Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys [Hardcover]

Lucinda Scala Quinn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2009

Recipes and strategies for bringing back the family meal

When first published in 2009, Lucinda Scala Quinn's Mad Hungry met with critical acclaim, but it wasn't just the media that fell hard for this book--it was mothers everywhere, who embraced her message to bring back the family meal and loved the ease, simplicity, and robust goodness of her recipes. The book went on to launch a TV series (Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn) and now, with over 65,000 copies sold, it is available in a paperback edition that will reach a yet wider audience.
   In Mad Hungry, Scala Quinn 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, dinners that yield fabulous leftovers, and dishes that are a cinch to stretch fore extra guests. Her grab-and-run breakfasts will help kids start the day right, and her healthful drinks make it easier for guys to say no to soda. Along with her techniques that help make homemade meals second nature, nourishing both diner and cook, Scala Quinn offers empowering advice on how to feed one's family's spirits as well as fill their bellies.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Television host and Martha Stewart Living's Executive Food Director, Quinn forays into the tricky world of feeding men with this colorful volume, awash in Stewart's clean, classy and crowd-pleasing aesthetic. Though the emphasis is on men, Quinn's instructions keep the whole family in mind, especially the woman doing the cooking: tips on shopping with kids, stretching leftovers, stocking the freezer and finding healthy drinks are welcome considerations. Quinn's tendency to ramble can be amusing (getting fresh eggs from Martha Stewart herself) but are largely unnecessary; when she cuts the chatter and rolls up her sleeves, classic fare such as omelets, Italian Pressed Sandwiches, roast chicken and spaghetti with meatballs (in a from-scratch tomato sauce) make a strong impression. Moreover, her Brined and Oven-Roasted Turkey should become a regular Thanksgiving centerpiece. Still, Quinn isn't reinventing the wheel here, just offering a hip presentation for a solid list of standards. Aficionados of Everyday Food and Martha Stewart Living will get the most out of the book, but those new to the kitchen will find Quinn a helpful shoulder to lean on in the face of an important family dinner.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Lucinda Scala Quinn is at the forefront of the movement to bring back the family meal. The Executive Director of Food and Entertaining at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she appears regularly on NBC’s Today Show, hosted Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn on the Hallmark Channel, and co-hosted Everyday Food on PBS for six years. She and her husband have three grown sons, who still come home to eat—even when they’re the ones doing the cooking. Lucinda is the author of four cookbooks, most recently Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys and Mad Hungry Cravings.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 267 pages
• Publisher: Artisan (October 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579653561
• ISBN-13: 978-1579653569
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 1.2 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (114 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born to a family that always cared about food, Lucinda Scala Quinn started cooking professionally as a teenager. She has worked as a chef, cooking teacher, caterer, and food writer. She is vice president, editorial director of food and entertaining at 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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

131 of 135 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't write it off, girls! October 13, 2009

By Lisa Jasinski

Format:Hardcover

At first pass, I almost overlooked this lovely title BECAUSE of the title. I don't have any children, I don't eat beef and often avoid the heavy and greasy staples associated with men, and my husband is my partner in the kitchen -- not someone I wait on hand and foot. Inside this beautiful book, the reader will not only find a solid collection of easy and delicious recipies, but equal parts useful advice about food, family togetherness, cooking, and auto-biography. Impressive credentials as a Martha Stewart big-wig aside, Lucinda Scala Quinn's food is accessible, familiar and yet inventive, and can be cooked using the budget and pantry of an average American family. This is a handsomely styled book filled with healthful tasty plates equally worthy of a cherished Sunday dinner and harried weeknights that scream for Chinese take-out or pizza.

Scala Quinn is a regular on the PBS show "Everyday Food." Regardless of your gender or how many "men and boys" you have to feed, fans of the show and the magazine will love this collection of 10-ingredient or less recipies that can be simply prepared in 30 - 60 minutes.

The cover art sort of screams at you, but Lucinda Scala Quinn's voice is calm, patient, funny, and real. This is one book you are better off not judging by the cover.

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mad good book October 18, 2009

By Anna Bendiksen

Format:Hardcover

I am a homemaker who cooks for two guys---a husband and 7-year-old son. I received this book as a birthday present three days ago and haven't let it out of my sight since. The advice within---plan ahead of time, don't introduce a lot of new dishes at once, don't be caught without bacon---is right on target. I especially like the emphasis on replacing fast food with home-cooked alternatives---I estimate that Scala Quinn's advice to pack food for car trips saved me $30 this past weekend that would otherwise have been spent at McDonald's.

