What Lidia Bastianich Gives - 12 Days of Christmas

by Nicki Gostin, Posted Dec 16th 2010 @ 12:00PM

Photos: John W. Ferguson / Getty Images; Alamy

On Monday we kicked off our 12 days of chef-inspired gift giving. Stay tuned every morning from now through December 24th for ideas from the pros on the best gifts for cooks. And see the links at the bottom of the post to catch up on days you've missed.

On the fourth day of Christmas, an Istrian chef gave to me...

The Chef: Lidia Bastianich

Restaurants: Felidia, Becco (New York); Lidia's Italy (Pittsburgh and Kansas City), as well as being a partner with her son Joe, and chef Mario Batali, in restaurants Esca and Del Posto (New York). Host of Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen and Lidia's Italy, and of the upcoming TV special Nonna, Tell Me a Story (airing Saturday, December 18 on Create TV)

The Gifts:
Lidia says: "When I give a gift, it has to bring with it my flavors, my recipes and my love."

I like to give one of my cookbooks, which I sign with a personal note and add a sticker to a recipe that would best fit the personality of the person I'm giving it to. With that I also pair one or more of the items on the ingredients list.
• A magnum of the Bastianich wine that would best pair with the recipe.
• A Lidia-designed platter that the dish from that recipe could be served on.
• A cluster of products to make that recipe...for example, if the sticker is on the Truffle Risotto page, then I'd give Carnaroli Rice and a fresh truffle.

For friends, children, grandchildren away at college or living on their own..... a tasty care package
• Four or six pounds of different shapes of Lidia's Pasta
• Four to six jars of different flavored Lidia's sauces
• A chunk of Grana Padano cheese
• A bottle of extra-virgin olive oil

For new couples or someone that just relocated
• A full set of the pots and pans I designed, or any number of pieces depending on the size of the gift. I always include some pasta, some sauce, a bottle of wine or kitchen gadgets like spiders, wooden spoons, or ladles.

Where to Find Them: For Lidia's products, and for Bastianich wine, check out her website: lidiasitaly.com

Follow the chefs' suggestions by clicking the links below:
The First Day of Christmas: Carla Hall
The Second Day of Christmas: José Andrés
The Third Day of Christmas: Wolfgang Puck

Filed Under: Holidays, Chefs
Tags: 12 Days of Christmas Chef Gifts, chefs, christmas, gift ideas, GiftIdeas, Lidia Bastianich