Lidia Bastianich pets sled dogs in Walker, Minn./photo courtesy of PBS
Lidia Bastianich may refer to those of us who live in this state as "Minnesot-ee-ans," but you'll forgive her after watching her joyous new special, "Lidia Celebrates America: A Heartland Holiday Feast, aPBS special premiering 8 p.m. Tuesday on TPT, Ch. 2.
After digging into shoofly pie in rural Pennsylvania and whipping up tamales in Denton, Texas, the Emmy winner heads to the Midwest where she spends time with the Hmong community in Wausau, Wisc. and learns how to make lefse with Iron Range chef Maxwell Mraz. During a stop in Walker, Minn., she goes ice fishing with local guide Jason Rylander and even cajoles her grandson into participating in the tradition of kissing a eelpout.
You can see the moment in this clip from the special:
