Wonder Woman of the Week: Giada de Laurentiis

I recently started teaching students how to cook iconic foods from around the world- both to teach them how to cook and about foreign cultures. This week, the spotlight shines on an anthropologist and professional chef that uses her family heritage, cultural knowledge, and star power to teach people how to make classic world foods. The Wonder Woman of the Week is Giada de Laurentiis.

     Giada de Laurentiis was born in Rome, Italy where the culture of food was not only a major piece of family life, but of Italian society as a whole. Giada grew up cooking alongside members of her family, most notably her grandfather who owned his own restaurant. De Laurentiis graduated from the University of California with a degree in anthropology and maintained her passion for cooking. She moved to France to start a culinary career, earning professional training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. After completing her training, Giada returned to Los Angeles, she trained at two prestigious kitchens before starting her own catering company. [1]

     In 2003, Giada de Laurentiis starred in her first televised cooking show, Everyday Italian where she taught viewers about Italian cooking. De Laurentiis started off shy, but eventually overcame being uncomfortable in front of the camera to become a viewer favorite. In 2005, de Laurentiis released her first cookbook- a companion piece to the show. After releasing two more books (which appeared on the best seller’s list), de Laurentiis started a new show on the Food Network called Weekend Getaways. The show ran for several years and led Giada to a new level of stardom. [2]

     Giada joined fellow Food Network personalities to host Food Network Star- teaming with Alton Brown and Bobby Flay as hosts of a show where contestants compete to become a host of their own Food Network show. In 2008, the Food Network premiered de Laurentiis’ current show Giada at Home where the host prepares family-style meals for parties. To continue off of her anthropology degree, de Laurentiis also launched a series of children’s travel books citing Giada’s favorite cities around the world. [3]

     As I prepare for this weekend’s lesson on authentic Italian Pizza, I have been reading dozens of pizza recipes. The best came from Giada de Laurentiis, who clearly knows how to make Italian foods. De Laurentiis however, is far more than your average Italian chef. She overcame camera shyness to become one of the most influential and energetic Food Network hosts. Her background in anthropology and classic culinary training led her to become a well-traveled and wide-learned professional chef.

"Bio." Giada De Laurentiis. Accessed March 18, 2015. http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/giada/.

"Giada De Laurentiis Biography." Bio.com. 2015. Accessed March 18, 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/giada-de-laurentiis-20685915#television-and-books.

"Giada De Laurentiis Bio : Food Network." Giada De Laurentiis Bio : Food Network. Accessed March 18, 2015. http://www.foodnetwork.com/chefs/giada-de-laurentiis/bio.html.