-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 rosé.

A toast of Italy.

-Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese from Italy -- handcrafted from 100% sheep's milk.

♪♪ -Olitalia -- from chef to chef.

-When I travel through Italy, I have food epiphanies, too.

I make sure I bring it back home, and I make sure I share it with you.

Inspired by my favorite restaurant on the beach in Fiumicino, its simplicity is what makes it delicious.

So don't let my mussels intimidate you.

Get cooking.

I'm sure you will make it.

Everyone always asks me, "What olive oil do you use, Lidia?"

Today, let's dive into the world of Italian olive oil.

Mm.

-Oh, nice.

-What do you smell?

-I smell olive oil.

-From the Amalfi Coast, home of Limone Sorrentini, comes this famous dish.

The aroma of Sorrento fills this kitchen.

The acidity of the lemons cuts the fat of the cream, making a beautifully balanced dish.

It was love at first taste for me, and I know it will be for you, too.

From Italy to your table.

I get a lot of questions from you.

And one of them is, "Lidia, where do you get these recipes?"

Well, let me tell you, I don't invent them.

They're rooted in the Italian culinary tradition.

And every time I travel, there's another new twist, another new rendition.

I traveled to Salerno.

The lemons of Salerno are spectacular.

And they make this simple pasta with lemon.

And right now, it's all the rage.

Everybody loves it.

It's light.

It's delicious.

Another thing that I brought back -- and I know you're all gonna love it -- right outside of Rome, in the trattoria, the host, I guess he had a lot of clams, and he made a bruschetta out of it.

I said, "How ingenious.

I can do this with mussels, too."

And here I did.

So, these kind of simple regional touches as I travel, I pick up, and then I bring them back.

I bring them back to you and to me.

Bruschetta con cozza -- mussel bruschetta.

Bruschetta means toasting some country bread like that.

This is plain bread.

Don't put the oil on the bruschetta before you grill it, because then you burn the oil.

So, you want the bread grilled, and then you want to flavor your bread.

So, let's see.

And you take a crushed garlic, crushed garlic clove, like that, and you rub it.

You'd be surprised how much flavor you get out of the garlic just like that.

And once you did the garlic, let's do the oil.

You see, so now, you really taste the freshness of the oil right on the bread.

Had I put it before, the oil would have gotten toasted, burned, changed flavor.

Let's make some room here on the board.

Now let's go on to the mussels.

I had this first going to the airport -- Fiumicino.

The airport is close to the ocean right there.

And Fiumicino is a little town.

And so, I had this for the first time in the trattoria there.

Of course, they serve a lot of seafood.

Clams bruschetta.

That's what I had the first time.

Let's get this in.

And you don't want the onions to get brown.

I want them just to get wilted.

Let off all of the flavor.

So, clams bruschetta.

That sounded so good.

Simple thing and yet innovative.

But I thought, "Let's change it a little bit.

Bruschetta with mussels."

Bruschetta nice.

And in zupata, full of the sauce.

So, let's clean the pepper.

Now, the pepper we'll cut in small pieces.

And that gives it color.

And it gives it flavor, too.

Don't waste anything.

So, I'm going to put some white wine right in here now, because, as I said, you know, I want the onions to sort of break down and wilt.

So you can put any color peppers that you have.

It's nice to see colors in your food.

Of course, you can have all this ready before -- the peppers chopped, the onions chopped.

So, now we need some seasoning.

The mussels are salty, but you still need some salt for the vegetables.

And of course, I like my peperoncino.

Here, I have some scallions.

And I'm gonna use the white part to cook just like onion, and then I'm gonna use the green part at the end, to sort of give it freshness.

So, okay, let's put this in the sauce, and let's check out the mussels.

So you can tell a mussel is good if you pick it in your hands and it feels full, it feels heavy.

Now, the mussel, you have to wash it good, naturally.

And if there's any beard, take it off.

But you're looking at the mussel.

And when you see an open mussel like that, if you leave it -- if you wash it and you leave it out -- it will begin to open.

You can just test it.

And if you see it kind of tightening...

It is.

It's moving, It's tightening.

You see?

So, it's alive, and it's good.

But if it doesn't close on you, then I would discard it.

You see this one closed right away.

Now, the mussels don't take much time to cook, so I want the vegetables to be nice and cooked.

Let's put the mussels right in.

I'm gonna put wine, and you need a substantial amount of wine because you need to make that sauce.

And I'm going to put a little bit of olive oil.

Adding olive oil like this, at the end, you really maximize the flavor.

