Giada At Home - General Discussion

[annzeepark914]

Wow.  Just wow.  Thanks Deanie87 and LuckyBitch.  Giada is truly OTT, totally outta control now. Yikes.  The absolute, colossal, condescending nerve of her to put the phonetic pronunciations of various pastas in her menu. But in a way...it fits with the current Giada (so unlike the one we enjoyed watching, learning from, back in the day when she shared Italian recipes in Everyday Italian).  We have now seen what fame, crazy adoration, have done to a human being. Sorry, I still can't get over the PPL (pasta phonetic lesson). I thought the little blurb on the chandeliers was offensive.  Sheesh...little did I know.  I've eaten in Italian restaurants for way too many years and never, ever, was I, a non-Italian, insulted with pasta pronunciation assistance. 

[Deanie87]

That Parade article says the restaurant is "located on the second floor of the Cromwell hotel in the heart of the Vegas Strip."

There was a big staircase right off the casino floor that leads right up into the restaurant. The hotel used to be the Barbary Coast, I believe which was pretty old school.

Alas Miss Giada was not there the night we were, but had been there the night before. I was shocked (and relieved) that there weren't giant portraits of her everywhere.

[DownTheShore]

Personally, if I was willing to go to the restaurant and shell out the money for food there, she should be happy however I pronounce the pasta names.

 

Perhaps she thinks that if people can't pronounce it, they won't order it?  Many a time I've just pointed to an item on the menu and just admitted that I wasn't sure how it was pronounced.  But I mean, who in America can't pronounce those basic pasta names?  It really comes off as condescending to me.

[LuckyBitch]

@DownTheShore, I totally agree. It's very condescending, and I also thought it doesn't even make sense since it's mostly basic popular pasta types. Even my kid doesn't have a problem with those.

What makes even less sense is to provide the phonetic spelling for those basic types of pasta while there are several other dishes on the menu that might present pronunciation issues. I'm not saying they should provide the phonetic spelling for any dishes at all, but it's interesting that she does it for rather easy dishes and not for some possibly more difficult ones.

Check out the full menu on that Eater link I posted above and you'll see what I mean. Some of the other dishes could be more difficult to pronounce for some people. Some examples:

Pasta e Fagioli

focaccia

Veal chop saltimbocca style

Prosciutto San Daniele buttery, salty & sweet, pork

Finocchiona fennel, pork

[DownTheShore]

I looked at that link and agree with you.   If anything needs a phonetic translation, it's "pasta e fagioli" (containers of which I have in my freezer, after following Lidia Bastianich's recipe, whose TV show I prefer).

[annzeepark914]

If anything needs a phonetic translation, it's "pasta e fagioli"

 

Heh heh.  Where I grew up in NYS (in an area with lots of Italian-Americans) I only heard "pasta fazoo" which I guess is an abbreviated way to say it.

[twoods]

Is she for real? That's so obnoxious. For 30 bucks a pasta plate, it does not need to be spelled out phonetically. Though the free bread does sound amazing.

[chessiegal]

I saw the end of Giada's show this morning at the gym. She was making a simple pasta with shrimp and fried capers. It looked good, but, damn, she overcooked the shrimp. They panned to the shrimp in the fry pan after she had turned them over, and said they were almost done. They were completely opaque, so they were done, but she said they needed a few more minutes. Yuck - rubbery overcooked shrimp. I've stopped cooking shrimp in a pan, I now roast it with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper the Ina way. Even if I'm making a stir fry, I roast it, and toss the shrimp in at the end. The shrimp is perfectly cooked every time. Thank you, Ina.

[justspiffy]

I just noticed that she said "three quarters of a cup of shrimp" when she clearly meant 3/4 of a pound.

[grisgris]

. She was making a simple pasta with shrimp and fried capers.

 

That spaghetti and garlic is the signature dish at her new restaurant. The snippiness really came out in the episode. When she was making a roux for one of the dishes, Giada used flour and olive oil and smirked something along the lines of that even though roux is traditionally made with butter, in HER restaurant, it was olive oil all the way... Definitely not good PR for the eatery!

