Bastianich Lidia Matticchio - Felidia

I have been writing cookbooks for thirty years, and it was time to sit down and create a collection of recipes that span the history of what customers and viewers know as my flagship restaurant, Felidia. Restaurant recipes are not always easy to replicate in the typical home kitchen. But together with Felidias longtime Executive Chef Fortunato Nicotra, my co-author and daughter, Tanya, and a team of very gifted individuals, we have done just that.

I would like to first thank all of the employees of Felidia, whose collaborative efforts have kept the restaurant open for almost forty years. I give a big thank-you to kitchen and front-of-house management and staff. It takes a village, and our many years of success would not have been possible without a dedicated team of hardworking people who make Felidias hospitality and dining experiences happen every day. Some of my dear friends who worked the front and back of the house are no longer with us, but they helped to give this place its energy and history.

I must thank my mother, Erminia, who helped raise my two children during the early years when we were opening Felidia, our first Manhattan endeavor. She stayed at home with Joe and Tanya during many late nights and eventually worked as a receptionist and even in the coat room when the situation demanded it. I thank my son, Joseph, for working his paper route as a small kid in Queens to help finance the opening and my daughter, Tanya, for working here as a teenager in the summers, and also now, as she manages not only Felidia but many other restaurants.

Chef Fortunato Nicotra arrived in 1996 when I began to expand the family business and has been behind the range ever since. He brought with him authentic Italian tradition, coupled with a persistent search for the best of both Italian and local ingredients, as well as a flair for artistic and contemporary presentation. I thank him for his long years of dedication and inspiration to the many chefs and cooks who have worked in the Felidia kitchen.

Amy Stevenson has been testing recipes and heading my Public Television show kitchen for many years, and she was with us testing each of these recipes to make sure that home cooks will be able to easily create these delicious classics. Thank you to Liz Crabtree in the recipe kitchen as well!

I thank Peter Gethers and Tom Pold for pushing us to work harder and write better; it was a pleasure working on the book with both of you, and your rounds of edits are always welcome! Thank you to Janna Devinsky for her utmost professionalism and organization; it is much appreciated. I send a heartfelt thank-you to Paul Bogaards for years of friendship and support and for always being enthusiastic about our books. You are a believer and we love that. To our Knopf promotional mavens, Emily Reardon and Sara Eagle, we are so thankful for your work in promoting. Thank you, Anna Knighton, Kristen Bearse, Kelly Blair, and Carol Carson, for designing the bookinside and outand making it all look so good. It is a tough job to pull everything together and thank goodness we have you to do it for us. You made it all so easy. And for capturing it all with a wonderful eye, thank you to Jennifer May. Your work in photography is gorgeous, and it is an absolute pleasure to work with you. Thanks also to Barb Fritz for styling the photos and Liam Canning for lighting it all up.

Thank you to our office and restaurant staff who provide us with support so we can be creative and make books. Thank you to the American Public Television team for the fabulous work done in the distribution of the show and to Laurie Donnelly, the late Anne Adams, Bara Levin, Matt Midura, and Jeffrey Elias at WGBH. Our years together have been great ones. I also would like to thank the many sponsors of our Public Television show who help me to continue sharing recipes with my fans and restaurant customers: Cento, Consorzio del Grana Padano, Loacker, Rovagnati, Fabbri USA, Auricchio Provolone, Locatelli Pecorino, Olitalia, Regione Puglia, and FESR. Thank you also to Juliska for the gorgeous tableware and linens and to the wonderful showroom consultants at Clarke, who provide the gorgeous kitchen in which the show is filmed.