Lidia's Kitchen

-Buongiorno.

I'm Lidia Bastianich, and teaching you about Italian food has always been my passion.

Just like that.

You got that right.

It has always been about cooking together and building your confidence in the kitchen.

For me, food is about gathering around the table to enjoy loved ones.

Your family is going to love it.

Share a delicious meal and make memories.

Tutti a tavola a mangiare.

"Lidia's Kitchen: Meals & Memories."

-Funding provided by... -Every can of Cento tomatoes is born in Italy, where they are grown and ripened in sun-drenched fields and then harvested by local farmers who select them just for us.

Cento -- trust your family with our family.

-Grana Padano -- authentic, Italian, rich in tradition, yet contemporary.

-It's the Italian way.

Prosecco DOC ros.

A toast of Italy.

-Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese from Italy -- handcrafted from 100% sheep's milk.

-Olitalia -- from chef to chef.

-What fuels my soul is being in the kitchen surrounded by the flavors, the smell, and the memories of my loved ones, the best place to be.

Growing up, I loved foraging for dandelions, and this simple, nourishing salad is a great way to try them.

The memories start flowing in my mind back in the courtyard with Grandma.

This parmigiana is cooked all in one pan.

I skip the breading, making it quick and easy.

Look how beautiful.

Nice and toasty on top, just the way we like it.

All while satisfying that classic craving.

Let's cook the food that nourishes the body, mind, and soul.

Food is nourishing.

It gives us life.

But it could be nurturing, showing affection, loving somebody.

And it could also almost transcend into a spiritual situation.

You've all experienced -- Smell evokes memories, brings you to a place that you remember.

But food is just that.

It is smells.

It is taste.

You can't help but being taken back by certain foods to certain times in your life.

In my life, I know to evoke certain moments that I felt in my life, I tend to cook those same foods that got me there to begin with.

So never underestimate the power of food.

And keep on cooking.

Insalata di cicoria e ceci.

Beautiful dandelion.

This dandelion is cultivated.

I used to go forage for wild dandelion with my grandmother.

And every Spring, we had loads of these salads.

When you're buying this, you look at it, you want it nice and fresh.

The stems are good.

I just want to trim them a little bit.

Just like that.

[ Pot boiling ] And what is rattling in the pot there?

I have a pot of water, of course, where I'm going to cook the dandelion.

Then I put the eggs in first, when the water was cold, so they don't crack, because if you put cold eggs in boiling water, of course you'll crack.

You see this one even a little bit cracked, but at least they remained nice and whole.

So put your eggs in cold water, bring them to boil, and they're cooked, and then put them in ice water so that they peel better for you.

So let me cut the stems a little smaller, but I'm going to use them all, and then I go on to the leaves, just like that.

It's a rough cut.

Make sure you wash it well.

Dandelion sometimes has a little sand in it, so make sure you wash it well.

Boiling water, no salt, nothing in the water, just simple boiling water.

And that will take about 15 minutes to thoroughly cook.

And then we'll make the salad.

A nice country bread, sort of a day-old bread is a good way of recycling.

Toasting it gives it new life.

Ah.

The corner -- I happen to like the corner.

So, all even slices.

I'm feeling how hot it is.

It is fairly hot.

There we go.

If you have the grill going, of course, that's the best, but in a pan like this, it does good.

You know, you want to press it down a little bit.

That will expedite the toast, and it won't dry the bread too much, and pushing it down, you get a lot of contact over the bread with the grill pan, and that's what you want.

And I'll make some more.

So this will take 15 minutes.

Grilling the bread will be done in the same time, and I'll be ready to dress the salad.

Hi, everybody.

I'm here in my library.

I'm reading your questions and giving you some helpful answers.

Here's a video from Jay.

So let's take a look.

-Hi, Lidia.

Love your show.

I learn so much from you every time I watch.

What would you recommend that I make with my 5-year-old grandchild?

I would welcome any suggestion you have to introduce him to great food.

-Oh, what a great question, Jay.

You're in a great kitchen, so you have all the tools, and you want to cook with your grandson.

The best.

That's the best.

And the connection there is unforgettable.

He'll be with that all of his life.

But, you know, kids like to get their hands in doughs, peeling things, cleaning things.

