My mother took a near-instantaneous liking to Bastianich. Soon, the fast-learner Lidia could cook many Italian dishes. Erminia Matticchio is the mother of celebrity chef, Lidia Bastianich. The show, along with Lidia’s Kitchen, has now morphed into one of my mother’s usual—and, honestly, perplexing—infatuations. While we were unable to get any details regarding her exact date of birth, we can confirm that presently, Lidia’s mother is 99 years old. Bastianich immigranted in US at the age of 12, eventually get married to he husband and opened her restaurants. Erminia is one, special lady. Dotted with footage of touching interviews with Lidia, Grandma Erminia, and Tanya, you'll go behind the scenes in the Bastianich family through the ages! The couple, however, divorced in 1997. Television chef and alleged slave owner, Lidia Bastianich, has finally done away with the spray-on scalp camouflage auburn-brown for her bald head, and she can now be seen boiling shellfish alive in a buttery rissoto broth while wearing her brand new wig which she had styled by the same man who cuts MSNBC’s Chris Matthews’ real hair. At the age of nineteen, she was married to Felice “Felix” Bastianich, a fellow Istria-Italian immigrant and restaurant worker from Labin, Istria. Lidia talks about growing up in Italy, her family's struggle to come to America, her introduction to Italian-American food, and her subsequent rediscovery of authentic regional Italian cuisine. She is also founder and president of Tavola Productions, an entertainment company that produces high-quality productions include Lidia’s Italy. Bastianich, who was born in the nearby city of Pola (now Pula in Croatian), fled communist rule with her mother, father and older brother in 1956 when she was 9 years old, leaving behind Nonna Rosa and other family members. Indeed. The two reportedly grew up in Yugoslavia. Following their divorce, Lidia is leading a single life. Lidia Giuliana Matticchio Bastianich is an ItalianAmerican celebrity chef, television host, author In 1981, Bastianichs father died, and the family sold their two Queens restaurants and purchased a small Bastianichs mother, Erminia Motika, maintained the large garden behind the family home, from which Bastianichnbsp Skip to primary navigation Lidia talks about growing up in Italy, her family's struggle to come to America, her introduction to Italian-American food, and her subsequent rediscovery of authentic regional Italian cuisine. She said, "To our health and to the One who takes care of us." Funny and sharp as a paring knife, she once gave a profoundly moving, yet short toast on a TV program. Lidia Bastianich is a married woman who tied the knots with her husband Felice Felix Bastianich in the year 1966. When the family moves to New York in a sponsorship of Catholic Charities under US government immigration approval. Lidia is the chef/ owner of four acclaimed New York City resturants. (Newser) – Marcella Hazan—"the first mother of Italian cooking in America," according to restaurateur Lidia Bastianich—has died at age 89 in her Florida home, after years of emphysema. Lidia Giuliana Matticchio Bastianich is an ItalianAmerican celebrity chef, television host, author In 1981, Bastianichs father died, and the family sold their two Queens restaurants and purchased a small Bastianichs mother, Erminia Motika, maintained the large garden behind the family home, from which Bastianich Dotted with footage of touching interviews with Lidia, Grandma Erminia, and Tanya, you'll go behind the scenes in the Bastianich family through the ages! Chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich and her mother, Erminia Motika, talk about Italian food. At this moment, Lidia is a 12 years old, who had learned basics of Italian style cooking from her mother. Chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich and her mother, Erminia Motika, talk about Italian food.They’ll speak with Christopher Walken about their shared roots in Astoria, Queens. Her husband’s name was Vittorio Matticchio. Lidia started working in restaurants at the age of fourteen, first at a bakery, and then later at a pizzeria on the upper west side of Manhattan.