good book

Originally posted on Sarahsbookshelf.com:

I haven’t really been sold on Giada de Laurentiis in the past. I had checked out some of her cookbooks and wasn’t really impressed. I’m an optimist, though, so I decided to give her another shot. This book was her first cookbook and it was a goldmine of favorites. We tried Penne a la Vodka, which we made with Soju that we had on-hand, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Carbonara sauce, and a few others. Her recipes were simple, used easy-to-find ingredients, and nothing took an excessive amount of time to make. I really liked this book quite a bit–enough that it’s on my wish list now. It’s a great introduction to Italian cooking, as well as a good tutorial on why things are done a certain way in the kitchen. For example, when making the carbonara sauce she stressed having the cream at room temperature so it wouldn’t curdle. I think sometimes as a cook I tend to overlook these types of instructions, but her’s were placed well on the page and noted why they were important.

It would have been to nicer to see photos of the recipes instead of her just preparing them. I never even cooked a recipe and sold the book at at yard sale.

Where oh where are the images of the products being cooked and/or completed?

There are many useful recipes here. Some, however are a stretch due to ingredient list. Still a solid book of basics.

I love this cookbook. I just made myself the White Bean and tuna salad and it is fantastic! Easy enough for a quick lunch, and can be made with things I keep in my pantry already. Makes the transition to vegetarian cuisine easy, and satisfying.

I've watched her show on the Food Network for a long time now and got this as a Christmas gift. I have made quite a few things from this book, all with great results. Although I must admit, I have been tempted to make little alterations to the recipes along the way....but I do that with almost every cookbook I read. Very straightforward and not too complicated or requiring huge lists of ingredients...great for homey, gut-pleasing meals.

Simple, delicious recipes.

Some great receipes in this book. I cook for my mom and my girlfriend. They all loved many of the receipes I made for them. If you love italian food, you NEED to get this book!

Saw Giada at the Festival of Books at UCLA a few years ago. She made a few things from this book. I remember the grilled pineapple with Nutella. I made the Ziti with asparagus,smoked mozarella and prosciutto. Very good.

Someone gave me this book as a gift; I never would have chosen it myself. It might be fine for a beginner just learning to cook Italian food, but for anyone with any experience in this area, there is nothing useful or new in it. I have cooked my way through all of Marcella Hazan's books and the award-winning Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, so Everyday Italian is useless for me.

I just flipped through for some quick recipes. I am disappointed at the photos of her instead of the food, but ah well. We shall see if I enjoy any of the recipes I noted.