Lidia Bastianich brings comfort foods to Pittsburgh
The return of fall has Lidia Bastianich thinking about comfort food, seasonal fruits and vegetables and holidays spent with her close-knit family.
The cookbook author, PBS television chef of "Lidia's Italy" and owner of six restaurants four in New York City where she resides, one in Kansas City and Lidia's Pittsburgh in the Strip District loves the changing seasons. She says they give her an opportunity to try new authentic Italian recipes using fresh, local produce.
Autumn's bounty includes root vegetables such as squash, carrots, parsnips and radishes, and dark vegetables like spinach, kale and cabbage, and "lots of flavorful mushrooms that are at their best in the fall," she says.
Bastianich will be in Pittsburgh this week for a busy weekend. Her schedule includes two free public events and a five-course prix fixe dinner and wine tasting at her restaurant. At her appearance Sunday at Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley, she will debut her first children's book, "Nonna Tell Me a Story," due for release this week.
The picture book is based on stories and recipes she enjoys sharing with her five grandchildren, ages 7 to 11, about her happy family memories of growing up in Italy.
"I have a lot of stories to tell," she says.
Her family's celebration of the holiday season revolved around decorating the Christmas tree with organic materials such as apples, nuts, berries and dried figs, and freshly baked cookies made in her grandmother's Nonna Rosa's kitchen.
Back then, in a simpler time, "those were our gifts," she says. "In today's homes, maybe it's time to go back and do these kind of things."
Her children's book will be the focus of a half-hour holiday program on PBS in December that will feature an animated story and a segment with her and her grandkids.
"The program begins around the Christmas tree, and then it slides into the animated story, then to all of us baking cookies in the kitchen," she says.
When she isn't taping her TV cooking show, overseeing an online store on her website ( lidiasitaly.com ) filled with food items, kitchen gadgets, copies of her cookbooks and DVDs of her cooking show, Bastianich finds time to keep in touch with her fans on Facebook and on her website blog.
Her line of Lidia's pasta and sauces is available locally in Pittsburgh Giant Eagle stores, Jimmy Sunseri & Nino Co. market and Pennsylvania Macaroni Co., both along Penn Avenue in the Strip District.
She is looking forward to helping her daughter, Tanya Corrado Manuali, launch on QVC on Oct. 24 a new line of serviceware and cookware that she designed. Manuali is an art-history major who received a PhD in Italian Renaissance Art History from the University of Oxford. She is an excellent artist and designer, according to her mother.
Lidia's son, Joseph Bastianich, is a food entrepreneur who owns several successful restaurants in New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas and vineyards in the Tuscany and Fruili regions of Italy.
Both of her children, along with her grandchildren, have appeared in episodes of "Lidia's Italy."
Bastianich is devoted through her authentic Italian cuisine to honoring the food of her homeland and her family's ancestors, noting that "I don't want the children to forget who they are."
She feels the kitchen is a special place in the home that should be a gathering place for families, not only to eat together, but to cook together.
"Children today don't know the source of food," she says. "Throughout my shows, I try to teach an understanding and respect for products and their sources."
She hasn't yet decided what she will prepare at her cooking demonstration at Giant Eagle Market District on Saturday, but she's fairly certain of two things: "It will be something seasonal, and I'm going to have lots of fun."
Risotto con Zucca (Risotto with Squash)
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into {{1/4}} inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup minced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 1/2 cups hot chicken stock, divided use
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or as needed
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 6)
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Steam the squash until tender but still firm, for about 10 minutes. Transfer half of it to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Scrape out the squash puree into a small bowl. Set the puree and diced squash aside.
In a heavy, wide 3- to- 4-quart casserole or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions and shallots together until golden, stirring often, for about 8 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Toast the rice until the edges become translucent, for 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine and stir well until evaporated. Add 1/2 cup of stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the stock has been absorbed. Add the squash puree, diced squash, green onions and nutmeg. Continue to add hot stock in small batches just enough to moisten the rice and cook until each successive batch has been absorbed. Stir constantly and adjust the level of heat so the rice is simmering very gently until the rice mixture is creamy but al dente. This will take 16 to 20 minutes from the first addition of stock.
Remove the casserole from the heat. Beat in the butter first until melted, then the cheese. Adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary, and pepper. Serve immediately, ladled into warm, shallow bowls.
Makes 6 servings
Insalata Di Montasio Con Mele (Green Salad with Montasio Cheese and Green Apple)
To vary this dish, try changing the mesclun salad to arugula, frisee, or tender, young fresh spinach leaves.
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 1/2 pound mesclun salad or assorted baby greens, such as arugula, spinach or Lolla Rossa lettuce (about 6 cups), washed and spun dry.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 ounces Montasio cheese or other medium-soft cheese, such as Fontina or mild Vermont Cheddar.
In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake the olive oil and lemon juice together until blended. Pour the dressing into a large bowl.
Cut the apple into quarters, cut out the core, and slice the quarters very thin. Toss the apple with the dressing. Add the greens to the bowl, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and toss until coated with dressing.
