On June 10, 2010, the National Organization of Italian American Women [2](NOIAW) will hold its 30th Anniversary Gala at the Waldorf=Astoria [3], honoring the Bastianich family members Lidia Bastianich [4], Joseph Bastianich [5], Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Nonna Erminia and grandchildren for their outstanding contributions to Italian culture in America. 
 

NOIAW is recognizing the members of the Bastianich family in following with NOIAW’s mission to recognize Italian American women who have made outstanding achievements in their fields, positive contributions to their communities, and who are also strong role models to the next generation of Italian American women. NOIAW also enjoys the opportunity to recognize the men who have been integral to the efforts of such remarkable women.  
 
NOIAW Chairwoman and Founder Dr. Aileen Riotto Sirey said of the honorees, “as we celebrate our organization’s 30 year milestone and the rise of the next generation of our members, we are proud to honor the accomplishments of three generations of the Bastianich family. Inspired by matriarch Nonna Erminia’s devotion to her heritage, daughter Lidia Bastianich, and her children, Joe and Tanya, have built their family business into an epicurean empire which continues to spread the tastes of authentic Italian culture throughout the United States. We are proud to honor them for their success in promoting our heritage and for being such an outstanding example of an Italian family.”
 

Working together, the Bastianich family has authored nine books, established 19 restaurants, four vineyards, a travel tour company, a television production company, and several product lines—all based on bringing the best of Italian cuisine and family culture to the United States.
 
The proceeds from the Gala will help to support NOIAW programs such as the Mentor Program which pairs young Italian American women with established professionals as mentors; the Scholarship Program which provides financial assistance to students so that they may realize their dreams; and the Cultural Exchange Program which sends young Italian American women on educational group trips to Italy. For NOIAW members, the organization offers ongoing cultural, social, and networking programs and events.

The event will be held on the evening of June 10, 2010, in the Starlight Roof Ballroom of the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City, and will feature a menu by Lidia with wines from the Bastianich vineyards. Ticket prices begin at $300. For more information, or to order tickets, please call NOIAW at (212) 642-2003 or visit NOIAW's events page  [6]
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Lidia Bastianich is one of the best-loved chefs on television, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Her cookbooks include, Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy [7] and Lidia’s Italy [8]–both companion books to the Emmy-nominated television series, Lidia’s Italy as well as Lidia’s Family Table [9], Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen [10], Lidia’s Italian Table [11] and La Cucina di Lidia [12]. Lidia is the chef/owner of four acclaimed New York City restaurants—Felidia [13], Becco [14], Esca [15] and Del Posto, [16] as well as Lidia’s in Pittsburgh [17] and Kansas City.
[18]She is also founder and president of Tavola Productions, an entertainment company that produces high-quality broadcast productions including Lidia’s Italy. Together with her son Joseph, she produces award-winning wines at their Bastianich Vineyards in Friuli.
 
2007 signified a true benchmark in Lidia’s career, as she had the esteem honor of cooking for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI during his travels to New York. Looking ahead to the fall of 2010, Lidia will release her first children’s book, soon to be a holiday classic, “Nonna Tell Me a Story: Lidia’s Christmas Kitchen.” Perhaps the single most important quality that Lidia shares is her belief that it’s not only the food on the table that makes the meal, it’s the people who join around the table who bring the meal to life. Her signature line: “Tutti a tavola a mangiare!” means “Everybody to the table to eat!”. This common phrase, in its simplicity, could possibly be Lidia’s true recipe for success.
 
Joe Bastianich’s life charts a culinary adventure that ends with this nice Italian boy becoming one of America’s premier restaurateurs and winemakers.

