Giada's Kitchen
New Italian Favorites
by Giada De Laurentiis
Simplicity presides over the kitchen of Giada De Laurentiis, and the hearty, flavorful dishes in the Italian-born chef’s newest cookbook showcase the fundamentals. Known for her Emmy-winning daytime cooking show on the Food Network, De Laurentiis designs low-stress meals for the Italian food enthusiast who craves clean, bright flavors in everything from dinner party options to everyday cuisine.
The simple preparations and basic ingredients found throughout the book’s six sections leave adventurous chefs room to experiment. Moist and rich yet butter-free olive oil muffins are delectable just as they are, but try substituting walnuts for almonds the second time around and drizzling with a touch of fresh orange juice while they're still warm. For a decadent dish that offers all the gustatory pleasures of a cream sauce with none of the guilt, the velvety butternut squash purée with sautéed prawns over rigatoni is an enticing choice for a chilly evening. Given the light yet lively recipes put forth in this creative collection of healthy Italian fare, the greatest difficulty we encountered was deciding what to prepare first.
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Olive Oil Muffins
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Note)
Confectioner’s sugar, for sifting
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use an electric mixer to beat the granulated sugar, eggs, and zests in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vinegar and milk, then gradually beat in the oil. Add the flour mixture and stir by hand just until blended. Crush the almonds with your hands as you add them to the batter and stir until mixed. Fill the muffin tin almost to the top of the paper liners. Bake until golden on top and a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with moist crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn the muffins out onto the rack and cool for 5 more minutes. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the muffins and serve.
Note: To toast the almonds, spread them over a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once or twice. Watch carefully to keep them from burning. |
Reviewed by Kate Sommers-Dawes
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