Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

How to keep your men from being 'Mad Hungry'

Lucinda Scala Quinn has been outnumbered in the kitchen for decades: Raised alongside three brothers in an Italian family, she married and had three sons.

All the men like to eat -- and, thankfully, cook.

Feeding four men, she said, "has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. I've had more fun in the kitchen and at the dinner table with them than almost anywere else."

Quinn was in St. Louis last week on her way around the country to promote her latest culinary effort, "Mad Hungry -- Feeding Men & Boys: Recipes, Strategies & Survival Techniques" (Artisan, hardback, $27.95).

She is the vice president and editoral director of Food & Entertaining of Martha Stewart Omnimedia.She appears regularly on NBC's "Today" and "Martha," as well as hosting her weekly radio show and co-hosting PBS's "Everyday Food."

If the proof is in the pudding, Quinn, who lives with her husband, Richie, in New York, has raised her trio of sons (now 15, 18, and 22) to respect the efforts of home-cooking, relish the flavors and recipes, and tackle cooking themselves. Her eldest, Calder, at 15 bargained with his parents for more allowance; his mother taught him how to cook instead.

Quinn says she now gets recipes from him -- he's moved into his first apartment -- plus phone calls about trying to duplicate something Mom made for son.

A lot of her philosophy comes down to priorities:

"We care about the wallpaper in the house and mowing the lawn. Why not care about what we put in our bodies?"

Children will model your behavior, so tempting them with good food is a way to set up their tastebuds and standards for the future.

"Boys and men who grow up eating flavorful, homecooked food are more likely to cook for themselves," she explained. "A man who knows how to cook is more self-sufficient, a better roommate, boyfriend, father and son. And, as any wife knows, a husband who can cook is like one who can dance -- the deluxe package."

Of course, she's well aware of the human tornado boys can be as they grow and forage for food.

Anyone who has raised sons, she says, knows that trying to feed them can come with a true sense of urgency.

And, like the Boy Scouts, you have to be prepared.

"You have to have plans, you have to have strategies and you have to have stuff that they love to eat."

Her book provides not only recipes, but tips, advice, a "Guy-Friendly Pantry" list of ingredients, and strategies for any parent, whether he or she is just starting to cook or is looking for some new culinary sustenance to spur them on.

Quinn's had a few slams along the way about the book, critics thinking it advocates a stereotype that all males are ravenous and must be tamed with food by women.

To her way of thinking, the book is simply an effort to help other parents develop a foundation of nuturing with food that will develop a better relationship between parents and children that will carry through the decades.

Her strategies over time, she said, have included serving two vegetables so her sons would eat at least one of them, and taking them to the supermarket when they were little and giving them parts of the grocery list to fill.

But she's also aware that many parents come from families that never cooked, so preparing meals at home can be daunting at first, especially when boys seem to be able to consume their weight in whatever food is nearby -- good or bad.

"I don't believe in deprivation," she said of downsizing fastfood from kids' diet. "But, add the good stuff and the bad stuff will go away."

Quinn says for anyone hoping to put a homecooked meal on the table, but new at it, start with just one meal a week. Ask for advice and help from a grandparent, family friend, even a cooking class.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," she said. Remember, "You're in charge. Put something on the table regularly and with conviction."

As for the title of the book, Quinn gives credit to youngest son Luca, who picked up the urban use of the word "mad" for "very." He came home one day, stuck his head in the refrigerator and said, "I'm mad hungry. What's for dinner?"

Here are four of Quinn's recipes.

"This recipe makes an eggy waffle in a Scandinavian style. My middle son likes to make his own topping: 1 part honey to 3 parts maple syrup, whisked together with 3 tablespoons melted butter."

sour cream waffles

5 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, cinnamon, or cardamom

1 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Vegetable oil or extra melted butter, for the waffle iron

1 cup berries, fresh or frozen and heated before serving

Beat the eggs and sugar together for 5 to 8 minutes. When the beater is lifted, it should trail a ribbon of batter.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and spice. With a spoon, alternately fold into the batter half of the flour mixture, the sour cream, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Lightly stir in the melted butter. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.

Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned waffle iron to medium high. Brush lightly with oil or melted butter. Pour in 1 1/4 cups batter and cook until golden, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side for a stovetop waffle iron. An electric waffle iron will beep when ready. Serve with fresh berries or berry sauce on top.

Makes 3 or 4 large (7-by-7-inch) waffles; serves 4 to 6.

"My parents taught all three of my brothers to cook and eat well, but my oldest brother Jim has perfected my mom's specialty -- a twist on oven fries originated by our Italian relatives. Everyone goes crazy for them, and there are never enough!"

Italian Fries

6 or 7 Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3-inch-thick french fry-style strips, soaked in cold salted water

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or some combo of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil

2 cups freshly grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter, cut into 6 cubes

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Spread 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on each of 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread out the potatoes. Overlapping is fine.

Sprinkle the dried herbs evenly over the potatoes. Liberally spread the cheese and parsley on top. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the cheese. Scatter the cubed butter around the pans.

Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, rotating the pans after 30 minutes, for 45 to 50 minutes total. Use a spatula to lift off the potatoes with all the crusty cheese adhered to them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Serves 6 (if you are very lucky).

"The addition of whole corn kernels makes the texture a little more interesting, but you can leave them out with no problem. Ditto the pickled jalape(*150*)os; and you can even switch the cheese for a different one. If you don't have a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, use an 8-inch square baking pan and adjust the baking time."

cheddar corn bread

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 1/2cups milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen, fresh, or leftover from a cooked cob)

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalape(*150*)os (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cayenne. Blend in the milk, eggs, and butter. Fold in the cheese, corn, and the jalape(*150*)os, if using.

Place in a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a buttered 8-inch square baking pan and smooth over the top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake or the corn bread will be dry. Cut into wedges or squares and serve hot. Serves 6 to 8.

"One day, in a rush, we simply cut the backbone out and laid the whole bird flat, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and cooked it in under an hour. Gone is the problem of the breast cooking before the rest; all the pieces cook evenly. Finish with a sauce poured over after cooking, which tastes tangy and delicious over the crisp skin. An ovenproof 14-inch skillet, preferably cast-iron, makes for an easy job."

flat roast chicken

1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, backbone removed

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove. Reserve it for broth. Open the chicken's legs and spread the bird down flat, skin side up. Press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Pat it dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper generously on both sides.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet such as cast iron on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Immediately add the chicken, skin side down.

Allow to brown (without moving) for 3 minutes.

Turn the chicken over, careful not to break the skin, and transfer the skillet to the oven.

The chicken is done when it is golden brown and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part, not touching bone, should read 165 degrees. Remove the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan drippings and swirl around.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the red pepper flakes, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cut the chicken into pieces, drizzle with the fresh lemon sauce and pan sauce, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.