The Next Food Network Star News

Giada is listed as a mentor on the latest season of The Next Food Network Star.

HE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR HITS HOLLYWOOD

Season Six of Food Network's Most-Watched Series Hosted by Bobby Flay Premieres Sunday, June 6th at 9pm ET/PT

Special Guest Appearances by Giada De Laurentiis, Guy Fieri, Rachael Ray, Wolfgang Puck, Eva Longoria Parker, Colbie Caillat and Many More!

NEW YORK - APRIL 21, 2010 - Food Network's number one series, The Next Food Network Star, returns this June with the most exciting and intense season to date. Shot in Los Angeles on a brand-new studio set, season six follows 12 hopefuls competing for the ultimate dream job: his or her own Food Network show. With this coveted prize on the line, the finalists strut their star power and culinary chops for host Bobby Flay and the selection committee to see if they stack up against the competition. Under the mentorship of Giada De Laurentiis, the series kicks off with a two-hour premiere Sunday, June 6th at 9pm ET/PT as finalists get a taste of Hollywood with a trip to Paramount Studios and a six-course lunch for L.A.'s biggest celebrity chef, Wolfgang Puck.

The 12 finalists include: Dzintra Dzenis (Austin, Texas), Doreen Fang (Los Angeles, Calif.), Alexis Hernandez (Clarksville, Ind.), Brianna Jenkins (Atlanta, Ga.), Aria Kagan (Hollywood, Fla.), Herb Mesa (Atlanta, Ga.), Serena Palumbo (New York, N.Y.), Tom Pizzica (San Francisco, Calif.), Aarti Sequeira (Los Angeles, Calif.), Darrell "DAS" Smith (Los Angeles, Calif.), Brad Sorenson (Austin, Texas) and Paul Young (Chicago, Ill.).

This season, the finalists travel to Los Angeles where they are put through the ringer to prove their culinary talent and impress the industry's biggest stars. Challenges include a crash-course in red-carpet glamour while catering a star-studded MGD 64 after-party with Grammy-winner Colbie Caillat, serving up savory dishes inspired by classic carnival sweets at the Santa Monica Pier, creating and operating lunch trucks on Venice Beach, and using Kellogg's (R) breakfast cereals to cook dinner with breakfast. The contestants must also impress special guest stars Eva Longoria Parker and Todd English by illustrating an "emotion" through a dish at their restaurant, Beso.

Source

The Best Thing I Ever Ate

Episode: Obsession

Giada De Laurentiis describes the best crab cake (Lemon-Scallion Dungeness Crab Cakes) at the Dahila Lounge.
2001 4th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98121
206-682-4142
www.tomdouglas.com/restaurants/dahlia-lounge

OC Book Singing

Here's more book singing info!

Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis is coming to meet her Orange County fans.

De Laurentiis is scheduled for an in-store appearance at Williams-Sonoma at South Coast Plaza at 12 p.m. April 29. She will be signing copies of her latest book, “Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California.” There is a catch. Space is limited to the first 450 ticketed customers and you must buy the book from Williams-Sonoma (yes, they will be asking for a receipt). Call the Williams-Sonoma at South Coast Plaza to buy the book and get a ticket. (714) 751-1166

Source

SF Signing rescheduled!

Here's info about Giada's signing in SF this upcoming week!

If you are a "foodie" mom like me, and have time to head over to downtown San Francisco's Union Square, you'll be able to get a chance to meet the lovely Food Network star, Giada De Laurentiis, at the William-Sonoma store on Post St. for a special book signing of her new cookbook "Giada At Home."

Filled with delicious, easy, and simple Italian and California inspired family recipes, the first 450 customers to secure a ticket after purchasing her cookbook, will get to meet her, April 14, 2010, at 1:00 pm.

UPDATE: Giada De Laurentiis' 4/14 flight and signing was cancelled. The event has been moved to, Thursday, the 22nd. It's not too late to pre-order you cookbook to gaurantee a chance to meet this charming Italian-American chef.

For more information or to preorder/reserve a ticket call Union Square's William-Sonoma at (415) 362 - 9450.

Source

Wickedlocal.com posted a report that discusses a Giada book signing in Franklin, N.H. Click here for the full story.

A New Interview with the Miluakee Journal Sentinal

Giada talks about a few things including Jaime Oliver, her Target line and her busy life.

Always ready with a smile, Food Network personality and "Today" show correspondent Giada de Laurentiis invites fans into her world daily.

She didn't plan on being in front of the camera. After studying cultural anthropology at UCLA, she headed to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She hoped to run a hotel restaurant.

In 2002, Food Network executives came calling. Today, she has developed a following as much for her food as her style.

