Monday, July 27, 2009

The Latest De Laurentiis Production in Chef Coats and Chef Pants

The Food Network's popular hostess Giada De Laurentiis has become a celebrity due not only to her extensive culinary training background but also to her tremendous personal charm and alacrity. A master chef of global renown, she continues to demonstrate her extraordinary talent and accessibility with the great success of her line of food products, brand alliances, bestselling cookbooks, and her presence on The Today Show as well as her Food Network programs.

Giada was born in Rome and grew up in a big Italian family in which food culture was a centerpiece. She is the granddaughter of noted movie producer Dino De Laurentiis; and as a child she spent much of her time in her grandfather's DDL Foodshow restaurant, as well as in kitchen aprons in her family's kitchen. She graduated with an anthropology degree from UCLA, and made a decision to work in the culinary field. At Le Cordon Bleu in Paris she specialized in both pastry and cuisine. Afterwards she returned to California where she worked at the world-famous Fine Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton; and at Wolfgang Puck's chic Beverly Hills restaurant Spago. She also founded a Los Angeles catering company, GDL foods.

In 2002 a Food Network executive read an article about her and her family in Food & Wine magazine, and invited her to put on chef pants and audition on the network. Since that time Giada has become one of the Food Network's most popular hostesses, and she won an Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Host. She won another Emmy for Everyday Italian, her daytime cooking program. In 2007 she launched her primetime program, Giada's Weekend Getaways. This show takes Giada to North American destinations where she explores the best restaurants and leisure activities in each city she visits. Giada has also starred in Food Network's special programs, including Capri and Santorini; Giada in Paradise; and in the role of judge on The Next Food Network Star.

Giada's bestselling cookbooks allow the viewers of her television programs to experiment with and to share their own favorite recipes. Giada's first book was Everday Italian, which was a showcase for the great recipes demonstrated on her daytime television program. Her second cookbook, Giada's Family Dinners and her third book, Everyday Pasta, quickly rose to the number one spot on the New York Times' bestseller list. Her fourth cookbook, Giada's Kitchen, was published in October 2008 by Random House; and is eagerly awaited by her fans. In addition to her television and writing successes, Giada has changed chef coats to become a spokeswoman for Barilla - the largest manufacturer and producer of pasta in the world. In 2008 Barilla's Italian subsidiary, Academia Barilla, licenses and produces four Giada De Laurentiis brand products: Sea Salt with Lemon Zest; Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Tuscan Herb Mix; and Balsamic Vinegar. These Giada products are exclusively available at Crate and Barrel stores.

Giada was a frequent guest on The Today Show. At the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin she was a correspondent; which in turn led to her promotion as a co-host on The Today Show where she highlights the latest trends in cuisine, lifestyle, and travel. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Todd; they have one daughter, Jade.

The De Laurentiis family is famous for a lot more than putting on chef coats and wearing chef pants. Giada's creativity and her sweeping cosmopolitan worldview are the latest De Laurentiis production; this time wearing kitchen aprons and a sparkling wit.

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