Lidia Bastianich

It's important to let children fly on their own. I understood that they needed to create their own life and not be my shadow. Let them make their own decisions, and support them along the way.

I am the perfect example that if you give somebody a chance, especially here in the United States, one can find the way.

I attended classes and taught classes, in Food Anthropology at Pace University, with an anthropology professor. You can trace history by the architecture and food of a place. Food is one of those things that transcends and stays in the culture.

I am a transporter of the Italian culture - culinary culture, family culture - because I love it, I thrive in it, and I think it's the right way.

I'm not an entertainer - that's not what I do. I want to teach viewers; I want to show them. I want to share my culture.

My success is that I have these two great cultures behind me. One is Italian. I've continued to nurture that. But I also feel very American.

America has many cultures which makes it great, but it's difficult to create one strong identity.

You should just feel comfortable with food and your own culinary culture, whatever your mother and grandmother know.

Food is culture. Food is an identity, a footprint of who you are.

When you invite friends over, especially for food, with the food you want to send out a message of affection, of appreciation, of celebration. But also of culture - who your family is.

I am blessed that the food business is good for me. Good to me.

Traditions are our roots and a profile of who we are as individuals and who we are as a family. They are our roots, which give us stability and a sense of belonging - they ground us.