“MAD HUNGRY WITH LUCINDA SCALA QUINN” AIRS WEEKDAYS AT 11AM ET/PT, 10C ON HALLMARK CHANNEL. We had the pleasure to interview Lucinda to find out more about her new book, Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys.
Lucinda Scala Quinn has spent much of her life feeding the men and boys in her life and teaching them how to feed themselves. Now Scala Quinn—chef, television personality, and Martha Stewart Omnimedia’s resident food guru—shares winning strategies for how to sate the seemingly insatiable, trade food for talk, and get men to manage in the kitchen. She provides recipes for single-skillet meals and dinners that yield fabulous leftovers and that are a cinch to stretch for extra guests. Her grab-and-run breakfast will help kids start the day right, and her healthful drinks make it easier for guys to say no to soda. Scala Quinn’s recipes are easy to prepare, affordable, and so good that even the most finicky eater will want to dig in.
In this day and age, we are all out of time. What advice do you have to get to the balance of work and home? How do we find quick, healthy, and cost efficient meals for our families?
Make it a priority. We spend so much time prepping for soccer practice or dance class- if we only took the same amount of energy and effort to balance our home and work life, we’d be a lot happier and a lot less stressed. Try make-ahead meals, spend part of your weekends prepping for next week’s meals, make putting dinner on the table a family event instead of just a “mom” or “dad” duty.
Picky eaters are a fixture at many of our tables. We know the trick of disguising foods, but do you have any tips for getting picky eaters to knowingly and happily try new foods?
Make them a different way- bacon always helps! Pork products aside though, making foods appealing is half the battle; when Miles was younger he hated onions but loved Brooklyn so we told him the onions we used were from Brooklyn- suddenly, he loved onions. You’re your kids are young, try to keep many varieties of colorful crunch and crispy veggies around for snacks. Try cucumbers, celery, carrots, sweet peppers (to add colors) and even some more exotic choices like Jerusalem Artichokes, radishes and fennel.
Husbands who are picky are also a problem- any tips for them?
Husbands are a little easier to convince. Try making things that have good childhood memories for them- the red beans and rice recipe is a recreation of my husband’s longing for the rice and beans his mother used to make when he was a child in New Orleans. You might also try recreating meals you like to eat for take out- they’ll be just as flavorful but not as unhealthy and will be a welcome addition to your family’s weeknight meals. Some of my family’s take out faves are actually in the BUY or DIY story I did in the October Issue of Whole Living. The Crunchy Sesame Chicken Wings, Burger and BEC (bacon egg and cheese sandwich) from MAD Hungry are good go-to dishes as well.
Families are often at a loss for fresh fruits and vegetables because of time constraints. Are there any veggies that are easy, both prep and time-wise?
First: veggie (and fruit) eaters are made, not born! For fruits, I’d try smoothies! They’re easy to prep, make and you can send your loved ones out the door in the morning with them- my boys love my Frothy Citrus Drink. I also put mashed bananas in different dishes like pancakes or chocolate chip cookies that my family has come to love and expect. As for veggies, never stop serving them. I always put one or two vegetable options on the table- as kids, my boys weren’t natural vegetable lovers but now when they return home from college or a long trip, the first thing they ask for is cooked vegetables. Try them out in salads or raw bell peppers or cut up cucumbers make great snacks. Recipes like spiced sweet potato wedges, Japanese-style spinach, or ginger garlic glazed green beans take little time to prepare but payoff big time with flavor.
Obesity is rampant– how do we start hitting the drive thru less and start eating a wholesome meal at home? What are the secrets?
Preparation! Like I said above, if wholesome meals and eating together is important to you, make it a priority. Spend a Sunday making meals for the week that can be frozen and cooked or simply reheated. One-pot meals, things that can be done ahead & freezer-friendly options all help you from hitting the drive thru on the way home and are shown on MAD Hungry TV. The major ingredient for last minute cooking is shopping. Make a plan, do it regularly, involve the kids. When the fridge and pantry is full, the meals are 100% easier to conceive and execute.
