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A BIG disappointment

WOW, like many past reviewers I've been eagerly waiting for this cookbook but I am so very disappointed! I have never written a review before but had to this time. Save your money and download the recipes from www.foodtv.com. Or, at least make sure you know what you're buying - go to the bookstore and thumb through the book. If I'd have done that it would have saved me the hassle of having to return the book to Amazon.

So, why do we order a book from a Food TV Chef if we can just get the recipes for free from www.foodtv.com? Because, we are looking for things that the site does not offer, like:

1. Pictures of the dishes
2. An organized version of the show's recipes
3. New recipes not available on the food tv website

Here's how the book falls short:

1. Pictures of Giada dominate the book (50+) instead of the dishes (30). Oh, and a sprig of rosemary or stack of tuna cans does NOT count as a picture of the dish, I'm talking the finished dish.

2. The organization is horrible. Instead of the standard appetizers, soup, etc. she organizes the book by:
+ ANTIPASTI
- Fresh from the Pantry (3 recipes)
- Seafood Starters (2 recipes)
- Frittatas (2 recipes)
- Tricolore (2 recipes)
- Olives & Olive Oil (7 recipes)
- Bread & Sandwiches (3 recipes)
- Prosciutto (4 recipes)
- Roasted Peppers (3 recipes)
+ SAUCES
+ PASTA/POLENTA/RISOTTO
+ ENTREES
+ CONTORNI
+ DOLCI
And there are way too many sub sections. For example, you can see above how Antipasti is divided further into 8 subsections with an average of only 3 recipes per section. Sections are only useful when you have a lot of recipes to organize which this book does not. Additionally, there is a lot of "INTRO FLUFF" (table of contents, intro paragraph, or picture of Giada again). For example, the Antipasti chapter has 13 pages of intro fluff for just 26 recipes!

3. New recipes? Don't expect any, period. Plus, many of the ones that I really enjoyed from her show aren't included like Pasta e Fagioli or Italian Wedding Soup. Actually, there isn't even a single soup recipe!

Lastly, many pages are difficult to read because of the lack of contrast between the background and the print. Better luck next time Giada.