 

[Petunia13]

I hate how controlling she is with Jades food. If you read this keep in mind Jade was 2-3 years old.

http://www.timeout.com/chicago/kids/activities/dining-de-laurentiis

She sounds insane in this interview. I'm saying this as a mother and wife. No I don't restrict my son's portions obsessively, maybe I'm lucky and he eats and stops when he's full. Hes been slight since he was a preemie so im just glad hes progressing weight wise and I'm not going to limit him.

I wouldnt serve toddler the same meals as what my husband and I eat which she advocates so the kid learns - the fuck? Many adults eat things not at all appropriate for a 2 year old palette or nutrition. I understand if when he's 9 or 13 seeing if he likes curry, sushi, olives, garlic, or can wrestle with crab legs. From when i was 4 til 22 I was a vegetarian so always had separate meal options from my parents and My parents didn't crack the whip.

Why is she taking a stand that children's food must be the same and certain portion?

[vera charles]

Wow, she really does sound insane. Some of her points have a bit of validity - yes, most Americans snack too much, we don't eat the right kinds of foods, and many parents teach their kids that it's OK to eat chicken nuggets and pizza to the exclusion of everything else. But the solution isn't rigidity, it's modeling healthy behaviors, providing plenty of good food choices, getting kids interested in tasting lots of different things, and choosing your battles. I'd love to know what really goes on in her house re: Jade's eating habits. Either it's full-on war every night of the week, or Giada is full of crap and Jade eats whatever she wants. We'll never know, until Jade is an adult and publishes a tell-all book. : )

[grisgris]

I think that Jade is already beginning to assert her influence. First, I noticed that Giada has started using shallots instead of onions because they "melt into" whatever recipe she's using them in (NOT true.) And she'll also pass it off as shallots have a "milder onion flavor" and has said that kids like them better. Also, now it seems like every frickin' ingredient Giada adds to a dish starts with the proclamation, "Jade LOVES this." She even had to point that out during yesterday's episode at the Asian supermarket while picking out noodles. Sort of like the tail waggin' the dog...n'est pas?

[Tahitigirl]

I, for one, am tired of having Jade as the litmus test for what she demonstrates on her show. If she wants a "cooking for children" show, fine. Do that. But don't wrap it in adult packaging and sell it as gourmet California cuisine.

I do think it's important that children be exposed to a wide variety of foods at an early age. And I think it's a crying shame that some parents coddle their children to the point of cooking/serving two entirely different meals to satisfy their quirks. I was raised to eat what was before me. This means that as an adult I can now go into any situation and graciously eat what the host has provided. Picky eaters, whether adult or children, come across as rude and ungrateful.

[IAmJ]

Adding another great entry to her flavor description bible, today she said parsnips taste licoricey.

[chessiegal]

I thought she said celery tastes almost like licorice, and I thought, good grief, no. But then I was sweating it out on the treadmill at the gym, which is the only reason I was watching.

 

When she was making that first dish, a barley soup, she said to cut up all the vegetables the same size so they cook the same. The carrots and parsnips - yes. But not the zucchini. If you put that in the same time as the carrots and parsnips, the zucchini will be mush.

[vera charles]

Does she ever say anything tastes like anything except lemon, licorice or sweet? I can't think of any other descriptions she has ever used.

[Jo Cooker]

Doesn't she say that vanilla adds a gourmet sweetness?

[ShellSeeker]

Doesn't she say that vanilla adds a gourmet sweetness?

 

She always says that vanilla adds the sweetness "that you just can't get from sugar."

[WhitneyWhit]

I haven't watched Giada in years, but reading about her crazy descriptions made me curious so I tuned in this morning. She described cumin as "citrusy". Where is she buying her spices that she gets citrus flavored cumin?

[grisgris]

Does she ever say anything tastes like anything except lemon, licorice or sweet? I can't think of any other descriptions she has ever used.

 

Warm is another favorite and she was hitting heavy on it today. I also caught the description of cumin as "citrusy."  So, the title of this thread has come close to hitting the self-fulfilling prophecy mark.

 

There was another "Jade approved" ingredient. I think it was snapper.

 

Sorry, but that interpretation Bananas Foster completely missed the mark. Just call it what it is, sauteed bananas in caramel sauce.