With a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese into thin strips over the salad. Toss again to mix the cheese into the greens. Divide the salad among four plates, and serve immediately.
Makes 4 Servings
Pollo alla Birra (Chicken in Beer)
This works well prepared in a heavy 6-quart pot, such as enameled cast iron.
• 3 1/2- to- 4-pound roasting chicken
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
• 2 medium-size onions, peeled and quartered through the root
• 1 large carrot, peeled, halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise (about 4 ounces)
• 2 medium-size parsnips, peeled, halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise (about 4 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 1/2 cups light stock (chicken, turkey or vegetable broth) or water
• 1 1/2 cups (one 12-ounce bottle) flavorful beer or ale
• 1 cup apple cider, preferably unfiltered
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400 degrees.
Trim excess fat from the chicken, and season it inside and out with 1 teaspoon of the salt.
Scatter the onions, carrot, parsnips, sage, cloves and cinnamon in the pot, sprinkle over this the rest of the salt, and set the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Put the pot on the stove, pour in the stock, beer and apple cider, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes on top of the stove.
Put the pot in the oven, and roast the chicken for about 30 minutes, basting with the pan juices two or three times. Cover the chicken with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning, and roast for another 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes, basting frequently, until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through and tender.
Remove the chicken to a warm platter, and surround with the vegetables. Bring the pan juices to a boil on top of the stove, and cook until reduced by half. Carve the chicken at the table, and spoon some of the pan juices on top.
Makes 6 servings.
Torta al Vino with Grapes or Berries (Wine Cake with Grapes or Berries)
Torta al vino is a traditional wine-country cake with white wine in the batter and seedless grapes (or any kind of berry) folded in. The acidity of the wine and the whole juicy fruits baked grapes are luscious give this easy cake a delightful complexity of flavors and textures in each bite.
• 1 1/2 cups flour, plus extra to flour the cake pan and to coat the grapes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons soft butter, plus 1 tablespoon for the cake pan
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest, or a combination
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups small red seedless grapes, stemmed, rinsed and patted dry, or 2 cups blueberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen
For topping the cake during baking:
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small bits
• 1 tablespoon zucchero di canna or white sugar
Garnish, optional:
• Confectioners' sugar
• Whipped creem
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. Assemble the springform pan; butter and flour the insides.
Sift or stir together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt.
With the mixer on low speed, cream the butter and sugar together in a big bowl; when blended, beat on high speed for a couple of minutes, until smooth and light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well at moderate speed and then mix in the olive oil, vanilla and citrus zest. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes or so to lighten and smooth the batter.
Scrape down the sides and, at low speed, mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the wine. Add a third of each at a time and beat for a few seconds before the next addition. When everything has been incorporated, scrape the sides (and bottom) of the bowl, and beat on high speed for about 20 seconds to finish the batter.
Pour and scrape all of the batter into the cake pan and spread it in an even layer.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of flour over the grapes and toss, so they're all lightly dusted. Scatter the grapes over the surface of the batter. Swirl a spatula or knife around them, folding and stirring them into the top of the batter don't fold or swirl deeper than an inch. The fruits don't need to be completely covered, because they will sink as the cake rises.
Set the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is set, although the batter underneath still will be loose and shake. Carefully take the cake out of the oven or just bring it to the front on the rack, where you can reach it and scatter the butter bits and then the sugar on the top.
Return the cake to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or so a total of 40 minutes or more until the cake is set and the top is golden brown and lightly glazed by the final sugar and butter. Test doneness by inserting a cake tester or toothpick into the middle to see whether it comes out clean. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack.
Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes, then open the spring and remove the side ring. Let the cake cool thoroughly before serving. Remove the metal pan bottom, if you want, after an hour or so, when you can handle the cake: Lay a piece of parchment or wax paper on the cake top (so the pretty surface doesn't get messed up), then a plate or a wire rack. Flip the cake over; pry and lift off the pan bottom. Invert the cake again, onto a rack if it needs to cool further, or onto a serving plate.
Serve at room temperature, sliced into wedges. Serve plain with just a dusting of confectioners' sugar, or garnish it with whipped cream.
Makes a 9-inch cake, serving 8 or more.
Additional Information:
Lidia Bastianich
⢠3 p.m. Saturday: Appearance and food demo at Giant Eagle Market District, Robinson. Free. Details: marketdistrict.com
⢠11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday: Book signing and reading of her new children's book, 'Nonna, Tell Me a Story' at Penguin Bookshop, 420 Beaver St., Sewickley. Free. Details: 412-741-3838 or penguinbookshop.com
⢠5:30 p.m. Sunday: 'Passport to Lidia's Italy,' five-course prix fixe dinner and wine tasting featuring the flavors of Italy's Friuli Region, with Lidia Bastianich as culinary guide at Lidia's Pittsburgh restaurant, 1400 Smallman St., Strip District. $85, reservations required. Details: 412-552-0150
