Giada DeLaurentiis: Emmy Award Winning Chef & Bestselling Author

Summary

Podcast Summary: Climbing in Heels with Rachel Zoe
Episode: Giada DeLaurentiis: Emmy Award Winning Chef & Bestselling Author
Release Date: January 24, 2025

Climbing in Heels with Rachel Zoe is a compelling podcast where Rachel Zoe engages in insightful conversations with influential women across various industries. In this episode, Rachel welcomes Giada De Laurentiis, an Emmy Award-winning chef and bestselling author, to discuss her illustrious career, the challenges she has faced, and her latest ventures in the culinary world.

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1. Introduction to Giada De Laurentiis

Rachel Zoe opens the episode with heartfelt admiration for Giada De Laurentiis, highlighting her impressive career and the impact she has made in the food industry.

Rachel Zoe [02:46]: "I'm so excited to talk to you. I've obviously known your career and I've known of you forever and I'm just so excited about what you do."

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2. Early Life and Family Background

Giada shares her origins and the profound influence her family has had on her career. Born in Rome, Italy, she moved to the United States at the age of seven. Her family's deep roots in the movie business provided a unique backdrop to her upbringing.

Giada De Laurentiis [04:04]: "No, actually born in Rome, Italy. I moved to the state that tracks."

She recounts her grandparents' ventures in the pasta industry and their eventual transition into the American film landscape, emphasizing how food was the glue that held her family together amidst their busy lives in Hollywood.

Giada De Laurentiis [07:41]: "At the end of the day, food was sort of what held us together."

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3. Culinary Education and Early Career

Giada discusses her formal training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where she honed her culinary skills. Despite her family's initial lack of support—highlighting the gender biases of the time—she persevered in her passion for cooking.

Giada De Laurentiis [09:57]: "Nobody wants you in the kitchen. You're a distraction. What are you doing?"

After graduating, she took on roles at prestigious establishments like Wolfgang Puck’s Spago and the Ritz Carlton in Redondo Beach, California, gaining invaluable experience in high-pressure kitchen environments.

Giada De Laurentiis [12:12]: "I worked at Spago, and also at the Ritz Carlton for a French chef for a little while because I wanted to continue to speak French and hone myself."

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4. Transition to Media and Food Network Success

Giada explains how her career took a significant turn post-9/11, as the American dining culture shifted towards home cooking. This change opened doors for her involvement with the Food Network.

Giada De Laurentiis [13:35]: "After 9/11, the food industry switched. People weren't going out to eat anymore; they wanted to dine at home and learn how to cook."

Her initiative led to the creation of her show Everyday Italian, which deviated from the typical studio settings of other Food Network shows by being filmed in a home in Los Angeles, aligning with her brand's authentic and approachable image.

Giada De Laurentiis [15:30]: "We shot it in LA in a house, which was totally different than what they usually do."

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5. Overcoming Challenges as a Female Entrepreneur

Throughout her journey, Giada faced numerous obstacles, including familial skepticism and the challenges of being a woman in a predominantly male industry. She emphasizes the importance of persistence and passion in overcoming these hurdles.

Giada De Laurentiis [11:00]: "But I thought, well, let me just try it. Let me just try. And that's it."

Rachel Zoe echoes these sentiments, relating them to her own experiences and highlighting the significance of being authentic and driven by passion.

Rachel Zoe [18:22]: "It's working. Right. There's no accident, in my opinion, because you can get there."

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6. Evolution of Giada’s Brand and Current Projects

Giada delves into her recent endeavors, including her latest cookbook, Super Italian. This book focuses on integrating Italian superfoods into everyday meals, promoting both taste and nutrition.

Giada De Laurentiis [30:10]: "This book is more about taking the superfoods that Italians have enjoyed forever and infusing them into all of our favorite dishes."

She also touches upon the challenges of maintaining quality and authenticity in her restaurants, particularly her Las Vegas establishment, which emphasizes vegetable-forward dishes and balanced portion sizes—principles deeply rooted in Italian culinary traditions.

Giada De Laurentiis [28:23]: "Teaching people about portion size was a big thing when I started."

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7. Balancing Personal Life and Career

The conversation shifts to the personal sacrifices and decisions Giada has made to balance her burgeoning career with her family life. She reflects on moments of doubt and the ever-present question of whether to continue or pivot her professional path.

Giada De Laurentiis [24:03]: "There was all this stuff. Like, I feel like you do what you think is best at the moment and you write it out and you see how it all comes together."

Rachel Zoe adds her perspective on these struggles, discussing the impact of motherhood on identity and career choices, and the importance of authenticity.

