TV Dinners: Giada's Redemption?

So you may have read about Giada de Laurentiis breaking my heart with her cruel and inhumane treatment of artichokes and gorgonzola. You may also know that being Italian and Mexican, I'm damn good at holding a grudge.

But it's a new year. One in which I'm trying to be more forgiving. I decided to see if Giada could redeem herself. Enter: Giada's Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce.

Now let me tell y'all a little somethin'-somethin' about bechamel sauce. I loves it. And even though it sounds all fancy pants and French culinary school complicated, it's actually not. We can thank Bobby Flay and his adorable wife for teaching me the beauty of adding cream and cheese together until it's simmered to thick happiness. Did you guys see that sickeningly sweet episode of Brunch at Bobby's where he brings his wife into the kitchen and they cook French brasserie food together? Did you also then yell at your husband because he never cooks with you like Bobby's spouse does? Did you also then try to bribe him into co-cooking time with your take on Bobby's Croque Madame (Monsieur in our house) cuz that's The Hub's FAVE and makes you both get all mushy, Paris-trip-reminiscing, romancey-smoochy-faced? And did your husband just laugh at you and refuse to enter the kitchen but then still get all reminscing-mushy-smoochy-faced when handed his cheese covered sandwich? No? Just me? Huh. Well, you should totally watch that episode anyway.

Annnnyway, Giada. And her version of Bechamel, which I saw on her "Italian Comfort Food" episode, making me really, really happy. Pasta baked with creamy cheesiness and prosciutto? Possible Giada redemption? Yes, please.

Right off the bat, I was a little wary when she called for Fontina cheese.

TV Dinners: Giada De Laurentiis’ Baked Artichokes with Gorgonzola and Herbs

Interwebs, I have a secret. I have a girl-crush on Giada De Laurentiis.

She’s Italian, sexy, stylish, AND she makes cooking look crazy easy. And even though she shows off her perfect Italian pronunciation like an overzealous anchorwoman, she manages to be adorable while doing so. I think The Hubs is hiding his annoyance with how much space Everyday Italian and Giada at Home are taking up on the TiVo. I can’t help it. I heart her.

So when my mom said she was making me Giada’s Baked Artichokes with Gorgonzola and Herbs, I all but squealed with glee. I loooooove artichokes. I love Giada. I love gorgonzola. Yup. Mom rocks.

Mom and I are artichoke snobs and we take them ever so seriously. Right off the bat, we were confused when Giada directed us BOIL them. Boil? Seriously? Not steam? We were baffled and I started to question my crush. But we pressed on.

Moving on to the cheese filling. Mmmmmm. Cheese. Ten ounces seemed like a LOT for such a strong cheese as Gorgonzola but loving the dairy delight, we shrugged it off and blended it all with parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Shaking our heads, we pulled the ‘chokes out of the boiling water and filled them with the cheese mix, topped with a combo of bread crumbs and parsley, drizzled with olive oil and baked them for the 25 minutes per the recipe.

Timer dinged! Tummies growled! Oven opened ~ frowny faces. No crisp golden crumb topping as Giada had told us. Instead, a puddle of oily cheese gloop in some sad lookin’ artichokes.

We set the timer for ten more minutes.

Nada. Another ten.

Nope. Another five.

Oily pool with some brown crumbs floating on top. We finally took them out and gave them a whirl.
WTH, Giada?!?!? Why do you hate me?

Sadly, ours looked nothing like The Food Network's pic.

They were awful. I guess the one saving grace was the Gorgonzola’s crazy overpowering of the artichokes shoe-leather like texture. We tried to power through, we really did. But after only a few bites, Mom and I were defeated by the rubbery leaves and greasy cheese. We never even got to our beloved hearts.

Giada, I loved you. I wanted us to be besties. I envisioned quaint backyard BBQs, sunset cocktails and girlish giggles over kitchen mishap story swapping. But noooooooo. You not only threw our love away, you made my mother violate defenseless artichokes and innocent Gorgonzola!

Sigh. Giaga, I beg of you. Never make people treat such perfect ingredients so cruelly again. I hope I can forgive you, but the artichokes and I will never forget.

See? She's mean to tomatoes, too!

Lady B’s Final Say So:

• Ease Factor: 4 out of 5 noms
• Taste Test: 0 out of 5 noms
• Truth in Advertising: 1 out of 5 noms
• The Hubs’  (well in this case, Mom’s) Vote: 1 out of 5 noms
• Yeah, but is it pretty?: 0 out of 5 noms
• Overall: Shame on you, Giada!

*Okay, I know my mom technically made this one. But as a witness to preparation and active participant in consumption, I’m using it, dammit.*


{originally posted on 1/3/12 here}