Giada De Laurentiis isn’t so sure her daughter, Jade, is going to follow in mom’s cooking footsteps.
“I would say that she’s not a lover of cooking the way I am, and she won’t be following in my footsteps,” Giada, 54, exclusively shared with Us Weekly while celebrating the launch of Peroni Italian Beer Ice. “We have to find our own language together, and I think that’s what we’re doing through social media.”
When browsing the Emmy-winning chef’s Instagram page, followers will likely spot videos of Giada and Jade, 17, exploring new dishes and recipes in the kitchen.
While the clips have grabbed the attention of fans thanks to the stars of the show, Giada said she never pressures her daughter to pursue cooking.
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“She’s a theater girl. She loves the theater. She loves to act, perform, sing, she’s in a band. Those are the things she’s passionate about,” Giada explained. “Does she like food? Yeah. Can she make a mean pasta? Yeah, but not for me. She’ll make it for her friends or her boyfriend, but not for me. I think with me, she likes to discover new flavors, and she likes to do twists on things that she loves with flavors that are new to her.”
Earlier this month, the mother-daughter duo explored a salmon cup recipe from Naughty Fork founder Sam Schnur. They’ve also documented their adventures taking on the Dubai chocolate trend and making Easter treats.
As Jade prepares for another year of high school, Giada can’t help but remember introducing her daughter to small things about the kitchen at a young age.
“I think when she was really young, she was very interested, and I embraced it,” Giada said. “I let her come into the kitchen. … I let her look through cookbooks and pick recipes that she liked. Usually, they had a photo, which is what inspired her, and it helped me understand how to engage people because I realized, ‘OK, kids will want to eat what they have taken responsibility in picking.’”
From Giada’s perspective, the more parents engage with their children in the kitchen, the more empowering it will become for them.
“I think that’s where Jade and I learned our language was around that,” she said. “I encourage parents to open cookbooks, let them pick out what to make, and that helps [start] a conversation. That is how I think Jade and I have bonded over the years, and little by little, I think she’s learned how to cook a little bit.”
This summer, Giada is ready to soak up the sun and enjoy a delicious treat in the warmest months of the year.
As Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s official partner, Giada is helping launch Peroni Italian Beer Ice, which is described as a limited-edition beer-infused Italian ice treat that brings the crisp, refreshing taste of Italy to fans nationwide.
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“We’re going to be selling it online, and it’s basically a lemon-based icy [with] lemon syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, mint and then the Peroni beer — smooth, crisp, citrusy and really refreshing over the ice,” Giada teased. “I think it will really be fun for people.”
Regardless of whether you can experience Giada’s great food at her restaurants in Las Vegas or Scottsdale, Arizona, the best-selling cookbook author believes adults can enjoy the treat anywhere their summer takes them.
“My vision is a pizza party with Peroni Italian Beer Ice,” she said. “I think the two together makes it so easy to entertain, so fun and I think it’s clever and I think people haven’t really heard that before. … It’s a way for us to enjoy ourselves without having way too much fun and having a terrible hangover the next day and still stay hydrated.”
