Chef Lidia Bastianich explains to Salon why she wants fans of her restaurants and television show “Lidia Celebrates America” to be able to recreate her recipes at home. The restaurateur is sharing recipes from her New York restaurant Felidia in a new cookbook. In “Felidia: Recipes from my Flagship Restaurant,” Bastianich and her executive chef, Fortunato Nicotra, cover everything from the perfect bolognese sauce to preparing a Limoncello tiramisu. Chef Lidia joins Salon’s Joseph Neese on “Salon Talks” to discuss how family helped build her culinary passion, immigrating to Queens and how embracing authentic regional Italian food.

Photo courtesy of WGBH for "Lidia Celebrates America" on PBS.