 

So far, this latest season has been a real dud. The recipes are lackluster and Giada seems bored; like she's rushing through the show. Probably will continue until the novelty of the Vegas eaterie wears off.

[chessiegal]

Sorry, but that interpretation Bananas Foster completely missed the mark. Just call it what it is, sauteed bananas in caramel sauce.

 

 

grisgris, so agree with you. I was only watching because I was at the gym. I liked Everyday Italian, but this show leaves me cold.

[finnzup]

I'm watching the new show with Raffy and Buzz and at this point, I'd rather watch Raffy cook.  I'd watch a cooking show with Raffy and Veronica (Giada's mom) in a heartbeat.

 

So Raffy is opening  a bottle of Proseco and pouring it and Giada can't help herself and tells Raffy, "hey, you want a job, I have a restaurant, you could pour Proseco."  Of course, Raffy ignored her.  

 

Just once I'd like to see Raffy back-hand the little self-proclaimed princess.

Edited September 21, 2014 by finnzup

[grisgris]

I saw this and noticed how condescending Giada was to her Uncle Buzz while he was making his pizzas. It has really hit home to me how self-absorbed she is and has to be the center of attention 100% of the time. I clapped at the end when Buzz was grumbling how he didn't like Giada's "French" rolling pin.

 

Me thinks it's about time for her to give up the weekly show and focus on her RESTAURANT and just do the occasional FN appearance. I used to be a big fan because I liked her recipes, but the ones in the last few seasons have left much to be desired and I find Giada to be insufferable.

[Viqutorious]

She over describes everything.; sweet, smokey, lemony, warm, salty, peppery (arugula) ,creamy, crunchy, smooth, earthy, gourmet or whatever adjective you want to insert.

She is a parody of herself "mentoring" others on Food Network Star.

Can you tell she annoys me?

[ByTor]

She over describes everything.; sweet, smokey, lemony, warm, salty, peppery (arugula) ,creamy, crunchy, smooth, earthy, gourmet or whatever adjective you want to insert.

Glad to see I'm not the only one annoyed by her "creamy" and "crunchy" descriptions.  I especially can't stand how she stresses the "CR" sound!

[scarynikki12]

What has always bothered me about Giada is her pretentiousness when it comes to pronunciation.  I have no issue with her pronouncing Italian words with an Italian accent (though the way she says pasta drives me up the wall as it sounds more Midwestern than Italian but whatever), but she does it in such a way that it seems like she's expecting accolades for saying the words "correctly" (and I'd argue that me saying ravioli with an American accent can be correct, it just means I'm saying it with a different accent) and then looks down on those who don't say it the same way.  So, it's no surprise to learn that she tops her own pretentiousness by putting the phonetic spellings of Italian words on her menus.  Does she have someone go around and quiz the patrons on pronunciation?  Does the person who says spaghetti "correctly" get a free dessert or something?  Does no one working with her point out just how insulting this is?

[grisgris]

Caught today's show. I wasn't sure how the menu was supposed to emulate dim sum. From my perspective, it was just a badly matched trio of appetizers.

 

Giada sure was excited about the stiff peaks of her whipped egg whites. She described them as "icebergs." How was that "bread pudding?" The bread didn't have enough time to absorb the liquid (a bit of almond milk and Nutella.)

 

I still couldn't get over her sheer glee at concocting "little portions." I call bull on that they were "Jade-inspired." I think that those are "Giada-approved" portion sizes and she's make her kid be the scapegoat for her preference of serving parsimonious portions. OR, she has completely missed her calling and should specialize in child menus.

[ShellSeeker]

I still couldn't get over her sheer glee at concocting "little portions." I call bull on that they were "Jade-inspired." I think that those are "Giada-approved" portion sizes and she's make her kid be the scapegoat for her preference of serving parsimonious portions. OR, she has completely missed her calling and should specialize in child menus.

 

Oh, absolutely. No kid is going to be satisfied with a teeny tiny something with Nutella in it. They're going to want as many as they can get their hands on. My daughter is about Jade's age and a few months ago, on the way home from a camping trip, she (unbeknownst to me) sat in the back seat of my car eating chocolate kisses, one after the other, for almost the entire 2 1/2 hour drive. You can imagine how it ended. It was not pretty.

