Giada De Laurentiis
Information
Biography
Giada De Laurentiis was born on August 22, 1970 in Rome, Lazio, Italy as Giada Pamela De Benedetti. She has been married to Todd Thompson since May 25, 2003. They have one child. Her mother, Veronica De Laurentiis, is an actress, and her father, Alex De Benedetti, is an actor and producer
Education
She graduated from Marymount High School. De Laurentiis attended the University of California, Los Angeles, earning her bachelor's degree in social anthropology. After that, she went to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She then went back to the U.S. and became a professional chef working in several Los Angeles restaurants.
Employment
She worked for two restaurants: the Ritz Carlton Fine Dining Room and Wolfgang Puck's Spago Restaurant. She worked as a food stylist during her time at both of her restaurants.
Restaurants
She doesn't own any restaurants, but the places that she has worked had a "California Cuisine" type of food at the restaurants.
Books/ Television Shows
She started a catering company called GDL Foods. Then a friend of hers that works for a magazine company asked about her family's Sunday meal traditions for an atricle. Then a executive with the Food Network saw De Laurentiis's piece, and she developed her own series for the channel called Everyday Italian. Next Food Network Star, Giada at Home, and a cookbook called Giada's Kitchen that Giada made were some of her accomplishments.
Awards/ Recognition
Daytime Emmy Award, Outstanding Lifestyle Host Winner (2008)
Daytime Emmy Award, Outstanding Lifestyle Host Nominee (2010) (2012)
Gracie Award, Outstanding Host (2012)
Culinary Hall of Fame (2012)