I picked this up because i've enjoyed a lot of giada's recipes. this book has all sorts of catagories and covers a wide range of italian foods.

Giada's recipes have inspired me to experiment and have fun with cooking Italian!

If you love Italian cooking, but don't think you have the talent, think again. "Giada's Family Dinners" will raise your confidence level as soon as you open the book.

The beautiful photos and the easy-to-follow instructions make this a book a must-have for every cook who aspires to Italian cooking. It makes a great gift, too!

I was very impressed with this cookbook. Normally I only find a few recipes that I like in a cookbook, but this one had quite a few! I am a huge italian food fan and love to have this to work off of.

I confess that my husband and I have something of a cookbook fetish. We have, however, invested in some books that didn't prove worthwhile and so before shelling out the money for Giada's books, I decided I would check them out from the library, make some recipes, and go from there. I wanted to know if the recipes were as good as she makes them look on the show and if, upon tasting it, my husband and I would have expressions on our faces that mirror the food ecstasy Giada seems to experience. The answer to that question: Oh, yes! Today I've ordered all three of her books because I simply can't imagine living without them and not being able to make her delicious, heavenly recipes whenever I want. Here are my thoughts on a few of the recipes:

Broiled Salmon with Garlic, Mustard, and Herbs - Truth be told, I could usually take or leave fish. My husband, however, loves seafood and so I try to make fish at least every other week or so but it's not something to which I generally look forward to eating. Imagine my surprise when my husband made this dish and I devoured it. It's an extremely simple recipe that requires very little preparation and even less actual cooking but it was so good that I immediately wanted to eat it again. It's a delicious combination of tanginess due to the mustard, saltiness, and a light touch of herbs. This is my favorite of all fish dishes I have ever eaten.

Chicken Marsala with Mustard and Mascarpone - There were many moans of pleasure when this dish was consumed. The preparation is a bit intensive as it requires washing and slicing a lot of mushrooms but it is so worth it. I thought the combination of ingredients was interesting but it didn't do justice to the outcome, which was chicken and pasta in a sauce so creamy and exquisite it tastes like something you'd get at a very expensive Italian restaurant. This was an outstanding recipe.

Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes - This is a delicious dish. I used chicken Italian sausage rather than pork and it was still deliciously rich. The sausage is nicely contrasted against the lemony artichokes and the sun-dried tomatoes add a wonderful tang. I would definitely recommend using the mozzarella, which is marked as optional, as it adds a creamy, mild sweetness to the dish. The sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil are a bit pricey but the jar I bought had enough for two full recipes and I'm already planning on making the dish again, only a couple of weeks after having made it the first time.

I purchased this book as well as everyday italian several years ago. It's true that many of her recipes are online on the foodnetwork site, however I love collecting recipe books. The foods presented here range from quick fix to longer prep times so there will always be something delicious you can make depending on your schedule. I highly recommend this book as well as to try the delicious Italian soups presented here.

Pales in comparison to her previous book, the recipes are average. Best to avoid this book.

Unlike the first book, Everday Itailian, This cookbook has many more actual everyday recipies that can be accomplished during a busy work week.

I bought this cookbook after reviewing it at a friends house. I love it and I love that the recipes are family size - not that I have a large family (it's just two so far) but I like to make family size portions so that I don't have to cook every night. I have made several recipes from this book and they were wonderful, not too complicated and delicious! I also found it easy to lighten up the calories on some of the richer ingredients and still found success! If you like Giada and italian cooking, this is a great book! I also recommend the Silver Spoon Cookbook!

Overall, I love Giada's simple recipes. My gripe is more with the production of the book. Many of the photos are either unlabeled or not near the recipe they depict (either label them all or none or put them all next to the recipe). There are LOTS of photos of Giada (and her dog and her family). While I think we can all agree that Giada is photogenic, I'd rather get an idea of what I'm going to be making and how appetizing it should look.

But those are just picky gripes from someone who loves food photography and wants more.

