After-Work Gourmet by Lisa Messinger

As Mother's Day, accompanied by its annual appreciation of clan time, approaches, let's face it, family dinnertime is fading. Almost every study that has shown this takes longer to complete than many families spend eating together in a year. Extended workdays for adults and over-packed extracurricular schedules for kids have each been shown to be culprits.

When the kids get out of school in a few weeks is known to be often busy with additional distractions.

Giada De Laurentiis knows all about that and still is armed with easy dishes with which to surprise Mom on her special day — and then, as a bonus — inspire simple family meals in the coming months.

The dynamic chef (and mom) with the 1,000-watt smile who hosts multiple series on TV's Food Network, grew up savoring meals with her large family, which includes grandfather and legendary film producer Dino De Laurentiis. She's emulated some of that warmth in my favorite of her laundry list of bestselling cookbooks, "Giada's Family Dinners." It is filled with family stories and photographs, along with recipes that keep the flavor, but cut down on the time and effort for today's especially busy families.

De Laurentiis says — even if you do surprise Mom with one of these beautiful treats for Mother's Day, the key is not to think you have to wait for an exceptional reason to have a family meal.

"You shouldn't wait for a special occasion to entertain," she wrote. "A family-style meal is all about sharing. It's not about getting dressed up, or serving food so fancy that people are afraid to stick a fork into it. It's a chance to take a step back from everyday worries and focus on what really matters."

The book is filled with easy, rib-sticking specialties, like orzo (plump Italian barley pasta available in the supermarket rice aisle that takes only about seven minutes to cook) with garbanzo beans and red onion. Sprinklings of basil and mint are simple ways of giving it even more distinction. It's a wonderful all-year-round family favorite side dish, since it's hearty, but served at room temperature.

Like De Laurentiis, John Uglesich is another offspring who spread the word about how easy and wholesomely delicious family meals can be, not only for Mother's Day or Father's Day in "Uglesich's Restaurant Cookbook," but any busy.

He's the son of Anthony and Gail, who, as owners of Uglesich's restaurant, carried on the tradition since 1924, making the locale the best-reviewed — and most popular — New Orleans spot until the family decided to close the full-menu part of it in 2005, just months before the Hurricane Katrina hit.

For decades, lines of customers who yearned to be part of the "family," stood in front of the old house that was the seafood restaurant and feasted on platters that beforehand only had been served in generation of generation of the Uglesich's homes.

"Mamma's Pasta" is one example. It includes shrimp, Roma tomatoes and artichoke hearts and was a specialty of John's grandmother Emily. "Sam's Favorite" is his grandfather's loved meal of trout or catfish sauteed with garlic, olive oil, basil and Worcestershire sauce easily cooked in a skillet with cubed Yukon Gold potatoes that scintillatingly soak up the pan drippings.

The best thing about fond family memories, such as Uglesich's and De Laurentiis's, is that — thanks to their warm sharing of them — they can become treasured ones for your family, too. Mother's Day would be just the start:

GIADA'S FAMILY ORZO WITH GARBANZO BEANS, RED ONION, BASIL AND MINT

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or water

1 1/2 cups orzo (or rice)

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups mixed red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

3/4 cup homemade or store-bought red wine vinaigrette

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Yields 6 servings.

Bring the broth to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite (make sure bite is cool enough before tasting), about seven minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large, wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint and enough vinaigrette to coat; you may not need all 3/4 cup. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

GRANDPA SAM'S FAVORITE YUKON GOLDS WITH TROUT

2 small Yukon Gold potatoes

About 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 or 3 shakes of Worcestershire Sauce

1 trout or catfish, carefully removing all bones and skin

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Dry basil, to taste

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Yields 4 servings.

Clean potatoes, boil in water and then carefully cut into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.

Place olive oil in skillet and set on medium heat. Shake Worcestershire Sauce on olive oil.

Season trout or catfish on both sides with salt, black pepper and basil. Carefully place trout or catfish in the heated skillet.

Cook approximately 2 to 3 minutes, turn the fish, and add the garlic and potatoes to the skillet. Cook other side of the fish for approximately 1 minute. Turn the potatoes to pick up the seasoning and juices. —Photo courtesy of Epicurious.com

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "Cooks' Books" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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