Rachel Zoe [25:48]: "Your decisions become very different when you have your child because I also had mine during my filming."

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8. Insights on Authenticity and Modern Branding

Both Rachel and Giada emphasize the importance of staying true to oneself while evolving with the times. Giada speaks about making healthy, nutrient-dense food appealing and accessible without compromising on taste or tradition.

Giada De Laurentiis [32:10]: "You decide what kind of pasta you're going to eat, how the pasta is cooked, where it's from, and how much."

Rachel relates this to branding, highlighting the balance between maintaining authenticity and adapting to modern platforms like TikTok and Instagram to reach newer audiences.

Rachel Zoe [33:52]: "You're gonna have to hire all the 20 somethings to start making all of these bags."

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9. Legacy and Future Aspirations

In the closing segments, Giada and Rachel discuss the legacy they wish to leave and the future aspirations they hold. Giada expresses a desire to continue educating people about healthy eating habits rooted in Italian traditions, while Rachel reflects on pioneering new paths in her own field.

Giada De Laurentiis [37:23]: "You've done an amazing job, truly. You pioneered something that was never seen to be something that was glamorous or special."

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10. Conclusion

The episode concludes with mutual admiration and encouragement between Rachel Zoe and Giada De Laurentiis. They acknowledge the similarities in their journeys and the challenges they’ve overcome, reinforcing the episode’s theme of resilience and authenticity in female entrepreneurship.

Rachel Zoe [38:08]: "I think we're pretty kindred souls, I think, in different fields, but I think probably looking at things from a very, very similar vantage point."

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Key Takeaways:

• Resilience in Face of Adversity: Giada's journey underscores the importance of perseverance, especially for women navigating male-dominated industries.

• Authenticity in Branding: Maintaining genuine connections with audiences through authentic storytelling and staying true to one's roots is crucial for lasting success.

• Balancing Personal and Professional Life: Finding harmony between career ambitions and personal life is a recurring challenge for many entrepreneurs.

• Evolving with the Times: Adapting to modern platforms and changing consumer behaviors without sacrificing core values can lead to sustained relevance and growth.

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Giada De Laurentiis's story is a testament to passion, perseverance, and the pursuit of excellence. Her contributions to the culinary world and her ability to inspire others make her a truly remarkable guest on Climbing in Heels with Rachel Zoe.

Transcript

[Ben Walter]

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[Unknown Child]

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[Rachel Zoe]

Hi everyone, I'm Rachel Zo and you're listening to Climbing in Heels for your weekly dose of glamour, inspiration and fun. Emmy award winning television personality, chef, restaurateur, and nine times New York Times bestselling author Giada De Laurentiis is on the pod today. I have watched her career from afar for so many years and absolutely love and have so much respect for the career she has built in this field. Her latest book, Super Italian is all about cooking with nutrient rich Italian superfoods to create the most beautiful and healthy meals in true Italian style. She is such a game changer in the industry and I cannot wait for you to hear more about her unbelievably incredible story. So let's jump right into it. I'm very excited to talk to you. I've obviously known your career and I've known of you forever and I'm just so excited. I'm so excited about what you do. A, but B, just excited about what you're doing now. And so I want to kind of dig into it because I think you have such a fan base and I didn't realize you were. You're born and raised in California, right?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

No, actually born in Rome, Italy. I moved to the state that tracks.

[Rachel Zoe]

See, that tracks to me, the born and raised in California really threw me.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

I moved. I moved to New York first. My family's in the movie business, has been for a very long time. And so my grandfather was a movie producer in Italy and my grandmother was a movie, an actress. And together they created like this empire in Europe and in Italy. Then they moved over to the States because that's what you know, of course.

[Rachel Zoe]

That'S the dream, but that's the dream.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

To make in the US So they came and of course, my mother being his eldest daughter, they took all the kids and grandkids with them because you follow the patriarch in family, which I love. Yeah. So we moved to New York first for a couple of years and then we moved to Los Angeles. And I did go to school in Los Angeles, but I was seven when we immigrated into this country.

[Rachel Zoe]

Got it.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Right. So, so a little bit American, but like via. Via Italy.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yeah, but film. But film and entertainment. Okay. Also just obviously coming from the heritage that you do, food is what 95% of the culture.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

My grandfather's family had a pasta factory before World War II. My grandfather, being one of eight kids, would go door to door and sell his mom and dad's pasta. So they would dry it on the roofs. So there were these apartment buildings outside of Naples in Torrenciata, which was, like the perfect culmination of the way that the ocean, air, Mediterranean hits the land. And they would leave all the pasta up there, and it would dry, and they would sell dried pasta. And so my grandfather would do that. He was an awesome salesman. And that's what that my. That side of the family did for a long time. Until then. My grandfather went into the war, and he was stationed in Capri, and he defended Capri. Even.

