Nadia Giosia - Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen: Cookin’ for Trouble

A BALLANTINE BOOKS TRADE PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

COPYRIGHT 2011 BY NADIA GIOSIA
FOREWORD COPYRIGHT 2011 BY GUY FIERI

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES BY BALLANTINE BOOKS, AN IMPRINT OF THE RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP,
A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC.,NEW YORK.

BALLANTINE AND COLOPHON ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC

GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS MADE OF SKIRT!, A DIVISION OF GLOBE PEQUOT PRESS, FOR PERMISSION TO REPRINT TEXT FROM BITCHIN KITCHEN COOKBOOK:ROCK YOUR KITCHEN AND LET THE BOYS CLEAN UP THE MESS BY NADIA G, COPYRIGHT 2009 BY B360 MEDIA, INC. USED BY PERMISSION OF SKIRT!, A DIVISION OF GLOBE PEQUOT PRESS, GUILFORD, CT USA.

eISBN: 978-0-345-53183-4

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When I was a kid, growing up in a small Northern California town, Ferndale, my parents were kind of on the hippie fringe, especially when it came to food tofu, quinoa, and a bunch of other stuff that doesnt exactly excite a kid. And I wanted to eat chicken parm, ribeye steaks, salami, etc. As they often do, my parents gave it to me straight: Guy, if you want to eat it, you can make it yourself. So, at about ten years old, I hit the local butcher shop, bought a couple of steaks and cooked em up. My dad cut into it, took a bite and kind of gave me this look. Oh boy, am I gonna get it now! I thought, but he turned to me and said, Guy, this might just be the best steak Ive ever had. And that was it. I knew what I wanted to do. Cooking those steaks for my family was the beginning of my own personal Food Revolution and I never looked back.

All that I ever wanted to be was a good dad, a chef, and own my own restaurant. And by the time I was twenty-five, I was on the road to both. Hunter was just born and two months later, we opened my first restaurant, Johnny Garlics California Pasta Grill. The confluence of food and fatherhood was so obvious to me at that point that I knew I was on the right path. Teaching people about good food and providing them a satisfying and enjoyable experience was my MO both at work and at home. My message was becoming more and more clear. My Food Revolution.

By the time I won The Next Food Network Star in 2005, I was already pretty much set and happy in my life: TV was the last thing I thought Id be doing let alone food TV. But my buddies told me Id be good so I gave it a shot and the rest is history. Celebrity chef, culinary rockstar, TV host, New York Times bestselling author, whatever people try to label me, my message remains the same. My personal goals and my Food Revolution are still consistent and I just look at it like Ive got a bigger platform to spread the message.

Mentors like my buddy Emeril made a big impact on me in my first TV years and gave me the confidence to push forward with my message, even when people wanted to hear other things from me. People always want me to talk about whatever giant sandwich I ate on the road with Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. But what I want to tell them about is how important it is to get off the couch and into the kitchen with their kids to teach them the all-important life skill of cooking. I want them to know how to avoid childhood obesity by teaching their kids the basics of nutrition and cooking whole foods as opposed to processed foods. I want them to know that spending time in the kitchen with their kids will give the next generation more confidence and a more positive affirmation than they can imagine. I want people to see the connection between moderation, exercise, and careful attention to what we put in our bodies. Thats the real Guy Fieri. Thats my Food Revolution.

When I first met my paisan Nadia G and watched her show, Bitchin Kitchen, I saw a kindred spirit. Shes totally out of bounds and follows her own rules. I read her first book cover to cover and couldnt believe what she was pullin off! And I knew she was really onto something when even my dad came to me and told me hed read the whole book I didnt think that it would be up his alley at all. But, you never know what audience you can reach when you are pushing the envelope. Nadia didnt have a TV platform so she invented her own medium online. My way of speaking to people has always been through my restaurants, my food, and now my shows. Nadias is through her passionate online community and now, TV. We reach people in different ways but I see the focus and drive she has to communicate with her people. Cookin for Trouble is passionate and hilarious but most important, its full of great recipes from growing up in her Italian family.

Nadia can cook and Nadia can tell a story and when it comes to communicating with people, thats what you need. Nadias got her own revolution going on and I dig that. Shes got a lot to say and she wont stop until you hear it. The message is in her kitchen thats Bitchin and shes Cookin for Trouble. Guy (Guido)

Some of the best meals Ive ever eaten werent concocted in 5-star restaurants. In fact, they were created by people whove never even heard of a Michelin star. These cooks didnt graduate from Le Cordon Bleu, the Culinary Institute of America, or the Academy of *Stu Cazze. The best meals Ive ever eaten were made by humble folks whod probably clothesline whoever invented the decorative rosemary sprig. Im talking about Mom, *Nonna, *Zia, Cugi

Its from that long line of bad-ass, home-schooled, fierce-female cooks that I learned to dish it out. And I aint just talkin food. See, in my family, the kitchen was where it all went down. Its where we laughed, confessed, brawled, celebrated, and mourned. We practically lived in the kitchen, and thats definitely where we came alive. Food just set the stage until it was time to eat, then Shaddup and pass da Parmigiano, but you get the picture.

And thats how we roll on Bitchin Kitchen. Were loud, were messy, and weve got a meal for every occasion. From Breakup Brunches to Dysfunctional Family Pizza Night, were not afraid to lay it all on the table, laugh in the face of whatever life serves up, and stuff our gullets while were at it. As fresh as this concept may seem, its actually pretty old school. And I guess thats why we have the most Bitchin community in the lifestyle space. Because ultimately, were like family (or the family you never wished you had) breaking bread, breaking balls, and breaking all the rules.

People always ask me where I got the idea for a crazy comedy-cooking show. Easy: I grew up in a crazy comedy-cooking show. What I wonder is where people got the idea that the kitchen was some kinda sterile space with about as much personality as a stainless countertop? *Boh. I dont know about you, but the kitchens I grew up in were beautifully chaotic, and thats exactly how I like it.