She shares tips and recipes in her latest cookbook, "Giada at Home" (Clarkson Potter, $35). She also has a new line of products, exclusively at Target.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Todd, and 2-year-old daughter, Jade.

Q. Do you remember the first dish you mastered?

A. I made my first pizza dough with my grandfather. . . . We started it, let it sit and rise, go out and play, then rise, go out and play. . . . We spent the whole day playing and hanging out.

Q. You warn against turning a home meal into something from a restaurant. Are people overthinking dinner parties?

A. People think that when they have people over, it has to be top-notch and fabulous. We're overthinking it.

Most people are so happy to be invited over, and that you took the time to make these dishes. It doesn't have to be gourmet.

I always tell people to stick to what you know. Make that the best you can make it. That's all people expect.

Q. Your grandfather's family owned a pasta factory in Italy. How did that influence your own line of foods?

A. Several things I really wanted to have, in following the steps of my grandfather. My own sauces, pastas, vinaigrettes and coffee. . . .

My grandfather made his own pasta and went door to door to sell it. Then in the '80s, my grandfather had a shop and sold his own pasta. I'm the next generation. . . . 

My tomato-basil sauce is honestly one of my favorite things in the world. I use fresh tomatoes, really rare in a jarred sauce. . . . Extremely affordable at $2.99 a jar.

Q. What's your favorite item from your line at Target?

A. The Mezzaluna knife. That was something my grandparents and my mom used a lot, but you couldn't find it here. . . . It is used in Italy and a lot of different places, usually to chop herbs. A handle on either side, that's usually a traditional Mezzaluna.

Q. Is this the career you imagined?

A. Never in a million years. I went off to Le Cordon Bleu because I fell in love with food. . . . I thought the best I could do was maybe run some kind of a restaurant in a hotel someday.

Q. What's your secret to staying healthy?

A. Small portions. I eat my food, but I eat little portions. I work out. I do a lot of yoga. . . . 

When it comes to cupcakes and desserts, it is a little different. Eat half the cupcake. That's hard for people to understand. It's not going anywhere, even if you eat half of it now and the other half later. . . . That's the way to do it.

Q. Which chefs have inspired you?

A. I do love Lidia Bastianich. I think she has done a wonderful job with Italian food and explaining the different regions. She's kind of the grandmother of Italian foods. . . . 

When someone is super-passionate about what they do and what they're teaching, it's kind of contagious.

Q. What do you tell people who want to be a celebrity chef?

A. People think it's very easy, what we do. . . . If you can cook a couple eggs or make a tuna sandwich you can be a chef.

None of us are actors. We're not trained to have these big personalities. . . . We're cooks, and we all love our craft and our food. It comes through in our . . . love of food, and that's what holds the audience. . . . 

If you want to be a chef, start cooking.

Q. What would you do if you weren't a chef?

A. I'd probably be in politics. Isn't that weird? I'm fascinated with politics, how much control we do and don't have. . . . 

I've been watching Jamie Oliver and his "Food Revolution." It's incredible how much control the government has over what our kids eat.

- Kristine M. Kierzek

Source

Norwalk Conn. Book Signing Pictures

The NewsTimes.com posted a photo gallery of Giada signing in Norwalk Conn. Go HERE for all of the pictures.

Another Giada at Home recipe!

The Providence Journal posted this recipe for Rigatoni with Mushrooms!

Recipe: Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

1 pound rigatoni pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound assorted mushrooms (such as cremini, shitake, or button) cleaned and sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are tender, 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes, or until all the liquid evaporates. Add the broth and simmer until the liquid is slightly reduced.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until creamy. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water, and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat the pasta, adding the reserved water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garish with the chopped chives.

Serves 4-6.

Giada in Vegas

Robin Leach wrote this short piece on a Giada book signing in Las Vegas. Click here to see a picture gallery of the event!

The Food Network star and bestselling author Giada De Laurentiis hosted a meet-and-greet and signing with fans for her new cookbook Giada at Home: Family Recipes From Italy and California yesterday at Sur La Table in Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.

Our contributing photographer Erik Kabik was onsite for our Vegas DeLuxe photo gallery of the gorgeous culinary queen and her pearly whites and new recipes. Vegas DeLuxe wonders which restaurants she’ll hit during her stop here?

Bon appetit, Giada!

Giada's Latest Book Makes the Bestseller List

The SF Chronicle is reporting that Giada's new book Giada at Home: Family Recipes from California and Italy has made the bestseller list and is #4. Congrats Giada!

A Giada at Home book review

Tulsaworld.com review Giada's new book and provides several recipes here.