My grandkids, which now are away in college, their favorite time was when they came over, they would pull up the stool to get to the counter, and they were ready.

And making gnocchi was a favorite for everybody because they love eating the gnocchi.

But making any pasta.

Shelling peas was another favorite and washing the vegetable or the salad.

And in and out, that was the most washed vegetables of my cooking time.

So, Jay, you have plenty of opportunity.

Have a great time cooking with your grandson, and thank you for the e-mail.

Here's another e-mail.

Alma's mother sent in a photo of her baking a dandelion cake, and she says, "Alma picked all the dandelions, and they found this recipe to use them!"

I picked a lot of dandelion, wild dandelion, but I never made a cake with them.

Let's see what she sent us.

[ Laughs ] The decoration.

That looks great.

The icing.

Now that you gave me this idea, I would have plucked all this yellow petals, then I would have tossed it a little bit in some sugar and then sprinkled them over.

But it looks beautiful.

Good idea.

And thank you for sending me the picture.

The dandelion is draining.

I have the ceci beans also cooked.

So the ceci beans are easy.

You get them into little plastic bags.

These are the dry ceci beans.

If you put them in water and soak them overnight, they plump up, and then you can cook them much faster.

So here we have the ceci in a nice bowl because we're going to toss.

It's a salad.

Let me squeeze the dandelion.

So you see how the dandelion is nice, soft, tender?

Okay, yes, it's drained, but there's always some water left in it, so I give it a squeeze.

My grandmother used to do that, you know?

We used to have them often, and I used to go foraging with Grandma.

You have dandelion in your yard sometimes, and you're fighting with them, but the wild one is even a little bit more, let's say, rustic.

She used to have a little knife half the size of this, and she had, like, an apron she would fold up.

I'll show you.

She would fold up an apron just like that, put it in here, just like that.

And here she would go in, and we would sort of cut, but she would leave the roots in the dirt.

Just cut up to the flower part, to the plant part, because the roots would be good for another year.

It would develop some more for other people to harvest.

Or maybe me.

So here we are.

You have legumes, you have greens, and you have protein with the eggs, so it's a complete meal.

This was a complete meal with a nice loaf of bread.

Here, I give you some grilled bread and some prosciutto, which really rounds up this meal.

So, let's dress.

Put some salt.

You know, I didn't put any salt in cooking it.

So that's that.

Let's put some fresh pepper.

Wine vinegar.

Grandma had her own vinegar that she made.

Grandpa made the wine, and some of the wine, the end part of the wine, not the best part, would end up into being vinegar.

Oil.

We also had enough olive trees to make olive oil for the whole year for the family.

So let me toss this first so, every bite, you get a little bit of each.

And let's do the eggs.

The eggs, just in halves like this.

You don't want them to break completely up, and you could put them, at the end, on top if you wanted the presentation to be, you know, sort of geometrical.

But Grandma did it this way.

And this is all about the memories I have.

Mmm.

Let me taste this just to make sure that it doesn't need any more dressing, and then I'll give myself a little portion.

Perfect.

And you know what?

The acidity, the vinegar is in there, and I like the pronounced flavor of vinegar in this dish.

Let's take care of Lidia.

Alright.

And now let me make you a plate.

Grandma would bring it with this bowl in, but I'll just want to make it nice and presentable and beautiful.

Mmm-mmm-mmm.

Now, let me get serious about filling up this plate.

Maybe a nice spoon will do, just like that.

Just that.

Okay.

Let's see, which is the more attractive angle?

I want to tempt you with it.

So here it is, my beautiful presentation.

It's a salad of my memories with Grandma.

Now that it's all set for you, let me taste it for you, and let me tell you what it is like.

Mmm.

Delicious.

The memories start flowing in my mind.

Back in the courtyard with Grandma.

I remember outside, she had a wooden kind of low stool.

One for me, one for her.

And we would hold this in our hand, this beautiful salad, piece of bread, and eat away and talk about what we're going to forage tomorrow.

Salute!

It always brings me such joy to connect through food.

My friends are everywhere, from Italy to New York.

We always end up discussing all things delicious.

I'm taking you to Italy.

I'm taking you to Panzano in Chianti.

