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>> LIDIA BASTIANICH: Life's milestones: the rites of passage that celebrate leaving one part of life and entering a new one.

These are the notches we cut in our belt that tell us we're growing up, we're progressing, we're improving, we're accomplishing-- that celebrate being alive.

For the past year, I've been traveling America in search of these festive landmarks of life.

From the sweet 16 and country music debut of a young singer in Nashville, Tennessee, under the musical wing of Emmy-winning producer and songwriter Victoria Shaw.

>> You think I'm tough on you?

I'm tough on you when I adore you!

>> Opa!

>> LIDIA: To a Greek Orthodox baptism of triplets.

>> Olivia was first?

>> Yes.

>> Oh, I got the order wrong.

>> LIDIA: From the graduation of a native South American chef from a place near and dear to my own heart: the Boston University gastronomy program.

I've been here with Julia, I've been here on my own talking to young people like you that are passionate about food.

To a blessing of a new home on the Navajo reservation, with Chef Freddy Bitsoie... >> The family has to take care of the home, and the home has to take care of the family.

>> LIDIA: ...and Grammy-nominated singer Radmilla Cody.

Along the way, we'll talk with acclaimed chef and author Gabrielle Hamilton... >> They won't even recognize me; they're going to attack you!

>> LIDIA: ...and Fox Business anchor Nicole Petallides.

>> Every time the family is together, Lidia, it's a celebration.

>> LIDIA: Come with me as we celebrate America.

>> LIDIA: In the 1950s, I was a fresh-off-the-plane Italian refugee.

Here I was, 12, going on 18, and this guy Elvis Presley comes on.

Oh, his body movements, I mean, it was almost scandalous.

The audience, the girls reaching out and screaming, and I said, "Is this what girls do?

"Is this what I'm supposed to do?

Is this America?"

He was new, he was exciting, and I will forever associate his music with my earliest memories of America.

I knew I wanted to tell a music story, and here is Lacy's story.

Lacy Cavalier is about to celebrate two important milestones: her 16th birthday... >> Oh, so close!

>> LIDIA: ...and her debut at Nashville's historic Bluebird Cafe, which hosted the debuts of such artists as the Indigo Girls, Kenny Chesney, Radney Foster and Garth Brooks.

>> (singing warm-ups) >> LIDIA: And record producer and songwriter Victoria Shaw is going to help her realize the dream.

>> I moved from Louisiana to Nashville, Tennessee, to work with Victoria Shaw, which I'm so honored and blessed to have her as a mentor.

>> And when you take your first one, go... (sings warm-ups) I want to hear your breath.

>> Her track record is amazing.

All the artists she's worked with I'm obsessed with.

>> And just for the exercise, more... (singing note) Open your mouth.

>> (vocal exercises) >> Much better.

>> LIDIA: Two-time Emmy-winning songwriter Victoria Shaw created such hits as Garth Brooks' "The River" and "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely," sung by Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera.

Her songs have sold collectively more than 65 million CDs, but she's just as proud of developing new talent, including Hillary Scott and the group Lady Antebellum.

>> I kind of have a knack for discovering talent, and Lacy Cavalier is my new find.

Are you a little nervous today?

>> A little.

>> Yeah.

>> We're never nervous, we're excited.

>> That's right!

>> See, I did learn some stuff!

>> That's good, I love that.

(playing piano introduction) ♪ I've only seen Paris on a postcard from a friend ♪ ♪ Never jumped from a plane... ♪ >> LIDIA: Lacy moved from her hometown, a nine-hour drive from Nashville, to pursue this dream.

Her family is visiting for her birthday.

>> I've been rehearsing.

I'm a little nervous, but not really, because when I get in front of people, I'm just like, "Bam, let's do this thing!"

>> It's on.

>> It's on!

>> I wish I was here with you, I'll be honest with you.

>> The town I come from, not many people do things differently.

Parents don't really want them to leave; they just want them to grow up and start their family there.

And my parents were always like, "You have this dream and it's your life, so we're going to help you achieve that."

>> You used to sing that song in the pasture behind... >> Oh my gosh, that one that me and Carly made up that dance to and we used to always perform it for y'all?

>> "On the Four Wheeler," yeah.

You weren't long out of diapers after that.

>> You were the best singer in your town, and then you come to this town, and you know what?

You're surrounded by excellent singers.

You have to bring something that's Lacy that competes with every other beautiful girl in this town, because there's a lot of them.

Look at me for a second, please.

>> I don't even know...

I'm not even sad!

I'm just thinking about it.

>> It's overwhelming.

>> I really want this, and when someone's telling me that, you know, you're not doing it right or maybe you're not good enough right now or whatnot, then you feel, "Am I giving up all this for something that may or may not happen?"

>> You think I'm tough on you?

I'm tough on you and I adore you, okay?

Wait until you work with people who really, you know, they're just business.

I would never be sitting here if I didn't think this was going to end in extreme success.

>> LIDIA: Like Detroit was to Motown or Seattle was to grunge, Nashville has country music seemingly emanating from every doorway.

And I, for one, love, love, love it.

>> Welcome to my home!

I met Lidia sitting next to her at this fundraiser.

We talked and laughed the whole night through, which is hilarious because I am so not a cook, and for me to be sitting there when I know I have so many friends who would have killed to have sat next to her...

But she was great because I know nothing about cooking, she didn't know anything about the record business, and we got along great.

>> LIDIA: This is where you work, never mind live.

