![\"lidia](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodlifevancouver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/LidiasCommonsenseItalianCooking.jpg?resize=788%2C909\" "\\"lidia")
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Life did not begin simply for\u00a0Bastianich, as a child her family escaped post-war Yugoslavia to Italy and eventually were granted passage to America under the displaced persons act when she was twelve. \u00a0She met her husband in 1966 and they opened their first restaurant in Queens in 1971, and a second there before selling both and moving on to Manhattan. From there the Bastianich empire grew and Lidia eventually took over after her husband and she divorced, and he passed his shares on to the two children they’d had. These children eventually became a key part of the Bastianich empire.<\/p>\n
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Television fame came to Lidia through the\u00a0beloved Julia Child, \u00a0in\u00a01993, when Child\u00a0\u00a0invited her to tape and episode for\u00a0Julia Child: Cooking With Master Chefs<\/i>, which featured acclaimed chefs from around the U.S., preparing dishes in their own home kitchens. From their Bastianich went on to have her own show.<\/p>\n
Bastianich’s has much success in\u00a0the restaurant world, and\u00a0she has managed to do it all; a mother, wife, restaurateur, TV Host and more, all in a world when men were usually, and are still, at the helm. The Vancouver\u00a0chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, will honour her on September 23, 2016 at a Gala at the Four Seasons Hotel and we can’t wait to spend the evening among her and some of the other chefs and characters that are joining us to present this special evening.<\/p>\n
![\"Lidia](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodlifevancouver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0225-1024x652.jpg?resize=474%2C302\" "\\"Lidia")
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Bastianich was asked during her last visit, “How did you get your children into the business?” and her answer shows that despite the fact she’d blazed a trail, she still didn’t want this difficult and challenging life for\u00a0them.<\/p>\n
“The\u00a0children would come to the restaurant and eat. There was always unity. I\u00a0always told them this is not what you want to do with your life. My son,\u00a0Joe Bastianich, completed a Master of Business and daughter, Tanya Bastianich Manuali, a PhD in Art History and Joe went on to spend several years on Wall Street.
\nEvery summer the kids came to Italy and they must have just naturally absorbed it, despite my warnings. One day Joe sat at the bar at Felidia (theie flagship restaurant) and told me he was quitting his\u00a0job to spend time with with me at the restaurant. After a discussion, I gave in and we went to Italy for a year and worked in a variety of kitchens, absorbing the knowledge, and learning much along the way. Back in America, we\u00a0opened our first restaurant together, and then we meet Mario Batali and I credit a lot of our success to his sense of business.”<\/p>\n
Her daughter was a Professor at Syracuse\u00a0in Italy and, after finishing her degree, moved back to the states to start a family and moved just two blocks away. After Tanya’s first child was born, Lidia asked her to do some of the research and now Tanya assists in production and has alleviated the workload. Tanya’s\u00a0husband, a lawyer, is also involved.<\/p>\n
Lidia’s advice? Know when you need to be Mother and Grandmother and know when you need to be a business women. Something that can’t be easy to draw the line at always, I am sure.<\/p>\n
Lidia Bastianich will be in Vancouver for a variety of television appearances, a book signing at Gourmet Warehouse on September 22 and the Les Dames d”Escoffier Gala on September 23.<\/p>\n
Les Dames D\u2019Escoffier Present Una Bella Notte Con Lidia Bastianich An unforgettable evening of Italian food, wine and song is in store for fans of Lidia Bastianich as the BC Chapter of Les Dames d\u2019Escoffier honours the Emmy award-winning TV personality, cookbook author and restaurateur. Sit down for a Gala dinner with Lidia on September 23, 2016 at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and support Les Dames d\u2019Escoffier\u2019s outreach and scholarship programs. Now, that\u2019s amore!<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Gala Dinner with Chef\/Owner\/TV Personality Fundraises
\nFor Les Dames d\u2019Escoffier Scholarships<\/em><\/p>\n
![\"Lidia](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodlifevancouver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0227-1024x633.jpg?resize=474%2C293\" "\\"Lidia")
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