Chef Lidia Bastianich talks new memoir, cooks up recipes

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Famed television chef and author Lidia Bastianich has been happily sharing her recipes for years. But in her new book she's sharing more about herself.

"My American Dream" is her memoir, and during her visit to "Good Day Philadelphia" on Tuesday morning we learned more about the woman behind the food.

The book details why her family fled Yugoslavia in 1956. Her family spent two years in a refugee camp in Italy.

Then, Lidia's family arrived in New York in 1958.

She told us her childhood has influenced her cooking, as she put the finishing touches on an asparagus and egg salad, a fig and prosciutto crostini, and a cherry tart.

For more information about Bastianich, her book and her restaurants, visit LidiasItaly.com.