This is a place one would love to live.

>> Isn't it funny?

It looks like this little neighborhood, but it's called Music Row now.

Three long streets next to each other is all these music office buildings in old houses that were renovated to have publishing companies and record companies.

It's a musical Mayberry.

>> LIDIA: That's beautiful.

So you can borrow a cup of sugar from each other.

>> I borrow a couple lyrics.

(laughing) Songwriting is my true love.

If it's an either/or, go to your "or," because people like myself and my colleagues, there's no "or."

We want this like we want air.

Country music is distinctly American.

It's not just about, "My mother was in prison" and all those things, you know, it's about love and loss and inspiration and family.

It's a great genre.

>> LIDIA: Thank you for bringing me.

>> You fit perfectly!

We gotta get you a cowboy hat.

>> LIDIA: And boots, I need boots.

We head back to Victoria's place to make the meal for Lacy's birthday.

>> It's foreign to me, this kitchen.

>> LIDIA: This is Kevin, your father, right?

>> Yes, ma'am.

>> LIDIA: You have talents of your own.

You prepare alligator?

>> Alligator sauce piquante.

>> LIDIA: Alligator sauce piquante.

One word out of her father's mouth and you can hear where Lacy got her voice.

>> A piquante is a picker in French, so we're talking about a sauce that's going to pick just a little bit.

>> LIDIA: Add spice.

But this is Cajun?

>> South Louisiana.

>> LIDIA: That's where you're from?

>> Yes, ma'am.

>> LIDIA: So how do we begin?

>> I'm going to chop up my alligator, and we're just going to brown it and caramelize it just a little bit.

>> LIDIA: Just like chicken.

>> Exactly.

I look at things in the South: if you can't fry it, it's not edible, so everything we can eat can be fried.

>> My kitchen is so happy right now to be used.

>> LIDIA: It's singing.

(laughing) Cajun spices is actually a mixture: black pepper, red pepper, garlic and so on, but it reflects the Cajun culture.

>> Yes, ma'am.

The initial French people came from Nova Scotia.

>> LIDIA: Way up north.

>> And once they started settling in, then you had the Spanish settling after that.

My family was Spanish.

My roots go all the way back to the Canary Islands.

Then you came up with a Creole.

>> LIDIA: Creole is like a mixture of French and Spanish.

>> Yes, and the South Louisiana Indians are in the mix of all this.

>> LIDIA: Add to that the influence of the Africans that came as slaves to the Spanish.

>> When you start pulling different cultures together, you start getting different ingredients for your pots.

>> LIDIA: And everybody wants to throw their spice in there.

>> And this is what we end up with.

>> LIDIA: In fact, Lacy's whole birthday meal has a Southern twang: yams and collard greens brought to the south by Africans, dirty rice... delicious.

♪ May the angels protect you, trouble neglect you ♪ ♪ Heaven accept you when it's time to go home ♪ ♪ May you win but stay humble, smile more than grumble ♪ ♪ And know when you stumble, you're never alone ♪ ♪ Never alone, never alone ♪ ♪ I'll be in every beat of your heart ♪ ♪ When you face the unknown ♪ ♪ Wherever you fly, this isn't goodbye ♪ ♪ My love will follow you, stay with you ♪ ♪ Baby, you're never alone... ♪ >> When my dad was renovating our house, this hat was found in the wall that we knocked down, and apparently, Elvis was known to have come to a party here, and we think this could be Elvis's.

>> Are you kidding me?

>> Whether this is true or not, this is what we're going to believe.

>> I'm all for it.

>> Happy birthday!

(cheering) ♪ May the angels protect you, trouble neglect you ♪ ♪ Heaven accept you when it's time to go home ♪ ♪ May you always have plenty, your glass never empty ♪ ♪ And know in your belly you're never alone ♪ ♪ Never alone, never alone ♪ ♪ I'll be in every beat of your heart... ♪ >> LIDIA: Lacy, this is such a special time in your life.

You're 16.

>> Yes, I am.

>> LIDIA: You're becoming a woman, it's a beautiful age to be, the whole world is in front of you, and the premiere, are you ready for it?

>> I'm so ready.

>> LIDIA: Just make the most of it, and all the best.

>> Yes, ma'am, I will.

♪ My love will follow you, stay with you ♪ ♪ Baby, you're never alone.

♪ (cheering) >> LIDIA: That was beautiful!

What an appropriate song.

Today is Lacy's big day: her debut at the Bluebird Cafe.

With only a few hours to spare, she prepares with the help of Victoria's two younger daughters.

>> I'm from Minden, Louisiana.

It's like population 13,000.

>> Is it... >> It's little bitty.

The biggest store we have is Wal-Mart.

The closest mall is 30 minutes from us.

We have fast food restaurants, the inn.

We go to Sonic for entertainment.

(laughing) I miss my friends, but I know they'll always be there.

>> Do you talk to them a lot when you're here?

>> Every day.

But I'm glad I have y'all, people close to my age because, you know, most of the time it's a bunch of adults, and so it's good.

I think y'all are so lucky to get to grow up around music and... (chokes on hairspray) >> I think you inhaled like half of that.

>> Me too.

...and to be surrounded by it all the time.

It's really cool.

I suck at doing this... >> We're almost done back here, Lacy.

>> What's that song?

♪ My lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss is poppin' ♪ ♪ I'm standing at my locker, and all the boys keep stoppin' ♪ ♪ Whatchu know about me, whatchu whatchu know about me?

