Fabulicious!--On the Grill

April 25, 2011
Like its bestselling predecessor, Skinny Italian, Giudice's follow-up contains more of the simple, authentic Italian recipes and reality show quips that made her first book a hit. Whether it's classics like Pesto, fried calamari, and braciole, or comfort food like slow-cooked Chicken Cacciatore served over creamy polenta, Giudice's recipes and instructions ensure quality every time. Some may balk at making fresh pasta for dishes like Franco's Fettuccine with Creamy Portobello Sauce, not to mention their own foccacia for sandwiches, but those who do roll up their sleeves should find Giudice's tutelage useful. Though the recipes don't feel rushed, much of the book, padded with images and stories of Saturday morning pancake breakfasts, does. A startling number of pages are devoted to glossy photos, seemingly from the same day, of family members in varying combinations. When a particular recipe is featured, it is often given two pages (recipe; picture). Traditionalists in search of a collection of classic recipes will appreciate Giudice's aversion to corner-cutting, and her calorie-cutting tips, and fans of The Real Housewives will lap it all up. Those searching for a more expansive take on Italian cuisine, however, will feel cheated.

August 5, 2013
Reality TV star Giudice and co-author Heather Maclean take Italian cooking to the backyard grill in the duo's third cookbook collaboration . Giudice, who believes grilling food is "healthier because you are essentially burning the fat off of it," offers ideas on how to properly prepare, and afterward clean, barbecues. She provides recipes for everything from antipasti and pizza to chicken and seafood. The northern New Jersey resident and mother of four uses recipes that celebrate easy summertime entertaining. In addition to items from the outdoor grill, she includes complementary dishes like macaroni salad with pepperoncini and a red potato salad. Giudice livens up the book by including Italian phrases and their cultural significance such as "Quanne piscia âa gallina!" which is used to say "it is never going to happen" but literally translates to mean "when the chicken pees." Aside from these quirks, the cookbook seldom provides anything new or extraordinary. Giudice's thoughts on local farmers markets, for example, have been uttered by scores of others. Occasionally Guidice gives into her brassy TV persona with such comments as when she compares overloaded pizza dough to "a boob-job gone badâsad and saggy." This may humor her fans, but will prevent the book from reaching new audiences.