So, let's build up some heat in there.

You want quick cooking.

Full-speed ahead.

But I have some time.

And you know when I have some time, I like to go and connect with you.

I love it when you guys send me e-mails, when you ask me questions.

Ah, Darlene.

Hi, Darlene.

"What type of wine do you cook with?"

That's a good question, Darlene.

Good wine that you would drink at home, some wine that you have leftover, put it in the fridge, and use it for cooking.

Or you can begin with choosing a wine you would drink with this bruschetta, open it up a little before, while you're cooking.

A little bit for the mussels, a little bit for you.

Just -- Just saying.

Cook happy.

And then, of course, you can use the same wine to eat -- to drink when you're eating the bruschetta.

Thank you for your e-mails.

Keep on sending them.

So, let's see how the mussels are doing.

We are there.

You see how beautiful and plump?

And that's how you want them.

Close them right off.

I'm going to take a fork.

And I have the tongs.

And usually, it...

It's okay, you see?

Just take it.

Put it right back in.

Collect all the juice.

Let me see.

I can do just even like that.

Once the mussels begin to shrivel, they're overcooked.

You want them plump, just like that.

Look at this juicy baby, here.

But this is beautiful.

Look at this.

Some of them will fall out, and that's great.

So, this is done.

And now I'm going to add in the top of the scallions.

And you can see that this gives it freshness.

It doesn't need to cook.

It will wilt by the heat of the sauce itself.

So, here we are, nice and juicy.

Now we're ready to go.

We are going to make the dishes.

And all you need to do is put this wonderful bruschetta, which has flavor of its own.

This is Lidia, but I need the plate because I don't want to dribble all over.

So, I am going to, as I always do.

And just mount the mussels on top.

And this is something you're going to pick up with your hands or whatever.

No, you can actually cut this with the knife and fork and eat it.

So, if you want to put a little extra mussels on the side, yes.

So let's go to the other one, now.

Enough juice to sop up that.

Okay.

And now, Lidia's turn.

The bread is absorbing the juices.

And it's ready to be served.

And can you imagine what a great appetizer this is?

You're gonna look like a real chef -- a Mediterranean chef at that.

And let's taste this.

Let's see how the bread is absorbing everything.

Now I want a little mussel right on top of that.

It is delicious.

Fresh.

It's like you have the sea in your mouth.

And with this, what would I drink?

A rosé prosecco.

So I'm gonna just pour myself a glass.

And I'm gonna pour one for you.

This Prosecco Doc is refreshing and light, just like this dish.

And let me taste together.

Perfect.

Really good.

So, I'm going to tell you how delicious it is, and how I think you should make it.

And I'm sure you will make it.

Mmm!

Degustazione di olio d'oliva.

How do you choose olive oils?

How do you buy olive oils?

How do you taste olive oils?

That's a question that's constant on my social, because olive oil is, of course, at the basis of Italian cooking, and it's so important.

But you've got to know how to buy it.

First of all, olive oil is made, of course, of olives.

There's more than 1,200 different species of olives.

And it could be a monovitigno, just one single varietal, or a blend of olives.

Usually, three different olives will be used in making olive oil.

The olives -- all olives are green.

When they mature, they become black.

But how do we buy it?

How do we know?

How do we taste it?

So, Italy, 20 regions.

Every single region produces olive oil.

So, let's see what the general traits of these olive oils are.

The first one is from Puglia.

Now, Puglia is the heel of Italy, and it is the largest producing region of Italy.

You travel through Puglia, which is beautiful, you see those thousands and thousands of olive trees.

So, we look at the color.

The color looks beautiful.

Looks bright.

And the second big one is the olfactory, and then, of course, is the taste.

So, why don't you take yours, and let's...

It looks beautiful.

A nice golden, greenish-yellow color.

Let's do the olfactory bit.

Mmm.

-Oh, nice.

-What do you smell?

-I smell olive oil.

[ Laughter ] -How about artichokes?

How about cut grass?

-I'm kidding.

-How about vegetation?

-Yeah.

Yeah.

-Do you smell?

-Yes.

Yes.

-And that's what you're supposed to smell.

So, take two, three whiffs, so you really kind of record what you're smelling.

The next one will be to take a sip of the olive oil.

And you slurp it in -- and I'll show you how -- and you hold it on your palate.

Don't swallow it.

You hold it on your palate, and then we'll just pull a little bit of air in, close our mouth, and then blow out of our nose, so that the aromas of the oil that's on your tongue will travel through your olfactory senses and will get even more pronounced.

