Lidia Bastianich is one of the best-loved chefs on television. Her Emmy Award-winning public television programs have delighted audiences for over 17 years, capturing both her love and respect for authentic Italian cuisine.

And Bastianich's popularity is warranted. She has spent more than three decades building a reputation for impeccably well-researched and executed Italian cuisine. And she’s shared her knowledge with the world, first with her restaurant Buonavia in Queens, and later with award-winning eateries like Felidia, Becco, Esca and Del Posto in Manhattan along with two namesake eateries in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

Bastianich is also a co-owner of Eataly (the Italian food lover's paradise) and founder and president of Tavola Productions. She is the author of 10 cookbooks and three children's books, the most recent of which is "Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine."

Bastianich will be in Milwaukee on Saturday, Jan. 16 for an evening of conversation and storytelling at The Pabst Theater. In anticipation of her visit, we thought we'd catch up with her to chat about the show, her impressions of Milwaukee and her advice for aspiring Italian cooks.

OnMilwaukee: First things first, you mentioned in a tweet last November that you were looking forward to your show in Milwaukee. Do you have any fond memories of past visits to Milwaukee?

Looking forward to my visit to Milwaukee! https://t.co/lqVTfSoh7l — Lidia Bastianich (@LidiaBastianich) November 19, 2015

Lidia Bastianich: You know, yeah, I think it’s a great Midwestern city in the sense that the food – it’s a little different. I was there a few years ago when the Midwest was just starting to discover itself and its foods. I was in Milwaukee for a dinner with the Bartolottas and I helped your local PBS station with fundraising a few years ago. I really enjoy the city. It’s on the lake, and I love water. There’s a nice young energy, young people interested in food and restaurants. 

OnMilwaukee: Do you have anything in particular you’re looking forward to doing (or eating) while you’re here in Milwaukee? 

Bastianich: You know I really like local places, dives … I don’t need fancy restaurants. And I’m not sure where they’re going to take me this time. But, I’m looking forward to it.  

OnMilwaukee: Talk to me a bit about what people can expect from your new live show coming to The Pabst Theater.

 Bastianich: It’s like having Lidia in your living room. We sit down and there are intimate conversations. There is a host with questions [in Milwaukee it's Mitch Teich of WUWM's "Lake Effect"] that take me through my life, being born in Italy after the war … refugee camp … and some of these things are new discoveries for the audience.

We talk about where my passion for food came from. And I talk about my grandmother, milking the goats and making the cheese. And all of those food memories that we had as immigrants that I brought along with me. I grew up in a pleasant setting of really being connected to those primal flavors of food products, and food for me is really emotional. All these memories … it’s wonderful to see how people relate to all of those memories. 

There’s a real intimacy about it. And here’s a chance for people to ask what they want to know. And that’s really where people can probe deeper and ask me more about my family and all of those things they want to know.

These are people I’m so grateful for. They follow me on television. They get my books and cook my recipes. And I love sharing myself with them. 

OnMilwaukee: What’s the most interesting question you’ve been asked?

Bastianich: You know, there have been many. But, one question that stands out for me more recently was one someone asked after I talked about cooking for both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. The person asked, "Who would you like to cook for next?"

And it stumped me. I never thought really thought about that. But, you know who I would really like to cook for are those poor hungry children on television. I’d make a big warm pot of soup.

OnMilwaukee: Over the years, you’ve made quite the impact on Italian cooking in America. Moving forward, what’s on your bucket list in terms of what you’d still like like to accomplish as a chef? 

Bastianich: You know the question for me really is, what I can I do… beyond. And we hear every day about all this hunger. And I ask myself. What can I do?  How can I help? I was in Italy when they had the World’s Fair and we connected with discussions on food and the lack of food. And all of this interests me. But, I don’t know yet how to make a difference. 

OnMilwaukee: One thing that’s always impressed me about your work is the amount of research you put into your work. One of the questions I always hear as food-lovers talk about Italian cuisine in America is "What’s authentic?" What’s your answer to that question?

Bastianich: There is a reality here in America and in Italian-American cuisine. It is not the cuisine that people eat in Italy. At the end of the 18th century the first influx of Italian immigrants came to the U.S. from places like Calabria and Naples … and they came here with great memories of foods that were beloved to them. But, they couldn’t find all the products to make these foods in America. So, they improvised and created dishes with ingredients that were available.

Now most Americans relate to Italian cuisine as Italian-American cuisine, but the reality is that when you go to Italy, it’s quite different. And it’s very regional. So, the authenticity is very regional and every region has its own recipes for things like pomodoro. But there are also the traditional products that make Italian food Italian. Like great olive oil, Grana Padano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sicilian canned tuna. And those products capture the flavors, the topography, the climate … and all that is is great about those regions. And so these are the things that make Italian cuisine authentic. It’s regionality.

OnMilwaukee: And Italy is a relatively young country with diverse cuisines based on various influences. Doesn’t that play into the picture and the diversity?

Bastianich: Yes, Italy…  there have been so many different conquests and occupations. And those things are bound to change the customs and the food. We have Moorish and Arab. Where I come from in the Northeast we have Austrian and Hungarian foods. We cook with a lot of potatoes and sauerkraut. So you can tell the history of a place – especially in Italy – by the food.

OnMilwaukee: Is there an Italian dish you feel that every cook should have in his or her repertoire? And why?

Bastianich: Oh gosh, there is not just one. But a good marinara sauce would be one. A good pasta fagioli is so great. If you have those, you can always use them to make other things. Start with a great marinara and you can make chicken diavola or shrimp alla marinara.

There are some great basic things, like in every culture, and those are the things people should learn. If anyone wants to pick up my book "Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine," I go into all of the basics. And then from there I show you how to make some authentic recipes and Italian-American recipes – which are a reality for people here in America – and then there are more modern recipes. But, knowing the basics. That is really important.

OnMilwaukee: What items do you always have on hand at home to cook with?

Bastianich: I certainly have dried pasta, olive oil, garlic, onions too and a piece of Grana Padano cheese, anchovies, artichokes – even canned; I love them fresh, but the Italians are so masterful at preserving things – tuna, olives. And all of these ingredients are things that can be made into easy meals. I can make a dish with a bit of olive oil, capers, crushed tomatoes and I have a great sauce for pasta. Sometimes I add anchovies. So, I always have good basic things that I can use to make a meal.