Giada's Family Dinners
by Giada De Laurentiis
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Book Reviews of Giada's Family Dinners
Book Review: as always....cooking love from Giada!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Wonderful!! Absolutely wonderful!! This sophomore effort of one of the cooking world's fastest-rising chefs who has worked hard for her title the rewards of accolades. Once again, she has given us fresh, delicious, and satisfying recipes that give us a thoroughly enjoyable experience in the kitchen.
This latest effort has all you need to prepare meals that will give you pleasure and joy in their preparation, as well as using the experience to have your guests help you. Through the use of staples, other everyday foods, and directions that are clear and crisp, you will be most satisfied within your stomach and soul.
The book is also full of photos of family, friends, and food that share this part of her life, as well as glorious photo presentations of the finished dishes; all of them styled to make you feel as comfortable as she in their preparation.
The book is divided as such:
SOUPS AND SANDWICHES: beef and lentil soup/ tomato soup with pancetta/ pasta e fagioli/ winter minestrone/ escarole and bean soup/ italian wedding soup/ stracciatella soup/ tuna and artichoke panini/ venetiano panini/ vegetable panini with mozzarella/ prosciutto and lemon panini/ open-faced PLT (that's prosciutto instead of bacon--very delicious!)/ italian muffuletta
ITALIAN SALADS AND SIDES: roasated beet and arugula salad with goat cheese and avacado/ italian caesar salad/ arugula and orange salad with basil vinaigrette/ broccoli florets with Meyer lemon olive oil/ marinated zucchini and summer squash/ butternut squash gratin with pesto/ roasted eggplant and tomatoes/ sauteed green beans with tomatoes and basil/ roasted fennel with parmesan/ orzo with garbanzo beans, red onion, basil, and mint/ cannellinin beans with herbs and prosciutto/ stuffed artichokes/ braised swiss chard/ basic polenta (the food of the gods!)/ herbed cheese polenta
FAMILIY ENTREES: pepperoncini shrimp/ broiled salmon with garlic, mustard, and herbs/ tilapia with citrus bagna cauda/ swordfish milanese/ sea bass with beans and radicchio/ chicken marsala with mustard and mascarpone/ pollo frito/ chicken tetrazzini/ garlic and citrus chicken/ chicken vesuvio/ chicken florentine/ flank steak with red wine sauce/ filet mignon with balsamic syrup/ rack of lamb with mint-basil pesto/ veal scaloppine with saffron cream sauce/ parmesan-crusted pork chops (the best)/ pork chops alla pizzaiola/ lasagna rolls/ stuffed zucchini and red bell peppers (who knew? what a great recipe for zucchini)
THE ITALIAN GRILL: pane alla grillia/ grilled portobello mushrooms with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella/ grilled lettuces (very different but very good)/ grilled artichokes with parsley and garlic/ grilled steak sandwiches/ grilled chicken with gremolata (a delicious paste of garlic, herbs and citrus)/grilled chicken with basil dressing/ grilled lamb with salsa verde/ grilled tuna burgers with tapenade/ swordfish spiedini/ grilled tuna steaks with roasted cipollini onions/ grilled summer fruit/ italian s'mores
FAMILY STYLE PASTA: little thimbles scuie' sciue'(your own choice of ingredients)/ linguine with chicken ragu/ fresh fettucine with roasted chicken and broccoli rabe/ penne with spinach sauce/ chicken carbonara/ polpette and spaghetti/ rigatoni with steak/ fusilli with shrimp and arugula/ qucik marinara sauce/ raviolo with creamy tomato sauce/ penne with sausage, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes/ whole wheat spaghetti with swiss chard and pecorino cheese/ farfalle with asparagus and mushrooms/ red wine risotto with peas/ dirty risotto
FAMILY STYLE GET-TOGETHERS: pizzette with gorgonzola, tomato, and basil/ crostini with gorgonzola, honey, and walnuts/ sun-dried tomato and mozzarella kebabs/ salami crisps with sour cream and basil/ turkey bolognese/ baked angel hair timbale/ farmers pasta/ zuppa di pesce ( hearty fish soup)/ veal stew with cipollini onions/ pot roast with porcini mushrooms/ pancetta-wrapped prok roast/ vegetable gratin/ baked mashed potatoes with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs
FAMILY FEASTS: bellini bar/ limoncello spritzers/ rose wine with fresh sage and lemon/ turkey with herbes de provence and citrus/ ciabatta stuffing with chestnuts and pancetta/ butternut squash lasagna/ insalata di rinforzo/ holiday salad/ Easter pie/ pizza rustica/ Easter lamb/ roasted red snapper with parsley vinaigrette/ linguine with spicy red clam sauce/ panettone bread pudding with amaretto sauce (deelish)
FAMILY STYLE DESSERTS: (always the best chapter!): chocolate anise biscotti/ chocolate chip cookies with hazelnuts/ mocha semifreddo/ chocolate ricotta pudding with strawberry sauce/ raspberry-almond tart/ orange segments and berries with balsamic cream/ nectarine and blueberry crisp with amaretti cookie topping/ nutella ravioli/ spicy mocha/ raspberry tirmisu/ apricot crostata/ espresso brownies/ limoncello cheesecake squares/ zuccotto/ chocolate pizza
She then gives a wonderul "menu's for family dinners" that covers: Christmas/ Thanksgiving/ Easter/ cold weather get-togethers/ backyard BBQ/ celebratory dinner/ kid-friendly dinner/ elegant dinner
Giada has it all down and written in the style that her love of family, friends, and food can bring together. (As another aside, I am also deeply grateful that the meals are titled as "Christmas/ Easter" and not as "holiday"). Enjoy the excitement and fun of planning and creating meals that will give you much to be grateful for, in the thought of the blessings that are in your life, all courtesy of Giada!!
