Giada De Laurentiis was born in Rome and grew up in a big Italian family. They spent lots of time together in the kitchen, which is where Giada discovered her love of cooking! Later, she would hone her skills at Le Cordon Bleu, a very cool cooking school in Paris. Many puff pastries and a graduation later, Giada began working in a fab restaurant called Spago in Los Angeles. Shortly after, she founded her very own catering company. She is now the Emmy Award-winning star of Food Network's Everyday Italian, Giada's Weekend Getaways, Giada in Paradise, and Giada at Home, as well as the author of six cookbooks. She lives with her husband, Todd, and daughter, Jade, in a cozy house by the beach in Los Angeles. Giada loves the colors "pesto-green" and "eggplant-purple," and Nutella pancakes are her favorite treat to share with Jade.

When Zia Donatella comes to live with the Bertolizzi family, little do Alfie and his older sister Emilia know what's in store for them. Zia Donatella is determined to show the kids how a home-cooked meal is better than even the best take-out pizza or burrito. And when Zia's plan actually transports Alfie and Emilia to famous food cities around the world, they learn first-hand how food cannot only take you places but can also bring you back home.
In the fourth book in the series, Zia's secret ingredient takes Alfie and Emilia to New Orleans. There they meet the members of a kids' jazz band and are soon helping save the band's performance venue, as well as tracking down a long-lost cookbook, which just might hold some very special secrets. From beignets and gumbo, to jazz and zydeco, Alfie and Emilia experience everything New Orleans has to offer, all while trying to find their way home.