[Rachel Zoe]

Just even. Even the romance of, like, being stationed in Capri.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Like, yeah, we lost everything, as a lot of these things do, because Naples was heavily bombed, of course. And. And then when the war was over, he basically just trekked his way to Rome. He really was so enamored. He really wanted to be an actor. So he was enamored with going to Rome to become an actor. But he found out soon enough that he was too short and not handsome enough to be mean. In those days, actors would topple him. Yeah. So he ended up marrying my grandmother, who was Miss Rome at the time. And together she would star in his movies, he would produce them. And my grandfather made over 600 movies in 60 years.

[Rachel Zoe]

Was this. Was this Sophia Loren time?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yes, my grandmother and Sophia Lauren exactly the same time. My grandfather made movies with Fellini, my grandmother started.

[Rachel Zoe]

That's what I was going to ask.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

All these movies. And then he started making movies in America. Conan the Barbarian, like, all of these famous movies. I mean, he created Arnold Schwarzenegger pretty much.

[Rachel Zoe]

Wow.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

I mean, so he created a whole legacy here in the States. And I was seven when we all moved.

[Rachel Zoe]

Right.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

At the end of the day, food was sort of. That was sort of what held us together. My grandfather traveled a lot on movie sets. All of my family worked on movie sets. And so, you know, we lived in Los Angeles, but on Sundays was our family gathering. And my grandfather would make pizza and pasta from what he learned from a kid. And when I was 11, he opened these gourmet shops, much like in Eagley is called DDL Show. One in Trump Tower in New York and one here in Beverly Hills in the Flats. And.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yeah.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

And I would go there as a kid and just be enamored because it was something that, you know, we hadn't. Americans hadn't seen before. These stalls Pasta stalls and pizza stalls and all sorts of ingredients imported from Italy. Now, you have to remember this is like the late 70s, early 80s, so.

[Rachel Zoe]

It'S not that did not exist, exist.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Especially not in Los Angeles, where I live. New York, it kind of did, you know, a little bit more, but not Angelina's.

[Rachel Zoe]

Right.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

So I was always just fascinated. And he didn't just open these stores. He also brought all his buddies in that he grew up with the pizzaiolos, the pasta makers. Like, these were all guys that from Naples that he imported into Los Angeles. Chatter, all this Italian topic. I was just. I think what I loved was not only the. The aromas in the place, but watching people come in and just their jaws dropping and just being like, oh, my, what is this place? I mean, I loved it. And, you know, he kind of merged food and Hollywood together. You know, he would do all his movie premieres in his restaurant, you know, in this space. Like, it was just a magical time. But anyhow, for me, that was when I first realized, how do I do that? How do I make people, right, have that expression or that sense of awe when they walk space? And so, you know, I grew up here. I went to school at ucla and then I left and went to Paris and went to cooking school for a couple of years, and then I moved back.

[Rachel Zoe]

You went to the cooking school?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

I went to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, yeah.

[Rachel Zoe]

I mean, that's like the dream. It's like in fashion. It's like I went to Central St Martin's in London. It's like that's. That where you went is like the dream. That's like, I'm going to be a Michelin chef. Right, right.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

That's what I thought I wanted to do. And honestly, there was.

[Rachel Zoe]

And your family supported that, obviously, because they didn't. They didn't.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

They didn't listen. My family, God love them, like, my grandfather's like, just get married and have a bunch of kids. What the hell are you doing? Like, why. This is a man. This is a man's work. You are not. You're too small, you're too skinny, you're too little. Nobody wants you in the kitchen. You're a distraction. What are you doing? And there was no, nobody, really. There was no plan for me.

[Rachel Zoe]

I'm a woman, like, not mental. And you come from a complete food and entertainment family.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

But this was 25 years ago. And tell me, how many women were even in. In the food business at that point?

[Rachel Zoe]

I mean, not.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

I mean, it doesn't so it wasn't crazy for him to. Martha.

[Rachel Zoe]

Martha.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

That's it. But remember the Martha got. Sorry.

[Rachel Zoe]

I sure do. Oh, you can say anything.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah, you remember that? Oh, she. Do you go to the top? Oh, yeah. We'll just pull you right back down where you belong, lady.