♪ ♪ Whatchu know about me, whatchu whatchu know?

♪ (laughing) >> The first time I played the Bluebird Cafe, I was playing piano and singing, my leg was shaking so much.

I was so nervous.

This was like the mother church of songwriters.

I look forward to Lacy.

I'm gonna check to see if her leg is shaking, and it should be because it's a really exciting and important rite of passage.

You only get to play the Bluebird for the first time once.

(applause) >> All right, are you guys having a good night at the Bluebird Cafe?

(cheering) Great, let me bring on our next artist and singer, Miss Lacy Cavalier.

Lacy?

(cheering) (country music playing) ♪ I've only seen Paris on a postcard from a friend ♪ ♪ Never jumped from a plane and cast my feet to the wind ♪ ♪ But oh, one day I will ♪ ♪ I've never seen a star fall in the Montana sky ♪ ♪ Never seen my name up in Hollywood lights ♪ ♪ But oh, one day I will ♪ ♪ I will fly past the impossible ♪ ♪ High above the logical ♪ ♪ I'll make my mistakes, I'll find my own way ♪ ♪ Chase them down one by one ♪ ♪ Things I've never done, things I've never done.

♪ ♪ I've never had a boy throw rocks at my window... ♪ >> LIDIA: So from this point forward, Lacy's life will never be the same.

She's no longer a voice hidden behind the walls of Victoria's rehearsal studio; she's put herself front and center with all the risk and joy that entails.

Whether she will make it, sign a record deal, sell her first song, or any other milestone associated with fame all remain to be seen, but from this point forward, she will be forever one step closer.

♪ High above the logical ♪ ♪ I'll make my mistakes, I'll find my own way ♪ ♪ Chase them down one by one ♪ ♪ Things I've never done, things I've never done... ♪ ♪ Things I've never done, things I've never done.

♪ (music stops) >> LIDIA: Brava!

(applause) >> LIDIA: One of the earliest milestones for many of us is baptism, even if we can't remember it.

I've been invited to one in Campbell, Ohio, a baptism of not one, but three Greek Orthodox adorable little girls.

>> I love spanakopita.

>> LIDIA: Patatas limonatas?

>> Yes.

>> Those are delicious.

>> LIDIA: Oh, all right.

But before I leave for this wonderful celebration, I want to get the lowdown on all things Greek from Fox Business reporter Nicole Petallides and my friend Ardian Skenderi, owner of my favorite Greek restaurant, Taverna Kyclades in Queens.

You are first generation.

>> I am first generation Greek-American.

My parents were both born in Cyprus.

My husband's family, his mother and father were both born in Northern Greece.

>> LIDIA: You have to help me out a little bit about traditional... >> I have two boys who were both christened in the Greek Orthodox church, of course, and this is the time where the godparents put the oil all over the child, you renounce Satan, you accept God, you get an angel-- they say you get your own angel from Heaven to guide you throughout life.

We're Greek Americans.

We keep all those traditions alive.

>> LIDIA: You know, in the Italian culture, we have the christening, the wedding, all the festivities, the rites of passage, and we celebrate each one at the table.

The Greek, more or less, is the same.

>> You have the big things like the christenings and the weddings and Easter and Christmas, but every weekend, you want to know what you're doing with your cousins.

Just the party begins and if there's anywhere that they can put on a little radio or have some music, I mean, they'll dance anywhere.

>> LIDIA: That happens in my kitchen all the time.

>> Just say "opa."

>> Opa, opa!

>> Opa!

>> LIDIA: Yes, the Greeks know how to party!

That much has been established, but one young family in Campbell, Ohio, has a little more to celebrate than most.

>> I'm Kate.

>> I'm Saki, and we've been blessed three times.

(laughing) >> LIDIA: Kate and Saki Atsas recently gave birth to triplets: that's three natural born, identical girls.

How was your wedding?

>> Have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding?

>> LIDIA: I certainly have, was it like that?

>> There you go.

>> LIDIA: Oh, they're beautiful girls!

And tomorrow is one of their first milestones in life: a Greek Orthodox baptism.

>> LIDIA: Hi, Isabella!

>> This is Julia.

>> LIDIA: Hi, Julia!

>> And this is Olivia.

>> LIDIA: Hi, Olivia!

You know, I have an Olivia and I have a Julia!

The three sisters have an adorable older brother named Nicholas.

Nicholas, come here.

I want you to show me your sisters.

Who's this?

>> Olivia.

>> LIDIA: No, no, I don't think so!

I think that's Isabella.

And who's this?

>> Olivia.

>> LIDIA: Are you taking care of them?

>> Yes!

>> LIDIA: Good, you're a good brother.

Not speaking from experience, but triplets cannot be an easy go for any parent.

It's really wonderful to see the whole extended family contribute.

My goodness, what a big kiss!

How about me, can I get a kiss here?

(laughing): No.

>> Amen.

>> LIDIA: Buon appetito!

How do you say?

>> Kalí óreksi!

>> LIDIA: Kalí óreksi!

The dinner is Greek, Greek, Greek!

Souvlaki on pita, Greek salad with feta, and spanakopita.

At the table, we're joined by Kate's parents Tom and Linda and Saki's parents Kaliope and Nikolas.

Can you guess which ones are Greek?

Tomorrow's godparents are cousins Saki and Maria.

So you're brother and sister?

How wonderful.

