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.

-Is dinner ready?

I know, that's a question that many of you dread.

I love that question, And I love to cook dinner.

Revel in the pleasure of learning how to cook dinner for your loved ones.

Stay with Lidia.

Full of flavor with simple execution, this one-sheet wonder gets dinner on the table in no time.

Just the tray on the table and say, "Hey, guys, dive in."

I'm a huge fan of freezing portions of soup for easy weeknight meals.

Let me share my tips on how to bring them back to life.

-I'm going to do it.

-Of course you're going to do it.

With love from Grandma.

This is one of those simple butter-based cookies.

Apricot jam happens to be my favorite, but any jam that you have.

Grandma made them, and we were in heaven.

Cooking with me is easy.

You know it.

Andiamo.

Is dinner ready?

I know, you're going to say, "Lidia, what do you do when there's a lot on your plate, and cleaning and washing and this, and then dinner comes?"

Well, relax.

Dinner should be a positive experience for you.

It's an experience you should relax with, so begin planning ahead.

See what you have in the refrigerator or what you're going to buy.

Make a plan.

Get yourself ready along the way between all the other chores that you're doing.

If you have a soup, you can go clean, do whatever you want.

The soup is perking away.

When dinner comes, you finish it.

You either put pasta in there or whatever you want.

Marinate your chicken before.

And then, when you're ready, voil, it's full of flavor, and it's good.

Almost like a planned game.

The end prize is a beautiful dinner for you, your family, your friends, whoever is coming.

[ Speaks Italian ] In today's world, we're all pressed for time, and especially when you want to come home, you want to cook a good meal, and you don't have the time.

Well, this is a good meal.

It's substantial.

Pork chops and vegetables, and it's all in the oven.

So let's season the pork chops.

Let's put some salt.

And nice-sized pork chops.

If you have smaller pork chops or if you decide to do lamb chops or chicken this way, which you can, then just be mindful of the cooking time of the meat and the vegetables.

Let's put some oil.

Okay.

Now I'm going to caress my pork chops.

You know, just like that.

I'm going to use that there.

And then I'm going to steal some from here so I don't waste any oil.

And this one goes here.

So you see what I'm doing?

I'm grabbing all the oil wherever I can.

Yes, you could have a brush and be elegant about it if you want.

But I love the feel of the product.

It tells me a lot about the product.

So this is done, and, in the oven, I have already a tray, nice and hot, getting hot so the pork chops will be seared on one side and will have a nice color.

Here I am.

The oven is hot.

The tray is hot.

Let's close.

We want to keep the heat in there.

And here we are.

[ Sizzling ] You hear it?

It's like searing it on the stove, except no splatter.

And we're going to put this back in the oven while we dress the vegetables.

Okay, let's work the vegetables.

A little bit of legumes.

Nice balanced meal.

Chickpeas.

And these chickpeas are canned chickpeas.

Or you can cook your own.

They're already cooked.

And then broccoli.

Here we have the broccoli florets.

I have that done already, but I'll just show you how I peel the broccoli just like that.

The skin of the broccoli, you can just pull it right off like that.

Okay.

And let's cut this in small florets because you want it to cook all at the same time.

It's all about the timing.

And let's season this.

And you know what I like to put in there?

This Tuscan peperoncino.

So what is a Tuscan peperoncino?

It's this peperoncino, green, that you find in jars just like that, and you leave it whole.

And it's nice, acidic, and it's peppery, and it really adds a nice crunch.

And I'm going to do also some of the juice.

That's it.

Some oil.

Salt.

I'm going to just get in there.

Oops.

I lost -- I lost that one.

So once you put it there to bake, it is all dressed and seasoned.

So the vegetables are all dressed and ready, and now let's check on the pork chops and see.

I want them nice and caramelized.

Mm.

Mm-mm-mm.

[ Sizzling ] Wow.

What an aroma.

You see?

And that wasn't hard at all.

Let's flip them over.

So far, so good.

You see?

The coloring began on one side, just like that.

Look at this.

Okay, now we're going to put this all around it, and that's where the vegetables are going to cook.

Let's spread them out nicely, just like that.

