Celebrity Chef Holidays: Lidia Bastianich
As a part of our Celebrity Chefs Holiday series, some of America's best-known chefs and food television personalities share their favorite holiday dishes, provide recipes for them, and even tell us who will be at their holiday tables. Today we talk to Lidia Bastianich, famed restaurateur, public television personality, and cookbook author.
What's your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal and why? My favorite part of Thanksgiving is that it is an all-American holiday. Being Italian, every family holiday we celebrate in the Italian tradition, recipes, and customs. On the other hand, on Thanksgiving I cook mostly American: pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes with brown sugar and molasses, warm apple pie with ice cream, and a big roast turkey with stuffing and cranberry-quince chutney. America offered my family and I refuge and the possibility of a new life when I was only 13. This is the holiday where I especially feel American, and the nature of this holiday makes me feel especially grateful to this country. On Thanksgiving as we gather around the table every year is an affirmation, Italian of origin, we feel truly blessed and grateful to be Americans.
What are you doing for Christmas this year? Who's going to be there? What is the menu going to be? Christmas Day will most likely be at my house and my brother with his family of five, Tanya and her family of four, Joseph and his family of five, Joe's in-laws and sister in-law's family of six will come over for dinner. (The menu, after the jump.)
Could you share a favorite Thanksgiving recipe with the Serious Eats community? Everybody loves the butternut squash tiramisù and the cranberry-quince chutney I make.
What's your favorite part of the Christmas meal and why? A moving moment for me is when the whole family is around the table. We say grace, and the aromas of the food fill the air, and I feel very gratified when I serve the capon tortellini soup and Olivia, Lorenzo, Miles, Ethan, and Julia, my five grandchildren devour it and ask for seconds. At that point I know they have been nourished with food and love, and they know it as well.
Could you share your favorite Thanksgiving menu with the Serious Eats community?
I'd love to. Here it is:
Lidia's Thanksgiving Menu
Sparkling Wine
Franciacorta Maurizio Zanella Pas Dosage
Antipasto Misto (Tanya will prepare)
Prosciutto, affettati misti
Mozzarella di bufala
Polipo con patate insalata
Swiss chard crostata
Wine: Vespa 2006 Bastianich
Primo (I will prepare)
Brodo di Capone/Turkey con anelini
Main course (I will prepare)
Roast turkey with stuffing
Sweet potatoes
Mint-marinated butternut squash
Wine: Aragone La Mozza 2005
Vegetables Contorni (Tanya will prepare)
Braised broccoli rabe
Wild arugula salad
Condiments (Deanna will prepare)
Cranberry and quince chutnies
Dessert (Deanna, Joe's wife, will bring)
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Butternut Squash Tiramisu (I will make)
Roasted chestnuts
Espresso, grappa, chocolates, dry fruits, torrone, cookies, and panettone to follow
Lida Bastianich's Holiday Recipes
Octopus and Potato Salad
Swiss Chard Crostata
Broccoli Rabe with Oil and Garlic
Roast Turkey
Apple Strudel
Cranberry-Quince Chutney
Squash Tiramisù
Related
Cooking for the Pope: Lidia Bastianich Comes Full Circle
Cook the Book: Lidia's Italy
More Celebrity Chef Holidays
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16 Comments:
No recipe for the the butternut squash tiramisu and the cranberry-quince chutney that she says she will share with us.
m0pngl0w at 4:19PM on 11/11/08
A lovely interview. I was dying for the chutney recipe! I've got quinces in the kitchen, waiting to do something useful and delicious.
islandexile at 6:31PM on 11/11/08
Also wondering about that chutney recipe.
holdthemayo at 9:39AM on 11/12/08
I LOVE LIDIA!
simon at 10:01AM on 11/13/08
I love Lidia. My mother has a book with famous chefs kitchens. Her home and kitchen is especially beautiful I dont remember the name of the book, but it's a good one.
delilah at 12:17AM on 11/14/08
"Could you share a favorite Thanksgiving recipe with the Serious Eats community? Everybody loves the butternut squash tiramisu and the cranberry-quince chutney I make."
And then...nuthin'. Ed, help us out, willya?!?
Curlz at 7:23PM on 11/15/08
Please.....
islandexile at 3:12PM on 11/17/08
I really enjoy watching Lidia when I come across her show while channel surfing. Great recipes!
ddvierra68 at 5:37PM on 11/17/08
Ed, please be a darling and see if you can post Chef Lida's delicious holiday recipes for the butternut squash tiramisu and the cranberry-quince chutney. Our appetites are peaked and we are awaiting instructions, seriously......I'd even consider growing my own quince trees if this recipe for cranberry-quince chutney is a winner with our families.
TableofDelights at 5:47PM on 11/18/08
Lidia's assistant just sent us those very recipes. We'll try to get them up tomorrow.
Ed Levine at 6:40PM on 11/18/08
Thanks in advance - I can't wait! I make tiramisu every Christmas, sometimes Thanksgiving, for my Italian family, but I woudl love a butternut squash twist. A google search landed me empty handed.
okmosa at 7:54PM on 11/18/08
Thanks.....
islandexile at 7:55PM on 11/18/08
Thanking you and Lida's assistant for helping to share and post the wonderful sounding winter holiday dishes. Awaiting your posting in time for holiday cooking. Thanks!
TableofDelights at 5:39PM on 11/19/08
Thanks! I would like to know when the recipes will be posted. I will be cooking the Thanksgiving dinner with my family. I would like to compose the menu and make sure everything's organized. If you could post the recipes sooner, that would be extremely helpful and appreciated. I dreamed about Butternut Squash Tiramisu for two nights already. :)
ViaSalvatore at 8:22AM on 11/21/08
We've posted the Cranberry-Quince Chutney and the Squash Tiramisù recipes—enjoy!
Alaina Browne at 11:27AM on 11/21/08
mopnglow,
trying to get a recipe from Lidia is like trying to get blood from a turnip. She is not too forthcoming and willing to share her recipes . I used to see her a lot on PBS . For most of the cooks that make recipes on thier PBS program they are available if you go on line but not her. She will not share any ingredient measurements, but refers you to her website. You then think you will find the recipe there but instead she wants to sell you her books. And you won't get a recipe unless you buy the book it is in. I for one think that just stinks. I don't know why foodtv has her on when she can't share all the recipes. We watch to learn and get new recipes, and if you can't get them then there is no reason to watch. So when she comes on now I watch something else or switch channels till she if off, I have just plain disgust for her. I think she is greedy, trying to make a buck at every turn.
I am very pleased that we are able to get the recipes that are on foodtv. I could start a library with all thier recipes that I have printed off.Foodtv has become an addiction. Well , that's better than drugs or alcohol, etc.,
I have enjoyed all the Thanksgiving recipes today , and will incorporate some of the recipes and tips and ideas in my thanksgiving dinner, and after that day. I'm am also having game night at my house 2 days later and I will also use some of the recipes for that meal and for appetizers using my leftovers. I have printed off many from today.
pinky at 12:10AM on 11/23/08