You have a big responsibility.

>> Yeah.

>> LIDIA: Are you ready?

>> I mean, that's why we wanted them.

Even though they are younger, they do such a great job.

They've got a lot of younger siblings, so they do such a great job.

>> LIDIA: Triplets isn't a joke.

As a matter of fact, your husband, we're all eating, he's changing the diapers right now.

>> That's his job, not mine.

(laughing) >> LIDIA: So how... triplets, you know, they run in families.

Who do we have to credit or blame here?

>> My mom is a twin, so... >> LIDIA: You are?

>> My mother's generation all had twins.

>> LIDIA: You moved up this year.

(laughing) So Kate, you began a new tradition.

Before dessert, I try to be a polite guest and clear the table, but... >> No, no, no, we don't clear the table when we celebrate.

We just leave it there, continue eating and then... >> LIDIA: So we leave it like this until the very end?

>> Yes.

>> LIDIA: I like that.

I'll sit down.

>> And celebrate.

>> LIDIA: Before the baptism ceremony starts, I want to understand what it means to be Greek Orthodox.

As a Catholic myself, I asked, "How did the Greek Orthodox Church come about?"

I'm told it all happened about 1,000 years ago when Christianity split into two groups: the Catholics in Rome, to the west, and the Orthodox Christians in Constantinople, to the east.

Orthodox Christians think of themselves as the original church and closer to the word of God.

The Greek Orthodox religion is the main denomination in Greece.

>> You have surrounded the sea with sand.

You have poured out the air for breathing.

The angelic powers minister unto you.

The choir of archangels worship you.

>> LIDIA: So an Orthodox priest has to keep two things front and center when baptizing triplets, and they're not easy.

One: remember which name goes with which baby, both English and Greek equivalent, based on the birth order.

>> Olivia was first?

>> Yes.

>> Oh, I got the order wrong.

>> LIDIA: And two: the Orthodox ceremony is required to be done for each child, so that's three times, word perfect.

>> Olivia Olympia... Julia Ulia... >> LIDIA: I felt for him, I really did.

>> And Isabella Elisabeth.

>> LIDIA: There are three main steps to a Greek Orthodox baptism.

The first is to rid the child of all evil, so they perform an exorcism.

The exorcism itself is nothing out of a horror movie, but rather, well... (spitting) Yeah, they spit on the devil to renounce him!

I remember my grandmother used to spit when she saw a beautiful baby: ptooey-ptooey!

It meant goodwill and fortune for the baby, like, "Hey, Devil, leave the kid alone!"

>> ♪ Blessed are you, O Christ, our God... ♪ ♪ Let all adverse powers be crushed by the making ♪ ♪ of the sign of your precious cross.

♪ >> LIDIA: The family takes the girls into the side room, strips them naked and wraps them in comfy blankets.

>> ♪ Let us be attentive... ♪ >> LIDIA: The priest anoints the girls on the mouth... >> My mouth shall speak wisdom, for sweet fragrance.

>> LIDIA: On the nose... >> For healing of soul and body.

>> LIDIA: On the heart, on the back...

In fact, he anoints from head to toe.

>> From the top, the hands, the body, the legs... >> LIDIA: Three times?

>> Three times.

>> LIDIA: And three times three.

>> Yes.

>> ♪ The servant of God, Olivia is baptized ♪ ♪ in the name of the Father... ♪ ♪ the Son... ♪ ♪ and the Holy Spirit.

♪ (bells ringing) >> LIDIA: And after the exorcism and the baptism, which brings the girls into Christianity as a whole, the third and final step is communion.

The godparents take communion?

>> No, just the babies.

>> LIDIA: The babies, okay.

It turns out communion at christening is distinctly Orthodox.

It brings the child fully into the body of Christ.

The Catholic practice of giving communion around ten years old actually only dates from the beginning of the 20th century.

After the ceremony, the triplets are off to their nap.

Smells very, very good.

While I head to Archangel Michael Church's twice-yearly Greek food and culture festival-- lucky me!

All this deliciousness is made by the ladies and gentlemen of the parish, back in the community center kitchen.

Of course, that's the first place I head.

>> This is a real Greek gyro.

They make it themselves.

It's sliced marinated pork.

>> LIDIA: Did he make a little extra for me there?

>> Yes!

>> Here, we'll put another piece on the bottom so we don't get it all over you.

>> LIDIA: Get like a diaper.

How do you say "very good" in Greek?

>> Pol kaló.

>> LIDIA: Very, very, very pol kaló!

Every dish here is a classic.

Loukoumades... spinach pie... and cheese pie, which is folded like a flag if a flag were flaky phyllo dough stuffed with delicious feta and ricotta cheese and doused in butter.

>> In Greek, they call them dolmades.

In other areas, they call them phylla.

And in another area, they call them yaprakh.

>> LIDIA: And in America, they're stuffed grape leaves.

>> Stuffed grape leaves.

>> LIDIA: Every festival there's a whole lamb.

I know what my favorite part of the lamb is.

What's your favorite part?

>> I favor the neck.

>> LIDIA: You're right.

That's the sweetest.

The drink, what is that?

>> LIDIA: Oh, it's like grappa.

>> Tony, get some moonshine here... >> LIDIA: No moonshine before we get the lamb!

>> LIDIA: So today, three little girls were welcomed into the faith of their parents, of their community.

Today, I have been welcomed into a celebration of that community.

