A cook and her book

Christian Anderson faced a tough choice on Friday morning: attend school, or kiss Giada de Laurentiis.

The Corona del Mar Middle School seventh-grader had never taken a day off from class before, at least not on a day when he was well enough to go. On Friday, though, his favorite celebrity chef was coming for a book signing at South Coast Plaza, and Christian wasn’t going to miss it. Neither, for that matter, was his mother, Liz Anderson ? the two of them got in line outside Williams-Sonoma shortly after 8 a.m., and remained standing for nearly five hours.

When Christian finally got to meet his hero, he greeted her in classic Italian fashion: with a peck on the hand.

“She was tickled pink,” his mother said. “She got tears in her eyes.”

Christian, 13, who often cooks de Laurentiis’ recipes for his parents and three siblings, said the “Everyday Italian” host was the first celebrity he had met. His next stop after the mall? The grocery store, to pick up ingredients.

“I watch her every day,” Christian said as his mother held the two books that de Laurentiis had just signed. “I’m a big fan.”

The Andersons were two of hundreds of people who gathered at South Coast Plaza to meet de Laurentiis, who visited Williams-Sonoma for her second book signing in seven months. Last time, the Italian native drew a decent crowd, but Friday’s appearance surpassed all expec- tations ? by the time the store man- agers cut off the line at 2:30, it stretch- ed nearly the length of a football field.

“The last time she was here, in Oct- ober, she was so gracious and down- to-earth,” said manager Erin Brooks. “The word of mouth just got around.”

Word of mouth, good recipes, that radiant smile ? whatever the reason, de Laurentiis’ fans showed their mettle in getting a chance to see her. Some snared a place in line barely after the mall opened, and subsisted for the next few hours on Italian snacks that managers brought out to them.

De Laurentiis, who was originally scheduled to sign books for an hour, ended up staying more than two hours longer. Afterward, she admitted that her wrist was tired, but she continued signing an additional stack of copies in the managers’ office.

“I’m always shocked at how many people come out because it takes a lot for people to stand for several hours,” she said. “But it’s also very touching.”

Over the last few weeks, de Laurentiis has been on a signing tour to promote her latest book, “Giada’s Family Dinners.” The granddaughter of film producer Dino de Laurentiis has based many of her famous recipes on family tradition.

“We sort of bring up a lot of memories for people,” she said about her following.

Many of the customers said it was de Laurentiis’ homey touch that first drew them to her.

“She acts as if she’s your friend,” said Aliso Viejo resident Leona Eller, who attended the signing with two children in a stroller. “She’s as nice on camera as she is in person.”

Shellyann Silva, a balloon artist from Long Beach, gifted the TV chef with two of her creations: a penguin and a ladybug, the latter in the form of a wristband.

“She’s wearing one of them right now,” Silva said. “She said her nephew’s coming over tonight, and she’s going to give them to him.”dpt.06-giada-1-CPhotoInfoB31QMAMQ20060506iyt98ync(LA)TV chef Giada de Laurentiis, left, shakes hands with Gina Towle of Mission Viejo at a book-signing Friday at South Coast Plaza. dpt.06-giada-2-CPhotoInfoB31QMAR520060506iyt99lncPHOTOS BY MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Fans of Food Network host Giada de Laurentiis wait outside Williams-Sonoma for a chance to meet the celebrity chef.