Sure some people take offense that her recipes are to simple or Americanized, but I think they are tasty. And that's that.

I think Giada is wonderful! Every time I go to the food network to find a recipe it seems the ones I always picked were by Giada. So I decided to order a couple of her cookbooks. I'm glad I did because their great!

Giada has provided good recipes that while they show a strong American influence are still based on Italian classics. The recipes are not difficult and you will end up with good flavors in each dish. Haven't tried them all yet but would recommend all so far. If you love Italian food and didn't have an Italian nonna to teach you, I recommend you start off with this and Giada's Everyday Pasta. You'll never look back!

I love this cookbook. it's one of my favorite! It has a lot of easy and delicious recipes! very practical!

If you are Italian you know good Italian home cooking. As I child I would be awakened on Sunday morning by the heady smells of pasta sauce with meat, soups, and vegetables for our huge Sunday family dinner cooking in the kitchen. My mother having been up for hours new every detail of how her recipes should taste and how to create her wonderful dishes.

While this cook book is good, it is not your Italian mother's home cooking. It is a compilation of recipes from a chef's version of Italian cooking. It is often lighter on the fat but the tastes are very good.

If you are not already an Italian home cook I recommend this cookbook.

I loved this cookbook as well. You can use a lot of the recipes for holidays, entertaining and really everyday if you choose. Still simple ingredients you can find anywhere.

We are highly impressed with this cookbook. It is straight forward and easy to follow. The recipes are not to complex and are still very delicious. They are easy enough that the kids can assist, which is exactly what we were looking for, as our whole family loves her show.

There were only a handful of recipes that I would not make, and in a cookbook overall, that is very good.

I would definelty recommend this book.

I love to cook and this book makes it easy, uncomplicated and fun to create beautiful and delicious meals. This is a book I give as gifts to my family and friends. Thank You Giada

Great cook book. I would recommend it highly. It has great recipes and easy to follow instructions.

This is my first Giada D. book purchase and I have to admit I'm pretty impressed. I know she takes a lot of heat for the cleavage-bearing tops she wears on air, but the girl really knows how to cook. Nothing overly contrived or complicated - just delicious Italian homecooking. She and Ina are my favorite Food Network chefs. Their stuff is stress-free, achievable, and still gets me ooooohs and ahhhhhs from all my boys. And isn't that what we really want when we put a meal on the table?

Giada was my inspiration to become a better cook;
a 'gourmet' cook! This book is a pleasure to read
and so easy to follow her instructions..
Giada~ my most favorite celebrity chef.

I originally borrowed this book from the library, made a couple of recipes which my family loved, and found I HAD TO HAVE IT FOR MYSELF. I have made several of the recipes in this book, all to RAVE reviews by family and friends when served.

Giada's recipes are simple to follow, don't leave out any of the "assumed" steps that are sometimes lacking in other cookbooks, and most are very quick to prepare. Would recommend this as a first buy for anyone looking to make consistently great Italian food. MMMMMMMMM.

I bought this book for my wife and she loves it! Great recipes and the book is beautifully illustrated. After trying some of her recipes, the purchase was money well spent. Try it you'll love it:)

I have made several of the receipts in this book. My husband and I have loved every single receipt. All receipts are really easy to understand, the directions are simple. I have now ordered the other two of her books. I would recommend them to everyoneEveryday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes

Giada's food is excellent and usually pretty easy to make. Everything I have made has been at least an 8 out of 10... usually 10 out of 10!!!

I'm a big fan of Giada and her recipes are really good, but I wish there were more pictures in this book. Other than that, this is a great book, and the recipes make up for the lack of pictures. It is worth buying.

I received this book as a gift and have made half a dozen recipes so far. Every one of them has been delicious. The recipes are easy to prepare and the ingredients can be found in any supermarket. I have two small children and I can't run half way across the city in order to find young Thai coconuts or Spanish paprika. It is also nice that most of these meals can be thrown together quickly. I read the review where it was said that the writing is difficult to read. ??? I have no problem with the printing.

