Skinny Italian

April 5, 2010
Giudice, famous for table flipping and gushing over her “juicy” husband, Joe, on Bravo's Real Housewives of New Jersey
, offers a simple rundown of Italian standards like pesto and puttanesca sauces, veal piccata, steak pizzaiola, almond biscotti and the classic bellini in her authentic yet dishy look into food and family. Few recipes will surprise the seasoned Italian cook, though Giudice gets points for keeping dishes rather healthy while boosting flavor with fresh herbs, pungent garlic, and hot pepper. Coupled with family photos and sidebar comments about their friends and favorite dishes from Teresa and Joe, the book plays well to a younger, hipper home cook. With a focus on steering clear of reputation-ruining no-nos like jarred sauce and rinsing cooked pasta, Giudice dives into some deeper waters with coaching on making pizza dough and canning tomatoes. Though she tries a little too hard to make everything salacious, gorgeous, and fabulous, useful tips abound (the section on olive oil is titled “OO, VOO, EVOO, WTF?”). Take away the overblown catch phrases and effusive references to her mama, The Sopranos
, and the motherland, and you're left with a solid mid-week Italian cookbook. Then again, perhaps it's the chatty Teresa and her feisty yet playful anecdotes that make this an irresistible, guilty pleasure.

June 15, 2010

Giudice, a reality-show celebrity from The Real Housewives of New Jersey--writing with Maclean (The Baby Gizmo Buying Guide)--may surprise readers with her useful first cookbook, an excellent grouping of authentic Italian recipes. Although it is a little text heavy, her explanation of Italian cooking and ingredients will help novice chefs understand that something like toasted ravioli is unhealthy and not an authentic Italian dish. Giudice emphasizes homemade, slow-cooked, simple meals that can be prepared on a weeknight or as part of an elaborate dinner party. The recipes do not utilize typical diet substitutes, such as sugar replacements or low-carb pastas, but Giudice stresses portion control and healthful ingredients. She explains how to purchase an excellent cooking and/or tasting olive oil and how to choose and store various types of Italian herbs. VERDICT Not just for dieters or fans of Giudice, this is recommended for any reader who wants to learn more about authentic Italian cooking at home.--Claire Moitra, Providence, RI

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.