I can think of no greater good than a community that takes pride in itself, in its culture, its people, and yet-- and this is where the joy truly is-- welcomes others into the fold, if even for just an hour, a day, maybe a lifetime.

That is America to me: a big, fat dinner table of a land where everyone's allowed to bring his or her own special dish and then partakes with grace and interest and even love the plates of the others.

>> LIDIA: Higher education is a milestone in many people's lives, and for some of us, it doesn't always happen right out of high school.

No one understands that better than my friend Gabrielle Hamilton, the owner and chef at Prune.

It's one of the most sought-after tables in New York City.

>> No, they won't even recognize me; they're going to attack you.

>> LIDIA: She's written a book on the New York Times bestseller list where she tells her fascinating story.

So, Gabrielle, "Blood, Bones & Butter."

Where did you get that title?

>> Some people mistake it as a satanic ritual book, but it's not.

I mean, on a very practical level, every day in my work I am in fact handling these three things, but to me they have connotative value.

I thought of blood in terms of family and clan and blood line.

And bones, I thought of bones to pick.

And then butter-- all the good, sweet, soft, creamy, delicious parts of life.

>> LIDIA: What I like about Gabrielle is that her life veered down many different paths until she finally found the right one.

>> I'm just sort of thinking about how many times it took me to finish college the first time.

And of course, I went dutifully right out of high school and I got in some trouble and I dropped out, but I went right back in.

And the time that I was finally able to sort of make this passage to finish college, the undergraduate, was only after I had taken this two-year trip backpacking around the world with...

I had $1,100 or something to my name and I was gone for two years and I worked and I was starving and ragged, but when I got back and went to college finally for the third time that I was finally able to finish it, I had an immense sense of self-reliance.

And I thought, "I just got myself from Bombay to Istanbul alone, "a 19-year-old girl, "and you think your 30-page paper is going to scare me "or I can't read this book?

"I can read these books, I can get it done by Friday, and this is nothing compared to what I've already accomplished."

But I had to come at that with that kind of experience.

>> LIDIA: While working in the restaurant business her entire life, she's been a writer at heart.

So you had it in you, this drive, this want, and you ultimately finished your college degree and went on and got even a master's.

>> It's just very funny that I came back to New York with my brand-new, shining master of fine arts degree and I opened a restaurant probably 20 minutes later.

>> LIDIA: And Prune was born, eh?

>> LIDIA: Traveling north to Boston, culinary grad student Alex Galimberti hopes to follow a similar path.

Alex is getting his master's from the Boston University gastronomy program.

Once he graduates, he too plans to open his own restaurant.

Alex!

>> Lidia!

>> LIDIA: How are you doing?

>> I'm doing great.

>> LIDIA: Listen, you couldn't have chosen a better place for me, you know?

We've come here looking for ingredients for Alex's ceviche, which we're making for his family, who has come to Boston for his graduation.

>> My name is Alex Galimberti.

I am in the process of getting a master of liberal arts in gastronomy at Boston University.

This is Jared.

>> LIDIA: Hi, Jared.

This is your little kingdom here?

>> This is our little home, yeah.

>> LIDIA: You're the Neptune of this room here.

So what are we going to do, the first dish?

>> A ceviche-style dish, yes.

ALEX: I am from South America.

I was born and raised in Brazil.

My father's family is from Peru.

My mom is German heritage.

So having my whole family be here for this graduation celebration is actually a big deal because we are scattered everywhere.

>> LIDIA: Let's talk fish.

>> Here in Boston and New England we have great options and a great variety of seafood that is locally available and comes in fresh every day.

So I'm excited to create my own Boston-style Peruvian ceviche.

>> LIDIA: ...thinking of?

>> Razor clams.

>> LIDIA: I love razor clams!

In Italian they're called cannolicchi.

>> These were actually dug up in Ipswich.

>> This, we Italian-- a little olive oil, maybe a little garlic, parsley.

Nothing else, nothing else.

Good?

>> Real good.

>> Love it.

>> LIDIA: And the texture.

So are you already working in your mind?

>> Yes, the ceviche recipe allows a lot of creativity to use what nature gives you.

>> LIDIA: We cannot improve on that.

You know, a lot of chefs think it's all about what they do to the product.

Uh-uh.

It's about the product and how we can respect it and exalt it.

>> That's music to our ears to have chefs who are willing to be flexible, because the tide was right, the weather was right, the guys went, they came in here and sold it to us, so this is what we have to offer.

>> LIDIA: Beautiful.

>> This is a really neat item.

These are all still alive.

>> LIDIA: What's that?

>> This is a surf clam.

>> LIDIA: It looks between a clam and a steamer.

>> Right, but twice the size.

Not many people know about it, but it's phenomenal.

Wait till you taste it.

This is probably the worst knife I could be using.

>> LIDIA: I could pull down a leg of veal with that knife.

>> I know, right?

>> LIDIA: Never mind a little clam.

>> I eat all three parts.

I eat that muscle and those sort of lips on the outside.

>> LIDIA: The veil, or the skin that holds it all together.

>> Yes, and then the tongue's the best.

>> LIDIA: So you call this the tongue?

>> That's the name I made up for it, yeah.

(laughing) >> LIDIA: What a delicious snack.

>> Isn't that nice?

I do it all day.

I just walk around, eating this, eating a little of that.

>> LIDIA: That's why you're so healthy, yeah.

The sky over Boston is clearing and Alex and I make our way to Boston University's demo kitchen.