We want the juice in there, too.

We want the ceci in there.

And of course, you want to leave the pork chops uncovered because you want them to get some more color.

We'll put a little bit of water.

Just a little bit.

Everything else is seasoned.

Maybe a little bit more of salt.

I'll put.

Maybe a little bit more of this juice.

You know, when you cook, listen to yourself, to your feeling.

"Eh, maybe a little bit more of this."

It's okay.

Usually, you're right.

Okay, do we have enough oil?

Eh, maybe a little bit of oil, a little bit of everything.

And not on the pork chops, but on the vegetables.

I'm concerned.

So I'm going to put this in the oven.

And, mind you, the oven is hot, 425 degrees, because we want everything to be crunchy.

And this in the oven.

Now, it's been in the oven already about 20 minutes, maybe another 20, 25, half an hour.

Depend on how thick your pork chops are.

So let's put them back in the oven, and dinner is going to be ready.

[ Sizzling ] Buongiorno.

Welcome to my library.

Here is where I read your e-mails.

watch your video, and answer you.

And here I have a video with a group of gals.

I'd like to see that one.

-Lidia, we love your show.

Every year, this group of women gathers together for a fun-filled weekend, and the first night is always about food, and we like to prepare food in advance.

Can you recommend something that will be perfect to prepare ahead?

-Grazie, Lidia.

-Oh, thank you, ladies.

This kind of things really warms my heart, getting together and cooking and eating, a nice glass of wine, and just chatting away.

And do I have an answer for you?

I would suggest some good pasta in the oven, like baked shells, like lasagna.

You make a good sauce, you get the good cheese, and you can make two trays, three trays, depending on how many people you have.

And you put it in the oven, pull it out before they all get there, let the lasagna or the baked pasta set, and then you cut it in small pieces on serving plates.

Or you can have them sit down and serve it as a meal.

And, you ladies, get some good wine.

Thank you, ladies.

Hope to hear from you again.

And here is an e-mail from Mary.

She wants to know, "What is a mise en place?

And what goes into a mise en place?"

That's a good question, Mary.

The mise en place -- it's a French phrase, but everybody use it.

Mise en place -- to put in place.

That is all about pre-preparation of cooking a meal or a plate or a dish.

So, certainly, all the things that go into making, whether it's onion, whether it's garlic, whether it's parsley, the vegetables, absolutely, Also the proteins.

Make sure that you prepare them.

Whether it's a veal chop or a steak, that you have your chicken, the pieces that you want to use, that you have your fish cut right, if necessary, that you have marinated it in time.

So you have all the ingredients in front of you, and you just go ahead and cook.

If you need wine, you need to have it there, that you don't run around the kitchen, looking for that wine while the chicken is burning in the pan.

You have to have it all a portata di mano so you can take it and use it.

That's what it is, getting yourself really ready.

Go over all the recipe, all the ingredients, and have them ready to go.

Thank you for that question, Mary.

Keep on cooking.

You're doing great.

Mmm.

Wow.

The aroma.

It is bubbling.

It is ready to go.

So can you imagine you come like this to your table and you say, "This is for my family."

They would love that.

Okay, so look at this.

I guess we're ready to plate.

So you could bring it like that.

Or you could make a nice, little, fancy plate.

This one is maybe a nice one.

Here we are.

So let's go with that.

So I think that some of the broccoli kind of falling off like that or standing up and then some on the side here like that, that would look nice.

Like that.

Perfect.

Was missing those garbanzo.

Here we are.

That's a beautiful plate here.

Pork chops, broccoli, ceci beans.

Now let's do Lidia's plate here.

A nice piece just ready to be cut right here.

Nobody will ever know the difference.

Mm-mm-mm.

There it is.

And... ...you can plate them all or you can put them back on the table.

Just like that.

Just like that.

Now, let me taste this.

Complete meal in the oven.

Balanced.

Perfect.

And, of course, you need some red wine with this.

And, you know, I didn't put many herbs because you have the peperoncino, but I don't mind decorating it with a little bit of rosemary.

How's that?

And if you have rosemary plants like I do, it comes rather easy.

