Ep 17. The 1980s Italian American "Evolution"

In season 8 episode 17 of Lidia's Kitchen titled "The 1980s Italian American 'Evolution'", Lidia Bastianich explores the changes that took place in Italian-American cuisine during the 1980s. During this time, Italian immigrants and their descendants began incorporating new ingredients and techniques into their dishes, while also holding onto their traditional recipes and flavors.

Lidia starts by whipping up a classic Italian-American dish: spaghetti and meatballs. But instead of using ground beef, she utilizes duck to give the dish a unique twist. She also adds in some new ingredients like hot pepper flakes and parsley to add some heat and freshness to the dish.

Next, Lidia heads to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, which is known as the Little Italy of the area. She visits with some of the local shop owners to get a better understanding of the changes that took place during the 1980s, when Arthur Avenue became more diverse. She also visits Teitel Brothers, a popular Italian specialty store, to check out some of the new products that were introduced during this time, such as olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Back in the kitchen, Lidia prepares a dish using some of the new ingredients that were popular in the 1980s. She makes chicken cacciatore, but instead of using tomatoes, she opts for roasted red peppers to add a unique flavor. She also makes a side salad with arugula, radicchio, and fennel, which were not commonly used in Italian-American cuisine before this time.

Lidia also takes a trip to New York City's Chinatown to learn about the influence that Chinese cuisine had on the Italian-American community during the 1980s. She visits with Chinese-American cookbook author Grace Young to learn about the ingredients and techniques that were introduced during this time. Lidia then heads back to the kitchen to make a dish that combines both Italian and Chinese flavors: shrimp and broccoli stir-fry with garlic and anchovy.

Finally, Lidia prepares a dessert that showcases the flavors of the 1980s Italian-American evolution. She makes a lemon ricotta cheesecake, which features a light and fluffy texture and is topped with fresh berries. This dessert incorporates traditional Italian flavors, like ricotta cheese, with new techniques, like using egg whites to create a light and airy texture.

Overall, this episode of Lidia's Kitchen showcases the evolution of Italian-American cuisine during the 1980s, which saw the introduction of new ingredients, techniques, and flavors. Lidia explores the impact of diverse communities, such as the Chinese-American community, on Italian-American cuisine and shows how these influences helped shape the dishes that we know and love today.