Many cookbooks claim to be the mealtime solution for busy parents and active households. The advice usually is to make big casseroles and save time by using prepared foods. But just how many noodle bakes can a family eat? Is the easiest path always the best, especially when nutrition is involved? And where does the joy of cooking come into play? Lucinda Scala Quinn addressed those concerns last year with 'Mad Hungry,' a mealtime survival guide drawn from rearing three ravenous sons and pleasing a husband who loves to eat (growing up, she also cooked for four hungry brothers, so let's just say that Scala Quinn knows from feeding men and boys). But the author, who is editorial director for food at Martha Stewart Omnimedia and co-host of 'Everyday Food' on PBS, wasn't satisfied with being the one who simply put food on the table. She wanted her brood to learn to fend for themselves - to know how to cook not just to survive but to inherit those same emotions she feels when she feeds the ones she loves. 'Mad Hungry' took all of Scala Quinn's instincts as a mother and a nurturer with all her impulses for good, honest, nourishing food and baked them into one big, delicious stew. Now she's ready to serve heaping portions to an even wider audience with 'Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn,' a new daily cooking show that debuts Sept. 13 on the Hallmark Channel. Food lovers will no doubt become mad hungry for this new series. We caught up with Scala Quinn as she was taping her show: Q: Your show is billed as getting fun, family-friendly meals to the table. Isn't that the challenge of most home cooks? How will your show demonstrate that? A: Yes, it's the challenge of most home cooks for sure. I think we sort of feel it was an easier time back in the day when Mom didn't have a job outside the home and was at home cooking. I'm showing strategies that can only be acquired from hard-core knowledge that comes from a working mom. I show you how to multi-task and strategize so you can apportion your time. Maybe you have an hour and a half Sunday, so you can get something prepared for dinner that night and something for the freezer. I always tend to be a very frugal cook. I always look how to make three things out of one. Q: You're a proponent of single-skillet meals and dinners made from leftovers. It sounds like saving time is an important mealtime consideration to you. A: Totally, that's how I do everything. I'm a big fan of braises. I'm one pot, one pan. I'm always thinking like that on multiple levels when I'm cooking. I grew up in a family cooking, and I've been cooking professionally since I was 16 years old so a lot of it is ingrained in my actions. I will make a huge pot of soup so I can put a quart in the refrigerator for Monday's dinner. And that whole pot of soup was made out of beans which cost 89 cents a bag. That's how I eat and think. Q: We've all learned to economize in the kitchen because of the financial situation. How has the recession changed our approach to mealtime? A: I grew up the daughter of a mother of the Depression. We didn't waste a thing; I've always been a frugal cook. What I've noticed today is that people who've lost their jobs now are the people making dinner for the family. And they have actually discovered they like it in the kitchen. It's satisfying to them and it feels good. So now it's something being done more by choice instead of being thrown into it. Q: You also are a big proponent of the home-cooked meal that is consumed as a family. You tell home cooks to be a mealtime evangelist. Do we have time to eat together anymore? A: It's so personal, I would never choose to answer that for someone. I want people to do what's comfortable for them. If it's only convenient for a family to sit down one day a week for a meal, that's better than no meals at all. Do I believe there's health and well-being at the family dinner table? Absolutely. It's one-stop shopping for wellness. You have to decide it's important to you. CRUNCHY SESAME CHICKEN WINGS All recipes courtesy 'Mad Hungry' by Lucinda Scala Quinn 20 chicken wings 3 large eggs, beaten 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup sesame seeds 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced Hot sauce, for serving Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl. Add the eggs and toss to coat. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment or coat the pan with oil. In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds, flour, salt, cayenne, bread crumbs and garlic. Dip each wing into the sesame mixture to fully coat. Place the coated wings side by side on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes and increase the temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until the wings are golden brown and sizzling, 20 to 30 more minutes. Immediately remove the wings from the baking sheet while hot. Serve with hot sauce. Makes 20 wings. SPICED SWEET POTATO WEDGES 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, and cut into wedges about 4 inches long 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment or foil. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, cumin and cayenne. Spread sweet potatoes on baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the wedges and toss to coat. Transfer the wedges to the bowl and toss completely with the spice mixture to coat each piece. Return the potatoes to the baking sheet and spread out in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn over the wedges. Raise the heat to 400 degrees. Bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender. Makes six to eight servings. XXX - End of Story3D 