Giada's Feel Good Food

Title: Giada's Feel Good Food

Author:  Giada de Laurentiis

Publication Information:  Clarkson Potter/Publishers, Crown Publishing Group, Random House Inc. 2013. 256 pages.

Book Source:  I received this book through a publisher's giveaway free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote:  "I have adopted a balanced way of cooking, eating, and living that works for me and my family. This didn't happen overnight, or by sitting down and scribbling a bunch of rules to follow, but rather over time, by tuning in to my body and what makes me run the smoothest and tuning out what doesn't.”

Giada's Feel Good Food is the seventh cookbook authored by Emmy Award winning Food Network star Giada de Laurentiis. This book is intended to be broader than a cookbook; it includes tips from Giada about diet, exercise, and other self-care routines. Interesting and more personal, as seems to be her brand.

The book is organized into sections around meals - breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. The only exception is that juices/smoothies and desserts have their own section.

Pros:

• The start of each section includes a list of the recipes in that section.
• The book also includes a detailed index which is helpful.
• The physical book is a good size - not so large as to be unwieldy, not so small as to crowd the recipes.
• The book lays flat when opened - important to me because I lay out the recipe on the counter and constantly refer back as I follow the recipe.
• Each recipe is concisely presented on a page.
• The setup of each page is consistent and easy to read - a sidebar has the ingredient list with nutritional  information underneath; the main text has the instruction laid out in short paragraphs
• The ingredient list for each recipe is clearly marked and easy to read.
• The ingredients for the recipes seems to be things readily available to the home cook.
• Each recipe include nutritional information.
• Each recipe includes tags to indicate if its is vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and/or dairy free.
• The book has color illustrations.

Cons:

• Not every recipe includes a picture.
• The instructions for each recipe are preceded by an introductory personal note - interesting if I am reading the book, completely unnecessary for the recipe.
• Several pictures of Giada appear throughout the book. I understand the reason for them, but I could do without them.

Overall, a usable cookbook with practical recipes and a good addition to my cookbook collection.