WHAT'S NEW ON THE FOOD NETWORK TV SMORGASBORD CABLE CHANNEL OFFERS MORE TO DIGEST.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

He cooks better than any of ``The Sopranos'' and makes as many hits as anyone in the family.

Bam!

Whether you're a foodie or simply enjoy high-energy television, you know chef Emeril Lagasse, who's always trying to kick it up a notch. He's as interesting to watch as the fictional Tony Soprano. Lagasse's success in front of the camera mirrors that of the cable channel that brings his program to viewers about 25 times a week.

The Food Network, launched in 1993, has succeeded with personality-driven programming. The ``Iron Chef,'' as grandiose as any Hollywood epic in its staging, pits Masaharu Morimoto against an international competitor in the ultimate food fight. It makes no difference that it is filmed in Japanese with voiceovers in English. ``The Naked Chef,'' a Brit, isn't naked at all, but manages to strip down recipes to their bare essentials.

In its infancy, the network's original 19 hours of daily programming consisted mostly of chefs cooking on the set of a small studio facility, keeping production costs relatively low.

``It was a very small network - only in 15 million homes - which doesn't give a lot of revenue to plow into programming,'' says Judy Girard, Food Network president.

``Three years ago, the E.W. Scripps Co. bought the network, and at that time the number of subscribers began to explode,'' Girard continues.

Today the Food Network is available in 58 million households, up nearly 11 million from a year ago. According to Nielsen Media Research estimates for April, Home and Garden TV (which is also owned by E.W. Scripps) is in about 70 million households. That makes the Food Network comparable to Court TV (57 million households), the Travel Channel (54 million) and TV Land (60 million). The largest cable networks include TBS-Superstation (83 million households), followed by USA, CNN and TNT, each with 82 million households.

The Food Network's natural audience seems to be cooks. ``It's one of my favorite channels,'' says 26-year-old Woodland Hills resident Regina Magnum. ``My husband complains I watch it too much - about five to seven hours weekly.''

Although Magnum thinks of herself as a fairly good cook, she says she can't come up with a recipe by just looking at what's available in the refrigerator. ``That's why I like the Food Network - because I am fabulous at following a recipe. . . . I get such great inspiration from it. It's not intimidating, and after I watch a show, I can go online and get the recipes, which is great.''

Although the network doesn't know how many people use the shows' recipes, 94 percent of the people who use the Web site (www.foodtv.com, with nearly 16,000 recipes available) watch the network at least once a week, says Girard. The site gets 2.2 million unique (a single person) hits a month.

But you don't have to be a foodie or use the recipes to be a fan.

``I don't cook, but I eat,'' says Marvin Part, an attorney who lives in Encino and avidly watches the Food Network. He says when he travels, he often eats at restaurants featured on some of its shows.

``You can turn the Food Network on anytime and there is something interesting. When the world around you is terrible, people are dying and the economy is going downhill, you can always turn on the Food Network and there is a soothing program that will take your mind away from reality. I just love it.''

Although ``Emeril Live'' continues to be the network's most popular program, a new season is approaching and it hopes to add more sizzle to its offerings without alienating its core audience: adult viewers from 25 to 54, 60 percent female and 40 percent male, with an average income of $75,000.

``We are only beginning to explore the diversity of programming that we can create around food as a lifestyle category,'' says Girard. ``I think this season will show both old viewers and new that we have a broad range of programming that satisfies what every TV viewer looks for - information, inspiration, entertainment, education and escape.''

The network will keep old favorites and expand its chef-driven programs with ``Jacques Torres Chocolate'' but there are also some new adventure travel and food series scheduled this year. Not to be left out of the reality craze, the Food Network will follow several students through the kitchen disasters of cooking school.

``We are producing 950 hours of original programming this year and increasing the programming budget by more than 50 percent over last year,'' says Girard.

There are other offerings on the menu, too. A new studio space and kitchens are planned in Manhattan's trendy Chelsea Market. And in the preliminary talking stages are a magazine, a line of gadgets and, yes, a cooking school.

SAMPLING SPECIALS

Some old favorites are back and some new series will premiere as the Food Network launches its new season. Here are some of the specials and new programming in its lineup.

``NBA Cafe - Most Valuable Moms'': Premiering May 13, 9 p.m. (repeats May 19 at 4 p.m. and May 20 at 11 a.m.).

The mothers of professional basketball players and the players themselves - including Antawn Jamison of the Golden State Warriors, Sheryl Swoopes of the Houston Comets, Jerome Williams of the Detroit Pistons, Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz and Grant Hill of the Orlando Magic - cook, eat and reminisce about favorite foods. Viewers will get a peek at the ``away kitchens'' players visit while they're on the road.

``Roadie Chefs II'': Premiering this fall.