Giada makes great meals that are easy to put together and make the cook look like a pro. Thanks for the help Giada! I ordered a second copy of Everyday Italian for my mom!

I love this cook book. I haven't found a recipe we didn't like yet! I love all of her cook books, because the recipes are so easy but the end result is so mouth watering! I never knew it was so simple to cook with fresh ingredients!

i love giada, her show, and this book. the book itself is pretty ... nice glossy pages, pictures and layout. it was great to buy this after getting recipes off of food network's webpage all the time too, but there are many recipes in here i hadn't seen on the show. i've tried a whole bunch of recipes already, and they've all been wonderful. we're even trying new things because i trust her =D my only question is with the lasagna roll recipe, because it didn't seem to me that there was enough filling for 3 tbsp for each roll, unless i read that wrong?

This cookbook is as beautiful and fresh as Giada herself. She has the gift of writing exactly as she speaks, and it feels as if she's sharing her kitchen with you. I appreciate not having to assemble a long list of ingredients to make authentic Italian dishes.

I watch the show nearly everyday and have cooked many of her meals. I love this book, its set up great with fun photos and easy to read recipes. My boyfriend loves the food I cook from her show, I'm sure he'll be equally as excited when I start with these. I suggest this to the cook in your life.

My husband bought this for me for Christmas, since I had it on my Amazon wish list. I'm a big fan of Giada's and I've learned a lot by watching her show on the Food Network. This cookbook is wonderful and I try about two new recipes from it each week. One of our favorites is the Straccoto (Italian pot roast). All the recipes are easy to understand and the pictures of Giada and her family are lovely. You won't be disappointed with this beautiful book.

I love this cookbook. The recipes are DELICIOUS. They really make mealtime seem like an event. I seem to pick the hardest ones to try (and take some time) but the taste is to die for and my family raves about the food. They are still talking about the Chicken Tetrazzini I made 3 months ago!

this is my second cookbook frm giada.she is a beauty n a good cook too.her simple n yet easy to make food are my very best choice.i have 3sets of her dvd which added to my collection.i really would recommend to everyone!

Giada De Laurentiis is one of my favorite chefs. Her second book is a hit. Her recipes are truly delicious because it targets a flavor and expands on it. Every single one of the recipes that I have tried in this book (I have yet to try them all) are all so flavorful and delicious. She herself is an inspiration. Her recipes have that special touch, that love of food, that shows through all her delicious offerings. She expands a bit from her first book, which had the traditional first offerings of "simple" dishes. I prefer this book to her first one, as there are plenty of "simple" sauces to go around. I prefer Giada's home touch, which this book has plenty of.

I own all three of Giada's cookbooks [the latest being Everyday Pasta] and they are all winners in my opinion. This book contains great Italian recipes that would make wonderful family dinners, entertaining, or just to freeze and keep for future use. The recipes as always are presented in an easy to read manner, are not that difficult to make, and I love the beautiful pictures of the dishes scattered throughout the book. Seeing pictures of Giada and her family in the book only adds to the wholesome image, and really inspires me to cook delectable Italian dishes for my own family. After trying out some of her recipes on my husband, he has been so impressed by the results that he now watches her cooking show on the Food Network with me! I would definitely recommend this cookbook for those out there who would like to try out Italian cooking [I'd start with her first book, Everyday Italian, before moving on to this]. Each of her cookbooks offers a unique cooking experience, even for beginners like me:)

I own all three of Giada's cookbooks [the latest being Everyday Pasta] and they are all winners in my opinion. This book contains great Italian recipes that would make wonderful family dinners, entertaining, or just to freeze and keep for future use. The recipes as always are presented in an easy to read manner, are not that difficult to make, and I love the beautiful pictures of the dishes scattered throughout the book. Seeing pictures of Giada and her family in the book only adds to the wholesome image, and really inspires me to cook delectable Italian dishes for my own family. After trying out some of her recipes on my husband, he has been so impressed by the results that he now watches her cooking show on the Food Network with me! I would definitely recommend this cookbook for those out there who would like to try out Italian cooking [I'd start with her first book, Everyday Italian, before moving on to this]. Each of her cookbooks offers a unique cooking experience, even for beginners like me:)

I started cooking from it the day it arrived. I have loved it so far, and have learned so much about pasta that I never knew before!