Dario Cecchini, come stai?

-Ciao, Lidia!

[ Speaking Italian ] -[ Speaking Italian ] -[ Speaks Italian ] -[ Speaks Italian ] He is in his butcher shop for the last 47 years.

And he said 365 days a year, that's where he loves to be.

It is his family tradition that's been carried down for generations.

So, he's all excited.

-[ Speaks Italian ] To beef or not to beef.

[ Speaks Italian ] -So you heard the guy.

"To beef or not to beef."

I asked him, you know, "What other meat do you work?"

He says, "No, beef is my specialty.

I work the pork a little bit," because I know he makes a great finocchiona, which is a wonderful sausage.

[ Speaks Italian ] Hey, look.

-[ Speaks Italian ] -Ah.

-[ Speaks Italian ] -Ah.

So, this finocchiona, which is very traditional of that region, he said, "Let me explain to you."

It's like a yin and yang.

You need the pork, good meat.

That's winter.

And then is wild fennel seeds, and that represents freshness and summer.

You put these two together, and you have a symphony of flavor, and this is poetry.

[ Speaks Italian ] -[ Speaks Italian ] -[ Speaks Italian ] -[ Speaks Italian ] -"I have not written any poetry," he said, "but you see my hands?

They are the hands of a butcher."

He wants us to understand how his big hands are really respecting the art of butchering the animal.

And by all means, you must visit this guy.

Italy is not Italy without visiting Dario Cecchini.

You tell him Lidia sent you, and make your way there to this great, great experience.

Dario, mille grazie.

-Mille grazie a te.

-E arrivederci a presto, eh?

-E arrivederci a prestissimo.

-It's great to reminisce with Dario.

I think I visited him 40 years ago with my kids, and it just brings back all those memories, but also brings back the passion that he continues to have for his profession.

-Pollo e melanzane alla parmigiana.

Chicken parmigiana is everybody's favorite.

But I'm gonna make it easier, and I'm gonna add eggplant to it.

So here's a nice, firm eggplant, and I just sort of peel it halfway and then make the nice slices.

So let me just put a little bit of salt over it.

I'll put some oil in the pan, and we are going to fry the eggplant.

Lightly flour it.

And it's all in one pan beginning to end.

Fry, then bake, and ultimately get this delicious chicken parmigiana with eggplant.

So, the chicken.

Chicken breast.

Simple.

You know, you wash it, you pat it dry, and then you cut pieces a little bit larger than the eggplant.

Just like that.

And when you are cutting the chicken, keep your hands on the chicken so you will feel exactly how thick the cut is, so it's not too thick.

Let's do this now the same way.

Lightly salt it.

Let's check on this eggplant.

Okay.

Let's put a little bit more oil.

And we will use this pan all the way to the end into the oven.

So... [ Sizzling ] Now let's flour the chicken because the chicken is next.

Okay.

And keep in mind that this is gonna go in the oven and it's gonna bake some more, so we don't have to cook thoroughly neither the eggplant, nor the chicken.

So here I will put some olive oil again, and I'm gonna put some butter.

The butter will lower the temperature so that the chicken doesn't get burned.

It will keep a lower temperature.

Nice and easy.

Now, I'm doing here chicken and eggplant.

But, you know, you could do veal the same way.

You can do pork the same way.

I always tell you about the recipes.

I give you a recipe.

Get the technique down, make it successful for you, and then you can begin to change.

But you always have to keep in mind the products that you change and the cooking time of those products.

So I'm looking at this.

I can go right on and continue to make the sauce right here.

Or if you have too much fat in there, just... And you continue in the same pot.

Marinara sauce.

You can deglaze with a little bit of wine, the pan, if you'd like, or just put a marinara sauce, like I did.

The question now becomes of layering it all together.

So I start in a circle.

Let's go this way.

And this way.

And this way.

And... And so we go around.

Okay.

Pick that one up.

I'll put that one right in between.

And here we go.

We have this layered eggplant and chicken.

Now I see that the center, there's some space, so let's put the extra eggplant in here.

And now let's put some more marinara sauce.

Here, I have some low-fat mozzarella, and it's grated.

And let's put it all over.

