Some of you may have run across one of my favorite cooking shows on PBS-- Lidia's Italy.

The show is hosted by Lidia Bastianich, who's one of the chefs most responsible for introducing regional Italian cooking to America. When it comes to flare, she's no Bobby Flay or Mario Batali, but she really explains the technique and history behind her dishes, and she doesn't shy away from some unusual traditional dishes.

Read a brand new interview with Lidia (who is a partner in many of Mario Batali's restaurants in New York) conducted by my friend Matt Rodbard here.