“I must say, I depended a lot on my grandchildren,” Bastianich tells Fox News of getting acclimated with the new videoconferencing technology, the use of which became widespread amid the pandemic. “Thank God I did, because now I can connect.” SAMANTHA BROWN ON FILMING A TRAVEL SERIES DURING THE PANDEMIC — AND HOW SHE HOPES TO REVIVE THE SECTOR The cookbook author, who actually Zoomed with Fox News from Milan, has appeared in millions of homes across America over the years, bringing along her traditional Italian-American recipes for comfort food classics like rice balls, polenta and homemade pasta, like her linguine with clam sauce and spaghetti alla carbonara. Now, she’s virtually popping up on the frontlines of the pandemic — in a hospital, in an ambulance, and in a fire station — for her PBS special “Lidia Celebrates America: Salute to First Responders,” premiering February 12 at 10:00 p.m. ET on PBS. “These people have such dedication and a desire to really help people,” Bastianic …