[grisgris]

OOooooohhh.... Queasy-bo, that DOES NOT sound like a good time!

 

Bottom line: Unless Giada is showing us a recipe for her immediate family or for kids, I don't really care whether Jade likes it or not. YMMV...

[IAmJ]

Based on today's episode, sage is yet another ingredient that's lemony.

[chessiegal]

I wasn't sure about the chocolate pasta or white chocolate risotto, but I'd be interested in tasting them. It was nice to see her make dishes from scratch, and I didn't hear her mention Jade once!

[Viqutorious]

If she says "there we go" and "perfect" one more time when cooking I might end up with obsessive compulsive disorder counting how many times she says those phrases.

It is a lot.

[Tahitigirl]

I actually counted "there we go" during one show a couple of years ago: 23 times! I was so annoyed that I sent an online comment to FN about increasing her vocabulary.

I can only take her in small doses. I watched her Halloween episode today; those caramel/white chocolate apples were a disaster. Hubby happened to walk by as her decorations were sliding off and said, "why does she still have a show?" I wonder too.

[grisgris]

Yeah. I saw that. The white chocolate was getting all clumpy. I don't think the combination of caramel and white chocolate would be very good. A good example of "less is more."

 

Was Giada the only parent supervising all of those little kids?

[LucyEth]

I find that Aunt annoying.  Why is she horning in and cooking, trying to get her 15 mins of fame off of Giada.  Wish they would drop the Aunt.

[Hero]

I can't stand aunt Raffi! She is so annoying. Does anyone else think that Giada's mom looks younger than Giada?

[grisgris]

Ah, I like Aunt Raffi. I especially enjoy the episodes where she and Giada are making a traditional family recipe and they argue about Giada's need to "modernize" the ingredients. Aunt Rafffi's off-camera eyerolls at Giada are priceless.

[chessiegal]

I like Aunt Raffi, too. Giada has gotten so full of herself, as far as I'm concerned, they can ditch Giada and give the show to Aunt Raffi.

[grisgris]

Another Cali-talian Thanksgiving at the DeLaurentiis-Thompson household. I'll bet that Todd secretly longs for a nice traditional turkey-with all the trimmings-dessert holiday where he can kick back and watch football. Instead, he's stuck outdoors playing bocce ball (again) with the kids and Giada's sister, while Giada is in the kitchen stuffing turkey breast with fennel, lemon zest, etc.

 

I wonder how many poor brussels sprouts were sacrificed by the FN kitchen staff to get that many perfect skewers? Giada was struggling to make even two. While it looked good and was an interesting idea, definitely not practical for the home cook preparing a big meal. Too time-consuming and I doubt they could be made ahead.

 

Didn't those poor folks get any type of dessert? Not even an avocado-pumpkin-lemoncello mousse? With almond bee-skoh-tee cookies crumbled on top?

 

Loved how Giada called out Julian for taking a WHOLE piece of the turkey roulade. Jade only got half a piece. And what were those silly construction paper turkey headbands some of them were wearing?

[finnzup]

 

Loved how Giada called out Julian for taking a WHOLE piece of the turkey roulade.

I caught that too, grisgris!  Oh my goodness, this woman is such a food control freak!  Why is that the first thing she bellows out as they sit to eat Thanksgiving?!  And how ridiculous did she look in her turkey hat?  If she doesn't have the proper lighting, dare I say, her face takes on an entirely different look, lol.  The outside shots of Giada always highlight the bags under her eyes and in general, do her no favors.  As she's executive producer of her Linguine Productions, I'm surprised she hasn't stopped filming outside.

 

Poor Julian!  And maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I thought his mom, Loo Loo, looked like she wanted to comment but instead took another bite of 'porrrrrrrrrrkeeettttaaaa."

[Aquarius]

"Planting A Seed" is the 3:30 repeat.  Egads, woman!  Cover yourself up!  Your top is waaaayyyy too low if you can see both where cleavage begins AND ends.

