The Total Package

Happy Cooking: Make Every Meal Count…Without Stressing Out – Giada De Laurentiis (Pam Krauss Books)

I have developed a simple, fool proof way to judge a cookbook; it boils down to one simple question, would I actually eat that? The question takes into account a variety of variables:

·       Is it something I can make?

·       Food is a very visual experience, so how does it look; which takes into account the photography and design of the book.

·       Are the recipes clear, understandable and executable?

·       Is the book fun? Cooking (and eating for that matter) what I do for fun to get away from the day to day work grind, so I have to enjoy the experience or why bother doing it.

Happy Cooking: Make Every Meal Count…Without Stressing Out by Food Network celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis really hits high marks on all of those fronts. Giada is one of those folks who consistently churns out cookbooks and recipes on her TV shows that are actual things that I would make and eat.

She truly gets it when it comes to the fun part of cooking; there is a level of authenticity that you can get from the way she cooks and the way she explains the process of making the recipes in the book. I wouldn’t be completely honest if I didn’t mention that it doesn’t hurt that she is absolutely an ultimate women; a gorgeous lady who can cook. In my book, the total package!

Happy Cooking covers a lot of ground, serving up everything from tasty, healthy breakfast ideas, main course meals and even special occasion tips. She also offers up ways to de-stress holiday and special event meals so that anyone can deliver the goods that will get rave reviews.