So, you see there's no breading, but you have a great combination of chicken and eggplant and cheese on top, and then the grana cheese, just like that, on top.

So I made it in the pan like that round.

But could you double this and make it in a sheet pan or in a glass baking pan?

Absolutely.

I'll put it in the oven now.

In a hot oven.

400 degrees.

In about 20 minutes, you check when the top is crispy and the cheese is melted, and it will be done.

They keep coming, all of those e-mails.

So, here we have an e-mail from Raelyn.

"What is the easiest way to clean bowls, pans, or even silverware that had melted cheese on them?"

Well, melted cheese sometimes can really stick, but you put it in your sink, put some warm water, put some dish detergent, and slowly with a rubber spatula, try to pry it out.

Do not scrape it off with knives or anything sharp.

You might ruin the base of your cooking vessel.

All right, Raelyn, I hope this helps.

Thank you for your question.

Here's a video from Jay.

Let's watch.

-Hi, Lidia.

My name is Jay.

And lately I've been making a lot of eggplant Parmesan.

But I'm wondering -- Is there another vegetable I could substitute for the eggplant?

Thank you.

-Jay.

How you doing, Jay?

I'm glad eggplant parmigiana is delicious.

Eggplant, when it's cooked, is resilient.

And that's one of the things that make it good as a parmigiana.

It's almost like a piece of meat, especially if you bread it.

You can layer in a casserole a lot of vegetables, vegetables that you like.

Zucchini parmigiana.

Portobello mushroom parmigiana.

Fennel parmigiana.

So, a vegetable that you like that has a little bit of body to it could be turned into a good parmigiana.

Make sure that they're seasoned and layer them with sauce, with cheese, sauce, and cheese.

And almost you make, like, a lasagna out of the vegetable.

I'm very happy that you're making parmigiana and that you're interested in making more.

It's done.

Look how beautiful.

Nice and toasty on top, just the way we like it.

I let it rest a little bit.

Let's get ready to plate.

A nice plate for you and a little bit for Lidia.

So let's see.

I'm looking because I want to get an eggplant and a chicken.

Okay.

Mmm.

That looks good.

Okay.

And I'm gonna take just a little piece.

That's for me.

Okay.

Mmm.

And I am going to take a nice piece of this basil right here because a parmigiana warrants a nice piece of basil.

And so here it is.

That's your dish.

So let me taste this for you.

Everything is so -- so mellow.

And mmm.

Delizioso.

The chicken is cooked thoroughly, but it's not overcooked.

Nice sweetness, the eggplant.

A delicious parmigiana, but it doesn't have all that crusty bread absorbing all that sauce.

It's light.

A little bit of vino.

Let me taste it with the wine.

Mm-hmm.

Goes perfect with this.

I have a lot, so I want to invite you.

And as I always tell you, tutti a tavola a mangiare!

Come.

There's plenty for you.

Let me continue here.

Comfort when it comes to food could be different for everybody, be it a nice warm soup on a cold day, a bowl of gnocchi.

I know that would comfort my grandkids.

Melted cheese and tomatoes like Grandma loves.

So make sure you find your comfort in the kitchen because it could definitely fuel your soul.

-[ Singing in Italian ] [ Both singing in Italian ] [ Singing continues ] -Essere buono come il pane.

-"To be good as bread."

It means that somebody is really good-hearted because bread is at the basis of our life.

-The food from this series is a celebration of the Italian dishes Lidia cooks for the ones she loves the most, from the traditional recipes of her childhood to the new creations she feeds her family today.

All of these easy-to-prepare recipes can be found in Lidia's latest cookbook, "From Our Family Table to Yours," available for $35.

To purchase this cookbook and any of her additional products, call 1-800-PLAY-PBS, or visit shop.pbs.org/lidia.

To learn more about Lidia, access to videos, and to get recipes, tips, techniques, and much more, visit us online at lidiasitaly.com.

Follow Lidia on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, @LidiaBastianich.

-Funding provided by... -At Cento Fine Foods, we're dedicated to preserving the culinary heritage of authentic Italian foods by offering over 100 specialty Italian products for the American kitchen.

Cento -- trust your family with our family.

-Grana Padano -- authentic, Italian, rich in tradition, yet contemporary.

-And by...