A DE LAURENTIIS PRODUCTION ITALIAN LEADING LADY GIADA CREATES A STIR.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Young, beautiful and movie-star glamorous, Giada De Laurentiis, granddaughter of legendary film producer Dino De Laurentiis, has a career on the small screen. But it's not in a drama series - it's in the kitchen.

Flip on the Food Network to her ``Everyday Italian'' cooking show (which premiered two years ago), and you'll see the 34-year-old fixing three or four tempting dishes that capture the essence and fresh flavor of Italian food.

These days you'll also find her crisscrossing the country promoting her first cookbook, ``Everyday Italian'' (Clarkson Potter; $30), released earlier this month and already No. 8 on the upcoming (March 20) New York Times best-seller Hardcover Advice list.

``Simple, fresh food with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of flavor,'' is her focus on the show and in her new book, with the majority of the 125 recipes adapted from family treasures dating back to her youth. ``It's what I ate growing up at home.''

Although born in Rome, De Laurentiis moved to Southern California when she was 7. Her passion for cooking was inspired by her grandfather and her Aunt Raffy - the family's best cooks. As in most Italian families, food played a major role in her life.

``I grew up eating. Sunday was family day - and we'd (cousins, aunts, uncles, parents) gather at my grandfather's house in Beverly Hills. We would all cook. Everyone had a job. I always had dessert duty - I love desserts - breaking eggs, melting butter, measuring flour.''

Although her mother isn't the best cook in the family (``it isn't her passion''), she made good meals for Giada and her three siblings.

``My mom's Baked Rigatoni With Bechamel Sauce was a favorite, along with Pizza di Spaghetti, Chicken Saltimbocca, Stuffed Tomatoes and Risotto Balls. My mom taught me you don't have to be a great cook to make these recipes - they are very simple.

``She also grilled fruits - pineapple, peaches and nectarines - and drizzled them with Nutella (thinned with cream) to get us to eat fruit. I'm a chocoholic - my freezer is stocked with all different kinds of chocolate.''

Eat small portions and know when to stop, says the star, who stays trim by walking, hiking and in-line skating.

De Laurentiis is carrying on the family food tradition. Her great-grandparents owned a pasta factory in Naples, and, in the early 1980s, her grandfather opened DDL Foodshow, a restaurant and chic food shop in New York and Beverly Hills, where she used to hang out after school (the shops closed in the mid-'80s).

After graduating from UCLA in 1996 with a degree in social anthropology, she spent a year at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Although she initially planned to become a pastry chef, she studied both pastry and cuisine.

Then she returned to Los Angeles, lured back by her boyfriend, Todd Thompson, a clothing designer, whom she married a year and a half ago, after they had been together 15 years.

After doing stints at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey and Spago Beverly Hills, she started her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods.

Her initial foray into television happened by chance. After an article she wrote about Italian home cooking appeared in Food & Wine magazine in 2002, the Food Network came calling.

``We wanted to launch an everyday Italian-style cooking show that spoke to the way people cook in their homes every day because of the popularity of Italian food and cooking in America,'' says Bob Tuschman, senior vice president, programming and production, at the Food Network. The Network wanted the show to include Italian-American food, supermarket ingredients and easy, quick recipes for home cooks.

A demo tape and 85 shows later, De Laurentiis, in her fourth season, now appears daily due to viewer popularity.

``It's consistently among our top-10-rated programs,'' adds Tuschman. `It was No. 7 in February. And the viewing audience has increased the past year by 26 percent.

``Viewers love Giada's effervescent personality, her very easy-to-follow recipes and her clear teaching style. She brings a youthful energy and spirit to the kitchen.''

She makes cooking fun and brings together family and friends around food in a show that seems like a party, something many viewers want to emulate in their own homes when entertaining.

Unlike other shows, which are often taped in the Food Network's New York studios, De Laurentiis films in rented homes in Malibu, Pasadena and Pacific Palisades to accommodate a more friendly, casual atmosphere with family and friends around.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

CHICKEN PICCATA

Be sure to keep the dusting of flour light; you're not making a thick egg- and-bread-crumb coating.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

All purpose flour, for dredging

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

1/4 cup drained capers, rinsed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour to coat lightly. In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook just until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a plate.

Add broth, lemon juice and capers to same pan. Bring broth mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan for extra flavor. Return chicken to pan and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a platter. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons butter into sauce. Pour sauce over chicken, garnish with parsley, and serve. Makes 4 main-course servings.

GRILLED VEGETABLES

Not only do these veggies look and taste great, but they cook quickly, there's no mess, you can serve them at any temperature, and you can make them ahead of time. Plus, the leftovers can be used on sandwiches or in salads, as condiments or side dishes.

3 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered

3 yellow squash (1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

3 zucchini (12 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

3 Japanese eggplants (12 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

12 cremini mushrooms OR button mushrooms

1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed

12 green onions, trimmed

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-high heat or preheat a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush vegetables with 1/4 cup oil to coat lightly. Sprinkle vegetables with 1 teaspoon EACH salt and pepper.

Working in batches, grill vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over, about 12 minutes for bell peppers; 7 minutes for yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms; and 4 minutes for asparagus and green onions. Arrange vegetables on a platter.

In a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar, garlic, parsley, basil, rosemary, remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon EACH salt and pepper to blend. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle dressing over vegetables and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 side-dish servings.

CAPRESE SALAD

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/4 pounds assorted tomatoes (such as regular vine-ripened tomatoes, plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and yellow teardrop tomatoes)

6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Whisk lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil to blend. Set dressing aside.

Cut regular tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices and plum tomatoes into wedges. Cut cherry, grape and teardrop tomatoes in half. Arrange tomatoes and cheese on a platter. Drizzle dressing over. Sprinkle with basil and additional salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Makes 4 first-course servings.

CAPRESE SKEWERS: To make Caprese Skewers as show in cover photo, on wooden skewers alternate whole red and yellow cherry, teardrop and grape tomatoes, mini fresh mozzarella cheese balls and whole fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with dressing (or drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil and add a sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste). You can make as many or as few as desired.

EVERYDAY ITALIAN

What: Host Giada De Laurentiis shares updated versions of the homey recipes she grew up with in her Italian family.

Where: Food Network.

When: 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays; noon Saturday and Sunday.

Italian essentials

To whip up a quick, stress-free, fun Italian meal, here is what Giada De Laurentiis suggests you keep in your pantry:

Favorite jarred tomato sauces, dried pastas, canned Italian tuna, canned cannellini beans, capers, red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, onions, dried herbs (oregano, rosemary, thyme, herbs de provence), balsamic and red wine vinegars, and extra-virgin olive oils.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) The FAMILY business

Giada De Laurentiis combines love of food, entertainment

(2) CHICKEN PICCATA

(3) GIADA De LAURENTIIS

Photos by Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

Box:

Italian essentials (see text)