We have privileged access to cook his graduation meal in this historic kitchen, and we have the whole place to ourselves before his family arrives.

Well, Alex, this splendid room has seen many stars, if you will, of the cuisine pass.

>> Yes.

>> LIDIA: Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, who were instrumental in really forming this project.

>> And also you, Lidia.

>> LIDIA: Yes, I've been here with Julia, I've been here on my own, demonstrating and talking to young people like you that are passionate about food.

>> I just want to state that this is going to be an adventure for us.

When I make cerviche, I usually make it with fish.

>> LIDIA: You mean bone fish?

>> Yes, with bone fish, with white fish.

The beauty of living here in Boston, in New England, is learning about new ingredients.

And we tasted these with Jared, and they were just phenomenal, and I think they're going to go great for cerviche.

>> LIDIA: Your goal is food and tourism, ultimately, right?

>> Yes.

It's to share with people by providing opportunities for people to travel and go visit places in an involved gastronomic way.

>> LIDIA: Through food; let me tell you, I love to travel, but food for me really tells it all-- the soul of the people, the topography of the place, the climate, everything comes through when you eat the food, the local food.

>> Absolutely.

Nice.

That's beautiful.

>> LIDIA: What a beautiful animal-- beautiful, beautiful.

So that's the tongue.

Is this the lips?

>> Yes, the lips.

>> LIDIA: And what's the other thing?

Cheeks?

>> We'll call it the cheeks.

I like that analogy.

>> LIDIA: We'll rebaptize it.

>> What Lidia is and what Lidia does for Italian food in America, she's a perfect role model for me.

It's something that I could dream of doing with Brazilian or Peruvian food.

This is a new memory I'm creating that I'm forever going to associate with Boston.

>> LIDIA: What a memory to carry with you, eh?

>> Look at that.

That's beautiful.

Flavors evoke such memories and bring you back to places.

Like my dad always used making ceviche to bring him back home.

>> LIDIA: But food is about that.

>> Yes.

>> LIDIA: Food is about association with places, with people, the aromas... absolutely.

So in the marinade I see lime juice, what else?

>> Lime juice, red onions and cilantro are mandatory, in my opinion.

And you see how the color is all blended together?

>> LIDIA: Yeah.

>> So, having my whole family be here for this graduation celebration is actually a big deal because we are scattered everywhere.

My father lives in the northeast of Brazil, my brother lives in the southeast, and my mom lives in Texas.

So the occasion of me finishing my master's degree will be the first time that all of us are together since three years.

>> LIDIA: This is Peruvian, right?

This was with you in mind, you know.

He says, "Well, my father, I don't know if he'd like this.

This is out of different fish."

>> In our house when our father did it, it was always the main dish.

And usually an event where all his friends would come.

>> Very good, very good.

>> And now when you get to the end, you can't let the juice go to waste.

This has all the flavors; go for it.

>> LIDIA: I was so intrigued when you were telling us your story, your quest for higher education, which ultimately brought you to America.

And now that it happens, they all come and celebrate and you travel.

Tell me the story.

>> When me and my parents came to the United States 13 years ago, to Texas, my father insisted that we start this new stage in our life by learning.

It was quite unique.

We were going to school, all three of us at the same time, at the same university.

I was pursuing my bachelor's degree, my mother was getting a master's degree, and my father was getting a Ph.D. And to top it off, we were living on campus.

So that's the beginning of this whole journey.

My parents learn from each other as a couple.

They learn from each other's family, culture and background.

They built a diverse household, and seeing that growing up was what gave me the model for what I want to do in life.

>> LIDIA: Thank you for sharing your culture with me, with the table today.

And toast to you, Alex.

May you have a bright and flavorful future.

>> Thank you.

>> Salute.

>> LIDIA: Today I got to know this passionate young man whose love of food and culture touches a very deep and permanent place in my own heart.

His family is global-- Brazil, Peru, Germany-- and Alex draws on all those cuisines, but like so many other immigrants, he has chosen the United States to educate himself and start his professional life.

And as a nation, we are only richer for it.

(woman singing in Navajo) >> LIDIA: It's about 8 degrees Fahrenheit on an early December morning.

And aside from the imminent rising of the sun, this fire is the only warmth and light for miles around.

(song continues) What makes this particular plot of land so special is that on it lies a brand new home for a grateful family.

And from sunrise to sunset, we are celebrating something few outsiders ever get a chance to see and even fewer get to film: a housewarming in the tradition of the Navajo Nation.

The house that is being blessed will be the new home of Lorraine and her kids, who will be joined by her friends and family to celebrate in beautiful Bluff, Utah.

It's here that an unusual collaboration is taking place between the Navajo Nation and Design Build Bluff, an organization that engages architecture students to design and build new, sustainable homes for members of the Navajo Nation.

Architecture students worked closely with Lorraine to design the house of her dreams, whose entry faces the sunrise, consistent with Navajo tradition.

>> The students interview between seven and ten families and they then select one of the families to build a house for.

>> LIDIA: Hank Louis is the founder and overall mentor of Design Build Bluff.

You accomplish two major elements here, and that is give young architects an opportunity to live their creation and, on the other hand, you give this gift of this beautiful home to some Navajo family.

>> Exactly.

Students design a home for a specific Navajo family during one semester, and then the subsequent semester, they move down here to Bluff, in a different culture, in a completely different environment and landscape, to build that home that they've designed.

