May 13, 2002 By Samantha Critchell Associated Press Writer 5 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, the James Beard Foundation’s pick as the nation’s outstanding restaurant chef, is more likely to fix herself a salad or pasta with olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs than a big elaborate meal. With a busy schedule that includes running five restaurants, starring in a TV cooking show and writing cookbooks, a dinner using ingredients from the garden is a true luxury, says Bastianich.

“I’m known for straightforward, unpretentious, homestyle cooking,” according to Bastianich.

However, judging from the menu at New York City’s Felidia Ristorante, the restaurant for which she won the Beard award, this chef’s version of a quickie pasta dinner takes a little more skill than boiling water. The offerings include: scialatielli pasta with Cape Cod butter clams and Maine rock shrimp in a light cherry tomato sauce; quill-shaped pasta with shredded duck braised in red wine; and Istrian wedding pillows filled with fontina, asiago and parmigiano-reggiano cheese, citrus rind and rum in a savory reduction.

Bastianich says she doesn’t do the bulk of the cooking at the restaurants – she leaves that to her talented executive chefs – but she’s still the primary force behind the flavors. She shares her recipes and food philosophies with the kitchen staffs at Felidia, Becco and Esca, in New York, and the Lidia’s restaurants in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, Mo.

“I get behind the ranges to play, test and finalize recipes – or in an emergency,” she says with a laugh.

Bastianich says her mother, children and grandchildren are her greatest fans and toughest critics – especially little Olivia, 4, Miles, 2, and Lorenzo, 3. (Her 6-month-old grandson Ethan isn’t quite ready to do the sampling.)

Her son, Joseph, is a successful restaurateur in his own right. He opened Babbo and Lupa with chef Mario Batali and is a partner at all of Bastianich’s restaurants except Felidia. Daughter Tanya is working on a book with her mother.

Bringing several generations to the table sometimes requires culinary sacrifices, including too many french fries and peanut butter sandwiches, but, she says, they’re worth it.

“The table has always been a bonding place for us.”

When she arrived in 1958 from her native Istria, a former region of Italy that is now part of Croatia, Bastianich says her family didn’t have any friends or family in the United States, which at times left them sad and lonely.

But the family’s “dining experiences,” even if only bread and milk were served, always lifted their spirits.

“Your guard is down when you eat. That’s why there are business lunches and people are seduced over a meal. You allow yourself to enjoy,” Bastianich says.

When Bastianich opened her first restaurant in New York in 1971, her culinary training consisted primarily of doing odd jobs in restaurants while she was in high school.

At first she followed the trend to serve watered-downed American versions of southern Italian food. But when Felidia opened in 1981, she dedicated the restaurant to serving the fresh ingredients she recalled from her childhood in Italy’s northeast.

(Bastianich also gives free cooking lessons to young adults with an Istrian background to help preserve the traditions.)

Bastianich says her version of comfort food, what she’d cook for herself if she had a few minutes to spare, is deeply rooted in her garden, filled with traditional Italian vegetables and herbs.

This recipe for a dandelion salad is among her favorites. It’s easier than you’d think to find dandelion in specialty shops, Bastianich says, but frisee or anything from the chicory family can be used as a substitute. Or, forage farmers markets for items such as wild fennel, pea shoots, young Italian parsley, thinly sliced red cabbage or the yellow leaves from celery hearts.

It’s the dressing of oil, vinegar, honey and almonds that’s the key to the dish, not the greens.

Salad of Dandelion Greens with Almond Vinaigrette and Dried Ricotta

1 pound tender, young dandelion greens (about 10 loosely packed cups)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound ricotta salata cheese, cut into shards with a vegetable peeler

Cut any tough stems from the greens and trim any wilted, yellow or tough leaves. Wash and dry them. The greens can be prepared up to several hours in advance and kept, loosely covered with a clean towel, in the refrigerator.

To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the toasted almonds, vinegar and honey in a blender and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the greens in a large bowl, season them with salt and pepper, and pour the dressing over them.

Toss well and divide the dressed greens among six plates, mounding them in the center of the plate. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of toasted almonds and top with the shavings of ricotta salata.

Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

On the Net:

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich’s official Web site: http://www.lidiasitaly.com/

James Beard Foundation: http://www.jamesbeard.org