Famed TV chef to appear at Wine and Roses event
Augusta Famed TV Chef and New York Restaurateur, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, will attend An Evening of Wine and Roses, a wine and gourmet cuisine tasting event. An Evening of Wine and Roses is hosted by the Newton Memorial Hospital Foundation to benefit the Charles L. Tice Heart Center for Diagnostic Services. The event will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on March 15, and be set in the blossoming garden landscapes of “Springfest” at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, Augusta. Ronetco Supermarkets, Inc., operator of three Sussex County ShopRite supermarkets, is the Grand Event Tent Sponsor and will gift 100 autographed copies of Bastianich’s current, autographed cookbook to attendees who have purchased tickets for the pre-event VIP Room, from 6 to 7 p.m. Bastianich has been invited to attend the entire evening’s events. An Evening of Wine and Roses will spotlight an assortment of wine and about 30 of the area’s finest restaurants and select food purveyors. Ronetco will give all attendees a free copy of the Best Recipes of ShopRite’s Culinary Workshop cookbook. The pre-event VIP Room will feature served hors d’oeuvres, unique food and wine demonstrations. Chef Lidia Bastianich’s popular cooking show, Lidia’s Family Table, is seen on public television stations nationwide. She is considered the “First Lady of Italian cuisine and restaurants in the United States” and earned the “Outstanding Chef Award” from the James Beard Foundation in 2002. She owns several restaurants; the closest are in New York City and include Felidia on E. 58th Street and Becco on West 46th Street, which she operates with her son, Joseph. Bastianich is the author of numerous cookbooks, has been featured in a host of magazines and has a line of pasta sauces. She has established a winery, Ariz. Agricola Bastianich, and has founded Italian gourmet and cultural travel adventures. Further information about Bastianich may be found on her Web site: www.lidiasitaly.com. Bastianich’s visit is made possible by Ronetco and Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. For additional details or to reserve tickets for the event, call 973-579-8309.