[annzeepark914]

I like Aunt Raffi, too. Giada has gotten so full of herself, as far as I'm concerned, they can ditch Giada and give the show to Aunt Raffi.

Yesssss!  I love Raffi.  She's probably the only family member who doesn't worship Miss Giada and isn't afraid to correct her when needed. (also love that her hubby's name is Buzz ;>)

 

I didn't see the show where Giada made a comment about her little nephew taking a whole piece of food.  Do you think maybe she was pleased that he wasn't afraid to really, wholeheartedly try something new (unlike Jade maybe only wanting a little piece)?  I hope that's what she meant by her comment.

[grisgris]

Did anybody catch today's train wreck where Giada was the guest on Allie & Georgia's live improv show? Pretty bad.

 

Today, Giada again said that vanilla had a "gourmet sweetness."  Dijon mustard has a "gourmet tanginess" and best of all .... mayonnaise has "creaminess and salt."

 

Anyway, I thought the food was some type of backstage after-show spread, so I was surprised when she toted everything up on stage with her. And, as usual, she had to go on and on about the ingredients and fished for compliments. It looked pretty awkward up on stage perched on high stools and having to balance finger food and microphones.

 

Oh, also, we got a lot of "Jade loves" ingredients.

[chessiegal]

I didn't know Allie and Georgia did stand up. Makes sense. I wish their show on CC would get renewed. They were a hoot. Were they wearing vintage dresses? I stopped watching Giada some time ago. She has gotten too full of herself for my taste. I'll have to watch for a repeat.

[Nessie]

They were wearing pajamas.

 

I need to ask a question, and I hope no one takes this as sarcastic or snarky, but I'm really interested in the answer.  If everyone hates Giada so much, why do you watch her show(s)?  Is there a reason beyond the snark?  I mean, I can't stand Richard Blais or Guy Fieri or Jeff Morrow, so I don't watch their shows.  As a matter of fact, I dislike them so much that when two of them were on Rachael Ray this past Friday, I had to turn it off, even though that meant I couldn't see Sunny Anderson, who I quite enjoy.  So why do you guys choose to watch her?  Personally, I quite like her, and admire what she's overcome in her past, and a couple of her recipes are standards in my house.

[grisgris]

I used to really like her on "Everyday Italian" and I watch the repeats regularly on The Cooking Channel.

 

Of all of the FN personalities, I have, by far, more of Giada's recipes than everybody else. It is my opinion that each season of "Giada at Home" has gotten worse, like she has spread herself too thin. However, every few episodes or so, there will be a recipe that really appeals to me and I want to try.

 

Does this answer the question to your satisfaction?

[vera charles]

Giada isn't "must watch" for me. I watch Giada when there isn't anything else on or to see a specific recipe. Sometimes, I catch the beginning or end of an episode when I am watching something else, so I make a point to find the episode to see the recipe.

 

She can be annoying, but compared to several other FN hosts, she is relatively inoffensive. Some of the making fun of her repetitiveness, I think, comes from comparing her now to how she used to be. The original Everyday Italian show was really good. The new, improved "lifestyle" show, not so much.

[3pwood]

Can't say I actually watch the show now, it's just on in the background sometimes while I'm on my way to something better.  I did often watch her original show & liked it -- she was inoffensive then & most of the food did appeal to me.  The current show seems to become more annoying each season, or else I'm growing less tolerant in my old age (maybe both). 

[Nessie]

I used to really like her on "Everyday Italian" and I watch the repeats regularly on The Cooking Channel.

 

Of all of the FN personalities, I have, by far, more of Giada's recipes than everybody else. It is my opinion that each season of "Giada at Home" has gotten worse, like she has spread herself too thin. However, every few episodes or so, there will be a recipe that really appeals to me and I want to try.

 

Does this answer the question to your satisfaction?

Yes, it does.  Thank you for responding, and vera charles and 3pwood, too.  I agree with a lot of the points you've made, her shows did used to be a lot better, and I have to admit, I haven't tried anything she's make on Giada at Home, as most of it looks a little too "try-hard" for me, if that makes any sense.  Like, she's trying too hard to make them accessible, or to make them "trendy", or whatever.  I much preferred the recipes on Everyday Italian.