Happy Cooking: Giada's Recipes and Tips for Making Every Meal Count...Without Stressing You Out

As an avid cook, you can imagine my excitement every time I discover a newly-published cookbook! This is actually my first from well-known cook and cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis! Having heard much about her personality and recipes, I was greatly looking forward to reading this book.

Happy Cooking is all that you expect: it is full of delicious recipes, fabulous photos and, best of all....it makes you feel relaxed and happy about cooking! I know I certainly need a stress-relieving cookbook. Although I do love cooking, it as well as everything else in life tends to stress me out at times. Giada puts the happy back into cooking with this pleasant book!

Fans of Giada will be delighted with her presence in this cookbook; there are many pictures of her and her quotes accompany most of her recipes. The photographs of the foods themselves are not always as amazing as other recently published cookbooks I have read and reviewed, but they are still bright and enjoyable. Just not as coffee-table worthy as other cookbooks I own.

Personally, I won't be cooking a ton of recipes from this book because of the large amount of (no surprise) pasta meals. I don't eat a lot of pasta yet I was aware of the fact that this is an Italian-based cookbook when I ordered it so I am not complaining! On a good note, this book also has a ton of vegetable and salad recipes and the dessert section is surprisingly small! Overall, I assure you that this book is full of delicious recipes. What especially struck me is that the recipes in this cookbook are not only basic and easy enough for most amateur cooks to master, they will taste complex enough to delight the detailed chef! This cookbook could just become your new all-round favorite!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

More about the book...

Giada De Laurentiis, one of the most recognizable faces on the Food Network lineup, invites readers to get to know her as never before. The celebrity chef is back with nearly 200 new recipes and helpful advice on everything from hosting a potluck or open house to what to pack along for lunch every day. Drawing on the time-saving tips and healthy eating strategies that keep her functioning at the highest possible level in her roles as working mom, restaurateur, and tv personality, she has assembled a year-round roadmap to vibrant good health and delicious eating. Readers will be inspired to try new ingredients, new wellness practices, and create a wholesome balance between peak nutrition - and the occasional decadent indulgence. Featuring her New Year's cleanse, homemade Christmas gifts, and ideas for every holiday, special occasion, and casual weekend in between, this is Giada’s 365-approach to cooking up a happy life.