Celebrity chef finds sweet spot in her ninth cookbook
Do you dream about having the luxury of lingering over a delicious home-cooked meal with family or friends? Maybe you’re sipping a glass of wine. Hopefully, there’s a lot of laughter. There definitely aren’t any interruptions or clock-watching.
Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis calls this la dolce vita.
“It means a very sweet life,” says De Laurentiis, who was born in Rome, in a recent phone interview. “It’s why so many people are attracted to Italian people and food. It’s our exuberance for food and life in general.”
Over the past couple of years, De Laurentiis, who lives in Los Angeles, has filmed her Food Network show “Giada in Italy” on location in Positano and Florence. Her new cookbook, “Giada’s Italy: My Recipes for La Dolce Vita” (Clarkson Potter, 288 pp., $ 35), captures the flavors of her homeland.
“They are traditional Italian recipes with a modern spin,” says the chef, whose resume also includes best-selling author (this is her ninth cookbook, and she writes children’s books, too), restaurateur (she has two eateries in Las Vegas) and Daytime Emmy Award winner (for outstanding lifestyle host.)
The dishes in “Giada’s Italy” include calamari panzanella (“In Italy, we make it with octopus, but at home it’s easier to make with squid”); tortellini in Parmigiano-Reggiano brodo (“In the north of Italy, this is traditionally served at Christmas dinner, but it shouldn’t be reserved for the holidays”); and fennel upside-down cake (“Fennel turns up in lots of recipes in Italy … I thought it would be fun to borrow the American tradition of upside-down cake and combine it with this unexpected ingredient”).
“Italians know how to take their time, slow down, and appreciate what they’ve made — and the people they are sharing it with,” writes De Laurentiis. “It’s a lesson we can’t learn too often.”
Aspiring Italophiles should “adopt the culture little by little,” she says. “Start with whatever grabs your attention in the book, but don’t go directly to (the chapter called) ‘La Dolce Vita’ — not because those recipes are difficult, but because some of them take multiple pairs of hands or more time.”
Exhibit A: sartu di riso, a timbale with a rice crust and meatball filling. “In Naples, its birthplace, this impressive dish is usually only made on Sunday, when the family is all together and can participate in the preparation,” she writes.
If you are an amateur in the kitchen, De Laurentiis has some advice just for you.
“If you are not a confident cook, don’t cook. Just assemble,” she says.
For example, De Laurentiis suggests putting together a meat and cheese platter or a salad. Or make the recipe in “Giada’s Italy” for antipasti in a jar: baby mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes and green olives tossed in extra-virgin olive oil and seasonings. She writes that she sometimes uses the jars as hostess gifts or at place settings when she is entertaining.
“As you get better in assembly, move to the next level,” says De Laurentiis. “You don’t always have to turn on the stove to learn how to cook, although it helps to stock your pantry with the right ingredients.”
While Parmesan cheese rinds, speck (a cured ham) and Calabrian chile paste are among the items she recommends in the book for an Italian pantry (“They offer so much big authentic flavor that you really can’t duplicate any other way,” she writes), she says the most important ingredient in her kitchen is a bit more basic: dried pasta.
“I have a 10-year-old daughter,” says De Laurentiis. “When all else fails, I know I can feed her.”
Tracy Ann Politowicz: tpolitowicz@advancelocal.com
Giada De Laurentiis
What: Signing of “Giada’s Italy.” Book is $ 35.
Short Hills: Williams Sonoma, the Mall at Short Hills, 1200 Morris Turnpike; April 2, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; tickets required, visit eventbrite.com.
Bridgewater: Costco, 325 Promenade Blvd.; April 3, 4 to 6 p.m.; no tickets required.
Positano Pizzas
“While spending time in Positano, I was served a version of this dish as an amuse-bouche at a beachside restaurant called Le Tre Sorelle. The pizzas are so much fun to make with (my daughter) Jade and her friends back home, and they are also a great light lunch or snack.” Makes six 5-inch hearts.
Positano pizzas from “Giada’s Italy,” the ninth cookbook by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis. (Aubrie Pick) 1 (16-ounce) ball of store-bought pizza dough
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 fresh basil sprigs
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1. Place pizza dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover with towel, and allow it to rest in warm place for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce each tomato with tip of paring knife. On small rimmed baking sheet, combine tomatoes, olive oil, salt, garlic and basil. Toss to coat and roast for 30 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to blister. Set aside to cool.
3. Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees. On lightly floured board, use rolling pin to roll out pizza dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutter or tip of sharp knife, cut out six 5-inch hearts and place them on rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until lightly puffed and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
4. Split hearts in half horizontally. Divide mozzarella and tomatoes over bottom halves and sprinkle evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Replace tops and brush with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle each heart with oregano. Bake for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and tops are golden. Serve warm, drizzled with more extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.
— All recipes from “Giada’s Italy” by Giada De Laurentiis (Clarkson Potter, 288 pp., $ 35)
Grilled Scallops with Prosciutto and Basil
“My friend Pam makes these pretty skewers on the grill at her beach house on Long Island. Pink peppercorns make them beautiful and summery — as if you’re eating a spicy rose petal. You could serve this with (or atop) an arugula salad. Add a squeeze of juice from a grilled lemon half if you like.” Makes 4 servings.
Grilled scallops with prosciutto and basil from “Giada’s Italy.” Author Giada De Laurentiis suggests serving them with or on top of an arugula salad. (Aubrie Pick)6 thin slices prosciutto di San Daniele
12 large sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed pink peppercorns
1. Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat.
2. Cut prosciutto slices in half lengthwise to make 12 long strips. Season scallops evenly with salt. Place 1 basil leaf at end of strip of prosciutto, folding it in half lengthwise, if necessary. Place one scallop on its side on top of basil and carefully roll scallop inside basil and prosciutto. Secure with toothpick or skewer. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
3. Drizzle scallops with olive oil. Place scallops on heated grill pan, pressing down gently to make sure scallops make direct contact with hot surface. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until nice grill marks form and scallops are just warm in center (see note below). Remove scallops to a plate and sprinkle with pink peppercorns.
Note: To check if scallops are done, insert thin metal cake tester into center and leave it there for 10 seconds. Remove and place metal against skin beneath your lower lip. If tester feels warm, scallop is done.
Olive Oil and Honey Panna Cotta
“I haven’t included panna cotta recipes in many of my books because, to be honest, panna cotta isn’t my favorite dessert. However, I’m clearly in the minority, because you find it on the menu of just about every Italian restaurant, both here and in Italy. This rendition has a slightly spicy bite from the olive oil, which makes it a little bit unusual and less like nursery food. Use a grassy green olive oil and top it with some flake salt and a drizzle of the same oil to play up the distinctive flavor if you like.” Makes 6 servings.
Olive oil and honey panna cotta, from “Giada’s Italy.” Author Giada De Laurentiis says it has “a slightly spicy bite from the olive oil.” (Aubrie Pick) 1/4 cup cold water
1 (0.25-ounce) package powdered gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup raw honey, plus more for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup whole milk
Fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)
1. Pour water into small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. Stir to combine. Set aside to soften for 5 minutes. Scrape softened gelatin into medium saucepan and add heavy cream, honey, vanilla, lemon zest and salt. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring with rubber spatula to dissolve gelatin and honey. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat.
2. Stir olive oil into cream mixture and, using immersion blender, blend until combined and emulsified. Stir in milk. If large amount of froth has formed on surface, use small ladle to skim it off and discard as much of foam as possible. Divide mixture among 6 small ramekins or pour into shallow 1-quart dish.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or until mixture is set. Serve topped with fresh raspberries and extra drizzle of honey, if desired.