Giada's Kitchen

Giada's cookbooks were my first discovery. I've always had difficulty watching her show because she is so skinny and my mind could not comprehend a chef that tiny. How good could her food be if she doesn't eat it? But that is my own prejudice and flipping through her cookbook, Giada's Kitchen, had me drooling over some the pictures. It turns out that her recipes are delicious! I've made several of the recipes from that cookbook in the past month.

Balsamic BBQ sauce on drumsticks: E loved it and T said it was tolerable. Tolerable was a high endorsement from her, consisdering she doesn't like barbecue sauce. I'm not sure I liked it enough to want to make it again though.
1 whole chicken pieced (I used drumsticks because that's what we had available)
Salt and pepper

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp Worcestershire sause
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Salmon with Pea Puree in Lemon Brodetto: The salmon was delicious but the pea puree was really strong. I think this may have been because I used too much pre-grated parmesan and the flavor is stronger than freshly grated parmesan. The lemon brodetto (not that I have any idea what brodetto is) was delicious. It was a chicken broth with shallots and lemon. If I ever attempt this recipe again, I will probably exclude the pea puree completely and then it will just be salmon in lemon broth. Brodetto does sound more appetizing than lemon broth. 
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot
2 lemons
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves

2 cups frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

1/4 cup olive oil
1 (4-6 oz) salmon fillets
Salt and pepper
Both of these recipes were a satisfying meal to try once, but not ones that I loved enough to want to make regularly. That seems to be how most new recipes go. For actual instructions to make these recipes see the cookbook Giada's Kitchen.