Giada De Laurentiis’ Worst Recipe Is ‘a Bad Idea’ — ‘It’s Gross,’ Says 1 Reviewer

Even award-winning chefs don’t always please everyone’s tastes. Giada De Laurentiis‘ Star Anise and Cinnamon Beer recipe is proof that experimenting with unique flavors doesn’t always result in happy home cooks. Though fans agree the recipe’s sweet syrup will leave your home smelling wonderful, one says you should skip adding it to beer and use it for dessert instead. Decide for yourself with our quick recap of De Laurentiis’ Star Anise and Cinnamon Beer recipe and why it’s ranked one of the Food Network chef’s worst recipes. 

How Giada De Laurentiis became known as the goddess of Italian food

Giada De Laurentiis is a household name for Food Network fans, but she didn’t intend to become a celebrity chef despite being the granddaughter of film producer Dino De Laurentiis. Working at her grandfather’s restaurant/market inspired her to pursue a career as a chef.

Laurentiis’ early passion for Italian cooking led to professional schooling at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and training positions at prestigious Beverly Hills restaurants. After catching the attention of a Food Network executive with a feature in Food & Wine magazine, she secured her cooking show Everyday Italian on the network in 2002.

With the chef’s warm personality, stunning good looks, and talent for sharing quick and healthful Italian recipes with fans, she became one of the most recognizable faces on the network. Earning Emmys for Outstanding Lifestyle Host and Outstanding Culinary Host and becoming a New York Times best-selling author with her foray into cookbooks, De Laurentiis is more than a TV star and goddess of Italian food. 

Try making Giada De Laurentiis’ ‘gross’ recipe before chopping it from your drink list

One of De Laurentiis’ lowest-ranked recipes on the Food Network’s website is her Star Anise and Cinnamon Beer. Though one reviewer warns that “it’s gross,” you might want to try it for yourself before jumping to conclusions. Whip up this unique beer recipe in about an hour by gathering the following ingredients: sugar, water, star anise pods, cinnamon sticks, and some chilled lager beer (De Laurentiis recommends using Heineken). 

After measuring the ingredients according to Laurentiis’ recipe, you’re ready to start cooking. Within 10 minutes, you can prepare De Laurentiis’ Star Anise and Cinnamon Beer. Begin by busting out a small saucepan to bring the sugar, water, star anise, and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer and continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved. After creating your wonderfully smelling syrup, remove it from the heat to cool for about an hour.

Then strain it into a large pitcher and, if serving immediately, add the beer to the pitcher. Give the mixture a good stir, and enjoy. If you don’t plan to serve after the syrup has cooled, keep the pitcher with the strained syrup in the refrigerator, and mix the beer in just before serving for the best taste.

1 reviewer says the Star Anise and Cinnamon Beer recipe is a ‘bad idea’

Though reviewers agree the syrup is sweet and delicious, one commenter on the Food Network website says that “adding it to the beer [is] a bad idea. It’s gross. Save it for a dessert.”

Another reviewer writes that even for a beer lover, “you wouldn’t want to drink a lot of it because it’s sweet.”

These comments could be why De Laurentiis’ Star Anise and Cinnamon Beer is one of her lowest-rated recipes on the Food Network website. However, despite the comments, reviewers are open to making it again. Whether you decide to experiment with the award-winning chef’s beer concoction or skip it for one of her top-rated recipes, the verdict of good or gross lies within your tastebuds.