Just like that.

So here we are.

This is a simple meal.

Straightforward meal.

It's a balanced meal.

It could turn out into an elegant meal, but also just the tray on the table and say, "Hey, guys, dive in."

[ Speaks Italian ] -We are back in my grandmother's kitchen again, and I don't think I'm, quite frankly, ever going to leave.

-I love that.

That's tender.

Oh, thank you, Cocco.

I want you forever in my kitchen, in my life.

Ah, that's what it's all about.

So, you know when you come to Nonna's house, you cook the meal, whatever you want, but I always send you off with some frozen food, and I just wanted to give you some pointers on the bag that I'm going to give you today when you go home, how to revive a soup from the freezer.

So, you know, when I make the soup, I pack it in this quart pack, and you can revive it very easily into making it a whole meal.

I added here two sausages so that not only do we have all this vegetable, which is good for you, but we have some protein.

And then I had some ditalini cooked, so -- -Might have to stock my whole freezer with some of your soup, so -- -So it's going to be a regular visit?

-Yeah.

-Weekly?

Monthly?

How we going to make this?

Weekly.

-Oh.

[ Laughs ] So you can either do that, the pasta that you have cooked or whatever, leftover, so don't throw anything away.

You can add sausages like I did or uncooked stelline, but let's put just some of the ditalini here.

Go ahead.

Right -- Put it -- Put some in.

You want to do everything?

Okay?

Go for it.

-I like it dense.

-Go for it.

So, okay, so here it is.

I have some basil.

Chop some basil.

Fine, fine.

And throw that in.

That's going to be fresh.

All this fresh.

-I don't know how to -- you got to -- -You don't know how to chop?

-[ Chuckles ] -Hold this.

Hold that.

Hold -- Get close.

Don't worry.

And always hold like this.

-[ Chuckling ] Okay.

[ Both laugh ] -Come on.

Chop.

Chop.

Chop.

-You're going to take off my -- I can kind of... Like that?

-Yeah, yeah.

You're doing a fantastic job.

That's good.

Good enough.

Throw it in here.

How about some fresh pepper?

-Yeah.

-You like that?

Alright.

How about a drizzle of olive oil?

And that is done.

So you have Nonni's goodness, and then you make it your own.

And give it a different flavors.

Bring the bowls right here.

Hold it like this underneath with that hand so you don't have to move this.

Go get your soup.

-Oh, I see.

I see.

-Ah.

Mamma mia.

Okay, go ahead.

Put -- Put some more.

[ Chuckles ] Okay, that's enough for me.

How about you?

Okay, you want some more?

-Just a little bit more, yeah.

-Okay.

Serve it to the table.

And we have the sausages.

So you see?

One.

Two.

Okay, that's good.

So you have after-work weeknight meal.

You want some cheese?

-Oh, I love cheese.

-Okay.

Alright, good.

Not the whole table.

So, you know, I'll show you how to do that.

So you're on top.

You don't want to grate it or whatever.

Pick this up like this.

Hold it like this.

Now we have a perpendicular line to the...

Does that work?

Now bang it against the cheese.

Now, does that work better?

-That works a little bit better.

You're right.

-Should we taste?

-We should definitely taste.

-Yeah?

-Mmm.

Looks nice, you see?

-You know what this needs?

A little peperoncino.

-You got it.

-Spice it up.

-You got it.

How much?

-Yeah, that's good.

I'll put a little bit.

-Fantastico.

-Fantastico.

This is an evening meal.

It's healthy.

It's a few little additions.

-Doesn't get any easier than that.

-You're going to do it?

-I'm going to do it.

-Just like that, delicious soup with love from Grandma.

Mmm.

[ Speaks Italian ] Everybody loves cookies.

Simple, straightforward.

My favorite are shortbread kind of dough with some jam.

And this is exactly what these are.

Half-moon.

The jam is apricot, but any jam that you have.

Grandma made them, and we were in heaven.

So let's make the dough.

Get some flour.

Sugar.

Pinch of salt.

You mix the dry ingredients first.

Let's get the egg that will bind it all.

2 tablespoons of ice water.

Let's put that in.

