Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites
by Giada De Laurentiis
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Book Reviews of Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites
Book Review: Good addition to the kichen library
Summary: 5 Stars
I have earlier acquired and used one of Giada De Laurentiis' cookbooks, "Everyday Pasta," which was jammed with good pasta recipes. None that I ever tried turned out to be a dud. So, I took a look at another of her books, "Giada's Kitchen." Again, this is a fine resource.
She begins be speaking to her approach (Page 10): "These days, my palate responds most to clean, vibrant, simple flavors, and my eyes can't resist the undeniable freshness of great ingredients and bursts of bright colors." So, presentation of dishes is an element in her selection of recipes for this volume. And, indeed, the pictures of the finished product are mouth-watering and aesthetically appealing!
I married into an Italian family, and one of the benefits is my introduction to dishes such as stuffed mushrooms. Giada presents a recipe for Tuscan Mushrooms as an appetizer. Not quite the same as my family recipe, but a filling of red bell peppers, olives, cheese, and scallions spooned into mushroom caps sounds awfully appetizing.
A very attractive dish (see the photo on page 79) is simple to make--Asparagus and Zucchini Crudi. A couple zucchini (shaved) and a bunch of asparagus (trimmed and sliced into small pieces), tossed with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. After tossing, shave some Pecorino Romano cheese and sprinkle over the vegetables. Like I said, both simple AND tasty.
Pasta? Take a look at the photo on page 104 and the recipe for Asparagus Lasagna on page 105. Instead of using tomato sauce as the basis for the lasagna, she suggests sun-dried tomatoes. I have not yet made this, but it is on my list to try out in the very near future.
I made my first risotto yesterday (featuring mushrooms), and was well pleased with the results (I can't say that every dish I try comes out wonderfully!). The Lemon Risotto presented here is another approach. Arborio rice, chicken broth, lemon juice, shallots, white wine, grated Parmesan cheese etc. One thing that I learned when making my first risotto is also emphasized by de Laurentiis: one must stir pretty much constantly as you add the broth bit by bit to the cooking rice.
One nice feature comes at the end of this book--recipes that kids can help out with. The author says that (Page 203): ". . .my hope is that these recipes will help kids be more comfortable in the kitchen and give them the confidence to try new foods and to ultimately create their own dishes."
To conclude, this is a very nice cookbook, filled with recipes that are (and promise to be) tasty. The recipes are, for the most part, accessible to the amateur chef, not so fancy that you need a sous chef to help out! And the photos are attractive indeed.
Book Review: Giada never disappoints
Summary: 5 Stars
I own four of Giada's cookbooks and it has really surprised me how anything I ever make from her books has been such a success. I have a pretty good collection of cookbooks and this is not always the case. Giada's books have earned my trust to the extent that when I want to know for sure that I'm going to make something delicious, I immediately turn to one of her books for a recipe.
This book does deviate from traditionally Italian food but I don't find that to be a criticism. I think that by using some new ingredients, Giada is only expanding her repertoire and that, in my opinion, can't be a bad thing. Here are my thoughts on some of the recipes from this book that I have made:
Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup: I love white beans in general so pretty much anything that calls for them is good, in my opinion. My only deviation was to use an immersion blender rather than a food processor to purée the soup. The texture was velvety and the garlic was a subtle hint. We ate this as a meal with some crusty bread and it was a very filling, simple dinner.
Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas: I omitted the peas from this recipe because I don't like them and I also used light cream rather than the heavy cream called for in the recipe. However, it didn't change the quality of the dish. The size and shape of the orzo made the dish reminiscent of a risotto with a slightly different texture. It was creamy, comforting dish with a mild, pleasing cheese flavor. The bread crumbs gave it a nice bit of crunch. My husband raved about this one.
Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto: This was a truly unique dish. The combination of ingredients sounds a bit strange but the flavor is really wonderful. The vanilla (definitely use a bean here) gives is a slightly sweet flavor, as does the squash, but this isn't dessert. Probably the most crucial step to this dish is ensuring that the squash is properly cooked as any toughness would ruin the overall effect of the risotto. This was truly something out of the ordinary, the kind of dish you'd expect to find at an upscale restaurant.
I highly recommend this book, as well as Giada's other books. Simply reading through the recipes and looking at the pictures makes me salivate.
Book Review: High Quality Cookbook Consistent with Other Giada Cookbooks
Summary: 4 Stars
I was pleased to see inventive recipes in this book that I have not seen elsewhere (such as butternut squash and vanilla risotto; fresh tomatoes and goat cheese strata with herb oil; prosciutto andmelon soup; linguine and prosciutto frittata; baked artichokes with gorgonzola and herbs; and orange and chocolate zeppole). I was also pleased that with the exception of the chapter on meat, many of the recipes are either vegetarian or could be adapted for vegetarians. The recipes in the chapter for children also have universal appeal.
Chapters include Appetizers and First Courses; Soups, Paninis and Snacks; Salads and Vegetables; Pasta; Meat, Poultry and Fish; Desserts; and Not Just for Kids. Drink recipes are offered in several chapters and include apple and thyme martini; pomegranate and cranberry bellini; amaretto sour with prosecco; amaretto and raspberry smoothie; and spiced Americano with cinnamon whipped cream.
My only complaint is minor - I would have preferred more photos of finished dishes rather than photo after photo of Giada (there are 5 sets of double page spreads of photos of Giada). I know what she looks like. I don't know what all the finished dishes look like there. Having said that, there are more than 50 beautiful, vivid color photos of the dishes.
I am pleased with my purchase and look forward to trying many of the recipes in this cookbook.
Book Review: Look Closer...
Summary: 5 Stars
I must admit that I, like other reviewers, was at first disappointed by the offerings in Giada's latest publication. When I looked at the recipes closer, however, I realized how much I appreciated the book.
Fans are used to an array of savory, Italian dishes...understandably because this is what Giada has turned out before. This new book puts more of an emphasis on fresh, light flavors. Many recipes call for butternut squash, melons, and other vegetables.
The recipes are no longer strictly "Italian," which I think opens Giada's creativity. Although many recipes call for fresh herbs, I found the ingredient list to be, in general, significantly less intimidating and pricey. It's really about fewer groceries with fresher, bigger flavors. I particularly enjoy the "(Not) Just For Kids" section. Here we find fun recipes for things like pizza pot pies, polenta-fried shrimp, and mascarpone mini cupcakes with strawberry frosting.
I think Giada's new direction, away from specifically "Italian" cuisine and into an Italian-inspired Californian cuisine, will prove successful. After three cookbooks of mostly traditional Italian food, she needed to expand somewhere anyway. Staying loyal to strictly Italian food may have become boring and listless for both the chef and her following. I can't wait to see where she goes next!
Book Review: read carefully
Summary: 3 Stars
Read the recipes carefully, they all look fairly simple and are simple however some require multiple steps. I made the chicken with spring veggies and while it was good, I don't think it will become a household favorite. I didn't read the recipe carefully and it requires lots of steps (browning the chicken then finishing in the oven then making a sauce) and required 1/4 cup of chopped fresh thyme! That's a lot of thyme which isn't that easy to chop. It also required cipolline onions which I could not find and I live in a large metro area with a Whole Foods right down the street. I also made the potatoes and zuchinni with a parmesan crust. This was good not great and again required many steps, boiling the potatoes then cooking on the stovetop and finally broiling in the oven- too many dirty pans. The best recipe I have tried was the Pecorino crackers- they are like a cookie-cracker and are delish! We crumbled them on salads and they were crunchy and rich. They are also incredibly easy. Would make a great gift during the holidays. I'll keep at it with this book but read more carefully.