2007
Please check local listings for exact time and date

Format:
30-minute demonstrative cooking show featuring renowned Italian Chef Lidia
Matticchio Bastianich traveling through ten of her favorite regions of Italy, and then
preparing dishes in the familiar, warm, inviting kitchen of her Long Island, NY home.
Each episode will focus on a particular region, and feature extensive footage, scenic
shots, and interviews with local artisans, farmers, vintners, and friends and family.
In several episodes, Lidia’s daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali, a Ph.D. in Italian
Renaissance art, will join her mother in her travels, and give an in-depth look at
various Italian masterpieces.

TAVOLA PRODUCTIONS

243 East 58th Street z New York, NY 10022 z Tel. 212.758.1488 z Fax 212.935.7687 z www.lidiasitaly.com
 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Lidia’s Italy
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich was born in Pula, Istria on the northeastern coast of the
Adriatic Sea. Over the years, the region has belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
and was a part of Italy at the time of Lidia’s birth in 1947. Ceded to Yugoslavia after WWII,
today Istria is divided between Croatia and Slovenia and the blended heritage of the
Slavic and Italian cultures gives its people and its cuisine a uniqueness not found
anywhere else in the world.

This duality has been the major influence for Lidia and her approach to food.
Fluent in both Italian and Croatian, she is as passionate about sauerkraut as she is
about pasta, and grew up not only with the nuances and aromas of both cuisines, but
also knows how to make them work flawlessly together. This subtle duality is what
she shares with her American audiences and what makes her as unique as the region
from which she hales.

In addition to her role as one of the best-loved chefs on television, Lidia is a

best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur and owner of a flourishing food and
entertainment business. Her cookbooks include her latest, Lidia’s Italy -- a companion
book to her new television series, as well as Lidia’s Family Table, Lidia’s Italian-
American Kitchen, Lidia’s Italian Table and La Cucina di Lidia.

She is the chef/owner of four acclaimed New York City restaurants -- Felidia, Becco,
Esca and Del Posto, as well as Lidia’s in Pittsburgh and Kansas City. She is also founder
and president of Tavola Productions, an entertainment company that produces high-
quality broadcast productions including Lidia’s Italy. In addition, Lidia has developed
her own line of specialty sauces that are sold at discriminating retail establishments
nationally and together with her son Joseph, produces award-winning wines at their
Bastianich Vineyards in Friuli and their La Mozza Vineyards in Maremma, Italy. With her
daughter Tanya and Shelly Burgess Nicotra, she heads up an exclusive travel company that
develops and implements customized excursions to Italy that often combine gastronomy
with art history. She gives freely of her time and knowledge, and is active in community
service activities and special events on behalf of the James Beard Foundation and Public
Television. Her interactive website entitled www.lidiasitaly.com includes descriptions of
her restaurants, product information and reviews, as well as mouthwatering recipes and tips
from Lidia herself.

For this proud grandmother of five, there are so many qualities that go into a successful
life. Perhaps the single most important quality that Lidia shares, is her belief that it’s not
only the food on the table that makes the meal, it’s the people who join around the table
who bring the meal to life. Her signature line: “Tutti a tavola a mangiare!” whose translation
means “Everybody to the table to eat!” is something that has been said in Italian households
for centuries, and is still repeated in Italian homes everyday, all over the world. This common
phrase in its simplicity, could possibly be Lidia’s true recipe for success.

TAVOLA PRODUCTIONS

243 East 58th Street z New York, NY 10022 z Tel. 212.758.1488 z Fax 212.935.7687 z www.lidiasitaly.com
 Lidia’s Italy
Additional Information about Lidia Matticchio Bastianich:
z Born in 1947 in Pula, Istria which was a part of Italy, and is now a part of Croatia.

z Came to the United States in 1958 with the help of Catholic Charities, and settled with her
family in New Jersey, and then Queens. She currently resides in Long Island, NY.

z One of the best loved television chefs whose previous television series include Lidia’s Italian
Table, Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen and Lidia’s Family Table.

z Cookbook author of La Cucina Di Lidia, Lidia’s Italian Table, Lidia’s Italian-American

Kitchen, Lidia’s Family Table and her new cookbook Lidia’s Italy.

z Owner of Felidia Ristorante in New York, which received three stars from The New York Times
by both Ruth Reichl and Frank Bruni, and named one of NY’s most popular restaurants by the
Zagat Survey.

z Co-owner of Becco, Esca, and Del Posto in New York, and Lidia’s Kansas City and
Lidia’s Pittsburgh.

