Cooking with Joe and Lidia Bastianich

by Jacquelynn D. Powers, Posted Feb 28th 2010 @ 3:00PM

Joe and Lidia Bastianich at the Barilla Interactive dinner at the Biltmore Hotel. Photo: Jacquelynn D. Powers

At the majority of events at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, celebrity chefs whip up gourmet burgers, lobster rolls and even dim sum for their fans. Last night, the tables were turned at the Barilla Interactive dinner at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. At this gathering the people behind the stove weren't named Emeril, Rachael or Guy. Instead, the guests were doing the cooking for the likes of Lidia Bastianich, Philippe Ruiz and Joe Bastianich.

The ornate Biltmore ballroom was the scene of this impromptu Italian cooking experiment. Each table was equipped with a gas burner, frying pans and assorted cooking tools. A student chef from Coral Gables Senior High School partnered up with each table to guide us through the process.

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The evening was moderated by Lidia Bastianich, who is an Italian chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and TV personality. She took us through each recipe, offered culinary advice and made jokes. "This is a fantastic way of giving a lesson," she noted. "The recipes we chose reflect who we are. The dishes are flavorful and pair well with the wine. As chefs, we like to do these events. Every night ends up with a party."

Most of the food was prepped for the budding chefs in the room. While the heavy lifting was done for us, there was still some frying and sautéing to do. The first course was frico with potato and crab filling. This grownup grilled cheese dish entailed shredded Montasio cheese, potato, leeks and crab. Montasio cheese is an artisanal cheese, made in the mountains of northeast Italy and is derived 100 percent from cow's milk. The appetizer was simple to make, except for the plate flip at the end, which involved dexterity some of these amateur chefs didn't have down. Thankfully, our student chef assisted with this move.

The next two dishes were also seafood-based. There was a savory fish soup with mussels and shrimp, followed by seared Ahi tuna. We were given the recipes to take home with us, as well as a copy of Lidia's latest cookbook, Lidia Cooks from the heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes.

Accompanying this do-it-yourself feast were wines from two Italian wineries, Jermann and Pio Cesare. Restaurateur and winemaker Joe Bastianich (he is Lidia's son) explained that these wines were perfectly paired with each course: "Italy is the only country in Europe where wine grapes are grown everywhere. Italians consume wine and food locally. If it grows together, it goes together." Jermann, which is located in northeastern Italy, provided the whites, while Piedmont-based Pio Cesare poured two Barolos.

Later in the night, the elegant ballroom was pungent with the smell of garlic and lively with the sound of 250 people cooking and eating. As Lidia had predicted, it was indeed a party.

Filed Under: Celebrities, News
Tags: Barilla, Joe Bastianich, Lidia Bastianich, South Beach Wine Food Festival