[Rachel Zoe]

And story of my life. Story of my whole adult life, so my whole, my whole life, but my whole career for sure.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

And maybe somebody. And really there was probably a man that helped you get there because you wouldn't possibly have the talent to do that on your own. Right. Like. And so I think for them, my grandfather was just. All of them were just like, she's lost her mind. But let. Just let her do her thing. It'll last a couple years and then she'll be done and she'll get married and it'll all be done. That did not happen.

[Rachel Zoe]

Can I ask you a question? When you went to cooking school at Le Cordon Bleu, were you like one woman? Was it like, was it like Julia Childs where she was like the only female?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

There were other women, but they were a lot of Asian women because it part of their dowry when they get married. Korean, Japanese. Yes. It's part of the culture. So they send these young girls to all of these different specialty schools so that they have all of these talents because they're more desirable. So I went to school with a lot of those kind of women, right. Or older women who, Right. You know, had a new career path. There were in. There were a couple of older American women who had worked on yachts and they were much older. They were probably in their 50s at that point. I was in my 20s, so. Or yeah, early 20s. So I think that's pretty much it. Otherwise it's all men.

[Rachel Zoe]

It was not 20 something women with a dream. Wow, okay, so then what happens? So you graduate and what happens?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

I come back here. I had a boy at the time becoming my husband and now my ex husband.

[Rachel Zoe]

Okay.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

And I came back here and I worked for Wolfgang Puck.

[Rachel Zoe]

Okay. Spago, by the way. Great, great first job, by the way.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah, well, I worked, I worked at. Also at the Ritz Carlton in Rare Del Rey for a French chef for a little while because I wanted to be able to continue to speak French and hone myself. And so. And then I went to Wolfgang and I spent some time working for his pastry chef Sherry Yard there. But like, you know, my parents were like, listen, you're barely making any money, right? Tired of supporting you. I mean, I'm making five bucks an hour. And I'm working like yeah. There. And it's, you know, restaurant kitchens are not glamorous. They're hell holes. They just partner.

[Rachel Zoe]

But you get even the nicest ones.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yes. And you get a lot of, you know, it's just. Yep. Anyhow. Yeah, so I did that for a while and then I started becoming a private chef. So I started cooking privately for people like Ron Howard and his family because they spent a lot of time here shooting show shooting movies. So I would cook for their family. And then I'd had other families. I started a catering business for myself. I thought, okay, I'm going to make more money that way. And as I grew that I got a, I got a call, I did, I started doing on the side some food styling for some friends. Then 911 happened. And after 911 the food industry switched. And you know, especially in New York, people weren't going out to eat anymore.

[Rachel Zoe]

Well, I remember I lived there.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

They wanted to dine at home and learn how to cook. It was the first time you see a shift in the American culture that people are really interested in cooking at home and interested in learning how to do that. And so Food Network started to grow based on that. So I got a call from a, you know, one of the heads at Food Network just saying that we saw. So backing up. I was doing some food styling for some friends who lived in LA and for different magazines. I had met a lady who did the creative. She was the creative director of Food and Wine magazine going to be in her in this special chef's issue. My grandmother was getting a lifetime achievement award at the Oscars that year. So I got my family together, I cooked a meal, I wrote the recipes, I did all that stuff, all stuff that I had, recipes that I'd had from my clients because I write menus and cook for them and you know, did all that. And he saw it in Food and Wine and he was like, can you put yourself on tape? I want to see if you have any personality at all. Because a lot of photos, you know, as well, Greg to talk, of course, then you. So I did a little demo tape. My brother who has now passed away shot it for me. And at the time he was a cameraman and he it for me. And I just did like a three minute reel making pastel bechamel. And then they just said, okay, let's, let's start this, let's try to do this little Italian show for you. And we called it Everyday Italian.

[Rachel Zoe]

And I remember it. Yeah, I was, I was a food Network junkie.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Oh, really?

[Rachel Zoe]

Oh, it was like I used to have it on and sometimes mostly just not even watch. It was like calming for me in the background when I lived in New York and then probably when I moved out here, but my life was so busy, I just, you know, but it was always on. I always had it on. It was calming for me.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

That's awesome. Well, yeah. So, I mean, I started that and, you know, it was a. A departure for them because a lot of their shows were shot in New York. And I was like, I can't work. I need to be in LA with my family. Like, I can't leave. And we shot it in LA in a house which was totally different than what they usually do, which is mostly very studio. Mostly people like Emeril.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yep.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yep. Mario Batali. Like, those are the chefs. Right. They have.

[Rachel Zoe]

I remember.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Well. Right. And wore their little outfits and their.

