Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California Review
This is the first I have heard of Ms Laurentiis. My like for Italian food was what prompted me to pick up this cookbook, and I have not been disappointed in the recipes that I have tried thus far.
While the recipes are not excessively hard, they are not 'on the fly' and will take some time to prepare (for example the chicken milanese with tomato and fennel sauce, yum). My focus has been on the meal recipes, so I cannot comment on the deserts as yet, but as I said earlier, no disappointments yet.
The prose is well written and the recipes I have used are easy enough to follow (no guessing as to what the author's instructions are meant to convey). The recipes could have benefited from an estimated serving count, and nutritional information (at least the basics, there is some nice freeware software that would have made this fairly easy to add). I have seen the pictures in the released version at the stores (my ARC was decidedly unglossy and black and white) and they are very nice, almost mouth watering.
All in all, I like the book, but it lacks some of the little touches that would have compelled me to give it 5 rather than 4 stars. P-)
Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California Feature
- ISBN13: 9780307451019
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Recipe from Giada at Home: Stuffed Baby Peppers
Makes 4 to 6 servings
My mother always loved to serve stuffed vegetables; she stuffed zucchini, potatoes, onions, and, of course, all kinds of peppers. It may have been her way of getting us to eat our vegetables, but we loved them so much we ate them right out of the fridge the next day. I’ve used pancetta in the filling, but this is an easy recipe to vary and you could certainly substitute ground beef, sausage--almost anything savory that you like. These taste better the longer they sit, so they make great leftovers.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 (2- to 3-inch long) baby peppers
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and drain on paper towels. Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the onion, pancetta, cheeses, and peas. Season with salt and pepper.
Using a paring knife, cut 1/2 inch from the stem end of each pepper. Remove the seeds and veins. Using a small dessert spoon, fill each pepper with the cheese mixture. Place the filled peppers on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the peppers begin to soften and the cheese is warmed through. Cool for 10 minutes.
Arrange the peppers on a platter and serve.
Since her debut on Food Network in 2002 with the hit program Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis has been enticing Americans with her updated twists on Italian favorites. Her dedication to ease, healthfulness, and—above all else—flavor have won her a permanent place in the hearts of home cooks. In Giada at Home, she shares a personal look into how she cooks for those dearest to her, with simple recipes inspired by her television show of the same name.
Born in Italy, Giada was raised in Los Angeles by a gregarious Italian family. While her grandmother, aunt, and mother brought her up on generations-old recipes, Giada also became enamored with the bright and clean flavors of California’s abundant seasonal fruits and vegetables. Giada at Home presents recipes from both traditions, all with Giada’s signature style. She shares classic Italian recipes passed down through the years, like cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in salty prosciutto, creamy risotto with the earthy and deep flavors of mushrooms and gorgonzola, and lamb chops basted with honey and balsamic vinegar. New family favorites include grilled asparagus and melon, game hens roasted with citrus and herbs, and a sorbet made with pomegranate and mint, all bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors.
No meal would be complete without the company of family and Giada particularly enjoys bringing her loved ones together over meals. For the first time, she incorporates her go-to brunch recipes—what she cooks when setting up a feast on her back patio for everyone on weekend mornings—from Jade-approved Panini, with gooey mozzarella, luscious raspberries, and a sprinkling of brown sugar, to Todd’s favorite pancetta-studded waffles scented with cinnamon.
No matter which recipe you choose—classic or contemporary—Giada at Home makes gathering the favorite people in your life for fabulous weeknight meals and family celebrations delicious and easy.
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS is the Emmy-winning star of Food Network’s Everyday Italian, Giada's Weekend Getaways, and Giada at Home; a contributing correspondent for NBC’s Today; and the author of four New York Times bestselling cookbooks. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris and worked at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago restaurant in Los Angeles before starting her own catering company, GDL Foods. Born in Rome, she grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives with her husband, Todd, and their daughter, Jade.
Check price now
Related Products
Customer Reviews
GREAT, accessible American/Italian Food - MorganMom - Memphis, TN
Giada has expanded her Italian recipes to include American/Italian fusion dishes that are simple, delicious and very accessible to the beginning or average cook. I love the feta and sun dried tomato turkey meatloaf and all the fresh, new seafood dishes. Buy this cookbook before the twilight hours of summer have passed and enjoy fresh, healthy meals with your family on the patio, De Laurentiis style.
A little disappointed - T. Needham - Washington, DC USA
I bought this book naively thinking that all of the recipes from the series would be in the book but they are not. I bought it from Amazon so I could not look at the table of contents before I purchased it. Several of the recipes I really wanted were not included. I will have to print those recipes from Food Network's site. So that was really disappointing. Maybe some of those recipes are in her other cookbooks - I'll have to go to a bookstore to check the table of contents. So my advice is if you want certain recipes and plan to buy this book online, check out the book at a store before purchasing it.
Jun 01, 2010 07:34:05
No comments:
Post a Comment