>> LIDIA: And we're not talking tract housing here.

We're talking unique architectural gems, many created off the grid with solar panels and water-catching devices built right into the design.

Nearly every one of these student-designed homes have won awards with the prestigious American Institute of Architects, often competing with some of the big architectural names of the day.

>> The budgets for our homes are $25,000 apiece.

So, you know, just any sort of found objects we get really pretty excited about.

>> LIDIA: And so, the students turn carpet samples into beautiful wall insulation, shipping crates become rooms, old telephone poles become grand columns.

Mud and compressed earth become the bricks for dense, rich walls that keep the homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

In fact, the construction of these architectural beauties not only adds nothing to the landfill, they help reduce the landfill.

>> We've been at it for ten years, and we've built 16 homes now.

>> LIDIA: 16 happy Navajo families live in a beautiful home.

I love the roof.

It's quite modern, and at the same time, it has a feeling that it's been here a while.

>> Yeah.

>> LIDIA: You can imagine what these homes do for the families.

I myself remember the joy of leaving the political refugee camp where we lived upon first migrating to America with the help of the Catholic Relief Services, moving into our first American home.

Words simply cannot express.

>> I love to cook.

And I usually get my kids involved, hands on, either doing their homework or telling me how their day went.

>> LIDIA: You want them with you.

And I fully understand that.

And the kitchen is such a great place to do just that.

>> Exactly, yeah.

>> Julia's my mom.

(laughing) >> LIDIA: Freddy Bitsoie is a chef and expert on the Navajo culture.

Not only does he have a feast in store for us today, but it turns out he's an official member of the house family clan.

>> Well, Navajo is a matrilineal society, so everything is passed down through the mother, even our clans.

So my mother's clan is Tabaaha, which means "Edgewater."

And she's Tabaaha as well.

>> LIDIA: Ah... >> So I can acknowledge her as my mother as well, and that's how it works.

I'm really excited to share our culture's housewarming with Lidia.

From a Navajo perspective, it's a prayer that defines the home for what it's expected to provide for the family.

And at the same time, it's kind of like the family declaring to the home how they're going to treat it for the duration of their living time in it.

The family has to take care of the home, and the home has to take care of the family.

>> LIDIA: It's a beautiful setting, beautiful view.

So the house blessing is not unlike a spiritual contract.

It seals the deal, if you will, between family and home.

And to that end, Freddy shops for specific items needed.

>> Good morning.

There are so many things that are involved from a male perspective and a female perspective.

From the male perspective is to build a fire, because in Navajo tradition, the fire is like our father.

From the female perspective, we're given tools to display within our homes.

I see you have stirring sticks and weaving tools.

>> Yes.

>> We're getting ready for a housewarming.

>> This would be one of the most important tools to have.

This is a woman's weapon.

>> Weapon?

>> Yes, a weapon against hunger.

>> A very powerful weapon if it hurts hunger, right?

(laughing) Stirring sticks, cooking utensils, weaving tools.

These particular tools are presented to the home, letting the home know, "This is what we're going to be doing in here."

This is for making yarn.

>> Yeah, this is a spindle.

>> And we're asking the home to take care of us while we're doing this, so we can progress our family lineage.

>> LIDIA: Freddy's taking me to source the lamb for today's meal.

Like everything in this part of the country, it involves a drive and crossing of state borders.

>> LIDIA: So everybody was afraid of Big Bird.

>> Big Bird, that's what they were scared of.

This is the place to come to get lamb.

>> My name is R. G. Hunt, better known as "Squeak."

My momma, she called me "Squeak" because before I'd start crying I was squeaking.

>> LIDIA: You were squeaking.

>> Yeah.

>> LIDIA: Ay-yi-yi.

This is the oldest slaughterhouse in the United States?

>> Oldest butchery, slaughterhouse.

>> LIDIA: So specifically... >> LIDIA: Goats too?

Okay.

This is a mutton.

>> About 80 pounds.

And the Navajo, the fresher they are, the better they like them.

>> LIDIA: That's the shoulder; I love the shoulder.

You've got lamb chops?

Our chefs, everybody's asking for lamb chops.

>> Actually, on a Navajo table you'll rarely ever see lamb chops.

They'll want the entire backbone and they'll make a stew from it.

>> LIDIA: So they want the double I of the chops with the backbone.

This is some of the best meat on any animal.

So from field to butcher.

I mean, no transatlantic or transcountry products.

This is from the pastures, right into the homes.

>> The legend about the sheep is, the fog came down and as it lifted, these little puffs of clouds were left and those became the sheep.

>> LIDIA: Like a food sent from heaven.

>> Yeah.

And it also gives the wool for rug weaving.

>> LIDIA: But you know, sheep and goats, they're resilient and graze on everything.

You can get milk from them and the milk into cheese...

I mean, I used to milk the goats with my grandma all the time.

Oh, the sweetie, such a sweetie.

(bleating) >> LIDIA: What?

>> What variety of sheep do you have?

>> Mainly those is churros.

And the different colors, we give the wool to the old weavers and the old weavers will turn around and make rugs.

>> LIDIA: Listen, Squeaky, this is whiny here, you know?

(laughing) >> Lidia is known to truly pronounce the regional identity of cuisine.

And when it comes to native food, regionality is what's important.

>> LIDIA: Upon returning to the compound, we find our medicine man heating a pan of cedar wood and juniper twigs, which give off a warm, calming aroma.

