FRIDAY, JULY 11 at 9:30PM

Marcella Hazan’s story symbolizes the American dream: after arriving in New York City having never cooked and living with a disability affecting her right arm after an accident in childhood, Hazan went on to inspire millions of home cooks with the glories of Italian cuisine with her bestselling cookbook The Classic Italian Cook Book: The Art of Italian Cooking and the Italian Art of Eating. In addition to her cookbooks, Hazan connected with food lovers through her popular cooking classes, her friendship with fellow cooking legend Julia Child, and many on-air cooking demonstrations. Discover how she shaped Italian cuisine in America in American Masters – Marcella.

Featuring archival footage and stills, interviews and cooking demonstrations from featured chefs, Marcella follows Hazan’s life, starting with her early years in Italy as a scientist to her marriage to Victor Hazan in 1956 before immigrating to New York a few months later. The film, which was recently recognized with the James Beard Award for Best Documentary, features interviews with Jacques Pépin, Danny Meyer, Lidia Bastianich, Shola Olunloyo, Steve Sando, April Bloomfield, Hazan’s widower and writing partner Victor Hazan and their son Giuliano Hazan.

Upon arriving in America, Hazan – who had earned two doctorates in science – did not have a culinary background and rarely cooked at home. Her love of cooking traditional Italian dishes ignited soon after settling into her new American home, which allowed her to stay connected to her Italian roots and find familiar comfort while building a life with her husband in Queens. While she first used cookbooks from Italy as reference, she began developing her own recipes, which caught the attention of New York Times food editor Craig Claiborne. Shortly after he asked Hazan to contribute recipes to the newspaper’s food section, she gained notability as an Italian cooking expert. Hazan’s subsequent debut release, The Classic Italian Cook Book, became a best-seller and would be inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame.

Marcella is the 300th episode of the American Masters series, now in it's 39th year illuminating the lives and creative journeys of our nation’s most enduring artistic giants — those who have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape — through compelling, unvarnished stories. Setting the standard for documentary film profiles, the series has earned widespread critical acclaim: 28 Emmy Awards — including 10 for Outstanding Nonfiction Series and five for Outstanding Nonfiction Special— two News & Documentary Emmys, 14 Peabodys, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards, an Oscar, and many other honors.