Sometimes I watch PBS, Don’t Tell Anyone

I don’t make a regular hobby out of watching PBS, I have important Veronica Mars DVDs to re-watch, you know. But the other day I moodily slumped on my couch and I didn’t feel like changing the channel. (That would require effort, and I don’t do ‘effort’ on Saturday’s.) As for how the channel got there in the first place…well, I’ll never tell.

After watching a really pointless show about decorating cakes (the cakes ended up looking mostly ugly, ergo - it was entirely pointless and made me feel sad for the hosts), Lidia’s Italy came on. I’ve seen this at least once before (because my Dad likes to watch PBS cooking shows on the weekend and I’ve apparently inherited his habit), and I like it, a lot.

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich is the Italian-American chef who hosts the show, as you might have inferred based on her first name. For this show they show her traveling through Italy, cutting back to scenes of her in her kitchen in America, cooking food. I know the idea of a PBS show might seem snore-inducing, but it honestly wasn’t. It just made me hungry.

There’s something neat about watching someone cook, when they really know how to cook. (And also, there’s probably something funny about watching someone cook if they have no idea what they’re doing. Come visit me in my kitchen to see that.) I’m always a bit baffled by how a chef magically turns a piece of seaweed into a four course dinner that looks good. I harbor hopes that maybe some of the magic will rub off onto me.

In the episode I watched, Lidia was focused on sardines. Not the kind you are thinking of - in fact, she cheekily suggested you feed the canned sardines to a cat. She showed actual, big sardines, and then she prepared them by using a knife to slice off the scales, chop off their heads, and then pull out their insides (which were a lovely shade of black). Somehow, she cooked them and prepared a relish and they ended up looking good. She’s talented.

During the show, Lidia talks about the heritage of Italy because she lived there after her family escaped from Istria in 1956. After staying in a refugee camp in Trieste, Italy, for a few years, they came to America in 1959. Watching her show feels sort of like getting some one-on-one time with someone from an older generation, and benefiting from their wisdom.

I enjoyed seeing the vibrant colors of Italy, and it made me really wish I was there. Oftentimes a TV or movie will show a scene from some gorgeous place but it looks so fake and unreal, that I never feel drawn to the image.

I’ve also always liked history a bit, but even if you never have I’m sure you would like to hear a brief mention about an Italian Sardine Festival, yes? (That’s almost as cool as the Wooly Bear festival in Ohio. Yes, I like unique festivals.)

When the 30 minute show ended I realized that I’d been encouraged to cook, and learned a bit about Italian culture in the process. So you get a little taste of Italy, no matter what. If you do get inspired to cook, the website has some recipes. Lidia also has some books you can purchase - I’ll list most of them below.

Last night I did decide to bake something - a ‘Pineapple Upside Down Cake’. Except I didn’t turn it upside down, so it’s more like ‘Right Side Down Pineapple Cake’. Anyway, it’s good! I’ve paid a lot of money to make people tell me that today.

(I’m just kidding, of course.)

I paid them to eat it, and ignored the uncomplimentary comments. Cause I’m smart like that.

Until next time,

Jessica for Sofachip.com

Want to buy one of Lidia’s books?:

Lidia’s Italy: 140 Simple and Delicious Recipes from the Ten Places in Italy Lidia Loves Most - $17.49

Lidia’s Italian Table: More Than 200 Recipes From The First Lady Of Italian Cooking $16.90

La Cucina Di Lidia: Recipes and Memories from Italy’s Adriatic Coast $10.13

Lidia’s Family Table - Favorite Pastas Collection $12.30

Images from lidiasitaly.com