My guess is that readers who feed women and girls will also derive a lot from this book. It does assume that the reader loves to cook. If you do, and you have guys to feed, this book will be worth its weight in gold to you.

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Try it You Will Like it October 16, 2009

By James Scala

Format:Hardcover

Trust me when I say try these simple delicious recipes. I have been feeding my family and friends on them for 20 years. When you thought your child would not try vegetables, Lucinda's recipes will have them eating up the garden. When you are jammed for time Lucinda has many recipes' that will taste fabulous, using simple ingredients that take no time to prepare and serve. One Love!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost Wonderful December 15, 2009

By Gwen R. Wangler

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love Lucinda Scala Quinn. I love the concept of her book. I too have had a lifetime of hungry men and boys to feed...men and boys who were not interested in silly stacked and garnished frou frou dishes. This is a nice book with recipes that live up to the hype. One thing I would change. If they had tested this book on seniors (as I am) I think they would have made the font a little larger and swapped the lovely peach and sky blue ink in the notes for something more readable.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Mad hungry mama with two mad hungry girls March 10, 2010

By theregoes

Format:Hardcover

I'm on my own little personal crusade against the Hot Pocket and its ilk. I firmly believe that food you eat at home can--and should--be made at home. This book does an excellent job of providing the tools that a busy cook needs to do just that. But to target this book to just men and boys is a disservice. Basically it's a really good primer on how to wean yourself from meal-in-a-box dependency and start cooking healthy, affordable food for ANYONE.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars fABULOUS January 12, 2011

By TED/BET

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

AT 80 YEARS OLD, THIS IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, MY FAVORITE COOKBOOK & MAD HUNGARY IS MY
FAVORITE COOKING SHOW. I'VE WATCHED MANY, BUT THIS IS "THE BEST".
LUCINDA SCALA QUINN'S BUBBLY PERSONALITY MAKES THE SHOW EASY TO WATCH. I HAVE MADE MANY OF HER RECIPES. ALWAYS SO COLORFUL. I ALSO ENJOY THE SHOW WHEN SHE HAS HER 3 HANDSOME BOY'S HELPING HER.
A JOY TO WATCH. I PLAN ON BUYING HER ITALIAN COOKBOOK BUT WILL BUY IT AT A BOOKSTORE TO AVOID THE SHIPPING CHARGE.

BETTY

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for men & boys January 31, 2010

By Bookaholic

Format:Hardcover

I agree with at least one other reviewer that the title and cover of this book didn't exactly draw me in-- I'm guessing the title is East Coast slang (or at least not slang I'm familiar with after living too long in California), and the cover doesn't have what usually makes me pick up a cookbook... gorgeous photos of food. :) That said, I am VERY glad I picked it up and sat down to look at it, because it's a gem. It's openly geared toward moms of boys, but it would make a great resource for anyone trying to cook healthy, tasty, and frugal meals for themselves or their family (including the girls, actually... I have one of those also.) The emphasis is on bringing the family back to the table and making the effort to make homecooked meals for one's kids, instead of buying the more expensive and less healthy pre-packaged stuff that's out there, and it's a great resource for someone like myself who didn't grow up learning to cook and usually finds it easier to work from a package. To that end, there are not only dozens upon dozens of recipes divided by meal (breakfast, lunch, etc.) but also lots of tips on feeding a family with homemade food: how to get your teenagers back to the table, how to teach your kids to cook, tools you'll need, shopping for healthy but inexpensive food, a "guy-friendly pantry," and my favorite-- lots of lists of quick and easy things that you or your kids can whip up if you just keep the right food around. By this I mean simple but creative lists of quick but healthy ideas for breakfasts, snacks, weekday desserts, the many uses of the tortilla, openly getting your kids to eat veggies, etc. Something that amazed me, given that the author writes for Martha Stewart, is that the food is real family fare and is, with few exceptions, genuinely affordable to make.... There are no calorie counts in here, but as pointed out a few times, this is much healthier food than the fast-food, restaurant food, or pre-packaged stuff from a store that so many families rely on these days, much more affordable, more environmentally friendly, and much more nutritious. I'm no great cook, but so far everything I've made from this book has been simple enough for a mom who works outside the home to manage on a weekday, very tasty, affordable, and a big hit with the kids (and husband). I've even managed to get my kids cooking with me on some of the recipes. Definitely 5 stars-- I'd recommend this to anyone. Read more ›