by Dr. Laura Wilhelm, LauraWil Intercultural
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 2/25/25 – From the day famed television chef Giada De Laurentiis started cooking professionally, her fundamental formula for making unforgettable meals has not changed: Good Cooking = Technique + Ingredients + Ambience. This is all well and good, but the American approach to Italian cuisine may not be. True to our predominantly Northern, Western, and Central European roots, we tend to favor rich Italian foods such as pizza, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, and hoagies that are high in animal fats, carbohydrates, and sodium.
In her new cookbook SUPER ITALIAN, Giada captures the essence of the true Mediterranean diet replete with healthful superfoods. This way of eating has helped Italy to produce a higher percentage of centenarians than almost any nation on Earth.
These superfoods can be combined into a vast array of delicious dishes that feed the soul as well as the body. Once your pantry is stocked, you can give free reign to your culinary creativity. Below is a list of these life-giving foods plus some of Giada’s recipes that use them.
Olives + olive oil: Umbrian Chicken Stew with Green Olives, Kale Salsa Verde, and Grilled Swordfish with Olive Bagna Cauda
Beans + Legumes: Artichoke Dip with White Beans, Crunchy Roasted Butter Beans, and Creamy Cannellini Beans
Cruciferous vegetables: Winter Beans and Greens Soup, Orecchiette with Almond Pesto and Broccoli Rabe, and Green Gazpacho
Small fish: Caesar Aioli, Pasta Assassina, and Anchovy Pasta with Walnuts
Vinegar: Balsamic Chocolate Truffles, Grilled Endive Salad with Citrus and Pancetta, and Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola and Balsamic
Tomatoes: Sicilian Pesto, Tomatoes Gratinata, and Calabrian Pomodoro
With 100 stunning photographs, SUPER ITALIAN puts a fresh new spin on the storied food traditions of bella Italia. Its bright red cover makes it a thoughtful gift for Valentine’s Day or Christmas– but the recipes within can be used year-round by health-conscious readers. Mangiamo!