My phone call with Lidia!

I was so excited after winning Lidia Bastianich's recipe contest with my Pasta e Fagioli.  I had some great loot sent to me (can't wait to really dive into the cookbooks!), but the best prize came last week when I got a phone call from the one and only herself.

                                                

I really had no idea what to expect going into it.  First of all, she called me directly, which really surprised me!  I was expecting a patch-through or something.  But nope...I answered my phone, and there she was.

We talked about my winning recipe, and she asked me (a lot of) questions about it.  Where did it come from, why did I enter that particular one, etc.  Lidia and I have at least one thing in common - we both love food and love family, and they tie in together naturally.  So, we chatted about that, too.

The best part?  She was looking at my blog while we were talking!  I couldn't believe it.  And she loved it.  I'm not sure if anyone realizes what a HUGE compliment that is for me, but seriously, it doesn't get much better than that.

Lidia was gracious enough to allow me to post my blog link and Facebook page link onto her Facebook page.  She said that her fans and my fans must have a lot in common, so they'd definitely appreciate checking out my blog and recipes.  Again, another amazing compliment!

All in all, it was a wonderful conversation and an amazing opportunity.  Never in a million years did I ever think I'd end up chatting away with Lidia Bastianich.  The closest I've ever been to her is sitting my butt down on a chair in one of her restaurants, eating some incredible food that likely came from a recipe developed in her mother's kitchen.  Now, I feel like I actually know her :)

Thanks to everyone who supported me and voted during the contest.  Without you, this wouldn't have been possible!