I bought this book for my daughter because she religiously watches all her cooking shows on TV. She has great culinary tastes and loves to cook. I may end up buying the book for my own use.

Absolutely love this cookbook. The recipes are wonderful, I have made several and they have all received the familie's approval and they loved the food. The recipes are easy to follow, great pictures and Giada really brings about the good things about Italian dishes.

Giada's cookbook is as inspiring as she is! My whole family is from Piedmont in northern Italy. Her recipes remind me of my childhood. I haven't prepared anything from her book that my family didn't love. It is a great addition to any collection.

Love it! The recipes are easy to follow with ingredients that are available at the local supermarket.

Love it! The recipes are easy to follow with ingredients that are available at the local supermarket.

i just got the cookbook and there are so many recipes i want to make... they all look so delicious and they're the kind of recipes we like. they're also fairly easy to make. we've made 2 recipes so far and they certainly are leaving a high bar for the rest of them i've yet to make.

First of all ,I have to mention that I have cooked " Italian " most of my life, and,,, my husband is Sicilian~ so many of the recipes from her first book were pretty much done by me in my own way.

THIS book,, however,, is the best!
It adds a little something for family occasions and coming from a family where 52 is IMMEDIATE family , I surely appreciate her recipes!( tho you can cook for 2 as easily as you can cook for 50,, really,,,I mean this!)

I use her recipes almost 3- 4 times a week, some from this book and some from her show,,(her penne pasta w/ roasted vegtables reminded my father- in -law of his mothers cooking in Sicily,),,,, THAT,,, is how authentic her recipes really are!
( for that recipe simply download it from the cooking channel ~ the show was vegetarian meals which is great for those that observe Lent or just want to eat meatless)

I especially love that this book incorporates different cuts of meat, such as lamb and pork and everything ISN'T pasta , because not all Italian cooking is pasta !!!! Many times, its simply the first course of a meal.

I believe that most people think Italian cooking is spaghetti w/ red sauce ,OR pizza and its NOT!!

I love her take on bellini's and I used this for a special occasion( a wedding shower) and set up my own bellini bar,,,everyone LOVED it! (thanks Giada!)

And Yes,,,we do eat fish ONLY on Christmas eve,,,all different types of seafood and fish,,,,( Christmas day is different, we do serve meat!)

I love this book ,,what can I say????

I am buying 3 more for sons of mine who live in different states,,, as they all big time cooks~ one even competes in cooking competitions,so they all inherited the love for cooking( maybe its genetic??)

This book is one of my all time favorites, her food is truly authentic, and most especially EASY to prepare,so you can spend time with your family and close friends ( which truly IS everything to Italians!!)

Her recipes are SO easy,,,you aren't spending HOURS and HOURS in the kitchen ~ same is true of her show recipes.

This gives me more time to work on my gardens in summer, (we garden 3 acres here,) and my other passion is needlearts, so I am constantly busy even tho I am a stay at home mom~

Through our church group,,,,,I am often asked to bring dinners to people who are sick or have just had a baby, these recipes are PERFECT for that,,,,they are very easy to whip up , giving the family a dinner that all they have to do is heat up and enjoy ~
I use this book for this ministry a LOT!( and I truly enjoy making up healty food for those that cant cook for themselves.)

I think that this is clearly one of my all time favorite recipe books and I look forward to her next book (due out soon.)

I look at it this way, good food is SO easy to make and so great, there is NO reason to order out when you can make something fabulous up this fast!