Book Review: This is beyond food, its euphoria on a plate.
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Book Review: Some truly heavenly food
Summary: 5 Stars
I confess that my husband and I have something of a cookbook fetish. We have, however, invested in some books that didn't prove worthwhile and so before shelling out the money for Giada's books, I decided I would check them out from the library, make some recipes, and go from there. I wanted to know if the recipes were as good as she makes them look on the show and if, upon tasting it, my husband and I would have expressions on our faces that mirror the food ecstasy Giada seems to experience. The answer to that question: Oh, yes! Today I've ordered all three of her books because I simply can't imagine living without them and not being able to make her delicious, heavenly recipes whenever I want. Here are my thoughts on a few of the recipes:
Broiled Salmon with Garlic, Mustard, and Herbs - Truth be told, I could usually take or leave fish. My husband, however, loves seafood and so I try to make fish at least every other week or so but it's not something to which I generally look forward to eating. Imagine my surprise when my husband made this dish and I devoured it. It's an extremely simple recipe that requires very little preparation and even less actual cooking but it was so good that I immediately wanted to eat it again. It's a delicious combination of tanginess due to the mustard, saltiness, and a light touch of herbs. This is my favorite of all fish dishes I have ever eaten.
Chicken Marsala with Mustard and Mascarpone - There were many moans of pleasure when this dish was consumed. The preparation is a bit intensive as it requires washing and slicing a lot of mushrooms but it is so worth it. I thought the combination of ingredients was interesting but it didn't do justice to the outcome, which was chicken and pasta in a sauce so creamy and exquisite it tastes like something you'd get at a very expensive Italian restaurant. This was an outstanding recipe.
Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes - This is a delicious dish. I used chicken Italian sausage rather than pork and it was still deliciously rich. The sausage is nicely contrasted against the lemony artichokes and the sun-dried tomatoes add a wonderful tang. I would definitely recommend using the mozzarella, which is marked as optional, as it adds a creamy, mild sweetness to the dish. The sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil are a bit pricey but the jar I bought had enough for two full recipes and I'm already planning on making the dish again, only a couple of weeks after having made it the first time.
Book Review: Mouth-watering recipes sure to bring the family together
Summary: 5 Stars
Giada's amazing, mouth-watering dishes never cease to amaze. With each cookbook installment, she manages to re-invent the idea of modern Italian and give it a unique, delicious twist.
In this follow-up to Everyday Italian, Giada, star of Food Network's Everyday Italian, extends her original cookbook with more Italian-inspired dishes, a handful of basics and most importantly, a collection of slightly more "advanced" dishes that are centered around the theme of bringing the family together around the dinner table. Following the family theme, the majority of the gorgeous photography in this book show Giada's family gathering and enjoying all of her dishes, peppered in with some perfectly-styled food photography that makes my mouth water just flipping through the book.
In Giada's Family Dinners, fans are treated to a (fairly standard) collection of soups, sandwiches, salads, sides, desserts and pasta. In addition, fans are treated to a collection of grill-centric recipes (perfect for cooking out with the family), family-style entrees that are sure to please, and, my personal favorite, the "family feast" recipes, which are perfect for special occasions and holidays.
This is yet another great cookbook chalked full of tasty recipes. And just like everything else I've seen from Giada -so many recipes, so little time. Some of these recipes include a vegetable panini with mozzarella, Italian muffuletta, chicken florentine, chicken carbonara, fusilli with shrimp and arugula; penne with sausage, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes; tasty bellinis, and chocolate anise biscotti. I was especially happy with Giada's dessert selections here, since I typically don't go for them in her other cookbooks, but I just couldn't get over the desserts in Giada's Family Dinners, something about them just appeals to me.
Great for fans of Giada's earlier, more Italian, "everyday" type of cooking.
Book Review: Giada De Laurentiis is a true Italian in every sense
Summary: 5 Stars
Giada De Laurentiis is a true Italian in every sense, except for weight, which I'm very jealous of. The meals presented in this book are not only delicious but meant for those whose metabolisms can take a beating. All joking aside this is a must-have cookbook for any kitchen, food lover and cook.
Beautifully presented, just like her show, the pictures alone make your mouth water. You won't be disappointed when you get this look into your kitchen as the recipes are easy to follow. Despite the easy recipes you will need to be organized and have your pantry stocked with items you may not normally use.
This is not a Betty Crocker cookbook where most of the items are already on your pantry shelves. Despite that I highly recommend this book so you can present gourmet meals that will make you look like an expert chef on the Food Channel.
My favorite recipes so far are Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese, Turkey with Herbes de Provence and Citrus, Grilled Artichokes with parsley and garlic and Italian Caesar Salad.
Buy this book and experience a revelation in your taste buds. - To a better day in every way. Jaci Rae