Giada De Laurentiis Is Leaving the U.S. for Thanksgiving: ‘It's Going to Be Very Inspirational’ (Exclusive)

Giada De Laurentiis will fulfill a long-standing travel goal this Turkey Day.

“I just decided yesterday that I’m going to go crazy and go to Japan, which I’ve always wanted to do for Thanksgiving,” the 54-year-old celebrity chef told PEOPLE in October when discussing her upcoming cookbook, Super-Italian.

“My family asks, ‘What? You can’t leave because I’m usually the cook on Thanksgiving, so I think they’re a little freaked out,” she said. “But I’m so excited.”

She added that the Food Network alum’s 16-year-old daughter, Jade, agreed with the plan.

“I’ve been talking about this for five years,” explained De Laurentiis. “I think Jade is saying, ‘Let’s make it so I stop hearing about it.’ Anyway, yes, we will go to Tokyo and Kyoto and take a little trip to Japan.”

“I’m so thrilled,” she said. “I think it will be very inspiring for me.”

Giada De Laurentiis and daughter Jade.

Eric Charbonneau/Getty

Martha Stewart Leaves US for Thanksgiving with Grandkids: ‘We Have Such an Itinerary’ (Exclusive)

The culinary star also opened up about her dynamic with her daughter, revealing that she doesn’t consider her only child a “mini me.”

While Jade sings with her band and performs in musicals and plays, her proud mum says her talent for singing is not a trait she passed on.

“It’s crazy because neither her dad nor I sing,” the chef told PEOPLE of her ex-husband Todd Thompson. “No one in my family sings. I mean, we all like music, but not like this. Maybe in the shower. I’m always speechless when it comes to Jade and her music, because she can write music.”

Tokyo.

Getty

Why Giada De Laurentiis insists her daughter Jade, 16, ‘really isn’t’ her ‘Mini Me’ (Exclusive)

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Jade taught herself to play the keyboard during the pandemic, and is learning to play the guitar herself, De Laurentiis said.

“I don’t have that gift, so I’m just in awe of her will and her openness to teach herself these instruments that are just beyond me,” she said. “I don’t play the piano. I don’t play any instrument. That’s really sad. It wasn’t something my parents emphasized, and I just never asked for it.”

De Laurentiis said she is “really impressed” with Jade’s talent and looks forward to seeing what path the high school student takes when she graduates.

She added: “I’m really, really fascinated to watch her because she’s nothing like me. I know everyone says, ‘She’s like little you,’ but she’s not.”

Super Italian: More than 110 delicious recipes with the healthiest Italian food will be released on March 4, 2025 and is available for pre-order now.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education