When celebrity chef, author and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich celebrates, two ingredients are a given: large gatherings of family and friends and food – lots of hearty, delicious Italian food. She's had a few good reasons to party the last few years, including the 15th anniversary of her Lidia's Pittsburgh restaurant in 2016 and her 70th birthday in 2017.

In 2018, she celebrates a lifetime of world travels, home-cooked meals and special people with the launch of her memoir, “My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food” (Alfred A. Knopf, $28.95). Her friends and patrons of her Lidia's Pittsburgh restaurant in the Strip District are welcome to join the celebration at “Lidia's Memoir Dinner” from 5-9 p.m. June 26. Bastianich will be on hand to greet guests and share some of her favorite dishes in a specially prepared dinner menu.