Giada's Holiday Handbook

Giada De Laurentiis kicks off the holiday season with a chicken-and-pie party. Her menu includes savoury butternut squash crostata, lemony fried chicken, tiramisu ice box torta and lambrusco sangria.

As the host of Thanksgiving dinner, Giada De Laurentiis has a step-by-step approach for planning and executing the feast. Her make-ahead holiday menu includes sweet and savoury kale salad and prosciutto-wrapped turkey.

Giada De Laurentiis marks the official start of the Christmas season by inviting friends and family over to wrap gifts and enjoy delicious food. Her festive holiday buffet includes antipasti skewers and Italian hot brown crostini.

Giada De Laurentiis gathers her friends for a Christmas cocktail party and `Silly Santa' gift exchange. Her holiday appetisers include spinach artichoke panini bites, warm citrus marinated olives and burnt-citrus cocktails.

Giada De Laurentiis and her daughter, Jade, host a Christmas party for the kids. While they decorate cut-out sugar cookies, the kids enjoy other homemade goodies, including brown butter krispies and chocolate citrus slushies.

Giada De Laurentiis hosts a family Christmas Eve dinner that honours an Italian tradition. However, her menu reflects the California setting, with red snapper puttanesca, crab and cherry tomato fettuccine and mini lobster rolls.