Lidia's Italy

March 5, 2007
Surely one of the secrets to Lidia Bastianich's success as a television personality is the high quality of her companion books. Bastianich's never seem like mere collections of stills from the show; they impart new information and are full of dishes even dedicated Italophiles may not know, such as Gnocchi Ravioli with Sausage-Spinach Filling and Sage Pudding. However, the concept for her latest show, and as a result this eponymous book, feels slightly haphazard. While Bastianich is to be applauded for overlooking the obvious Tuscan targets like Florence to concentrate instead on the region's less well-known natural beauty in the Maremma area with its mammoth national park, her "places" are inconsistent. They include single cities (Padova and Treviso) and whole regions (Piedmont). And while Bastianich's native Istria offers alluring specialties such as Fresh Pasta Quills with Chicken Sauce, it makes an odd subject for an opening chapter, since it is no longer part of Italy. Bastianich's daughter and coauthor, who runs an Italian tourism company, suggests a handful of sites to visit in each location, be it Spaccanapoli in Naples or a Cistercian abbey 35 miles outside of Turin. Bastianich is probably incapable of creating a truly bad book—the recipes are as functional as they are tempting—but this all-over-the-boot offering is not her best.

Starred review from April 15, 2007
Bastianich is the owner of Felidia's in New York City and of Lidia's restaurants in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, as well as the author of four previous cookbooks. Her latest title, the companion to her new PBS series, focuses on her favorite Italian regions, from Istria (now part of Croatia), where she was born, to Puglia, the "heel" of Italy's "boot." Recipes are organized by course within each region (there is a separate episode listing, as well as a master list by course), and while there are some sophisticated restaurant creations here, Bastianich has a fondness for rustic, traditional favorites, such as Alma's Cooked Water Soup or Sicilian Chicken Cacciatora with Eggplant. Her daughter Tanya is an art historian, and each chapter includes a bonus section called "Tanya's Tour" on not-to-be-missed cultural highlights. Highly recommended.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2007
America's appetite for Italian food knows no bounds, and it hungers more and more for the fresh flavors and simple preparations that characterize Italian cuisine in its native setting. Through her restaurants, her books, and her television shows, Bastianich has brilliantly advanced the cause of regional Italian cooking. Her new television series debuts in April, this one organized around 10 different regions on the peninsula. From each region, Bastianich draws representative recipes, featuring the most typical foods of the region. Rome contributes its artichokes, Trieste its pork, Piemonte its polenta, Naples its pasta, Sicily its seafood. Through intelligent selection, Bastianich's recipes reflect their native origins and are easily reproducible in American kitchens. After each region's recipes, Manuali presents for the tourist some significant, yet not-always-familiar sites, capturing some of the area's art and architectural history. Together, this mother-daughter team feeds both stomach and soul with Italy's best.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)