z Collaborates on winemaking with son Joseph at their vineyards in Friuli and

Maremma, Italy.

z Recipient of several prestigious awards including the James Beard Foundation’s

Outstanding Chef in 2002, Best Chef in NYC in 1999 and Wine Spectator’s Grand
Award through 2006. Her program, Lidia’s Family Table, was nominated best television
food show nationally by the James Beard Foundation.

z Community service activist with ties to UNIFEM. In 2006, Lidia participated for the
sixth straight year in UNIFEM’s annual benefit, contributing funds, the benefit’s menu
as well as unique “recipes for peace.” She fundraises for several Public Television
Stations on a continuing basis, and works with autistic children through her local
chapter of AHRC.

z Founder of Lidia’s Flavors of Italy Gourmet Pasta Sauces – sold by discriminating retail
establishments nationwide.

z Partner in Esperienze Italiane, a full-service travel company providing customized tours to Italy.

z Featured on www.lidiasitaly.com

z Frequent guest on The Today Show, The Early Show and Good Morning America, and Public
Television Station Pledge Drives around the country.

z Loves classical music, opera, sailing, food history, travel and a challenging game of chess.

TAVOLA PRODUCTIONS

243 East 58th Street z New York, NY 10022 z Tel. 212.758.1488 z Fax 212.935.7687 z www.lidiasitaly.com
 Lidia’s Italy
Tanya Bastianich Manuali
Lidia’s daughter Tanya was born in 1972, and grew up surrounded by food and the
rich Italian culture that she has immersed herself in both personally and professionally.
With a BA in Art History from Georgetown, and a Ph.D in Italian Renaissance Art
History from Oxford, Tanya spent six years living, studying and teaching Art History
in Florence, Italy where she married her husband, Corrado Manuali, an attorney
specializing in International Law.

Returning to New York, Tanya joined Lidia’s company, and broadened the family
business in several directions. She co-authored Lidia’s Italy, launched Esperienze
Italiane, (Italian Experiences), an upscale travel company that develops customized
tours of Italy combining fine art with fine food and wine. She developed a product
line that includes Lidia’s specialty sauces that are sold in fine stores nationally, and
she brought the company into the 21st Century with the creation of the Lidia’s Italy
website, www.lidiasitaly.com, a comprehensive website featuring in depth,
up-to-the-minute information on Lidia, her restaurants and her recipes.

This season, on various episodes of the program, Tanya joins Lidia in Italy and
demonstrates her own love for the country through her love of art. Sit back as Tanya
takes you on an artistic journey to uncover and explain the significance of well-known
as well as hidden artistic masterpieces. You’ll learn the real history behind these
treasures set against the backdrop of an ever-changing Europe, and you’ll get to know
the artists and the development of their craft.

Together, mother and daughter bring you their beloved Italy – the food, the art and
sometimes the intersection of the two. In one episode, they visit Corrado Manuali’s
Nonna (grandmother) Lisa in Naples to make Tiella, a thin-crusted deep dish pizza
stuffed with different combinations of vegetables and fish. Nonna Lisa shows them
several variations on the original theme, which they eventually bring back to Lidia’s
kitchen to cook and share with viewers.

Tanya and Corrado who says his grandmother makes the best Tiella in all of Italy, and
their two children live in Long Island, NY. They travel to Italy frequently and consider
it their second home.

TAVOLA PRODUCTIONS

243 East 58th Street z New York, NY 10022 z Tel. 212.758.1488 z Fax 212.935.7687 z www.lidiasitaly.com
Lidia’s Italy Episode Descriptions
LI 101: BRINY AS THE SEA:
Sail to Istria and discover the secrets behind making wholesome seafood pastas. Lidia
befriends the local fishermen and prepares a great scampi dish “alla Buzara.”

LI 102: A SICILIAN & HIS CALAMARI:

Travel to Palermo, Sicily with Lidia and discover the most delicious way to enjoy
Calamari-Manfredi style. Manfredi is a dear friend and olive oil producer from
Palermo and has a very simple dish featuring calamari. Following that, she visits
with another friend who has a spectacular seaside home and prepares a simple
pesto “Trapanese style.”

LI 103: THE LAMB OF THE LAND:

Head to Friuli where Lidia has her vineyards and
where she has wonderful friends and family that she
visits several times throughout the year. Learn the
tricks of the trade to making perfectly roasted lamb
shoulder paired with Montasio cheese crisps with
Swiss chard or the famous fricos!

