Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Lidia Bastianich is one of the most-loved chefs on television, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Lidia has married her two passions in life — her family and food, to create multiple culinary endeavors alongside her two children, Joseph and Tanya.

Her cookbooks include Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy and Lidia’s Italy — both companion books to the Emmy-nominated television series, “Lidia’s Italy,” as well as Lidia’s Family Table, Lidia’s Italian- American Kitchen, Lidia’s Italian Table and La Cucina di Lidia. Lidia is the chef/owner of four acclaimed New York City restaurants — Felidia, Becco, Esca and Del Posto (recently awarded four stars by the New York Times), as well as Lidia’s in Pittsburgh and Kansas City. She is also founder and president of Tavola Productions, an entertainment company that produces high-quality broadcast productions including Lidia’s Italy.

Along with her son, Joe Bastianich, Mario Batali, and Oscar Farinetti, the team opened Eataly on August 31, 2010, the largest artisanal Italian food and wine marketplace in New York City. The partners have transformed a 42,500 square‐ foot space in the Flatiron District into New York City’s premier culinary mecca. The space includes a premier retail center for Italian delicacies and wine, a culinary educational center, and a diverse slate of boutique eateries. Lidia has taken her passion for education and enrichment through food, making culinary classes a defining focus of Eataly. As Dean of La Scuola at Eataly, Lidia is responsible for the culinary curriculum for the food and wine courses, demonstrations and lectures from renowned chefs as well as the best food and wine producers in the world.

This fall marks the release her first children’s book, Nonna Tell Me a Story: Lidia’s Christmas Kitchen, inspired by her five grandchildren. She will also debut Lidia’s Kitchen, an exclusive line of cookware and servingware for QVC that combines the beauty of Italy with practical functionality. Lidia’s Kitchen line includes high quality everyday items such as ceramic servingware, knives, pots, pans and utensils. These signature wares will give her fans another opportunity to bring a piece of Lidia to their everyday lives.

Together with her son Joseph, Lidia also produces award-winning wines at Bastianich Vineyards in Friuli and La Mozza Vineyards in Maremma, Italy. Along with her daughter Tanya, son-in-law Corrado Manuali, and partners Robert Quinn and John Baker, the team launched Nonna Foods in 2010 as a platform to distribute an array of both existing and new “Lidia’s” food products. The line highlights a passion for all things pasta, with six original varieties of homemade pasta sauce, with eight different cuts of pasta, sold nationally.

Lidia gives freely of her time and knowledge, and is active member of society who participates in community service activities and special events on behalf of the James Beard Foundation and Public Television.