[Rachel Zoe]

Chef, he had his cloth on and the whole thing.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

And I was the opposite. I was more like Martha in like a shirt, a casual. And yeah. Much like Rachel Ray and Ina Garden. We all started at the same time and it just. We had an audience that was mostly women. Yeah. Wanting to really learn how to cook at home. And it just kind of exploded. Rachel, I didn't ever planted. I just thought timing, like catering on the side because this doesn't pay.

[Rachel Zoe]

Sure.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Of course. My family was like, you're nuts. What is cable anyway?

[Rachel Zoe]

Yeah.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Like, you talking about what?

[Rachel Zoe]

He watches it.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Nobody watches that. That is Raid. Our name nuts. And I thought, well, let me just try it. Let's just try. You guys don't have any. I have no plan for myself. There's no right for me. You guys have. Yeah. So let me just.

[Rachel Zoe]

I'm on my own here.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

So I'll just try it. And. And that's it. So the first season was rough.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yeah.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

I was very shy. I was always a very shy person. So then, you know, we tried a season two and it just grew and grew. And then. Honestly, I've been on a treadmill ever since. Books, restaurants, like, it all just kind of came and I just thought. I never planned any of it. I'm the opposite of Martha, who planned everything. I just kind of went on a roller coaster and I just kind of figured it out as I went along and I mean. And you know what?

[Rachel Zoe]

Sound familiar, Mary?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Hard work. But it's also like, sometimes I do believe that the stars. You're in the right place at the right time. I mean, there's a lot of talented people out there. That don't always resonate on camera or don't engage people enough or I don't know what it is.

[Rachel Zoe]

I would agree with that. I would. I would say, and I don't say this very often, but it's funny because as I listen to you, you sound like me when I'm in an interview, which is like, I'll just be like, I didn't plan anything. I learned it as I went. I just wanted to be the best at what I was doing. And I took the different, you know, the different roads that seemed right in the moment. Right. And, you know, ultimately, I think for you, I guess in some ways the stars align, but the stars don't align if they're not right, if that makes sense. Like, they align because it. It's working. Right. There's no accident, in my opinion, because you can get there. And like you said, you did a first season. It was rough. In this day and age, they probably would have canceled you after three hours.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Absolutely.

[Rachel Zoe]

It was a different time. And I think, you know, and I always say, and I. I'm curious if you agree because you was a poor Rachel. You were the first. People didn't even know what that was and what a stylist was and all this stuff. And I'm like, yeah, but you don't understand. Being the first is hands down the hardest. Because there is no book and there's nothing to compare yourself to and there's not.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Which.

[Rachel Zoe]

Which in many ways I think is healthy because you're not looking at the others. Right?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

No roadmap.

[Rachel Zoe]

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[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah.

[Rachel Zoe]

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[Unknown Child]

My dad works in B2B marketing. But I never really knew what that meant. Then one day my dad came by my school for Career Day and told everyone in my class he was a big Roaz man. Then he just kept saying things like the bigger the Roaz, the better over and over. My friends still laugh at me to this day. I think it means calculating a return on ad spend. One thing's for sure, I'll be known as the Roaz man's kid for the rest of my days. Why couldn't you just be a fireman or a lawyer? Why? You ruined my life dad.

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[Giada De Laurentiis]

And you're like, am I going the right direction?

[Rachel Zoe]

No idea.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

You're blind.

[Rachel Zoe]

Correct.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

You're blind. It's really hard. It's.

[Rachel Zoe]

And that's why I say to you, like, I don't think it was luck because I think there was a blindness to it. And I think with that blindness came the. Which is a little bit how I went into it. Like, what do I have to lose? Right. And I think for you, it was sort of like you didn't have someone you were following. Right. And you, you clearly were driven by the passion for what you were doing. And because there were so few women, you know, I think, I think that presents its own issues because I think today we know there's multiple seats for women at any table. Mostly, even over the last five years, there's, I would argue to say there's 10x more spots for women in any field.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Right, Agree.

[Rachel Zoe]

And even so much that men in some industries are trying to bring in women so that they can check a box right now doesn't mean you don't have to hold your own, but it just means there are more spaces. So I think, I think in, in what you were doing, it's very intimidating, especially knowing that you're very powerful Italian family was not really supporting what you were doing. Right. My guess is, my question is, I'm curious, like, at what point was there this inflection of I, I probably should stop doing this and choose something else? Or was there not? Because once you started the show, it just kind of all went from there.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

All the time. All the time.

