Actors, directors and producers love tossing around the most overused word in Hollywood, "organic," to describe how naturally a project progressed.

Yet few people are less slickly Hollywood than chef Lidia Bastianich on the least Hollywood network, PBS. Her PBS special "Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday Tables and Traditions" Tuesday, Dec. 20 (check local listings), proves what something truly organic can be.

"It came about because of the research for my new book, 'Lidia in America,' " Bastianich says. "All of my books have been about authentic Italian food in Italy and bringing that message about simple and authentic food. And traveling in America, there is another authentic Italian cuisine cooked by the immigrants. They knew what they wanted to cook, but they had different ingredients. So I went into the different sections, and what we really came away with is Italians are not alone. It is such a matrix that makes America what it is and that makes America great and the strong country it is.

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Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com