Lidia Bastianich takes East Meadow

Guests at Stew Leonard’s and Ryann’s Wines in East Meadow lined up outside the stores for a chance to meet celebrity chef, author and television star Lidia Bastianich.

When Mike Accetta approached her table with a book for her to sign, the Franklin Square resident asked for a tip on making tomato sauce. Bastianich leaned in as if sharing a secret and clenched her fingers into a sideways fist as she explained how she squeezes all the juice out first.

Guests asked the Long Island native similar questions, shared with her their favorite recipes and spoke with her about growing up in an Italian-American family.

“We watch her cooking shows all the time,” said Robin Levinsohn, of East Meadow, who came to the meet-and-greet with her 10-year old daughter Alexandra.

Lorraine Judge, also of East Meadow, said that Bastianich inspires her to continue cooking. She added that she owns four of Bastianich’s books and make recipes from them for her grandchildren.