Skinny Italian

Who else watches The Real Housewives shown on Bravo? It all started with Orange County and now I just can’t get enough of it. I watch each and every season. While some I enjoy more then others, I don’t like to miss out on anything going on in their lives! One housewife that I really enjoy watching on TV is Teresa Giudice from New Jersey. I love her attitude, personality and the fact that she dresses her girls up like little dolls. Being she is an Italian girl she grew up being surrounded by wonderful food and lots of family. In her own home she cooks for her family every night and makes sure it is as authentic and healthy as Italian can be.

Teresa wrote her own cookbook called Skinny Italian. I wanted to see what it was all about in person before ordering it online, so I went to the bookstore first. I skimmed through her recipes and loved how simple her meals were. I figured this be a great book to have for when I start living with my boyfriend because she has recipes with meals containing meat and cooking it the Italian way. Something I’m not fully familiar with but willing to learn so I can cook my man some good meals! Luckily my birthday came and one of my presents was Skinny Italian. She explains about ingredients and what is authentic in Italian cooking. I loved the chapter on pasta and the myths stated.

Pasta Myth 1- White Pasta is Bad

To make pasta 100% Italian make sure the label states “100% durum wheat semolina” or “100% durum wheat.” Italian pasta is actually considered a whole grain and not part of the white flour family.

Pasta Myth 2- Pasta is Fattening

If you look at the nutritional label on pasta most of the time it is only 1g of fat per serving. The stuff that is fattening is the crazy amount of cheese people will put on their pastas. As long as you dress the pasta lightly with healthy oils, vegetables and fresh ingredients you will have a beautiful pasta dish.

Pasta Myth 3- Pasta Has No Nutritional Value

The durum wheat used in Italian pasta has 8g of protein per serving and the same amount of fiber you’d find in wheat bread. In the US, companies often “enriched” their pastas adding vitamins and minerals.

That really opened up my eyes when it came to eating pasta. I was only buying 100% whole wheat pasta because I thought it was healthy. Which don’t get me wrong it is still healthy but now I know I can enjoy 100% durum wheat semolina pasta and get the same nutritional benefits like the whole wheat kind.

Make sure you buy a red wine you’d like to drink as well as cook with.

My first recipe I made from her cookbook was Milania’s Marinara Sauce. It starts with using her “quickie” tomato sauce recipe and turns it into make her marinara sauce with red wine, mushrooms, onion, garlic and fresh herbs.

My boyfriend is very picky when it comes to sauce and if it doesn’t taste like mom’s then it isn’t the best. His mom gets a lot of her flavor from meat and meat bones. It is a great sauce. For me, I like a more fresher and chunkier sauce with tomatoes and good red wine. I made this sauce for a Sunday dinner.His words were, “some meat bones cooked in while simmering would be even better.” Maybe next time. ;)

I already have more recipes I want to try like Gabriella’s Bolognese Sauce, Giardino Minestrone, and Chicken Breasts with Lemony Thyme Marinade.

I find her cookbook to be very educational and straight to the point. It isn’t overly wordy and it is easy to understand for the home cook. Her recipes are simple and fresh, guaranteeing a great dinner for the night.

Always,

Fallon

No one is paying me to write up this review. I like Teresa and wanted to support her cookbook with positive feedback. To get the recipes you will have to purchase the book.