You Need to Celebrate La Dolce Vita This Summer

How three generations of De Laurentiis women define “the sweet life.”

Behind the scenes with Giada De Laurentiis her mother Veronica and her daughter Jade as they walk to the beach, as seen on Giada in Italy, Season 3.

Behind the scenes with Giada De Laurentiis her mother Veronica and her daughter Jade as they walk to the beach, as seen on Giada in Italy, Season 3.

This weekend on Giada in Italy, Giada, her daughter, Jade, and her mother, Veronica are celebrating la dolce vita. “The actual translation is "the sweet life,' in Italian,” says Giada. “We all have a vision of what la dolce vita means.” For Giada’s mother, it is a day shopping with her daughter and granddaughter. For Jade, the sweet life is truly sweet and always includes a generous scoop of gelato. For Giada, nothing is better than enjoying simple food by the sea with people that she loves.

“I think that the sweet life changes as we grow older,” muses Giada,” but I think at this point in time, that's how I think the three of us -- the different generations of Italian women – define la dolce vita.”

“There's a famous photograph of three women taken in Capri in the 1930s that, I think ,captures the essence of la dolce vita,” says Giada. “They are out in the bay where, the Faraglioni are, and they are on a raft, and they're all enjoying a plate of pasta.” (Check it out here!)

While you figure out your own version of la dolce vita, make Giada’s girls’ weekend seaside picnic menu and park yourself in a sunny place with a few of your loved ones. Who knows, you just might find it.

Girls' Weekend Seaside Picnic Menu

Amalfi Lemon Chicken – Step 1: Roast a rosemary-and-thyme scented chicken over a bed of lemons and then pour the lemony juices over the finished dish. Step 2: Close your eyes and pretend you're in Capri.

Pan-Fried Zucchini with Anchovy Vinaigrette - This dish is an homage to one of GIada's favorite dishes in Capti. She fries zucchini until crisp and then tosses it with a light anchovy dressing.

Grilled Plum and Pistachio Salad - Giada grills local plums to enhance their sweetness and then tosses them with a simple salad studded with pistachios.

Grilled Shrimp with Peach Cocktail Sauce - Put a sweet spin on shrimp cocktail by serving it with a homemade peach cocktail sauce.

See what else Giada is cooking up in Capri on Giada in Italy Sundays at 11:30a|10:30c.

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