[Rachel Zoe]

All the time still. Right?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yes.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yeah. All the time.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

All the time.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yeah.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

I'm always wondering if I'm, you know, I, I think too that because the journey is sort of blind. Yeah. Don't know, like, should I take a right now or should I go left? Is it time to re. To reinvent myself or is. Do I just stay on the same journey, continue on? Like, I don't know. And I think, you know, for me, ah, when I did Food Network, I started when I wasn't married and I didn't have a child. Then I got married right on my show. And then I got, then I had a child, watched me be pregnant on the show. They watched me have my daughter. They watched my daughter grow up. And so then I got divorced and then I Was like, should I just quit all together? Because my career and I just created a family on this show that now doesn't even friggin exist. And I have to be honest about the fact that it doesn't exist. Like all of these moments in my life. I just don't want to do this anymore. I don't want. Don't want to be seen anymore. I don't. I just want to. You want to disappear for. There's a lot of insecurity. I think it's, it's a lot. You never know if you're making the right choice and. Yes.

[Rachel Zoe]

And also your identity as a mother, like, those decisions become very different when you have your child because I also had mine during my filming. And I, you know, you start to be like, who am I? Can I still be that person? I'm pre, you know, I'm projecting out there. And part of you just wants to go, can I just escape with my child or my children? So I just go dark. Can I go dark for a year? Pause, pause. I want to raise my kids. Like we don't have luxury.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Is that an option for us? I don't know. I mean, like, those were all things. Like, can you come back? You're older. Like it's, it's all this stuff. Like I'm in my 50s, so I'm like, oh my God, how long do you have? I mean, I know Martha's 80 something, but let's be honest, that's happened a lot of women. That's just. He's no special bird all the time.

[Rachel Zoe]

She is, she is and has always been and.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Absolutely.

[Rachel Zoe]

And from what I can see. Are you a Virgo or Leo? Virgo. You're right on the cusp.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah, I am. Nice job.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Same.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah.

[Rachel Zoe]

Which is why I, which is why all the things that are. All the, all this, that, that's going. I'm like, yeah, she's.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Oh, man. You don't know. And still to this day, Rachel, I don't know. You know, I left network two years ago and who knows? Was that the right choice? Was it not? I don't know. I just feel like you do what you think is best at the moment and you write it out and you see how it all comes together. I feel like some of us are a different era, you know what I mean? Than talkers that are doing. I mean, food has exploded on social. It's really nice. I'm a different generation. Right. I exploded in a different medium when paper was exploding. So, like, I feel like, it.

[Rachel Zoe]

It's just, you know, your daughter have any interest in what you do?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Absolutely not. Yeah. Daughter wants to sing and dance.

[Rachel Zoe]

And by the way, bless dance.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

She wants to be on stage. She.

[Rachel Zoe]

No, by the way. But that's in your DNA, right? I mean, you are on stage just in a different medium, a different way.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah. Yeah. But no, she's not. Interlude. She could care less. Not at all. In fact, I think for her, she's trying to find her own identity.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yeah, of course.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

And I think that's the number one way to do so is to just come say, that's my luck. Please don't think that that is me 100. I am a totally different person. And I get it.

[Rachel Zoe]

I. I do want to talk about what's now, because now I think you're taking the brand and launching, like, all different sort of like, products. Right. And doing like, a full, like, even more like, leaning into that. Is that correct?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah. So I think that for most of the time that I've been cooking, I've been teaching people about the way Italians eat. And I do this in my restaurants as well. Like, for instance, in Las Vegas, I've had a restaurant there for 10 years, and I really make it vegetable forward. And with the pasta process before, it was cool. Yes.

[Rachel Zoe]

There.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

I mean, I can't even tell you what I had to go through on that one. Ten years ago when I didn't want to highlight steaks all the time or I didn't want.

[Rachel Zoe]

I try and do it in my house, and it's challenging.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

So you can hit a message.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yes, I can.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah. So I think, you know, with vegetable forward and teaching people to eat smaller meals, my pasta dishes in Vegas, in the beginning, it was really rough. People were like, what the hell is this? Small portion. Sure. How we eat, we eat onto. Then we eat a small portion of the first course is pasta, and then we move on to fish or meat and vegetable. Like, everything is small portions. We don't eat a giant bowl of anything. Including. Yeah. So teaching people about portion size was a big thing when I started. And also clean ingredients. And that Italian food isn't just spaghetti and meatballs.

[Rachel Zoe]

Of course.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

We eat so many different types of food, and a lot of it is really clean. They don't have a lot of fillers. They don't have a lot of gums. They don't have artificial flavor. Like, we don't eat out of packages. I did not grow up eating out of packages, and I grew up here.