He is a quiet man, and in the tradition of the Navajo being a woman-centered society, we get the scoop from his wonderful wife, Marty.

>> On the Navajo Nation seal, there's a picture of a corn that represents cultivating life skill.

You plant a seed and then give it the nutrient that it needs.

As Navajo people, that's how they see corn.

>> LIDIA: Stability.

>> Kernel comes in different colors.

It comes in yellow corn, white corn, blue corn, multicolor corn.

Just like the way a human global society is.

We're not just one color.

Color is beautiful, and the same thing with corn that we see in our world today.

>> LIDIA: Before marinating the lamb, Freddy prepares a bowl of cedar ash.

I'm not sure why, but I have an inkling.

He then covers the lamb with oil, scallions and crushed juniper leaves.

>> Well, the churro lamb comes from Europe that the Spanish brought in the mid-16th century.

When the Spanish conquistadors were moving up from what is now modern-day Mexico City to this particular region, the three tribes latched on to herding technique, weaving technique from the sheep.

>> LIDIA: It has beautiful wool, lots of wool, right?

>> It's a great wool product.

And basically helped grow the population of the Navajo, the Hopi and the Zuni tribes.

>> LIDIA: So a profound worldwide exchange of cultures occurred about half a millennia ago.

The Spanish brought sheep to the New World and...

This is the blue corn.

>> Yes.

>> LIDIA: You know, us Italians, we thought we invented polenta.

Corn is really a New World crop.

>> I hate to disappoint you.

>> LIDIA: That's right, the natives introduced corn to the Spanish, who then transported it, along with tomatoes and peppers, back to Europe.

Can you imagine European cuisine without those ingredients?

But, that's a whole other story.

All right, I'm excited.

>> We have nice, hot water.

We whisk this in.

Now here's the magic part here.

The acid.

>> LIDIA: The ash-- the actual, literal ash.

>> The corn starts purple, so now once we put some of this in and we mix, it starts to turn blue.

>> LIDIA: Oh, Mamma Mia, look at that!

>> Yeah.

>> LIDIA: Blue-- bellissima!

Show me from the beginning.

>> LIDIA: As Freddy was finishing the meal inside, I went outside to learn how to make Navajo fry bread.

>> And then you roll it like a ball.

>> LIDIA: Like that?

>> Uh-huh, and then you like... >> LIDIA: Smash it.

>> Yeah, okay, now pick it up and go like this.

>> LIDIA: Like this.

Looks like pizza.

How does mine look?

You're my teacher, so you have to show me.

So Grandma, what do we do now?

>> You're going to have to start from the back laying in your fry bread so you don't splash.

>> LIDIA: Oh, ah... good.

>> There we go.

Notice the fry bread is coming out golden color?

>> LIDIA: Yeah.

>> You put a little bit of powdered milk to give it the golden color.

>> LIDIA: Ah, that's nice.

And so the lamb, the fry bread, the stew is all placed on the table, along with the stirring sticks, the weaving tools, a rug, and bowls of white corn, yellow corn and corn pollen.

All in preparation for the house prayers.

But Freddy makes it clear that something needs to be addressed, something that has very much to do with me and my crew.

>> Native people are generally not comfortable with cameras around.

It's very iffy to take pictures of people, or even to record, because many years ago, a lot of people from the East would come out and take photos.

I think the best example would be a photographer by the name of Edward Curtis.

But they would stage the image.

They would dress people up purposely in sacred regalia or traditional costume, and then place them in front of a screen and take their photo.

And throughout the years, this stamp of "the noble savage" was created-- this proud Native person who lost everything about their identity by the caricature.

>> LIDIA: And so, when a Navajo house blessing or any other sacred ceremony occurs, it is the general rule of the medicine man that no cameras be present.

In fact, it's often the case that no outsiders be present.

Because of the unique relationship Design Build Bluff has with the Navajo Nation, we are very privileged to be invited.

And while our medicine man is graciously allowing us to film much more than would otherwise be permitted, once the prayer begins, all cameras go down.

(wind blowing) >> In most of our artwork and most of our tools that we use, we have what we refer to as a spirit line which keeps the mind open, which keeps the art open, which keeps the creativity open.

We can't keep everything closed.

And I think we need to have a more open expressiveness about our culture, because that's what our culture is all about.

>> LIDIA: After the prayers, Freddy presents Lorraine with the woman's weapon.

And I present her with my own token of appreciation.

In the Italian tradition, a little panettone, which you always have it on the table for the holidays or for the occasions.

So this is a very special occasion.

Share it with your family.

>> Thank you.

>> LIDIA: My pleasure, my pleasure.

(cheering) And as the sun goes down, our medicine man lights the fire.

(singing in Navajo) >> LIDIA: And capping today, we were joined by Grammy-nominated singer and Miss Navajo Nation of 1997 Radmilla Cody.

When I returned to New York, I found these pictures in my e-mail.

They're from Lorraine and the students of the beautifully completed interiors.

Here's Lorraine's new kitchen, with its massive sliding panels and island large enough for her kids to sit around and help her cook, do their homework, or just talk about the day.

It takes me back to my last image of that great day.

Lorraine and the students made Navajo fry bread over a makeshift propane burner.

They were, in a sense, sealing the deal that this new home remains a symbolic commitment.

It is, if you will, the spirit line welcoming in the good and escorting out the bad, forever bonding the students to the family, to the home, to the greater community.

(song continues)