Following a year working in finance on Wall Street, Joe spent a year traveling through Italy, working in restaurants and on vineyards, digging himself deeper into his rich heritage. Upon returning to New York, he partnered with his mother, Chef Lidia Bastianich, to open Becco, which quickly became a New York City favorite.  Soon after, Joe became partners with Mario Batali [19] and together they established some of New York’s best restaurants, including the legendary Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca [20], Lupa Osteria Romana [21], Esca, Casa Mono [22], Bar Jamόn, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria [23] and the much storied Del Posto. Along the way, he has conquered Las Vegas with Enoteca San Marco [24], B&B Ristorante and Carnevino [25], and Los Angeles with Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza [26].  Closer to home, Joe and Mario opened Tarry Lodge [27] in Port Chester, NY.  

Joe has also established vineyards including: Azienda Agricola Bastianich in his ancestral Friuli-Venezia Giulia; La Mozza s.r.l., established in Maremma, Tuscany in collaboration with Lidia and Mario; Tritono, created with California winemaker Steve Clifton and Argentine enologist Matias Mayol in the Malbec-growing region of Mendoza; and Agricola Brandini, in Barolo, La Morra. Joe Bastianich’s books on Italian wine, Vino Italiano [28], and its companion buying guide, written with sommelier and journalist David Lynch [29], are recognized as the ne plus ultra of the genre.  He has received Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional Awards from Bon Appétit magazine [30]and James Beard Foundation [31], and in 2008 the James Beard Foundation honored him once again by presenting he and Mario with the much revered Outstanding Restaurateur Award.  Joe is also a regular guest on the Today Show [32], where he shares his down-to-earth expertise.

After a life of nearly Romanesque eating and drinking, Joe took up the challenge to run the New York Marathon, losing a significant amount of weight and transforming himself in the process. When Joe is not working the dining room at one of his many restaurants or in Italy tending his vines, he can be found at his home in Greenwich, CT, playing guitar and spending time with his wife, Deanna, and their three children, whom he counts as his greatest achievements to date.  

 
Tanya Bastianich Manuali, PhD,  is Lidia’s daughter and has been immersed in Italian culture her entire life. Tanya graduated from Georgetown University [33]summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History.   Her junior year was spent abroad in Florence, Italy, studying Italian Renaissance art history, which was to become her passion. She continued her studies with a full scholarship for a Masters program from Syracuse University [34], specializing in Italian Renaissance art history. This two year program, which took place in Florence Italy was the beginning of Tanya’s six year sojourn in Italy, in particular living in the city that was the cradle of the Renaissance, Florence. Tanya continued her studies with a partial merit based scholarship at Oxford University [35] (UK), again focusing on Italian Renaissance art history. She completed her PhD in 2000.
 
In 1996 Tanya launched, together with her mother Lidia and partner Shelly Burgess Nicotra, Esperienze Italiane [36], a small upscale tour company focusing on Italian food, wine and art.   She also oversees the development of Lidia’s product lines such as Lidia’s Flavors of Italy [37] and co-authored "Lidia’s Italy" and most recently, Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes [38], both published by Alfred A. Knopf [39].
 
Tanya is married to a Roman, Corrado Manuali and lives in New York with their two children, Lorenzo and Julia.

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Founded in 1980, NOIAW is a network of women committed to promoting the culture and accomplishments of women of Italian ancestry with a special emphasis on leading and supporting Italian American women in their educational and professional advancement. As the premier organization for women of Italian heritage, NOIAW serves its members through cultural programs and networking opportunities, and serves young women through nationally acclaimed scholarship, mentoring and cultural exchange programs.  
 
For more information about NOIAW, its members and programs, or to become a member visit NOIAW's Webpage [2] or call (212) 642-2003. Facebook users can become a fan of NOIAW by logging onto Facebook, entering “NOIAW” as a search term, and then clicking “Become a fan.”
 
Contact: 

Maria Tamburri, Executive Director, [email protected] [40], 212-642-2003

 
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF ITALIAN AMERICAN WOMEN
25 West 43rd Street, Room 1005, New York, NY 10036
T: 212.642.2003 • F: 212.642.2006 • Email: [email protected] [41]

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