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Lidia Celebrates America: Changemakers

by Lidia Bastianich on Nov 1, 2024

Lidia Bastianich throws a national spotlight on progressive chefs, farmers and entrepreneurs around the U.S. striving to change the future of food – whether by increasing local access to produce, creating communities that teach people to grow vegetables, reviving indigenous ingredients for healthful Native cuisine, or introducing the American palate to sustainable ingredients such as insects.

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Lidia Celebrates America: Changemakers, follows Lidia across America as meeting chefs, farmers, and entrepreneurs hard at work trying to change, not only what’s available, but the way Americans think about food in the future. “It’s also critical to remember the energy and water it takes to grow, transport and package the foods we eat”, says Lidia, “We all have the ability to be Changemakers”. 

“In Changemakers, I meet with inspiring and passionate Americans who are trying to improve our lives by helping us attain better access to nutritious food, and by re-connecting us with nature and our environment,” Bastianich said.

The Indigenous Cuisine of a James Beard Chef

Lidia meets with James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur Sean Sherman to sample the fare at his upscale restaurant Owamni, in Minneapolis, MN. Celebrating Native ingredients, flavor, and culture, Sean’s dishes include smoked bison, tepary beans, mushroom tacos, and wild rice. Each bite offers a taste of tradition and a rich connection to indigenous culinary roots.

Taste Testing with Crickets

In Minneapolis, MN, Claire and Chad Simons strive to make edible insects more accessible to the American palate with their company, 3 Cricketeers. Insects represent sustainable protein and are consumed by two billion people worldwide. Watch, as Lidia visits the 3 Cricketeer’ test kitchen to taste-test a new pasta made with cricket powder and cricket pesto.

A Taste of Appalachia: Rabbit Food Reimagined

In Middletown, VA, chef Kari Rushing is on a mission to change America’s perception of Appalachian cuisine. Her restaurant, Vault & Cellar, marries the resourcefulness of Appalachia – making do with what you have - with the refinement of fine dining. In the special, Lidia helps Kari prepare cabbage steak and “rabbit food,” incorporating rabbit, braised greens and roasted carrots.

Sweet Harvest: Strawberry Ice-cream with Local Flavor

Lidia joins Patricia Miller to make homemade ice-cream with strawberries straight from the hothouse. Patricia founded Centre Plate LLC, in Stockton, CA, helping to run an aggregated CSA for local farmers that grows healthy food and educates families with recipes and container farming instructions. She is also cofounder of the Black Urban Farmers Association (BUFA) of Stockton.

The Power of Produce: A Recipe for Healthy Eating

Lidia meets Nicole Steele, who works to improve access to healthy foods in Inglewood, CA, by delivering free produce to pop-up markets, schools, and clinics. Every Friday, the Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI) distributes up to 15,000 pounds of fresh produce to food banks, non-profits, individuals, etc. Lidia eagerly helps out, even creating her own recipes to include in the giveaways.

A Feast for Change: The Celebration at Owamni

“Lidia Celebrates America: Changemakers” closes with a final celebratory meal at Sean Sherman’s Owamni, where Lidia and the changemakers unite and sample a diverse array of dishes, with each incorporating forward-thinking ingredients selected wisely, used resourcefully, and with the planet in mind.