LI 104: MUSSELING MY WAY THROUGH PUGLIA:

Today Lidia takes you to the “heel of the boot” or the
region of Puglia to learn how to make vegetable farro
with tuna & tomatoes. Then it’s on to the town of
Andria to make a scrumptious almond tart.

LI 105: TWO ESSENTIALS OF ROMAN CUISINE:

Artichokes are at the heart of the Roman kitchen, and
Lidia shows us how to prepare two easy and delicious
chicken dishes, one of which features this great and
nutritious vegetable. Another favorite is a chicken
with prosciutto dish—a real hit with the family.

LI 106: THE RAW & THE COOKED & THE TOSSED:

Travel to Sicily with Lidia and uncover the secret to a
delicious salad Sicilian style. Lidia will also reveal a
classic scallopine with Marsala.

LI 107: TWO TASTY PASTAS, PUGLIA STYLE:

There’s nothing as perfect as a fresh, ripe tomato,
and today Lidia proves it by tossing cherry
tomatoes with arugula and cavatelli—a pasta
specifically local to Puglia.

LI 108: WHEN IN ROME… EAT PASTA:

Rome is famous for its simple, inexpensive and absolutely delicious dry pasta
dishes. Two of these famous dishes are the Bucatini all’Amatriciana and
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe.

LI 109: SAVOR IT “SAOR:”

It’s all about Trieste today as we learn how to properly marinate sardines.
Lidia then prepares mouth watering veal chops based on a recipe from Trieste.

LI 110: THE ESSENCE OF MAREMMA:

Viewers get a feel for Maremma today as Lidia cooks up appetizing poached
eggs and a classic, yet delightful, steak with a side of Tuscan beans and squash.
This is where the Tuscan cowboys reign so look out for a few surprises!

Episodes Index Continued...

LI 111: BIGOLI JUST FOR ME:
Lidia serves a luscious bowl of pasta filled with hearty chicken livers, but save
room for dessert because she’s cooking up a tasty Limoncello Tiramisu. And her
visit to the Veneto area is exactly where the famous tiramisu was born… but
this twist with limoncello is a real delight.

LI 112: ANNA, THE COUS COUS LADY:

Cous cous in Italian cuisine? It’s Sicily—an island that has seen many an
inhabitant. Today join Lidia with her friend Anna, who we also call The Cous
Cous Lady as they put together a delicate salad of orange, red onion, and olives
followed by a hot, steaming bowl of seafood brodetto.

LI 113: SPAGHETTI & WHITE CLAMS, A CLASSIC

PLUS MORE:
Lidia LOVES Naples! It’s colorful, vibrant and full of
energy. Today Lidia will also demonstrate a great pasta
that has the flavor without the added calories as she
prepares a recipe for Bucatini “mock” Amatriciana;
meaning minus the meat.

LI 114: THE PALM SQUEEZE:

It’s all about Istria, and this is where Lidia was born so
there is a lot to learn. Following a delicious mushroom
sauce, you’ll want to save room for dessert, because
today it’s delectable crepes filled with chocolate and
hazelnut, a true specialty from this area.

LI 115: BRACIOLE-A CINNAMON ROLL:

Venice, the Veneto, spices! It was the center of the
spice trade as Lidia loves to tell, and in this episode
Lidia visits the region and then comes back to the
kitchen where she doesn’t hold back at all--making
mouth watering beef cutlets garnished with aromatic
cinnamon and cloves.

LI 116: STIR THAT POT:

The people from Friuli are often called “polentone”
or polenta eaters, and Lidia celebrates this
philosophy as she shows polenta for breakfast, lunch
and dinner. This is an episode dedicated to the
wonder, simplicity and versatility of polenta.

LI 117: AUTUMN IN MAREMMA:

Many of you know Tuscany but Maremma is an
area along the coast that is often skipped when traveling to this
rich region full of great food, wine and art. As Lidia visits with her friends
from La Mozza winery, she serves up a classic -- slow cooked rabbit with
chestnuts -- just like the Italians do in autumn in Maremma.

LI 118: GNOCCHI, SAVORY & SWEET:

Here’s a dish that is classic to Friuli as Lidia explains how the dough can
be used to make something sweet and something savory. For starters, she
demonstrates how to make potato gnocchi. For dessert, we are in for a
pleasant surprise -- an apple pastry with a crunchy hazelnut crust.

Episodes Index Continued...