And then, when you're finished doing that -- you remember that?

Then you ingest it, nice and easy and let it slowly go down -- down your throat.

And you will get the viscosity of the oil, and you will get, also, the actual flavor.

Sometimes, it could be buttery.

It could be very much grassy.

It could be piquant.

So, shall we take a sip?

-Yes.

-Okay.

One, two, three.

Watch me.

What did you taste?

Good idea.

And a piece of apple.

Just a little piece.

And I'll take a piece of an apple, because the apple really cleanses the palate.

But what did you taste?

There was a viscosity in the oil, kind of the density of the oil you felt on your tongue.

And of course, going down, all these taste buds right here really reacted to the flavonoids.

These are the good elements in olive oil, actually, that are antioxidants.

And the more olive oil has them, the better the olive oil is.

And -- And you recognize it like this.

I would use this one with the broccoli di rapa and pasta and all that.

I think it'd be very good for all of that.

So, let's go to the next one.

From Liguria.

And we're going north now.

And the temperature is different, the climate is different, and the oils are also different.

And this oil is made from 100% Taggiasca.

Taggiasca is the olive traditional of Liguria.

So, let's do the same thing.

The color is nice and bright.

Let's take it to the nose.

This one is not as open or as grassy as the first one, but it's very elegant.

It's buttery.

Hmm.

Mm.

Very mild.

-Yeah.

Very.

-Like there's some polyphenols residue down, as it's going out the throat, but it's soft.

You can see a great pesto, how this would really make a great pesto.

I would use this one with fish, light, herbal pasta.

What would you use it with?

-I like a mild olive oil, so I'd use it with a bunch of stuff.

Vegetables.

I like vegetables.

-Steamed vegetables would be nice.

The next olive oil is from Sicily.

Just one varietal is used.

And I think what's important, if you buy Italian olive oil, that you look for the government guarantee.

"DOP."

-Denominazione di Origine Protetta.

-That's a guarantee from the government that it is from the region, the actual place, where it says it is, and the varietal that it says it is.

-And made in a particular way.

-Exactly.

Okay, so, here again, vegetation.

I feel artichokes, spinach.

You see, again -- -This is stronger than the last one.

-In the south, the temperature are higher, the maturity is more intense, and you can sense it right away.

So, let's take a little sip now.

I still feel the polyphenols a little less.

But there is a denser viscosity.

So, what it tells me, it's going to be good with tomatoes, all of the indigenous vegetables that are Sicilian.

-I can see me using it in a nice pasta, 'cause it's got like a nice flavor on its own.

-Complexity.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Anchovies a little bit.

-Yeah.

-Capers.

All of that.

Yeah.

So, here we have an olive oil that is a blend.

A blend of three different cultiva -- that means three different olives.

Could be just regional.

Or this one could be olives collected from different regions and then made into the oil.

Let's see.

What do you feel about a blend?

So, here's a mix between the vegetables, I feel, and the butter.

Don't you feel a mix between the Liguria and, let's say, Sicily?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Okay, let's take a sip.

-Wow.

That's got, like, a powerful kick to it.

-Yeah.

There's a lot in front of the mouth, as far as flavor, and the polyphenols.

-Yeah.

-And this sort of spreads across the board.

Whether you do sautéing vegetables, pasta, soups -- I think you can do a lot.

The viscosity, it's dense.

There's a lot of substance there.

-Yeah.

So, I think they're all good oils.

They're extra virgin olive oils.

And the taste is up to you.

It's the only way to get to know -- it's like wine.

You need to taste it, record it, and identify what you like in an olive oil, and what would you like to use?

I think buying olive oil in smaller quantities, because it oxidizes so fast, and it is expensive.

But in smaller bottles, so you have them there.

Keep it in a dark glass bottle, away from light.

Do you understand olive oil better?

-Yeah.

I think I would love to do this with my friends.

-Let each one bring a little bottle of oil and share.

And just like that, you'll have fun, but most of all, you'll have learned a lot about olive oils.

Spaghetti conditi al limone.

The aroma of Sorrento fills this kitchen.

You know, when you go down the Amalfi Coast, and tree after tree, gardens after gardens, full of lemons hanging.

and they're beautiful.

So, we're going to make a lemon pasta, and I'm going to try to bring those aroma, those flavors, into your house.

And I'm gonna add some shrimp.

You know, it's a pasta with lemon sauce.

And they do that in the Sorrento area, and the whole Amalfi area, quite often.

You know, they do with what they have.

