2007 American Magazine Conference - Chef Lucinda Scala Quinn

October 27, 2007

Home   |    Blog    |    Program Highlights   |    Speaker Bios    |    Sponsors   What's Cookin' at AMC Lucinda Scala Quinn's Keen Cuisine: It's a Good Thing!   Lucinda Scala Quinn will be preparing lots of good things for the AMC attendees. She has, after all, plenty of inspiration. As SVP-Editorial Director of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO), she oversees the food department and food coverage of most of the company's food magazines, books and special issues. MPA recently announced that her mouth-watering offerings at AMC in Boca Raton, FL will be: skirt steak with marinated onions, maple-roasted pumpkin salad, green beans and poblanos, apple galette and chocolate date cake with chocolate toffee glaze. So how did she whip up that list of culinary delights? "These recipes cover the wide range and style of food content that we profile in all our different publicationsMartha Stewart Living, Everyday Food, Weddings, Blueprint and Body+Soul," she pointed out. "Yet, they all work together as a whole and reflect one of our core mandatesseasonality...in this case, autumn." The author of two cookbooks, Lucinda's Jamaica Kitchen and Lucinda's Rustic Italian Kitchen, Scala Quinn says those were opportunities to publish in areas where "I had intimate knowledge." When asked whether those cookbooks or other recipes might become AMC giveaways, she said, "That's still in the planning stages. But we always spice things up at MSLO!" ("My forthcoming cookbook with Artisan Books will be completely different," she teased.) The MSLO chef reveals that her own favorite recipe is pictured on the cover of Lucinda's Rustic Italian Cookbooklinguine con vongole (aka clams pasta). Although presentation is a key ingredient for chefs, she maintained, "It's essential, but never at the expense of flavor." She cautions, "Too much or too little food on a plate turns me off." Chefs in a 'Perfect Storm' Scala Quinnwho is one of the hosts of the cooking series Everyday Food on PBShas noticed that chefs have been in the media spotlight quite a bit of late, ranging from reality shows like Bravo's Top Chef and  Fox's Hell's Kitchen to FX's Glenn Close drama series Damages, to two summer movies (the animated Ratatouille and No Reservations). New TV commercials for Kraft cheese, Fresh Direct and others also feature chefs. It's hot in the kitchen these days. She explained it this way: "My experience is that the love of good food is a common ingredient amongst us all, whether it's momma's home cooking or restaurant food from the finest top-star chef. It crosses all socio-economic barriers. Plus it's a very egalitarian profession. One can arrive from many different, non-traditional paths. Combined with the changing media landscape and close correlation with other artistic, scientific and sensual media such as architecture, viticulture and fashionit's a perfect storm.'" Speaking of films, Scala Quinn said, Babette's Feast and Eat, Drink, Man, Woman remain my favorite food movies." Indeed, she confessed that if she didn't have a career related to the culinary arts, she might have gone into film or photography. Although most Americans today seem more conscious of healthy eating habits and counting calories than they were 10 or 20 years ago, Scala Quinn, who's been cooking professionally since age 16, said she's long been aware of preparing meals in a healthful way. "Fortunately, I come from a family that's always placed a high value on the freshest foods, prepared and eaten with loved ones on a daily basis. I have always practiced the same with my own kids. I've been cooking professionally for over 20 years, always with the same agenda.  And one major cooking no-no comes to mind, she said, "Using preservative-laden ingredients." If she's made any changes she said it's been in the form of "closer attention to the origin of ingredientsfamily farms, small producersand in portion moderation and exercise." Still, she does have a guilty pleasure: "Best-quality ice cream." Scala Quinn started as MSLO TV-division Food Editor in 2001 and moved to the print side in 2004, becoming VP-Editorial Director of Food/Entertaining for Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings. Drawing from the entertaining aspect of her MSLO background, she offered some pointers to make events stand out. "Strategic, do-ahead planning and prepping makes for a smooth and confident hostleaving room for fun, not stress. Fun is memorable!" In a recent AP interview, fellow-chef/author Anthony Bourdain said he's eaten some offbeat meals that might not be much fun for most, including warthog in Africa, raw seal in Quebec and fermented shark in Iceland. "I certainly can't compete with Tony's list," Scala Quinn said. "But I'd have to say my most unusual meal was camel in Australia." Meet Chef Lucinda at AMC. Click here to register now.