NEWS & EVENTS

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Ocean County College Foundation’s popular Blauvelt Speaker Series continues on Wednesday, October 4 with a visit from renowned celebrity chef and TV host Lidia Bastianich, beginning at 6 p.m. on the Main Stage of the Grunin Center for the Arts. This special event will also be available via livestream. Tickets are $15.

The Grunin Center for the Arts is located on the main campus of Ocean County College on College Drive in Toms River.

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich is an Emmy Award-winning public television host, bestselling cookbook author, successful restaurateur, and the owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Most importantly, she has accomplished all of this by marrying her two passions in life—her family and food—to create multiple culinary endeavors alongside her two children, Joseph and Tanya.

Lidia has published numerous cookbooks, co-authored with her daughter Tanya, and companion books to her Emmy-winning television series, Lidia’s Kitchen, Lidia’s Italy in America, and Lidia’s Italy. She is also the author of the English and Italian version of her memoir: My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food. Her cooking shows air nationwide in the U.S. on public television, internationally on CREATE, and on various digital networks, including Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Xumo. Her cooking segments are also part of her TUTTOLIDIA YouTube channel.

Among the numerous awards and accolades Lidia has earned are seven James Beard Awards (Outstanding Chef, Television Food Show, Best Chefs in America, Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, Specials 2016, Special 2017 and 2018) and two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Culinary Host (2013 and 2018). In 2022, Lidia received the Silver Award from APT for 25 years on public television.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit grunincenter.org.

The Blauvelt Speaker Series is funded in part by the generosity of the late Bradford Thomas and Eleanor G. Blauvelt and the Wintrode Family Foundation. This year’s 2023-2024 additional sponsors include Arlene and Frank Dupignac, Jr.; Carluccio, Leone, Dimon, Doyle & Sacks LLC; The Citta Foundation; Kean University; Stella and Marshall Kern; New Jersey Natural Gas; and Novins, York, Jacobus & Dooley.