Celebrity chef Bastianich tells her story in new memoir
Says sexual-misconduct allegations against fellow culinary star Batali left her ‘devastated’
TORONTO — Celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich says she was “devastated” when she heard of the recent sexual misconduct allegations made against fellow culinary star Mario Batali.
The two have worked together under B&B Hospitality Group, which operates several of their restaurants.
In December, the online site Eater New York reported on the allegations made against Batali by at least four women, three of whom worked for him.
Batali then immediately stepped away from B&B Hospitality Group’s operations, including the restaurants.
Meanwhile, Bastianich stepped into a greater leadership role at the company, where she has always been a partner, along with chef Nancy Silverton.
Bastianich’s son, celebrity chef Joe Bastianich, is another leader at the company that has outlined various steps to improve its culture.
“It never happened that I’ve seen it, but I was devastated when I found out of the accusations,” Bastianich said in a recent interview to promote her new memoir, Lidia: A Life of Love, Family, and Food.
“We made a quick, swift move to separate, because it’s not for me to correct, or to do — that’s for [Batali] to settle,” added the bestselling cookbook author, Emmy Award-winning TV personality and renowned restaurateur behind Felidia, Becco, Esca and Eataly.
“I kind of went back and just said: ‘I’m here. This should have never happened. Let’s move on and let’s do the right thing,’ ”Bastianich said
In a statement sent to the Associated Press in December, Batali said the complaints “match up” with his past behaviour. “I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family,” he said.
Bastianich has long been a powerful force in a professional culinary world that’s typically been dominated by men.
“I always tell young women in my industry … ‘You have to invest in yourself. You have to become the best that you can. Don’t always expect others to do it … . You’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to make it happen. If you’re invested, if you’re good, it’s going to show,’ ”said Bastianich.
“And I say: ‘You must always respect and you must demand respect back.’ ”
She’s hoping the #MeToo and Time’s Up women’s-empowerment movements will help sway financial institutions to support more female chefs.
“Way back when we were building Felidia and we were overbudget and almost didn’t open and I went to the bank for a loan, I had to bring my sick husband with me in order to get that loan — and I have never forgotten it,” Bastianich said.
“Maybe that made me even more resilient to go ahead and to make it happen.”
Bastianich writes in her memoir about facing adversity from birth, when the family’s Italian town of Pola became part of the newly formed communist Yugoslavia after the Second World War. Eventually the family escaped and lived in a refugee camp in Trieste, Italy, before getting U.S. visas and moving to New York.
Bastianich said she felt compelled to share her story after witnessing the plight of refugees in recent years.
“Certainly my book is non-political, but the situation out there was very reminiscent of my trip through life, me being an immigrant, being in a political refugee camp waiting for an opportunity to go someplace,” she said.
“When I see those children on the screen in those camps … I know in their hearts there’s fright, I know in their hearts there’s doubt, I know in their hearts they’re waiting — waiting for a home, waiting for a place to go.”
Bastianich said she has family in Montreal and feels a connection with Canada, particularly Toronto.
Toronto is where she and her copartners in the Italian marketplace chain Eataly plan to open their first Canadian location, around September 2019, in the Manulife Centre.
“Toronto is such a great city, it has such a great Italian population and I think that we need to be in touch with Canada,” Bastianich said.
“I come often here … my show on Telelatino really reaches out, so I developed this kind of extension of friendship and family in Canada.”