First of all ,I have to mention that I have cooked " Italian " most of my life, and,,, my husband is Sicilian~ so many of the recipes from her first book were pretty much done by me in my own way.

THIS book however is the best!
It adds a little something for family occasions and coming from a family where 52 is IMMEDIATE family , I surely appreciate her recipes!( tho you can cook for 2 as easily as you can cook for 50,, really,,,I mean this!)

I use her recipes almost 3- 4 times a week, some from this book and some from her show,,(her penne pasta w/ roasted vegtables reminded my father in law of his mothers cooking in Sicily,) THAT is how authentic her recipes really are!
( for that recipe simply download it from the cooking channel ~ the show was vegetarian meals which is great for those that observe Lent or just want to eat meatless)

I especially love that this book incorporates different cuts of meat, such as lamb and pork and everything ISN'T pasta , because not all Italian cooking is pasta !!!!( Many times its simply the first course of a meal)

I believe that most people think Italian cooking is spaghetti w/ red sauce ,OR pizza and its NOT!( that would mean the people NOT educated in real Italian cuisine,,,,)
I love her take on bellini's and I used this for a special occasion and set up my own bellini bar,,,everyone LOVED it! (thanks Giada!)

And Yes,,,we do eat fish ONLY on Christmas eve,,,all different types of seafood and fish,,,,( Christmas day is different, we do serve meat!)

I love this book what can I say,,,,I am buying one for 3 sons of mine who live in different states,,, as they all big time cooks, and one even competes in cooking competitions,so they all inherited the love for cooking( maybe its genetic??)

This book is one of my all time favorites, her food is truly authentic, and most especially EASY to prepare,so you can spend time with your family and close friends ( which TRULY is everything to Italians)

Her recipes are SO easy,,,you aren"t spending HOURS and HOURS in the kitchen ( same is true of her show recipes!)

I think that this is clearly one of my all time favorite recipe books and I look forward to her next book (due out soon.)
Her series of books is one of the very few I would spend money on, its that good!
I look at it this way, good food ( as per recipes from this book) is SO easy to make and so great, there is NO reason to order out when you can make something fabulous up this fast!

I bought this cook book for my wife, she likes Giada De Laurentis and watches her cooking show on Food Network. Personally, I think Giada is a hottie, but she must not eat much of the stuff she prepares, or she'd be as big as a house. Anyway, my wife has made a few of the recipes and they tasted fine. I didn't hear her complain about having difficulty understanding the recipe directions, which she does with some of the many dozens of cook books she has stashed all over the kitchen. This book has some great photographs of the finished food, and the recipes come from all regions of Italy. It's also less expensive here than Border's sells it for, or at least it was at Christmas time 2006.

I bought this cook book for my wife, she likes Giada De Laurentis and watches her cooking show on Food Network. Personally, I think Giada is a hottie, but she must not eat much of the stuff she prepares, or she'd be as big as a house. My wife has made a few of the recipes and they tasted fine. I didn't hear her complain about having difficulty understanding the recipe directions, which she does with some of the many dozens of cook books she has stashed all over the house. This book has some great photographs of the finished food, but ours never looks like the pictures. Then again, my wife doesn't look like Giada. Buy the book, Giada kneads the dough.

I love this cookbook.Giada is one of my favirote chef's on tv.The recipes are very easy to follow.The soups arer phenomenal.I like how she divided holidays.

I love this cookbook.Giada is one of my favirote chef's on tv.The recipes are very easy to follow.The soups arer phenomenal.I like how she divided holidays.

I'm a big fan of Giada's TV show (Everyday Italian) and have tried her numerous recipes & loved them all. This book will not disappoint you (just like the show).......the recipes are clear and simple, ingredients are incredibly flavorful yet readily available in most grocery stores and the end results are simply delicious!!!!! So far, the lasagna rolls is my all time favorite recipe. It is complete perfection for a dinner party. Thank you Giada for your passionate cooking tips. Cheers.