Hungry? That is one question to which I will gladly answer “yes!” more often than I’d like to admit. I love to eat and part of me loves to cook, but a bigger part of me finds cooking daunting and stressful. Too many ingredients, too many tools, and too much time are my biggest complaints. That was until the day I met Giada De Laurentis while watching the Food Network.

As testament to my love of food, I almost always watch the Food Network while working out on my elliptical machine. A strange combination, I admit, but I truly become entranced by these chefs. Their ease in the kitchen, their skill with food, their corresponding tools and the mouth-watering dishes they create transport me from the reality of my grueling 30-minute cardio routine and helps me forget the energy I have to expend to be able to eat the foods I like.

What drew me to Giada was how different she was than most other chef’s I’d seen. First of all, she is thin, attractive, fashionable and approachable. She is how I would like to imagine myself to be if I were a chef. Her recipes follow the same formula: simple ingredients and easy-to-follow directions that create accessible and delicious dishes. Healthy and simultaneously satisfying, some of my favorite Giada recipes are her Turkey Meatballs, Simple Bolognese and Chicken Saltimbocca.

A hard working girl, Giada’s show “Everyday Italian” airs twelve times a week at both 11am and 4:30pm on Food Network. She has a cookbook with the same name and has authored two other books, “Giada’s Family Dinners” and “Everyday Pasta.” I own them all and have used them extensively.

Now here’s the good news: you don’t need to buy a book to get access to Giada’s recipes – most are available on the Food Network’s website. It can’t get much easier or taste much better, so there is really no excuse not to try out a Giada recipe and get over your fear of the kitchen! I promise you will not be disappointed and you definitely won’t be hungry.