Category: reviews

Holiday Entertaining with Giada De Laurentiis for Target

I have found a whole new reason to love Target – the new line of bakeware, cookware, and food items by Giada De Laurentiis.  We got a chance to try some of Giada’s recipes, grocery items, and a sampling of her bakeware products and we’re completely impressed!

The Holidays can be a stressful time of year with parties and guests and entertaining.  Giada De Laurentiis Target collection can help with the food preparation part of that, and she has lots of great tips for entertaining and some awesome recipes.

I love the food from her line.  It’s absolutely perfect for the holiday entertaining.  It makes it simple to quickly prepare gourmet foods that taste terrific.  We got to sample the Black Olive Tapenade, Giada Blend Coffee, Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes, Roasted Red Peppers, marinated mushrooms, Genovese Basil Pesto, Eggplant & Pepper Pesto.  My favorite is the Black Olive Tapenade on a slice of toasted baguette with some melted fontina cheese.   — Look at that, I’m not a gourmet cook by any stretch of the imagination, but Giada can make even me sound like a gourmet chef  : – )

My husband and I had a great time sampling some of the new food items and some of Giada’s recipes.  I made the Pea Pesto Crostini.  (Yes, pesto made with peas – I had to try it).  My husband was trying to place the flavor; he knew it was familiar, but couldn’t quite place it thinking it was some herb that he was tasting and not peas.   It tastes fresh and not at all like you think it would.  Plus, with the green pea pesto and the red tomatoes, it’s perfect for Christmas.   Here’s the recipe in case you want to try it:

Pea Pesto Crostini    -   Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
•    1(10oz) package frozen peas, thawed
•    1 garlic clove
•    ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
•    1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
•    2/3 cup olive oil
•    8 (1/2 inch thick) slices whole grain baguette or ciabatta bread, preferably day old
•    8 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 small tomato, diced

For the pea pesto:
1.    Pulse together in food processor the peas, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
2.    With the machine running, slowly add 1/3 cup of the olive oil and continue to mix until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
3.    Transfer to small bowl and set aside.

For the crostini:
1.    Toast the bread for 2 – 3 minutes on an oven’s broil setting.
2.    Transfer bread to platter and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of pesto on each slice.
3.    Top crostini with 2 tomato halves, finely chopped herbs or parmesan cheese and serve.

Yield: 4 – 6 Servings/ 8 crostini
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes

We also got to sample of Giada’s cookware including  a 2 quart Ceramic Oval Baker, a 9 ” ceramic Pie Pan, a silicone Spoonula, a 3 piece plastic bowl set, a Stainless Steel Whisk, and Stainless Steel Measuring cups and it’s all terrific.  I love the oval baker and the pie pan.  They are nice quality and affordable.  I especially like how they are functional  yet are still pretty enough to look great on the table.  The mixing bowls are great as well.  They are durable yet lightweight and have non-slip rings on the bottom.  I love the pour spout and the ledge to hang on to, which is awesome to hold the bowl while mixing and while pouring.   These have quickly become my favorite set of mixing bowls!

Since I’m sure everyone is looking to reduce stress this Holiday Season, here are a few of Giada’s entertaining  tips:

•    Plan ahead!  Prepare most of your dishes ahead of time, rather than trying to cook everything at once.  You’ll feel less stressed and will be able to enjoy the party.  Giada recommends leaving only one item for last minute prep – this brings everyone into the kitchen and sets the tone for a cozy, comfortable evening.

•    Don’t overdo your menu – keep it simple!  As a general rule, Giada suggests offering four to five appetizers.  During the holidays, choose foods that have vibrant colors for an added festive touch.  Also select foods that are beautiful to serve and easy for guests to eat.

•    For guests who pop-in unexpectedly, keep ready-to-serve delights in the pantry such as Giada De Laurentiis for Target Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes, Marinated Roasted Red Peppers and Marinated Mushrooms  for quick entertaining options. The Giada De Laurentiis for Target Genovese Basil Pesto and Eggplant & Pepper Pesto are also easy and delicious treats.  Serve with toasted bread or crackers and display on a festive serving platter.

•    Create less work for yourself by using multipurpose kitchen tools.  The Giada De Laurentiis for Target Ceramic Bakeware can go directly from the oven to the table.  The bakeware beautifully displays the dish and makes less clean-up for you!  Kitchen and food items also make wonderful gifts.  Add a personal touch to a hostess gift by baking your favorite homemade pie in The Giada De Laurentiis for Target Ceramic Pie Pan.

We are impressed with Giada De Laurentiis’ bakeware and food items are definitely planning on using some Giada products for our New Year’s celebration this year.  I’m going to be getting more of the Black Olive Tapenade and am excited to go to Target to check out the rest of the items.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Giada De Laurentiis for Target and received product samples to facilitate my review.”