Question: What ingredients do you always have on hand?

Lidia Bastianich: Again I’m talking from an Italian point of view. And an absolute is olive oil, garlic, some onions, Grana Pardano or Parmesano, cheese, pastas or some . . . Either the elements to make some fresh pasta or dry pasta, a lot of legumes, and vegetables, and of course the herbs.

Question: What is your least favorite ingredient?

Lidia Bastianch:  It’s not that something is not favorite.  I am maybe unfamiliar with them.  And I haven’t yet kind of warmed up to cilantro. 

Recorded on: 10/4/07