TV chef Lidia Bastianich at Carmel's Tops Market, Dec. 11

• Chestnut stuffing recipe

Chef Lidia Bastianich is an industry all to herself, with restaurants in New York, Pittsburgh and Kansas City, a burgeoning library of cookbooks to her name and a wildly popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italy," which she signs off with an invitation "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!" — which translates to "Everyone to the table to eat!"

Bastianich makes a trip to Carmel on Sunday, for a visit to Tops Friendly Markets. She will do a book signing and tasting event from 1-3 p.m. Her best-selling cookbook, “Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine,” will be for sale and available for signing. Bastianich appeared at Tarrytown's Music Hall on Dec. 2 for a Q&A.

We found her on tour in India and she agreed to answer some questions in advance of her trip to Tarrytown.

Your son, Joe, is a partner in Port Chester’s Tarry Lodge, Tarry Wines and Tarry Market.  You live on Long Island. Do you spend much time in Westchester?    

I do spend quite a bit of time in Westchester. Prior to moving to Manhattan last year, Joe lived in Connecticut, so Tarry Lodge was a natural meeting point for our families to get together and eat. I also shoot my television series in Connecticut so following a 10-hour day, I might head over to Westchester, which is less than 30 minutes away, for a great bite to eat.  I also do several classes and book signings at Tarry Market throughout the year.

Do you have any favorite Westchester restaurants – beyond Tarry Lodge?   

One of my television producers recently told me about Fortina, and it’s delicious.

How many of these Q&A eventsdo you do per year? 

Last fall, my latest cookbook, "Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine," was released. The live tours became part of my book tour, and I did 12 of them in various markets around the country.  Since September of this year, there are another five planned.

What’s the oddest question someone asked at one of these events? (And what was your answer?) 

Someone recently asked me about the strangest dish I ever tasted.  My answer was ant eggs while traveling in Mexico.

Think back 40 years. If I told you then that people would go out to dine and pay top dollar for food that “Grandma” made you when you were growing up, would you have believed me? 

I’m actually not surprised.  History repeats itself, so it was a matter of time before people got back to the basics and started to rediscover their roots and appreciate the flavors and simple dishes of our grandmothers. So whether they cook those dishes at home or choose them on a night out, they are finding pleasure in those traditional flavors.

You champion cuisine that is simple -- pasta is flour, oil, water, egg, and salt; a great marinara is tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepperoncino. How crowded is your pantry at home?   

My pantry is well stocked but certainly not crowded.  I always have on hand good olive oil, good red wine vinegar, good balsamic vinegar. You’ll also find pepperoncino, capers and anchovies. Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper are always present, and although I prefer fresh herbs, I’ll keep dried bay leaves and cloves in there. And then there’s pasta: I always have lots of different pastas – short cuts, long cuts, a big variety. To couple the items in my pantry, I always have on hand a good chunk of Grana Padano cheese and a few Italian cured meats.

As a longtime restaurateur, you’ve seen the food landscape change over the years, and you’ve no doubt played a role in that. You’ve done high-brow food – at Felidia and Del Posto – and more homespun, down-to-earth simple cuisine – at Becco. Is there one restaurant development that really surprised you?

I guess the popularity of Italian crudo or raw fish took me a bit by surprise. All of our restaurants serve crudo, and the dishes are extremely popular. Fortunato Nicotra’s “tutto crudo” of branzino, tuna and salmon with chopped vegetables and puffed rice is on the menu all year around at Felidia and is a huge hit.  Becco, Lidia’s Kansas City and Pittsburgh all have popular crudo dishes as well. Many of the restaurants in Eataly in New York, Chicago, and the soon-to-be-open Boston also have a focus on super fresh fish and serve crudo. I guess we should not be too surprised considering the popularity of sushi these days!

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten in the past week? 

I have actually been touring through India, and the best thing I’ve eaten is cheese-filled Naan bread in Jaipur.

Is there a side dish that your kids or grandkids demand to have at holidays? 

Mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and olive oil

What is Grandma's favorite holiday side dish?

Grandma loves baccala mantecato (whipped baccala), and she loves her vegetables including broccoli rabe braised in olive oil and garlic and Brussels sprouts with bacon and walnuts.

Can you share your favorite stuffing recipe?

I love chestnuts in my stuffing. Here's my chestnut stuffing recipe.

CHESTNUT STUFFING

1/4  cup olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

1 cup finely chopped onions

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/3 cup finely chopped peeled carrots

Salt to taste

6 cups of stale bread cut 1/2-inch cubes

3 cups of milk

1 egg

2 sage leaves chopped fine

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley

1 rind of a medium orange grated
1 cup grated Grana Padano

2 tablespoons of butter at room temperature to brush casserole

2 cups of cooked chestnuts peeled and coarsely chopped

Heat oil, shallots, onion, celery and carrots cook 10 minutes until wilted.  Season with salt.

In the meantime, soak bread in milk for 20 minutes.

Drain milk by pressing bread in your hands, break bread and set in a bowl, add egg, sautéed vegetables, sage leaves, parsley, grated orange rind and 1/2 cup of the grated cheese.

Season with salt and pepper and mix until all ingredients are blended.

Add chestnuts and mix well.  Set in a buttered casserole or baking dish (about 9 x 14), shake into place a small mound with a rubber spatula.  Cover with foil paper and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the grated Grana Padano and cook an additional 20 minutes or until crispy on top.

If You Go

When:1-3 p.m. Dec. 11

Where: Tops Friendly Markets, 1936 US Route 6, Carmel

Info: This is a free event. Bastianich’s best-selling cookbook, “Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine,” will be for sale and available for signing on site. Samples of Lidia’s delicious pasta and sauce will be available for shoppers to enjoy.