FALL 2011
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pepperflakesandgarlicandasalad
of grilledasparagus,melon, and
mozzarellawouldalso complement
themenu. “Andof course itwould
end inchocolate!” theself-professed
chocoholicproclaims. Sugarwas
onceaproblem, asDeLaurentiis
wasknown topour sixheaping
spoonfuls inher coffeeaday. “I
grewupwheneating sugarwas
not abigdeal. Iwouldhavea crois-
santwith jam forbreakfast. I love
andbecameaddicted to sugar, and
now I useagaveas it iseasier to
process in thebody,” sheexplains.
Whilesugarmaynotappear in
herwell-stockedpantry,DeLauren-
tiismakessure that freshgarlic,
redpepperflakes, assorteddry
pastas inavarietyof shapes, dried
oregano, rosemary, thyme, vine-
gars, onions, andcapersareon
hand.Other itemsshe recommends
arecannellini beans, canned Ital-
ian tunaspacked inoliveoil,mari-
narasauce, and— lastbutnever
least—extravirginoliveoil.
WhenDeLaurentiis isnotwork-
ing, shespends timewithherhus-
band,Todd (theyhavebeen
marriedeightyearsand together
almost 21), and3-year-olddaughter,
Jade. Sheparticularlyenjoyspad-
dlesurfing, as they liveby the
beach inLosAngeles. “Paddlesurf-
ing is themost sereneandquiet
time formeand it’salsoagreat
workout,”shenotes. “Todd isvery
activeand it’sasportwecando to-
gethersince Idon’tmountainbike
orkitesurf.”
Whileherdemandingschedule
often translates intoaseven-day
workweek,DeLaurentiisandTodd
dofind time for travel.She loves the
idyllic isleofCapriandoftenstaysat
theGrandHotelQuisisana.She
findsSantorini inGreece theulti-
mateparadise, as it is“oneof the
mostsereneplacesonearth— I
haveneverexperiencedaquiet like
thisbefore.”Andwhenshe’snotcook-
ing, she favorsCaporestaurantnear
thebeach inSantaMonica for Italian
food,Hamasaku inLosAngeles forsu-
shi, andGjelina inVenice,California,
where“theyhave thebestcheeseand
trufflepizza.”Casualdining isa favor-
iteaswell, andshenotes, “Iambigon
eatingat thebar thesedays.”
Thenation’shardest-workingcook
alsofinds time togiveback.DeLauren-
tiisdedicatesher time to the inter-
national relief organizationOxfam
America,whichhighlights theplightof
hungerandpovertyworldwide.Named
ambassador in2008, sheexplains, “To
abillionpeoplearound theworldwho
trysurvivingon justadollaraday, the
question ‘Whatarewegoing toeat to-
night?’ becomesmoreabout lifeand
death thanabout recipes.”
Do the television shows, cook-
books, retail collections, andbrand-
ing theGiadaDeLaurentiisname
with licensedproductsmean the tire-
less starwith the trademark smile
will follow inMarthaStewart’s foot-
stepsandbecomeaveritable icon?
Possibleplans for the future include
cooking classes inpublic schoolsand
recreating theDDLFoodshow (when
shefinds thebest location). Shehas
also toyedwith the ideaof starting
herownmagazine.Orperhaps she
will collaboratewithhusbandTodd,
whodesignsandmanufactures
clothing for the retail chainAnthro-
pologie. “Somedaywewillwork
together,” she says. “It’s theperfect
combination: I feedhimandhe
clothesme!”
WhileDeLaurentiisdidnot reach
her statusasa celebrityovernight,
she says, “I don’t know 10 steps
ahead, but hope for thebest. Some-
times in lifeyou just can’t plan— it’s
the luckof thedrawandbeing in the
right placeat the right timeand
things justworkout. Imaynot be the
best chef or teacherbut the combina-
tionworkedout!”
COVER STORY
A Winning Combination
LEFTMIDDLE:
© JONELLEWEAVER;RIGHT:
© JOHNHUBA/ ART+COMMERCE
From top: A radiant Giada in the kitchen, exquisite
espressocaramel bars, and thehappy familywithhus-
band, Todd, and their daughter, Jade. View thedessert
recipeat celebratedliving.com/webexclusives.
Visit
celebratedliving.com/webexclusives
for three fabulous recipes fromGiada's
latestcookbook,
GiadaatHome
!