LI 119: TRUFFLES FOR BREAKFAST AND DINNER:
Today is extra special as we travel to Piedmont and discover the truth behind white
truffles. Lidia prepares a delicate dish of scrambled eggs with truffles for breakfast.
For dinner, it’s a delicate risotto with coddled egg and white truffles.

LI 120: NEAPOLITAN MACARONI AND CHEESE:

Here’s a new take on a favorite American classic – Mac ‘N Cheese. And what better
place to do it than Naples. This dish will melt in your mouth, and your kids will be
asking for more!

LI 121: KNEADING WITH AN OLD FRIEND:

Anyone who has visited with Paola di Mauro feels like
they have met the Italian Julia Child. This passionate
cook and dear friend of Lidia’s, works with her on some
homemade fresh pasta that is served with some great
chicken livers.

LI 122: WHERE BAROLO REIGNS… IT POURS:

Discover the richness of Piedmont as Lidia serves baked
cardoons accompanied by scrumptious beef braised in
Barolo wine. Save some room for dessert -- delicious
crescent-moon shaped cornmeal cookies.

LI 123: GOULASH, ITALIAN-STYLE:

Travel to Trieste and discover the secret behind Italian-
style goulash. Lidia shows us how to serve up this meaty
dish with a side of delicious potatoes. This isn’t just
your typical meat and potato dish!

LI 124: THE GALLOPING FIGS:

Figs, simple but outstanding, are center stage today
appearing in a beef stew with braised cannellini beans.
It’s Tuscany at its best!

LI 125: SAUERKRAUT MY WAY:

Anyone who has been to Lidia’s home for a meal
knows that one of her favorite dishes to make is
sauerkraut. It is so typical where she comes from.
In this episode, Lidia serves a comforting bowl of
chickpea & pork minestrone. To finish we learn how
to make a crowd-pleasing, one-pot meal with sausage
and cured pork.

LI 126: THE POTATO WORK-OUT:

Lidia lets you in on a treasured childhood memory as she
teaches us how to make an appealing gnocchi stuffed with prunes
– a favorite among children and adults alike.
 the four best-selling cookbooks she has
written, the two TV shows she has
created--a third, Lidia’s Family Table,
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich is only 58, but she doesn’t seem to mind began this spring on PBS--all celebrate
if you think she’s older. She presents herself to the world in matronly the traditional northern-Italian foods of
blouses or patterned smocks, with a sensible shade of red lipstick and her brief childhood in Istria, a region of
a welcoming smile gracing her lunar face. She is thick in the middle, northeastern Italy that was transferred
to communist Yugoslavia after World
sprightly of eye and possessed of powerful momma’s hands that have War II. (It is now part of Croatia and
built a multimillion-dollar restaurant-and-food empire. Slovenia.) Bastianich’s family left with
More than that, she has lived a life decision to come here, “the New World.” at least 200,000 other ethnic Italians
so rich in history that, by comparison, She learned English as a third language, who refused to give up their language,
the attractive twentysomethings the after Italian and Serbo-Croatian. their Catholicism and their very
Food Network so desperately wants to If it seems uncharitable to a woman names. (Authorities tried to Slavicize
turn into stars seem like brummagem so accomplished as Bastianich--someone Bastianich’s maiden name, Matticchio,
pretenders. When Bastianich was just with so many plans for the future--to dwell as Motika.)
10, she and her family fled communist on her past, consider that her past is her
tyranny in Europe, lived as refugees and future. The five restaurants she owns or Click here to read the entire Time
immigrated to New York City--which she co-owns in three cities (a sixth, Del Posto, Magazine article...
still calls, when speaking of her parents’ is set to open in Manhattan in November),
EVER SINCE I WAS A CHILD, I’ve loved to cook,
so I feel fortunate that the culinary arts have become
my life’s work. My days are filled with the challenges
and delights of making wonderful food, whether I’m
teaching young chefs at my restaurants, writing recipes
for my cookbooks, or getting dishes to come out just
right on camera for my public television shows.
Yet I count it an even greater blessing when I can
go home at the end of the day and share a meal with
those I love: my mother, my two children, and my
five grandchildren, all of whom live close enough
that there’s never a reason to miss Sunday dinner.
For hours on end, four generations gather in the
kitchen—cooking, eating, cleaning up, and always
talking—while the kids run laughing (and sometimes
crying) through the house. These are the most precious
moments of my life.
Click here to read the entire AARP
Magazine article...
 When they’re sizzling, stir in ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ cup of the wine.
Jumbo Shrimp Buzara Style Cook, stirring frequently, until the wine is nearly completely evaporated and the
BUZARA DI SCAMPI shallots have softened. Drop in the tomato paste and stir it around the pan for a
minute, coating the shallots and caramelizing.
Serves 6
3. Pour in the rest of the wine, bring to the boil quickly, then add the water and ¼
teaspoon salt, stirring. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the sauce bubble
Shrimp alla buzara is common all gently and reduce for about 5 minutes while you sear the shrimp.
around the northern Adriatic coast.
When I make this quick and delicious 4. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into the wide skillet, and set over high heat until
dish at our house, I give everyone an very hot. Scatter the shrimp in the pan, toss them in the oil, and season with the
empty bowl for the shells. I bring the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for just a minute or slightly longer, until he shells
pan to the table; we roll up our sleeves are lightly colored and the flesh underneath is opaque, then turn off the heat.
and dig in, savoring the sweet meat, then
sucking and licking every drop of sauce 5. With the sauce still bubbling, slide in the seared shrimp and tumble to coat them

