The book Giada's Kitchen by Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis is my favorite cookbook this summer. (I also like her cookbook Giada at Home.)
Giada's Kitchen is California cooking with an Italian twist. Amazon.com explains:
Italy meets California in Giada De Laurentiis’s collection of 100 new recipes. She focuses on fresh ingredients, simple preparation, and bright flavors. Anyone who wants to indulge in the pleasures of Italian food without feeling weighed down will find inspiration for delicious, hearty yet healthy weekday meals. Giada’s recipes satisfy both our desire to eat with gusto and to feel good about what we eat.
And why not love this cookbook--I think Giada wrote Giada's Kitchen with busy moms in mind. According to Barnes & Noble:
She even made us fall in love with pasta again by opening us up to lighter, healthier versions that don’t weigh us down... Yes, you will still find those fabulous recipes she remembers so fondly from family meals, but you’ll also find updated twists on classic trattoria favorites—California-inflected, hearty but not overwhelming, and with the perfect balance of healthfulness and terrific flavor.
The recipes by Giada are delicious and family-pleasing. And the photos are what makes this cookbook easy to use.
Here are a few of Giada's recipes on the Food Network and in her cookbook:
- Whole-Wheat Linguine with Green Beans, Ricotta, and Lemon Recipe
- Italian Ice Recipe
- Apple and Thyme Martini Recipe
Cookbook review by me, Chris Olson, writer and illustrator.
