Everyday Italian Recipes that Rock

by Joi on September 27, 2006

If there’s a chef on the Food Network - I’m more than a little familiar with them. Food and cooking are, to me, what sports are to the average male - I pretty much immerse myself in them. And the Food Network is really a wonderful place to get inspired and motivated to take your cooking to a new level. I watch it every single day and, even as much time as I spend in the kitchen - I learn something new every time I turn it on.

In my opinion, one of the most knowledgable cooking personalitites (can’t really say chefs since they aren’t all chefs) is Giada De Laurentiis of Everyday Italian. She may not have the level of popularity as some of the others….you know, the ones who’ve become household names…. but she’s got game!

I’ve tried recipes from all of them - and I collect every Food Network Cookbook I can get my eager hands on. I can honestly say that two of the Food Celebs have never, ever let me down: Giada and Emeril. Everyone else has had at least one recipe that may have not turned out just like I wanted it to, but these two have hit a grand slam every time. In all fairness, I only had one of Paula’s (Pimento Cheese that wasn’t sweet enough) and one of Alton’s (a meat dish that, although good, was waaaay too much trouble) not measure up to my expectations. Had to get that in there because I loves them so.

Below are a few of Giada’s most recent recipes. They truly are amazing. The Tortellini in a Light Broth is one of those meals made in Heaven - it looks/tastes like it took hours to make, but is actually a quickie. Served with a great salad and Italian Bread, it’s a warm, delicious meal. Give it a try, you’ll make it again. And again. And again.

I haven’t tried her version of Italian Wedding Soup, but I’ll give it a crack this weekend. It’s one of my favorite soups in the world - one of those dishes that tastes even better than it sounds, and I know her take on it will be about as good as it gets.

Here are the links (They’ll open in new windows) - give them a look and print them out. Then, most importantly, take them for a test drive.