I’ve always been skeptical about skinny chefs. Especially those with famous family. So when I first saw the attractive but bony Giada De Laurentiis (whos Grandfather is indeed the famous film-maker Dino) on the Food Network, I pooh-bah’d her for a while.

Until I tried my sister’s Chicken Piccata at a family lunch, which was delicious and (surprise, surprise!) a Giada recipe. So now, I must eat my words and admit that skinny, glamorous-looking women can be great chefs…..but isnt it so much more inspiring to see Mario in his fullness or Nigella bursting out of her denim jacket in the kitchen?

A private chef and caterer in Los Angeles, Giada (pronounced Jah-dah) had no intention of getting into the family business of entertaining ( the Dino connection).

She was born in Rome, Italy in 1970. At the age of seven, her family moved to southern California. She attended UCLA where she attained a degree in social anthropology.

Giada�s passion for cooking flourished through professional training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where she specialized in both cuisine and pastry. Later, she moved to Los Angeles, where her experience included positions at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Fine Dining Room and Wolfgang Puck�s Spago in Beverly Hills. Soon after, Giada started her own catering company, GDL Foods.

In addition to Everyday Italian, as the host of Behind the Bash, Giada takes viewers behind the scenes of six-figure weddings, high-roller Vegas soirees and Hollywood movie premieres to see what goes into creating the world’s most spectacular parties.

Giada is the author of The New York Times best-selling cookbook Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes

Originally posted on August 30, 2006 @ 5:11 pm