16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good home italian cooking -- with recipes, April 7, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Favorite Recipes from Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen (DVD)
This DVD contains selected episodes from Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen series shown on public television. Aside from a nice selection of dishes, the one main extra it has compared with the TV series are actual recipes for all featured dishes. That is a welcome addition as the TV series did not contain any ingredient quantities & measurements as you had to buy the book for more. As such this DVD stands on its own.
While I would have appreciated the addition of at least one veal dish (veal scaloppini...), the recipes presented are a nice variety and a must for every fan of the show and of Lidia. It makes for an easy reference that you can return to at any time.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Grazie Signora Lidia!!!, March 11, 2006
This review is from: Favorite Recipes from Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen (DVD)
Wonderful!!! Finally a DVD from one of the best Italian chefs!! There is something about Lidia Matticchio Bastianich that is both soothing and comforting; maybe it's her quiet style of teaching or maybe it's the familiar feeling you have as you watch her teach her amazing dishes. She seems to make you feel as if you are the only person in the kitchen with her and that she is sharing her secrets just with you.
Lidia is a woman of great strength and history, and her life story is one of awe and due respect; she did not come by her success by any connections or affiliations, rather she earned it by extremely hard work, a sincere dedication, and proud commitment. She is also a scholar of food and food chemistry, so what she teaches, she understands in it's most complex form, yet she will impart that education in ways that make you understand and appreciate. That is why she has a no-nonsense approach to food and what it can give to you if you both understand and coach it to it's final stage.
The disc comes clipped into a single jacket and her series is produced by A La Carte Communications. On the front of the jacket is a lovely photo of Lidia welcoming you to come join her as she teaches you her recipes and secrets. On the back are two photos of dishes along with reference sites to go to for further information, which include the series sponsors who helped to underwrite these segments.
Her single disc dvd contains:
Meat-Stuffed Peppers
Tomato Sauce
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Basic Risotto
Spaghettini with Oil and Garlic
Linguine with Clam and Broccoli Sauce
Meat and Spinach Cannelloni
Manicotti
Bechamel Sauce
Meat Sauce Bolognese
Fresh Pasta (the basics for all your pasta needs; alot of fun)
Ricotta Cheesecake (absolutely delicious!)
This disc contains the basics of Italian cooking, and for those who are already adept at this level, they may not feel challenged. But I enjoyed every moment and you can be assured that you might come away with a couple more ideas and ways of preparing this great cuisine than you thought.
I so very much hope that they continue with the distribution of more DVD's from her inspiring cooking show. Her segment on "gnocchi" (Italian potato dumplings) is just superb, and just one more example of the dedicated fan base that she has due to her style and manners. Yes, she is very soft-spoken, but she gently teaches the finer points of Italian cooking.
I had the incredible experience of meeting her during a visit to Chicago to promote the PBS station which airs her program. She is a most gracious woman and her in-person persona is no different than her TV persona. She really loves the complexity, and simplicity, of good food and she relishes in teaching you just that.
Once again, grazie Signora per tutto!!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Few More Ingredients, Please!, March 14, 2005
This review is from: Favorite Recipes from Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen (DVD)
Have this DVD. Have used it. Watch Lidia as often as possible. She is the real deal with recipes that, to an old Italian such as I, are tasty and make sense. Lidia is my comfort food specialist! My only problem with this DVD is that it might be a shade too basic. When I ordered it, I was hoping for a few more of Lidia's more varied dishes-an Osso Buco, or perhaps Roasted Veal Shanks or even a pasta with Zucchini florets. Instead, this DVD offers the likes of some old stand bys: Spaghettini with Oil and Garlic, Manicotti, Bechamel Sauce, Meat Sauce Bolognese, and the like. Seems to me that I've seen these, as they are or in variation, on a dozen TV sets and a thousand Ristorante.
When it comes to Italian Cuisine, TV style, I've seen and tasted them all-Carlo Middione, Mary Ann Esposito, Biba Caggiano, Nick Stellino. To my mind, Lidia stands head and shoulders above them all. Nobody does it better! I'm not interested in how monotone she may be. When I watch Lidia, I do not want to be entertained a la Nick Stellino. I want to learn about and appreciate the art of a true master, who loves to cook and eat!
For those of you out there who want to learn some of the basics of Italian home cooking, get this DVD. For those of you who want more, wait for her second release. But it might not be a bad idea to keep this one in the cabinet; just in case!
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