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Giada's Family Dinners
Books: CookBooks: Dinner: Item 3
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Giada's Family Dinnersby Giada De Laurentiis
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111 of 118 people found the following review helpful: This is beyond food, its euphoria on a plate., April 5, 2006 Reviewer:Kasia S. (new york, NY United States) - Since I have really fancied Giada's first book, Everyday Italian, I was really anticipating her return into the alluring world of cookbooks. I don't even consider her food Italian, I don't put a nationality or a label on it, and it's simply mouth watering good and eye pleasing fare that is nothing else but good food! I've heard that Italians don't really consider their food as Italian, they simply think that it's the way food is prepared at its best; they take pride in their recipes but to them it's Food and not a trend. The easiest way for me to use a cookbook in order to make any sort of creative dinners versus some repetitive easy standard fare that was done a thousand times all ready- is one trick. I take the cookbook to work, brows when I have free time, make a copy of the recipe I want to make, stop at grocery store with the printout with highlighted items I don't have to purchase. As I can head home and I know exactly what I will be cooking, it saves time and sanity and makes for a nice and cozy dinner that is never boring. One thing I learned with this book is to shop in advance, to have a stocked pantry and then all I need are a few fresh key items, and I don't have to bring home 5 bags of food, but rather 2-3 ingredients that are more perishable to make one of Giada's recipes. Her food is never complicated and never chock full of expensive, hard to find ingredients. What I really enjoyed about this book was the simplicity of these meals. You really don't have to spend fifty dollars to make dinner that would cost nine bucks to order for delivery form a restaurant. These meals can be made one any budget even when simplified even further, as they are superb to start with. For the book itself its pure eye candy. This is not some Joy of Cooking, with tiny print and no pictures, this is like a vacation brochure for your eyes and senses. This book is so colorful, gorgeous, glossy and has the best pictures of the dishes, that it really doesn't take any time to pick something to make out of it! I also love the easy luxe font and colors of the text and pages. Its like fancy piece of architecture compared to a wooden shack, yes you can live in both but one is clearly more luxurious than the other. This book really takes you to the center of who Giada is. The family pictures where you see familiar faces, if you watch her TV show, and you really feel like this book gives you a warm big hug and takes care of you. It shows you the wonderful, comforting and innovative dishes that she serves and loves too much for you to enjoy at home. I have made a few recipes from this book so far last night and today and I must say, even the leftovers didn't make it to next day, this is not food you will have to cook in order to eat, this is soul nourishing cuisine that makes you happy. So far I have licked the plate after following few dishes: Chicken Carbonara - who knew that cream, chicken, lemons and walnuts added to the classic recipe will makes it my new favorite type of pasta? Butternut Squash Gratin with pesto - tastes like autumn on a plate but a great side to a dinner even on a warmer April evening. Italian Caesar Salad - I don't know how she came up with an improvement on this one, but the mustard, polenta croutons and pine nuts along with other yummies just made this an Entree contender. Grilled Artichokes with parsley and garlic - finally an easy artichoke recipe that tastes sublime when done. Great vegetarian side. As you can see I took this book right into the kitchen and few my friends and myself during dinner last night, I wasn't scared of the book and I was able to utilize any recipie I chose, I cant wait to cook all of it, and that should be soon! : ) Enjoy! I know I absolutely can't recommend this enough. Easy to cook from and delicious, what more could I ask for.
Product Review
Fans of the Food Network's Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis will love Giada's Family Dinners an even more accessible (if this is possible) cookbook designed to help families enjoy easy, delicious, authentic Italian meals. Simple and elegant, the recipes range from the quick fix to the family feast, and include plenty of desserts. And, those of you who felt that the only flaw in Giada's first book was that it lacked a chapter on soups will want to fire up the range and get your pots ready for 7 delicious and easy soup recipes.
From Publishers Weekly
With her second cookbook, Food TV star De Laurentiis proves she's more than just a pretty face. Although the host of Everyday Italian is not hard to look at, and photos of her and her family cooking are scattered throughout, there are many more reasons to pick up this book. If classics like Escarole and Bean Soup, Chicken Marsala, and Basic Polenta aren't strong enough incentives, then perhaps modern interpretations such as Chicken Carbonara, Roasted Red Snapper with Parsley Vinaigrette, Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese, or Espresso Brownies will be. Like De Laurentiis's first, bestselling book (named after her show), this volume presents doable dishes, though there's an emphasis here on feeding a crowd (which doesn't mean small households can't make Italian wedding Soup and freeze some for an easy weeknight supper). There are twists on Thanksgiving classics, including Turkey with Herbes de Provence and Citrus, Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta, and Butternut Squash Lasagna as well as recipes for traditional Italian holiday foods like Easter Pie, Pizza Rustica, and Panettone Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce. Broader and more developed than Everyday Italian, De Laurentiis's second book nicely showcases her range and depth. (Apr.)
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