NHPR and The Music Hall in Portsmouth present Writers on a New England Stage with author Lidia Bastianich. She spoke with NHPR's Peter Biello about her latest book, My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food. In her memoir, Bastianich explores her relationship to Italian cuisine, describes her upbringing in communist Yugoslavia, her time as a refugee in Italy, and her experience living and working in New York City, where she discovered her passsion for food. Host of the cooking show, Lidia's Kitchen, Bastianich owns four restaurants in New York City and is co-founder of the Italian marketplace chain, Eataly . This interview was recorded March 12, 2019 at The Music Hall.