Fold along line and store with your favorite recipes!

from the shells. all with sauce. Stir in the coarsely ground pepper, then the tablespoon of bread
All that’s needed is some grilled bread. crumbs—use more crumbs if the sauce is thin. Cook for another 2 minutes, then
turn off the heat.
If you wish, use smaller, inexpensive shrimp (shelled and cleaned) in the recipe to
make a terrific dressing for spaghetti or linguine. And leftovers make a great risotto. 6. Drizzle over the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil—or more to taste—and
incorporate it well, tumbling the shrimp in the pan. Sprinkle the parsley on top, and
serve immediately.
Ingredients:

z 24 large raw shrimp, 1 ounce apiece (U-16 size)

z 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
z 3 plump garlic cloves, finely chopped
z ½ cup finely chopped shallots
z 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
z 1 cup white wine
z 1 tablespoon tomato paste
z 1 cup of water
z Freshly ground black pepper to taste
z 1 tablespoon bread crumbs, or more if needed
z 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Recommended Equipment:
A heavy-bottomed sauté pan, 10-to12-inch diameter, for the sauce
A heavy-bottomed 13-to14-inch skillet for searing the shrimp

Directions:

1. Without removing any of the shell, remove the vein (digestive tract) that runs
inside the curving back of each shrimp: slice open the back with a sturdy sharp
paring knife, cutting through the shell and scrape out the vein. Rinse the shrimp and
pat dry.

2. Pour ¼ cup of the olive oil into the sauté pan, and set over medium-high heat. ©2001 MarioNovak.com
Scatter in the garlic, cook until sizzling, then stir in the shallots.
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Spaghetti with Crushed Black
Pepper & Pecorino Cheese
SPAGHETTI CACIO E PEPE

Serves 6

Here is a classic pasta, as delicious as it

is simple and fast. But because it is such
a minimalist creation, every ingredient
is of utmost importance. Use a very
good authentic pecorino, one produced
in Lazio (the Italian region where

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Rome is located), Tuscany, or Sardinia.
The cheese is at its best when aged only 8 to 10 months. And grind the black
peppercorns just before making the dish—I like to crush the black pepper by hand in
a mortar, into coarse bits that explode with flavor as I enjoy the pasta.

Ingredients:

z Salt for the pasta water

z 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, or more to taste
z 1 pound spaghetti
z 1 ½ cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano, or more to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Grind the peppercorns very coarsely, preferably crushing them in a mortar with a
pestle or in a spice grinder.

3. Warm up a big bowl for mixing and serving the pasta—use some of the pasta water
to heat the bowl, if you like.

4. Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Quickly lift it from the pot with tongs, let it
drain for an instant, then drop it into the warm bowl.

5. Immediately scatter a cup of the grated cheese and most of the ground pepper on
the pasta, and toss in quickly. As you mix, sprinkle over spoonfuls of hot water from
the cooking pot to moisten and amalgamate the pasta and condiments—add more
pepper or cheese to taste.

