Giada'sVisit to Dallas

I was hoping there would be a report in the newspaper about Giada's visit to Dallas last week. Here it is. I'm really enjoying her "Weekend Getaways" show, she always looks like she has a good time and I love how she takes such a big bite of food that she can barely talk. It's so (for lack of a better word) human.

From yesterday's Dallas Morning News:

Food Network's Giada: Not your everyday Italian
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

By JOYCE SÁENZ HARRIS / The Dallas Morning News

There were probably 700 people in line at the Preston-Royal Borders last week, waiting for the Food Network's telegenic Everyday Italian star, Giada De Laurentiis.

Cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis greeted several hundred fans during a book signing at Borders on April 16.

Judging from the buzz, the question apparently on many minds was: Will she look as great as she does on TV?
As a matter of fact, she did. Giada is one of those enviable people who, like Angie Harmon and Rob Lowe, apparently never have a bad-hair day.

Many of the fans bought multiple copies of Giada cookbooks, old and new, for her to inscribe. One buyer, presumably checking names off her Christmas list, left with 10 signed copies of the new Giada hardcover, Everyday Pasta (Clarkson Potter, $32.50).

In the space of eight hours the sprightly 36-year-old chef had signed literally thousands of books with the practiced flourish: "To (whoever) – xo Giada." In addition to signing, she also made small talk and answered hundreds of her fans' questions.

Are you a chocoholic?

"Not a day goes by that I don't have a piece of chocolate."

Where are you going to eat while you're here?

Giada wasn't sure, but she is told she has "got to go to Javier's or Abacus."

Are you going to do a "Weekend Getaways" in Dallas?

"Every single person has asked me that!" Giada exclaimed. She's already done one "Getaways" show in Houston, but she made no promises yet about Big D.

Almost every fan had a comment. His dad's one of your biggest fans. Ever! Or: You turned me on to Nutella! Or: Love your prosciutto – it's really good stuff!

After the signing, Giada took time to answer a few more questions.

What are you finding out about your fans on this trip?

How diverse they are. They range from 2-year-olds to 80-year-olds. And there are more men this time. A lot of college students; a lot of moms coming to buy books for their sons, girls for their boyfriends, wives for their husbands. The Food Network demographic certainly seems to have changed!

OK, what's the deal with Nutella?

Dallas loves Nutella! It's so addictive; one of the mothers said, "It's like crack." I think it's the combination of the chocolate and the hazelnut. In Italy, it's like our peanut butter. My mom would bring Nutella back from our trips to Italy and make us sandwiches to take to school when I was growing up in L.A. The other kids would look at me like: "You've got a chocolate sandwich?!?"

You really seem to respond to your youngest fans, and there were a lot of them here.

It's fascinating to me that the kids love to watch the show. Maybe it's because we talk directly to the camera ... like Mister Rogers. Kids brighten up events like this because they're so honest and real and fun. It's fun for me to know I can affect the next generation, and maybe they will eat more healthily as a result.

You come from a big family of Italian cooks. You're the most famous one, but where do you really rank? Who is your family's best cook?

(Laughing) Everyone will tell you they're the best! But I think my Aunt Raffaela is great, and my grandfather is the best of us all. My mom was not the best, as she'll admit, but then she was usually just trying to get food on the table fast enough to feed four kids.

My grandfather taught me to cook with passion; my aunt taught me to cook creatively. And Mom taught me how to get the food on the table quickly and easily. So I'm a combination of those three people.

This is your third cookbook. What are your favorite dishes from this one?

The Tagliatelle With Short Rib Ragu; the Penne With Beef and Arugula; the Fusilli With Walnut Sauce; and the Rigatoni With Sausage, Peppers and Onions.

Catching up

This week’s grocery circular for Brookshires has an ad for "Paula Deen Live" in Bossier City, LA. It’s on June 2nd, at 11AM and 4PM. I looked on Ticketmaster and tickets top out at $65 but there were none available on the floor. There were other dates booked for Dallas (August) and I think Tennessee. While I was at Super 1 today, the overhead announcement had a commercial for it. I wonder what she will be doing? It kind of sounded like cooking (duh)…but for $65? Or maybe she will talk about her new autobiography. Bossier City is just a little closer to me than Dallas, I kind of doubt I will go but I’m going to keep my ears open to find out more info.

I’ve tried a few new recipes but nothing that seems worth blogging about. I tried the Boston Cream Mini-cupcakes in the Kraft magazine. They turned out really cute (photo above) and were a hit when I brought them over for dessert at an impromptu lunch. They look more glamorous than regular cupcakes. I tried baking egg rolls from Everyday Food (vs. frying) but they turned out really chewy. The article said that frying vs. baking has about the same calories. Anyway, now I have a bunch of egg roll wrappers left. Today’s Dallas Morning News has a whole section with 20 recipes using Stouffers Spinach Souffle, including one for manicotti. I’m going to use some of the wrappers to make that.

Mostly I’m on magazine overload. I get too many. Being a cookbook junkie doesn’t help. I almost feel like I need to come up with a schedule, cook from Magazine A one week, Cookbook B the next, etc. That would probably take a lot of the fun out of it. I guess my solution will be to cut down my subscriptions, when renewal time comes around. I renewed to Gourmet but tend to let those pile up. Rachael’s magazine comes so fast & furious. I got the April issue one week, and then the May issue just one week later.

Last night I made Rachael’s Ravioli Lasagna for the second time. I had a bunch of bits & pieces of ingredients to use up (turkey Italian sausage, cheese, celery, mushrooms, etc.). I had thought about just making marinara sauce and serving it over the ravioli, but I think the casserole is actually better, even though it’s the same ingredients.

(I just finished reading the rest of the Dallas paper. Big news. Saturday, Cat Cora is signing copies of her new book, Cooking From the Hip: Fast, Easy, Phenomenal Meals, at Sur La Table. On Monday, Giada DeLaurentiis signs her book, Everyday Pasta, at Borders at the corner of Preston Road and Royal Lane. Then Tuesday, Robin Miller is teaching a class at Central Market. I would LOVE to meet Giada but the snippet suggests arriving before the store even opens at 9AM, for the 6PM signing...I don't think I'm enough of a groupie to do that.)