PBS to Present LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, Today

For celebrity chef, author and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich there is no place like home especially at Christmas, her favorite time of year.

In this new special the latest installment of her journey to experience diverse American culture through food?Lidia invites six celebrity guests of different ethnic backgrounds to her holiday table: Christopher Walken, award winning actor and childhood friend; Rita Moreno, award winning actress; Ann Curry, television journalist; model and television host Padma Lakshmi; celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson; and Carlo Ponti, Jr., conductor.

LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA: Home for the Holidays premieres on Friday, December 11, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).

Combining the best of the old and the new, Lidia shares her own culinary customs with the diverse and varied holiday traditions of her guests in Home for the Holidays. The film tells the deeply personal stories of each individual's journey to America, and their life through hardship and triumph all set against a backdrop in which they share a wonderful and deliciously diverse meal. That meal represents the melting pot of flavors that are all part of celebrating the yuletide in New York.

Home for the Holidays begins in THE KITCHEN and ends at the dinner table of Lidia's home in Queens, where Lidia has prepared a dish inspired by each of her guests roots and ethnic culinary traditions, peppered with their moving personal stories and unique tales from their homelands. Some of the dishes include sweet potatoes and cannellini beans inspired by Padma Lakshmi, Christopher Walken's sautéed scallops, and Marcus Samuelsson's Swedish meatballs.

Interspersed throughout the one-hour documentary, filmmakers follow Lidia back to the courtyard in Istria where she was born and the political refugee camp where she stayed for two years prior to coming to America. Lidia visits Chennai, India with Padma Lakshmi, where she learns the culinary traditions of her homeland and understands the stories and struggles behind her departure from India. She heads to Harlem to talk to Marcus Samuelson, and then meet with Rita Moreno at one of her favorite restaurants in Manhattan to share immigration stories. Conductor Carlo Ponti Jr., son of movie star Sophia Loren and filmmaker Carlo Ponti, visits Lidia at her own restaurant where she invites him to taste one of his favorite Neapolitan dishes made at Christmas time: Spaghetti with Clam Sauce.

The guests get together, sharing their fondest childhood memories, remembering what they coveted most and recounting the events that eventually propelled them to leave the countries they once called home. Many of these recollections are brought back to life through food.

As seen through the eyes of six unique individuals, Home for the Holidays shows how food is the tie that binds us together in a dramatic, yet relatable, way. It underscores the reality that our native traditions are ultimately what distinguish us and make each and every one of our lives unique.

The holidays are a great time of the year. We all look forward to them and we have a great time, but I think the holidays are much more meaningful, says Bastianich. It's a time to really assess our values in life and to talk about who we really are and where we come from - our roots, our culture. I think that the holidays are a time to relax, to reflect, to enjoy each other, to replenish our souls and our senses, and then be ready to move on in life until another year.

About Lidia Bastianich:
Lidia Bastianich is an Emmy award-winning public television host, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Her longtime series on public television include the current Lidia?s Kitchen, in addition to Lidia's Italy, Lidia Celebrates America, Lidia's Family Table and more. She is the chef and owner/co-owner of four acclaimed New York City restaurants Felidia, Becco, Esca and Del Posto, as well as Lidia?s Pittsburgh and Lidia's Kansas City. She is also founder and president of Tavola Productions, an entertainment company that produces high quality broadcast productions. Lidia also has a line of pastas and all natural sauces called LIDIA'S. Along with her son, Joe Bastianich, Mario Batali and Oscar Farinetti, the team opened Eataly, the largest artisanal Italian food and wine marketplace in New York City, Chicago and Sao Paolo, Brazil. Lidia has authored, or co-authored with her daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali, ten cookbooks including the new, Lidia?s Mastering THE ART OF Italian Cuisine, along with Lidia?s Commonsense Italian Cooking, Lidia?s Italy in America and Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy, plus three children's books: Lidias Egg-Citing Farm Adventure, Nonna Tell Me a Story: Lidia?s Christmas Kitchen and Lidia?s Family Kitchen: Nonna?s Birthday Surprise.

LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA is a lively exploration of the rich diversity of cultures across the United States, and the vibrant ethnic and religious customs and traditions observed by various groups--in which food is a common denominator that connects all human beings. Previous series focused on the different ways Americans celebrate weddings, holiday traditions, independence, and life?s milestones. For more program information, visit pbs.org/lidiacelebratesamerica. To view recipes featured in the series, go to PBS Food: pbs.org/food. LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA series DVDs, Best of Lidia: Pastas DVD, Mastering THE ART OF Italian Cuisine cookbook and more are available at shoppbs.org. Every purchase supports PBS.

Image courtesy of PBS