Which TV chef cooks the most authentic Italian food?
My wife's friend is visiting from Rome. Which TV chef would you consider to cook the best Italian food. I'm looking for something very authentic.
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16 Comments:
Mario would be at the top of my list. I've made many of his recipes and I have always been very pleased with the results.
I've also tried some Giada recipes. All have been huge disappointments. Her recipes are not worth the time and effort. Plus, who wants to watch Giada's fake smile and phony personality? Not to mention the fact that she just won't dress appropriately for television. It's not worth it. Stick with Mario.
Cory at 10:01AM on 07/05/07
If you're looking for recipes, which I assume you are, why not go to the library? Most are chockablock with cookbooks, heavy on the Italian. II'm amazed by how few people consider the library when looking for recipes.
Quick question: Why would someone from Rome want to eat Italian food when travelling? Wouldn't they be more interested in whatever your local specialty is? Or am I missing the subtext here; that is, do you want your visitor to watch a TV chef for a laugh?
Barbara Hanson at 10:03AM on 07/05/07
To answer your question, my wife's friend will be here for three months. She will be eating loads of American food, but we thought we'd prepare at least one Italian meal for her while she's here. And, yes, we would love for her to watch a few TV chefs just for laughs. Last time she was here several years ago, she watched Giada and couldn't stop laughing.
I have many Italian cookbooks at home, and I have made many of the recipes, but I don't really know which are authentic or "Americanized". That's why I thought someone could answer the question about which TV chef would be a good one for authentic Italian food.
Cory at 10:37AM on 07/05/07
i agree with BaHa, go to the library and i suggest checking out marcella hazan's books. as for tv chefs, there's always lidia bastianich on PBS, i think her show is called Lidia's Family Table.
french tart at 10:53AM on 07/05/07
I understand how difficult it is to find good authentic Italian recipes in this country. My mother was born and raised in Bari, Italy, and she handed down many recipes to me. I have also aquired recipes in my travels around Italy over the years. Lately, I have been looking for recipes in American cookbooks that are true Italian and not Americanized, but they are far and few between.
I have watched Mario many times, and I think he is probably the best Italian chef on TV. His recipes taste much like those that my mother used to make.
I have also watched Giada, although I have not tried any of her recipes. I can only take her for a few minutes at a time, and I don't think her recipes are authentic. Many of them don't seem to be Italian at all. I don't know her background, and she may be Italian, but she doesn't cook like an Italian or act like an Italian. Most Italian women (and I have spent much of my adult life in Italy) are far more conservative in their attire!
elpida at 10:58AM on 07/05/07
I like Mario, www.mariobatali.com , but Lidia, www.lidiasitaly.com ,seems most authentic. After all she was born and raised in Italy and if you've ever watched her shows on PBS, you'll understand. You can't miss with either one. I also check the library or the book stores.
Giada is the granddaughter of Dino De Laurentiis, the director. Her cooking should be considered heavily Americanized-Italian.
murrato at 11:25AM on 07/05/07
If you want to stay with a TV chef, I would second Lidia Bastianich. Her recipes seem to be very authentic. Watch Giada for laughs.
Jeana at 11:30AM on 07/05/07
Agree. Giada is mostly for laughs. She should not be taken seriously...after all...look at her!
Lidia Bastianich or Mario would both be excellent.
JackB at 11:35AM on 07/05/07
Hey everyone - I agree that Giada De Laurentiis' recipes aren't as authentically Italian as those of Mario Batali or Lidia Bastianich, but what's with all the derogatory comments about her appearance and clothing on TV? Is she worth criticizing only because she's slender and attractive?
Come on, no one (so far) on Serious Eats has slagged a young, attractive male chef for his looks and clothing choices!
flye3076 at 1:15PM on 07/05/07
I guess it's because Giada can't seem to cook without showing off some cleavage. Have you ever seen her on any of her programs without cleavage? How can anyone take her seriously? Did you see the phony smile, the fake pronuncations of Italian foods, the excessive hand motions? Take a look at some of her early episodes. She is a completely different person. She's more natural and much more pleasant. She doesn't show every tooth in her mouth when she smiles, and she doesn't feel it necessary to capture your attention with the low cut tops. Slender, yes. Attractive? Are you kidding?
JackB at 1:36PM on 07/05/07
The low-cup tops on the Food Network are apparently de rigueur. The New York Times uncovered this last week in their hard-hitting reportage, "Frump-Free Cooking: The Look That Sizzles"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/dining/27scoo.html?ex=1340596800&en=d39798f002e25bd7&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
Mario is the best you're gonna get on tv as far as Italian is concerned. Not as sexy, maybe...
MLT at 2:30PM on 07/05/07
The article mentioned above is certainly true. But, if you look at the photos of the female chefs, Giada is the only one to show more than one would expect from a daytime chef.
Low-cut blouses are one thing, but showing half the breasts is quite another. Some cleavage is fine if it's tasteful, but in my opinion, Giada goes too far. Plus, it wouldn’t even be that bad if it happened every so often. I think the world of television cooking would be at a standstill if Giada ever wore anything other than something sleazy. I think that's why so many comments about her are as negative as they are. She doesn't leave anything at all to the imagination! Perhaps when she mentally grows up, she'll realize that her breasts can't help her cook better.
viv at 2:48PM on 07/05/07
I too enjoy Lidia B! The food network has gone way down from what I've seen (although I don't have cable so I don't watch that often). PBS seems to have good food shows these days. Love me some Lidia and want to try her Pasta. I read an interview with Mario Battali where he said he started cooking when he was a stoner and dreaming up munchable stuff. His food seems good but complex and sophisticated, Lidia seems more rootsy and folksy - sticks to regional authentic basics and doesn't try to be too artsy fartsy and far out as a chef, but I appreciate that.
Mischiefdish at 3:13PM on 07/05/07
Lidia cooks like my grandmother. They were from the same area of Italy?Yugoslavia/Italy and then back again. Mario works with her and son Joe. Which is why I like him too.
JerzeeTomato at 1:38AM on 07/06/07
wow what is with the dereogatory bashing against giada? The way someone dresses has nothing to do with their cooking ability, remember this is food network not style so her clothing choice should not affect you this much. If you think Giada dresses so 'sleezy' you must think that Sandra Lee dresses similar to a prostitue. And might i add that she adds a twist to italian food therefore making them not authentic but her take. And her recipies have all turned out incredible for me so maybe its not the recipe.......
back on topic Lidia B is definitly the way to go for the most authentic recipies
jenna at 8:48PM on 07/04/08
LIDIA IS YOUR BEST BET RIGHT NOW TO GO FOR ITALIAN FOOD .
MOST OF HER RECIPE ARE SIMPLE A TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL WAY OF COOKING.
MARIO CAN BE A BIT COMPLEXED
YES JADA IS A JOKE, SHE IS NOT AN ITALIAN COOK STAY AWAY FROM HER STUPID RECIPE
scardo at 2:44AM on 07/22/08