Speaking of road food, singer k.d. lang will go on tour with 'N Sync, Willie Nelson, Barenaked Ladies, Arlo Guthrie, Tina Turner and husband-and-wife team Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and give viewers a backstage pass to meals prepared for the stars before and after that big concert.

< THEME WEEKS & PROMOTIONS

``The Best Of'':

Beginning May 15 at 9:30 p.m.

Hosted by Jill Cordes and Marc Silverstein, the half-hour magazine show will explore a different theme each week, traveling the country to find the best places to eat. Themes will include wild dining, wet your whistle, dude food and delicious deals.

``Iron Chef'' Weekend: June 1 to 3 at 9 p.m.

A weekend of Iron Chef specials culminating in the highly anticipated Iron Chef 21st Century Battle, a rematch of challenger Bobby Flay against Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. The weekend will begin on June 1, 9 p.m. with a new episode - the Iron Chef 2000th Plate Special. It's followed on June 2, 9 p.m. with a repeat - last year's Iron Chef N.Y. Battle. The new Iron Chef 21st Century Battle will air on June 3, 9 p.m.

``Taste the Adventure'': Sweepstakes - June 1 to 24; Programming - June 17 to 24.

A week of food adventure-themed programming begins with several new specials June 17. It kicks off at 8 p.m. with ``Emeril's Hawaiian Luau,'' followed at 9 p.m. by ``Al Roker's Around the World in NYC'' and at 10 p.m. by ``Appetite for Adventure'' (a special before the regular series launch). A new special, ``The Cowboy's Kitchen'' will air at 10 p.m. June 21. All are designed to whet viewers' taste for future shows. In addition, an online promotion giving away trips and dinners will be featured at foodtv.com.

< REGULAR SERIES

``Appetite for Adventure'': Premiering July 18, 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

A half-hour series, hosted by Tori Ritchie and chef Joey Altman, takes viewers to the great outdoors for such adventures as mountain biking, river rafting or cross-country skiing. Of course, food will be part of the adventure.

``Unwrapped'': Premiering July 16, 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Hosted by Marc Summers and based on the success of the network's specials of the same name, this weekly series will reveal the secrets behind viewers' favorite food sensations, such as the histories of Twinkies and bubble gum. The show goes to test kitchens, factories, focus groups and food festivals to learn the tricks of the trade and get fun food facts.

``Fit With Flavor'': Premiering this fall.

This new show (created by chef Alton Brown of ``Good Eats'') will be hosted by reformed food junkie Kathleen Daelemans, who was her own best guinea pig while developing tasty healthy food and dropping 10 dress sizes. Now she visits real people and shows them the kinds of changes - including reworking recipe favorites and adopting calorie-friendly techniques - that lead to lasting results.

``Food Finds'': Expanding this summer.

Viewers will get a bigger serving of this popular show, which will now air as a half-hour series Monday through Thursday at 10 p.m. Host Sandra Pinckney travels the country looking for boutique food items.

< LIMITED SERIES

``Cooking School Stories'': Premiering this fall.

In this documentary-style series, six people from six diverse backgrounds will be followed as they complete their culinary school studies at Johnson & Wales University.

``My Country, My Kitchen'': Premiering this fall.

Go on a personal journey with some of America's top chefs as they travel back to their homelands to revisit their culinary roots. Explore the markets in Greece and Vietnam, sample street foods in South India and Morocco, meet the local artisans in Argentina and share some home cooking with chefs and their families.

``Jacques Torres Chocolate'': Premiering this fall.

Join master pastry chef Jacques Torres as he shows how to melt, mix, mousse and decorate with chocolate. Part how-to, part road show, the series will follow Torres as he travels to find a 30-foot chocolate sculpture in the lobby of a Las Vegas hotel and other chocolate goodies.

CAPTION(S):

9 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) ``Emeril Live''

(2 -- cover -- color) ``Wolfganf Puck''

(3 -- cover -- color) ``The Naked Chef'' with Jamie Oliver

(4 -- cover -- color) ``Cooking Live'' with Sara Moulton

(5 -- cover -- color) ``Iron Chef 21st Century Battle''

(6 -- color) ``Emeril Live,'' starring Emeril Lagasse, continues to be the Food Network's most popular program. The energetic chef has proved to be a favorite among viewers.

(7 -- color) Jamie Oliver, the 25-year-old Brit also known as ``The Naked Chef,'' does not cook naked. He does, however, manage to strip recipes down to their bare-essentials.

(8 -- color) ``We are only beginning to explore the diversity of programming that we can create around food as a lifestyle category.''

- JUDY GIRARD food network president

(9 -- color) SUMMERS

Box: (1) Sampling Specials (see text)

(2) Theme Weeks and Promotions (see text)

(3) Regular Series (see text)

(4) Limited Series (see text)