Giada

Di Laurentiis, that is. And if you are a foodie like me, then I'm sure you've at least heard of the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian. Most of her food is delicious (except for maybe the squid tentacles) and easy to prepare (except for maybe the crepes.) But what I love about Giada is that she just has that carefree, tea-and-Baci-with-girlfriends-every-afternoon-in-the-garden-and-moonlit-picnics-complete-with-perfectly-grilled-salmon-crisp-frisee-salad-and-belini's-on-a-Burberry-blanket-in-Malibu-every-evening-with-a-handsome-husband aire about her. Jealous? Me too! Giada is mostly criticized for two things. The first being her penchant for plunging necklines. The second is her emphasis on Italian pronunciation. Personally, I've learned a lot about Italian from Giada. There is a certain smugness I get now when ordering a half-pound of sliced "provolo-NAY" from the grocery deli counter. Or being able to properly pronounce "CHA-batta," "pan-CHETTA," or even "zaba-LIO-NAY." (Pretty good for someone who once embarrassingly ordered a "ca-PRIS" salad in a fancy restuarant in front of at least 20 friends.) But now it almost makes me feel like a seasoned professional at Le Cordon Bleu. Okay, maybe not, but a girl can dream can't she?

Another thing Giada has opened my eyes to is Nutella. Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread, that I otherwise like to refer to as "heaven in a jar." And if you've ever traveled to Europe, you have most assuredly heard of it. It has increasingly gained popularity in the States, and can I tell you, I nearly fainted at the sight of the size of jar they sell it in at BJ's Wholesale!

Almost every night I indulge myself with Nutella spread on either banana or strawberry slices, topped-off with a great glass of white wine (most preferably Gewurztraminer, but most likely anything already opened in the frig.) Aside from that, you can make a Nutella and strawberry panini on slices of pound cake or Nutella ravioli (Giada has a great recipe for that, too.)

So, treat yourself to a "Giada Day." Cook up some chicken piccata for the fam. Roast some asparagus and top it off with some freshly grated, imported parmigiano reggiano. Grill up some pineapple slices, drizzle with warm Nutella sauce, and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. F.Y.I., drool may be thoroughly removed from your keyboard by simply placing the whole thing in the dishwasher. Sounds crazy right? But it's true! Ciao Bella!