One of my favorite chef that inspired me to do my baking is Giada de Laurentiis. I saw her first at Lifestyle Network on her TV cooking show "Everyday Italian", where she made her chocolate chip cookies. The thing I like her is she is so slim, that I bet every girls would be very jealous even though she eats a lot on her tv shows, including "Giada Weekend Getaways" and "Giada at Home". |
| By: Food Network - http://www.foodnetwork.com/chefs/giada-de-laurentiis/index.html |
Emmy Award-winning personality Giada De Laurentiis has become a
household name. With an impressive background of culinary training and a
unique, personable charm, she is a globally revered celebrity chef who
continues to prove her skill and accessibility not only with her
expanding presence beyond Food Network but also with the great success
of her cookbooks, brand alliances, newly launched food products and
recurring role on Today.
Born in Rome, Italy, Giada grew
up in a large Italian family where the culture of food was a staple in
and of itself. As the granddaughter of film producer Dino De Laurentiis,
Giada consistently found herself in the family’s kitchen and spent a
great deal of time at her grandfather’s restaurant, DDL Foodshow. After
graduating from the University of California in Los Angeles with a
degree in anthropology, Giada’s passion for cooking remained. She
eventually made the decision to commence a culinary career and began her
professional training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, specializing in both
cuisine and pastry. She subsequently returned to Los Angeles, where her
training included positions at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton Fine Dining
Room and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Beverly Hills. She later founded GDL
Foods, a catering company in Los Angeles.
Giada’s career started
on Food Network in 2002 when she was discovered by a network executive
who read an article about her and the De Laurentiis family in Food & Wine
magazine. Since then, Giada has earned an Emmy for Outstanding
Lifestyle Host and has become one of Food Network’s most recognizable
faces. Her Emmy Award-winning daytime cooking show, Everyday Italian, featured quick, healthy and satisfying Italian dishes. Her prime-time show, Giada’s Weekend Getaways,
debuted in January 2007 and followed Giada to popular destinations in
and around the U.S. as she explored cities’ most notable restaurants and
activities. Giada can also be seen in Food Network specials, such as Giada in Paradise: Capri and Santorini, and as a judge on the highly popular series Food Network Star. Giada at Home
premiered in 2008 and shows Giada in her kitchen, where she plans and
prepares meals and parties for family and friends. In addition, Giada
joined fellow chef Bobby Flay as a judge in season 7 of Food Network Star
and took on a new role in season 8 as a team leader of five cooks
competing against Bobby Flay’s and Alton Brown’s respective teams.
Photo Credit: http://www4.images.coolspotters.com
The
foray into cookbooks was an obvious decision, allowing Giada’s loyal
viewership to reference, prepare and share their favorite recipes.
Giada’s first book, Everyday Italian, showcases many of the delicious recipes from her cooking show of the same name. Her second book, Giada’s Family Dinners, quickly became a #1 New York Times best-seller as did her third cookbook, Everyday Pasta, which was released in April 2007. An eagerly awaited fourth book, Giada’s Kitchen, hit bookshelves on September 30, 2008, and did not disappoint. In the first week of release, Giada’s Kitchen landed at #2 on the New York Times
best-seller list and has maintained a top 10 ranking ever since. All
four books are published by Random House/Clarkson Potter. Giada’s fifth
book, Giada at Home debuted on March 30th, 2010 and landed in the #1 position on the New York Times Best Seller List. Her most recent book, Weeknights with Giada, was released in March 2012.
Giada had also been a recurring guest on the Today
show up until her stint as a correspondent during the 2006 Olympic
Games in Torino secured her a role as a contributing correspondent. In
2009, she was officially named a co-host on the nation’s #1 morning
show, where she highlights current trends in travel, cuisine and
lifestyle.
Giada’s overall success and notoriety yielded her a
role as spokesperson for Barilla, the world’s largest producer and
manufacturer of pasta. Giada took her relationship with Barilla one step
further, entrusting the Italian arm of the brand, known as Academia
Barilla, to license and produce four products under her name. The
products, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Tuscan Herb Mix and
Sea Salt with Fresh Lemon Zest, debuted in January 2008 for a limited
run and were sold at Crate & Barrel stores as well as specialty
gourmet shops across the country.
In January 2010, Giada
partnered with Target to launch her own exclusive products for their
chain of stores nationwide. The Giada De Laurentiis for Target
collection offers guests the craftsmanship, quality and affordable
prices they expect from Target. The assortment ranges from pasta sauces
and flavored coffee to kitchen essentials, such as stainless steel
cookware, ceramic bakeware and nylon tools, all designed with the
at-home cook in mind. The collection captures Giada’s signature style
with a fresh, modern twist on the tools, gadgets and food needed to make
easy and affordable meals every day.
Giada currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Todd, and daughter, Jade.