They have a lot of good lemons.

When in season, it's pasta with lemons.

But I added a little bit of shrimp, just a little bit of protein.

Let's sear the shrimp first.

Nice, hot pan.

Full speed ahead.

You want the shrimp to cook quickly, get a nice color to it.

And let me add some garlic to add to the flavor.

And you notice, I'm not touching them.

I'm letting it be so that they can build that crust underneath.

And then we'll flip them over.

A little bit of salt.

Peperoncino, of course.

And you've got yourself this wonderful pasta dish.

It's so easy to make, and it's so refreshing -- in the summertime, especially.

Regular spaghetti will do, but you can do any shape of pasta.

I just got to grab a fish spatula.

And this shrimp, we get them to the right point.

You don't want to overcook shrimp, but you do want them cooked.

Let's pull out the shrimp, and we'll go right in here.

So, we have -- And we'll make the sauce right in here so we retain some of the flavor of the shrimp.

Of course, if you do not want that in the sauce, you can clean up the pan and begin fresh.

So, let's begin with the sauce.

Butter.

And the water boiling there.

I don't want the butter to separate, so I'm going to put just a little bit of the pasta cooking water.

And I'm gonna put the pasta in.

By the time the sauce is made... Do not break your spaghetti.

Do not crack them.

The Italians like their long pasta.

So let's continue with making the sauce here.

We have the cream here.

So, the lemon, I'm gonna put a little bit on the shrimp, so the shrimp gets a little bit of the lemony zest.

♪♪ And you want just the yellow part.

You don't want the white zest.

That's the bitter part.

And, you know, you could do this beforehand.

♪♪ Let me get a little bit the juices flowing, here.

♪♪ ♪♪ What you have here is the acidity of the lemon, which kind of cuts in, and it really makes it delicious.

So, we just bring it up to a little bubble.

You don't want it to overcook.

You just want the elements to get together.

Look at the spaghetti.

Okay.

A few more minutes.

I have time to see what you're up to.

So it's #AskLidia time.

And I love it.

So keep on sending them in.

Here is Irene.

"I am planning a trip to Italy this summer.

Note -- I love to eat."

All right.

I like that note.

"What are your favorite places to travel to Italy?"

You can eat any place all over Italy and really be happy and satisfied, but it depends a lot on the season.

Depends when you're going.

So, let's say you go in the fall.

Of course, you want to go to Piemonte.

The truffles, the porcini are out.

If you go in the summer, of course you want to go down to Sicily.

The eggplants, the tomatoes, the buffalo mozzarella.

A place that you always have to pass by is Emilia-Romagna.

The richness of prosciutto, all of those goodies, all kinds of cheeses.

Emilia-Romagna is kind of a stop that you have to make en route someplace.

So, have a great trip.

Eat your way through Italy, just like Lidia does.

Thank you.

So, yes, here we are ready.

Let me just fish them out.

A little bit al dente, because I'll finish cooking it right in here.

♪♪ Kind of blend all this together.

So, what's beautiful about this dish, of course, is the lemon flavors, aromas, that permeate all of it.

But it is, you know, this creaminess.

And I'm gonna put some cheese.

You notice I closed the fire because I don't want to cook cheese.

You must have heard it a thousand times from me.

Cheese always goes at the very end.

You can always put the cheese on the table.

And, you know, I use a little plate, always, to transport my pasta, so I don't dribble all over the place.

Let's do that.

Let's go.

This plate, here, first.

This pasta is alive.

It is crawling all over the place.

Okay.

♪♪ And a little for Lidia, right here.

So, you could serve it just like that, and this is a delicious pasta.

Or with the shrimp on top.

So, I'm gonna... Just like that.

And four or five shrimp are enough.

Okay, we are ready to serve this.

♪♪ And you could put a little bit of parsley, just not too much.

I think like that.

And with -- like, it's like a bouquet -- bouquet of flowers.

And let me taste this for you.

Don't cut the pasta is number one.

Rule number one.

Rule number two is don't use a spoon to twirl your pasta.

Get a little pasta, go in the corner, and twirl it, and bring it up.

And if there's a little hanging, don't worry about it.

You'll figure it out.

The pasta is delicious just by itself.

[ Speaks Italian ] I'm going to invite you, as I always say, tutti a tavola a mangiare.

Come and I am going to go back to my pasta.

When I go to Italy, I always pick new things up, bring them, and give them to my family in America.

It's a great way of being a conductor for my native culture to my adoptive culture, with love.

[ Singing in Italian ] -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...