[Rachel Zoe]

See now, okay, so how many times have you heard the following? Oh, my God. I spent two months in Europe and I came home and lost 10 pounds, but I ate everything. How many times have you heard that?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

I can't tell you. Thousands.

[Rachel Zoe]

I've heard that since I was a little kid. And my parents would come home because I would go to sleep away. They would ship me off for summer and go to Europe and they would come home and be like, daddy. And I ate pasta and pizza and gelato and this and that, and we both lost 10 pounds. And I'm like, imagine that. And as I got like, literally once I hit my 20s, I was like, because there's no chemicals in the food. There's no. It's not processed. They're eating fresh food, you know, and it's like, this is not hard, but yet it's impossible, right?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah. In this country it's.

[Rachel Zoe]

Yes.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Almost impossible.

[Rachel Zoe]

Like, wow. We just eliminated red dye number three after knowing it causes cancer for the last 40 years.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Cool. Exactly.

[Rachel Zoe]

I. Your battle is real, my friend. Your battle is real.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

So, I mean, I think on my shows and cookbooks and restaurants, I started that path. And so then now with.

[Rachel Zoe]

Gotta be hard. It's gotta be hard in restaurants in the US I can. Especially in Vegas, by the way, which.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Was my very first restaurant.

[Rachel Zoe]

I mean, LA may be easier, you know.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yes. But, you know, I was offered this thing in. In Vegas and I thought, I'm already on screen and I feel like it's dinner and a movie kind of thing. And this makes sense for my brand. And absolutely, it worked because I'm in 10 years and it's fabulous, but a lot of. A lot of banging my head against the wall. It's like, guys. So anyhow, with. With Super Italian, which is my latest cookbook, I decided that it was because the one I did before Super Italian was Eat Better, Feel better because I had through some chronic issues with my health. And so I had to really reboot the way I thought about eating. And it was pretty strict. And so that one came out during COVID strangely, but really going through the fort. My 40s and explaining to people like, this is what happened to me. This is my hormone situation after I had my daughter. This is, you know, the overwork, the. The cortisol levels, like the, like every just went berserk. And so I went on this journey for a really clean, clean lifestyle. And I really started to be very rigid with the way I ate. And then in my 50s, I started to realize I can't live that way. The balance is what Italians. I mean, that is why I. That's how I grew up. It's all balance. You can eat, but you have to decide what kind of pasta you're going to eat.

[Rachel Zoe]

Of course.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

How is the pot? Where's the pasta come from? The pasta, how much pasta with what?

[Rachel Zoe]

Right.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

This book is more about taking the superfoods that Italians have enjoyed forever. Tin fish, olive oil, capers, herbs, citrus, you name it, I have a whole list. And then infusing them in all of our favorite dishes so that you can enjoy the food that you like. But it's all has a nutritional value that is heightened instead of empty, which is how a lot of Americans eat. You know, a lot of us eat empty food.

[Rachel Zoe]

Oh, yeah.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Teaching people all day, every day. Yeah. To eat food that is like I have a sheet pan lasagna, you know, but I've added a lot less cheese and that broccoli rabe mixed in with the meat and everything else so that you have more things that are nutrient dense. Right. I think that the, the whole idea is like eating dishes. Even this pasta cecina that I love, that is very popular right now, where it's kind of a burnt spaghetti that you have differently. You don't cook it in a pot. You cook it in like a round skillet.

[Rachel Zoe]

Wait, can I pause? I love when you speak Italian. Like as soon as you mention food, you become Italian. I'm obsessed.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

So amazing. Because it's crispy. So then I put sardines on top of it. Or you put anchovies. You know, I do these garlicky breadcrumbs that have anchovies mixed in. Like all of these tricks to make the food taste really good, but also be nutrient dense. And that's what this book is about. But it's fun and it's, you know, it's sheet pan chicken parm, but with my garlic and breadcrumbs that have all of that anchovy in it so that they taste really amazing. But they're also something that you all. Everybody loves, you know.

[Rachel Zoe]

So you know what you're gonna have to do now, right? What? You're gonna have to tick tock it. You're gonna have to Instagram reels it.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah.

[Rachel Zoe]

You're gonna have to hire all the 20 somethings to start making all of these bags.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yes, please. Then with Jobsy, I brought in another element where you can actually buy pasta that is. Has no fillers, that is straight from.

[Rachel Zoe]

Italy that have some in my kitchen.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Oh, you do. Great. Yeah. So you can start to see the Quality. It's about quality ingredients. And we have to eventually get to the point where we value that. You know, we value the quality of what we're putting in our bodies and teaching people about that, making it sexy and fun and cool, because I think that's really the only way that people will.

