Giada's Kitchen

In her usual bright and cheery manner, De Laurentiis (Everyday Italian ) offers her newest collection of accessible Italian-accented recipes. The host of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Giada's Weekend Getaways brings to the table recipes with basic, readily available ingredients like ricotta and canned beans, with which she whips up a surprisingly diverse array of dishes, like Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary, and Asparagus Lasagna. Now and again she goes out on a limb with a contemporary twist—Tomato, Watermelon and Basil Skewers or Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto, while an entire chapter devoted to kids' food brings out her sense of whimsy with dishes like Pizza Pot Pies. Throughout, Giada celebrates food that's refreshingly simple. (Sept.)