And this all should be done quickly.

Butter -- you want it to be cold.

I have here little pieces of butter from the freezer.

And when you see it come around like that, it is done.

You don't need to do much -- much more.

Just like that.

A little bit, and they'll be just fine.

And you want to do it as quickly as possible.

I can see there's still a few pieces of butter in there, but it will all blend together once we're rolling it out.

And this is it.

Let's put it in plastic wrap.

Let it chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Then we'll roll it out and it will be ready to make the half-moons.

When I have time, I always love checking in.

Janice -- "We have taken your advice to get the kids involved.

Here my husband Fred teaches our grandson Logan the basics of pizza and pasta."

Oh, that's wonderful.

There's nothing like getting the kids involved.

And sometimes the question is, "How can I get them to eat vegetables?"

"How can I get them to try this?"

It's to get them to help you make it.

Oh, what a connection.

Brava, Janice.

So the dough is chilled and we got to go.

We got to run with it because, you know, it will melt.

It's a lot of butter.

Like a shortbread.

Like apple pie.

The less you touch it, the better it is.

Let's make it a little bit thinner, but I got to get rolling here.

So here we have a three-inch round cutter.

My grandmother used to do it with a glass, with a drinking glass, and it worked fine.

Fold it over.

Okay.

Just a little bit of cream.

That will close it better.

The chunkier the jam is, the easier and the better it is to seal them, and the jam doesn't run out.

To finish them off, you brush them with a little bit of cream, just like that.

Okay.

Let's put some sugar, some granulated sugar.

Just a little bit.

Okay.

And they're ready to go in the oven.

In a hot oven, 375 for about 25 minutes.

Let me see what Christina has to say.

"My little boy Leo is a BIG fan!

We watch your show often.

He also loves to cook.

He wanted to ask if he could cook with you sometime, if possible.

Aww.

"He remains your 'biggest' little fan."

Oh, Leo, look at you.

You have your apron and your hands right in the bowl.

So you keep on doing that.

Who knows?

Maybe our paths will cross, and then we can cook together.

Ciao, Leo.

Grandma Becky.

Hi, Grandma.

"Here is a photo of 4-four-year-old grandson, Riley, showing how proud he was of his first pizza!

I taught him how to roll out the dough, and he chose his toppings.

By the way, he ate the entire pizza."

He's so proud, and it is beautiful.

That pizza looks great.

I would eat the whole thing, too.

Good for you, Grandma.

Keep them in the kitchen.

We had dinner, and it's time for dessert.

You know, Italians, give them their coffee.

A nice ristretto.

Caffe.

Some fruit.

But as far as dessert, after a meal, we don't do a big deal.

Desserts, the big ones, are eaten in the afternoon.

When you go out to have a cappuccino or to have an espresso with a friend, then you have your dessert.

But, in Italy, you do a lot of visiting, you know, neighbors to neighbors, little town to little town.

"Hey, Maria, you going to have coffee with me?

Come on."

And so little cookies, little things like that are always in-house.

And this is a really good one to do.

Just like that.

And one for Lidia.

And Lidia deserves it.

It's time to relax, to have a half-moon.

Apricot half-moon.

Mmm.

Delicious.

And the sprinkle of sugar and the cream really gives a little crunchiness.

So I invited Maria to come.

I'm going to invite you, you know, as I always do.

And what do I say?

Tutti a tavola a mangiare.

[ Speaks Italian ] Salute.

[ Speaks Italian ] Following a Lidia recipe will yield a beautiful finished dish.

But I know sometimes some of you, "Well, I'm missing the olives," or, "I'm missing the capers."

And you know what I tell you?

I empower you.

You are free to change my recipe.

So if you don't have capers, you can do without capers.

You don't have green olives, you have black olives, put the black olives in.

It's going to work.

I want to empower you, and I want to give you the confidence.

So don't be confined by a recipe.

You will reach success and you will build the confidence and you will build an understanding on how it is to modify a recipe.

Good luck.

[ Singing in Italian ] [ Conversing in Italian ] -And, in your company, it's always a great time.

-Thank you very much.

I appreciate it.

-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...