[Rachel Zoe]

Well, it should be like, you know, here's the thing. It's like, at the end of the day, I think there's always been so much focus historically on dress like a French girl, eat like a French girl, look like a French girl. And I know for me, I've always been so incredibly attracted to, like, the natural glamour of Italian women. You know, French girl, for me, was always cool, but Italian women were always glamorous, you know, And I really think that is something that you can and should infuse into the brand because, a, you're so beautiful. But I think beyond that, it's sort of like, you know, making it so relatable and desirable to this generation, because I think there is. There has always been that sort of real authenticity in Italian lifestyle and food and cooking and. And women. Right. And I think there's not enough emphasis, in my opinion, on that. You know, there's so much on French women, and. And I don't want to underplay that from a style perspective, but I think for me, when I think of Italian women, it's like, you know, the natural tan, the gold jewelry, the. The caftans, the prints, the gorgeousness sitting on their boats and the whole thing. But, like, less. But it is effortless, and it's all, like, oltunita. Right.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

It's also that, like, how they express themselves, how they live their lives.

[Rachel Zoe]

Correct.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

We're more relaxed. We're. Yeah, we take long naps in the middle of the day. We en espresso with a biscotto. Like, we enjoy wine. We. We enjoy everything, but not to an excess. It's not about, like, overdoing everything. It's just everything in balance, everything in moderation, and 100% spending it with people that you love in places that you love. I mean, I grew up with my family's like, no, we're eating dinner together. We're going to. We're going to talk, we're going to discuss. And this, like, this just vivaciousness that's in. Because we're so. We're very passionate people about everything that we do. And I think that is probably why people love Italian food and love traveling to Italy. Italy is the number one donation for, you know, for crafting.

[Rachel Zoe]

I Know, and so I'm, I don't know. I, I'm such a fan. I love what you've built. I'm so excited for what you are still doing and still building. Because this is not easy. It's not easy. And, and, and I see you and I feel you and I, I really, I really do.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

And remarkable yourself, Rachel. Oh, yeah. I don't think there's a soul who doesn't know who you are. In fact, I was talking to you earlier and she was like, oh, I know who she is.

[Rachel Zoe]

Oh.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Like, she's just epic. You've done an amazing job, truly. It's, it's, you know, you pioneered something that is, that was never seen to be something that was glamorous or special. Like, you know, and I think you've made people see that and people really appreciate and respect all the hard work you've done. And that is hats off to you. That is not a freaking easy thing to do.

[Rachel Zoe]

So thank you right back. And I think we're, we're pretty kindred souls, I think, in different fields, but I think probably looking at things from a very, very similar vantage point.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Absolutely.

[Rachel Zoe]

And, and listen, and that's why I'm saying, like, when you were speaking about the struggles, they're, they're real and valid, but I do think it keeps that sort of like passion going is the desire to I think, just remain authentic and still do what we do. But still there's so much to teach people and I think it's trying to figure out the different lenses in which to teach it, you know?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yes. And how, how, how they can absorb it. Right. You have to make it so that they enjoy watching it. They want more. And that is always a tricky thing to do with the changing times. God help me.

[Rachel Zoe]

Thank God for your 16 year old daughter.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah. A lot of the times she's like.

[Rachel Zoe]

By the way, I have a 14 year old son and I'm just like, okay, like, you shoot the content on this, mom.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

You got to do this, you got to do that. Let's do this together. I mean, I don't know what I'd do without her. She's.

[Rachel Zoe]

I think you guys could crush it on Tick Tock together.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yeah. Yeah. Now that it's back. Yeah.

[Rachel Zoe]

She can sing and you can cook.

[Giada De Laurentiis]

Yes. And by the way, people would love to hear that.

[Rachel Zoe]

Right?

[Giada De Laurentiis]

That would.

[Rachel Zoe]

I mean, I'm telling you, thank you so much to Giada for being on the pod today. She truly has made her own way in the food industry and clearly has so much passion for her work. I feel like she's still just scratching the surface and I think like so many of us just trying to keep her authentic passion new and fresh for the younger generations and how to embrace that while still remaining fully authentic and true to yourself and what you know and love. So all just so interesting and she's so beyond inspiring and fascinating. So I hope you loved this episode as much as I did. Thank you so much for listening to Climbing in Heels. If you have not already, please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcast, Spotify, the Iheart app, or wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss a single episode this season. Be sure to follow me on Instagram at rachelzo and the show Climbing in Heels pod for the latest episodes and updates. I will talk to you soon.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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