6. Serve right away, while the spaghetti is very hot.

For more great recipes,
visit Lidia online at www.LidiasItaly.com
Cannoli Napoleon Directions:

CANNOLO A STRATI 1. Make the pastry dough in the food processor a day or two in advance—or at least
4 hours—for the best texture. Put the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in the bowl,
6-8 Servings and process just to mix. Mix the olive oil, vinegar, and wine together, and, with the
machine running, pour all but 1 tablespoon in and process for 20 seconds or so, until
a dough gathers on the blade. If it feels hard and dry, sprinkle in the remaining liquid
Pasticcerie, pastry shops, also referred to as and process briefly. It should be moist and malleable—incorporate more wine if
Catlisch (a name inherited from the Swiss), needed. Turn the dough out of the bowl, scraping any bits from the sides and blade,
are a grand tradition in Palermo. The and knead by hand into a soft, smooth ball. Flatten to a disk, wrap very tightly in
city was greatly influenced by the French plastic, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
and Swiss in their pastry-making. When
I am in Sicily, cannoli and desserts made 2. Put the fresh ricotta in a fine-meshed sieve, and set inside a bowl to drain for at
with citrus are my favorites. In Palermo, least 12 hours or a whole day in advance. Cover the ricotta with plastic wrap and
I always enjoy desserts and a great cup of refrigerate.

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espresso at my dear friend’s pastry place,
Pepino Stancanpiana’s Catlisch. 3. To make the cannoli cream, whip the ricotta with the whisk attachment of an
electric mixer until smooth. Whip in the 2⁄3 cup powdered sugar and the Grand
My Sicilian chef at Felidia, Fortunato Nicotra, makes an elegant version of this, Sicily’s
Marnier. Chop the chocolate (or chips) into coarse bits—big enough to bite into and
favorite dolce, with deep-fried disks of cannoli pastry stacked high with layers of ricotta
to be visible. Coarsely chop the candied peel and almonds to the same size. Fold the
cream in between. I like to fry squares of pastry in a skillet—no deep-fryer needed—and
build a crispy, creamy cannoli napoleon.
chopped pieces into the cream; refrigerate until you assemble he cannoli.

In Sicily, cannoli filling is made with sheep’s-milk ricotta, which has a distinctive flavor 4. Cut the pastry dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of
that can’t be matched by ordinary processed ricotta. Fresh cow’s-milk ricotta, which is dough to a rectangle 14 inches by 11 inches (or as close as possible). With a sharp
widely available now, is what I use. Be sure to drain it well, sweeten lightly, mix with knife and ruler, trim the edges and divide the rectangle into a dozen squares, about
chopped bitter chocolate, candied orange, and toasted almonds—and add a touch of 3 ½ inches on a side. (If you can only get nine squares of that size or slightly larger,
Grand Marnier—for real Sicilian cannoli. that’s fine!) Set the squares aside, on a lightly floured tray, to rest for 15 minutes
before frying. Meanwhile, roll out and divide the remaining half of dough the same
way.
Ingredients:
5. To fry the pastry, pour oil into the skillet to a depth of ¼ inch and set over
For the pastry dough medium heat. With the point of a small sharp knife, pierce each pastry square about
ten times, all over its surface, as though you were making pinpricks through the
z 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough. (These tiny holes will prevent the pastry from ballooning when fried.)
z 2 tablespoons sugar
z ¼ teaspoon salt 6. Heat the oil until the edge of a square sizzles gently when dipped into it, then
z 2 tablespoons olive oil lay in as many squares as you can, 2 inches apart. Raise the heat to keep the oil
z 1 teaspoon white vinegar temperature up (but lower it as soon as the sizzling gets too fast). Fry the squares
z ½ cup dry red wine, or as needed for about 3 minutes on the fist side, pushing them under the oil occasionally to heat
the top surface. As the tops begin to bubble, press with tongs to prevent big bubbles
For the cannoli cream from ballooning—small bubbles are OK. When the bottom is golden brown, flip the
squares over and fry until evenly colored and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes.
z 1 pound (2 cups) fresh ricotta
z 2⁄3 cup powdered sugar, plus more for decoration 7. As soon as they’re done, lift the squares with tongs, let excess oil drip off, and lay
z 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional, but very good!) them to drain on folded paper towels; flip them over to blot the oil from both sides.
Fry all the squares this way, adding oil as needed and heating it between batches.
z 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, or 3 tablespoons bittersweet chips
z 2 tablespoons candied orange rind
8. Assemble your cannoli napoleons shortly before serving, with three nice squares
z 2 tablespoons whole toasted almonds
for each. Set one square on the plate, drop about 1 ½ tablespoons of cannoli cream
z 1 cup vegetable oil, or as needed
in the center, lay another square on top—sides aligned—and press gently to spread
the cream. Drop on another layer of cream, cover with the third square, and press.
Finally, shower the top of each Napoleon with powdered sugar (and embellish with
drizzles of honey or a sprinkle of finely grated chocolate), and serve.
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