Friday, September 21, 2012

Fantastical Feature: Weeknights with Giada


In July, I requested the galley of Weeknights with Giada on NetGalley. I am a Food Network junkie and I also love Italian food, so it seemed like the perfect cookbook for me. In August, I got really acquainted with Giada through watching the whole season of Next Food Network Star. I immediately started to DVR her show (reruns and new episodes alike). She even tweeted me!! Yes, sadly I have gone completely geeky and fangirl-ed! I bought a copy when I did my 2 year Blog-Birthday Bash and I love this cookbook.

Weeknights with Giada is a cookbook meant for under-an-hour main course cooking. It's perfect for making a great dinner after a long day. There is also a section for "Brinner" or breakfast for dinner. I absolutely adore this because it is one of my very favorite things to do. There are a lot of hearty meal recipes with fresh ingredients. The pictures are large, absolutely breathtaking, and droolworthy. The print is larger than most cookbooks which makes this one a keeper for easier reading - especially when you are taking quick peeks while cooking. I loved Giada's introduction as well. She talks about how important it is for her family to sit down together and enjoy the same meal. 

We made...
Mini Meatball Sandwiches on p.56
These were incredibly simple and full of flavor. We enjoyed our sandwiches for lunch in our front yard for a little picnic. Everyone gobbled them up!

Crispy Chicken with Rosemary-Lemon Salt on p.127
The salt alone made this dish. We saved our extra and I have been throwing it on everything from brusselsprouts to leftover pasta! The cornmeal made a nice light coating that stayed crispy, instead of getting soggy and heavy. I employed my husband to help me that night :)


Fried Smashed Potatoes with Lemon on p.191
Despite not cooking my potatoes as long as I should have, these were a tasty side dish to serve with the crispy chicken above. We also topped these with extra rosemary-lemon salt :)


Chocolate-Hazelnut Drop Cookies on p.224
This is actually my very first Nutella recipe. I have never made anything with Nutella. My oldest started school and so my daughter and I have been having girl time. We enjoyed making these cookies together - and enjoyed eating them, plus surprising my oldest when he came home from school with a tasty, melt-in-your-mouth cookie!


Weeknights gets a 4-utensil rating from me. It's such a great cookbook and there are lots of different, fast options for a delicious dinner, plus sides and desserts to go with it!
It can be purchased on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles.

Thank you to NetGalley & Crown Publishing Group!

3 comments :

Carrie @ My Favorite Finds said...

I LOVE Giada! I want to look like her when I grow up! She's gorgeous, and her food is fab!

Kristie W. said...

Thanks for sharing the great review! I've added the book to my wish list :-)

Melissa {Persnickety Plates} said...

It sounds like I need this cookbook. Everything you posted looks delicious.