A biography for Lidia Bastianichhasn’t been written yet.
“My evolution came not as a plan but as opportunities came. People offer them when they see you're doing something well. It's up to you to recognize them, take them, and then dedicate yourself to them.”
“I see how people connect with me on different level through my show, how they want to transport what I cook into their home kitchens for their own families. It's my responsibility to always make sure that is quality.”
“There's a great need to convene at the table with family and friends. People are feeling it and wanting it. For me to be a minor player in helping with that, it makes me so happy.”
“There is a history to Italian food that goes back thousands of years, and there's a basic value of respecting food. America is young and doesn't have that.”
“Holidays - any holiday - are such a great opportunity to focus on bringing the family together.”
“The filming happens in my home, and I cook like I do at home, on my home stove with my house pots and so on. That's who I am. I am very true to my real profile.”
“I was an immigrant. I came here at 12. We were caught behind the Iron Curtain until I was 10.”
“Food is culture. Food is an identity, a footprint of who you are.”
“Telling my grandchildren stories of my growing up is some of our favorite times spent together. They want to know what it was like and what I did as a child. They seem to be especially interested in the organic and simplistic setting I grew up in.”
“I cherish my beautiful Italian heritage.”
“A box of spaghetti can take seven minutes to cook, and you can make a sauce at that time with perhaps garlic, olive oil, and zucchini. Then you've got yourself a complete meal. The whole thing shouldn't take more than half an hour.”
“Food is all about the story of a people through the ages.”
“Simplicity in preparation is the Italian way. Make easy dishes, and then you can elaborate the final preparation by decorating with vegetables or herbs or adding a dash of olive oil.”
“What I learned being a young child was respect for food. Don't throw anything away.”
“If I'm not tasting wine and food... I'm thinking about wine and food. If I'm not thinking about wine and food... I'm writing about wine and food.”
“Cooking is good therapy for me.”
“That's the beauty of risotto. You can make it any flavor you want. It's a great carrier.”
“I think that lunch is one of the most enjoyable and important things in the day. But you need to create the space and the time to do just that. And in Italy, we do that.”
“Chemistry was my college interest. Cooking is about chemistry.”
“When you invite friends over, especially for food, with the food you want to send out a message of affection, of appreciation, of celebration. But also of culture - who your family is.”