Author Susan Thacker is back with us again today to tell us more about her passion for restoring the “dinnertime hour.” If you missed yesterday’s discussion full of inspiring kitchen ideas for spring, you’ll want to read here first.

Welcome back, Susan. Well, I’m holding a copy of your book right now, and I must say I love the hardy design with a glossy cover that looks easy to wipe off. In the first few chapters, you introduce us to the concept of supper swapping, and share how we can eat healthy and build friendships at the same time.

But the recipes are the true heart and soul of your book, an eclectic variety of mouth-watering meals! You feature recipes from several top chefs around the country. Why did you seek out these well-known chefs?

Would you believe — because I wasn’t a very good cook. You know how some people have a mental block against math? Well, I had been like that with cooking. So I literally called up all these chefs and said, “I need your easiest recipe. I’m not a very good cook.” Then they were like, “Yeah, right.” One of them even said, “That’s very humble of you.” It kind of tickled me that this big-time chef didn’t believe me. Oh by the way, I didn’t use his recipe. It was too hard.

I’m looking at the Chicken Picatta recipe on p.120 from Edible Arts in Franklin, Tennessee. This one got a double thumbs-up rating from both of your kids (which I think is a great idea, by the way — the ratings!). You’ve only got nine simple ingredients, and you even tell us how to get more juice from a lemon on p. 66.

Although the recipe has a fancy name, it looks do-able the way you describe it. You write, “Everyone loves it … This dish is versatile. Try making it without the capers and parsley and garnishing with Black Bean Asparagus Salad on p. 88. It’s beautiful!” I’d feel like a real gourmet cook if I prepared a meal like this! Do you think it’s possible for today’s busy parents to serve fabulous meals like these professional chefs do?

Yes, that’s one of the great things that I learned. Chefs all have a few simple recipes that they just throw together. At our website you can click “Recipes” to try some.

Well, I’m going to have to give these a try — it will be fun to say, “Tonight we’re having ‘Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Walnuts’ from Chicago’s internationally renowned Chef John Coletta of Quartino.” Sounds fancy.

Now can you tell us what it was like to be featured on the Dr. Laura radio show?

It was awesome. It’s kind of a funny story, but I have to first say, on a serious note, that the Lord handed me that endorsement. I had been second-guessing all the work I’d put into collecting these recipes, and I said, “Lord, please bless me with some kind of recognition on a national level.” I needed the encouragement. Right after that, Dr. Laura said she wanted to feature it.

The funny part of the story was that one day I just spontaneously decided to send Dr. Laura a silly fax mimicking one of her books called 10 Stupid Things Men Do to Mess Up Their Lives. My fax said, “10 Stupendous Reasons Dr. Laura wants to give away 50 Supper Swapping cookbooks,” and it looked like her book.

Then I listed 10 stupendous reasons, of course. It cracked her up! Her assistant called me immediately and said, “Dr. Laura wants to review Supper Swapping.” She loved it!

And now your book is featured on Dr. Laura’s website, and we can hear an audio of the broadcast on your Supper Swapping website.

Susan, this has been fun getting to know you and sharing your ideas about making family dinners practical and special.

Thanks so much, Heather, for interviewing me. If anyone has any additional questions or wants to obtain Supper Swapping through our website, I’ll send them my personal list of the meals that I think are the fastest and easiest in the cookbook. I think it’s a good cheat sheet for getting started, particularly if you don’t like to cook.

Now, do you have one recipe you wouldn’t mind sharing with us as we head into the spring season?

Yes! For spring, I love the Spinach Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette — a recipe in Supper Swapping from Post Oak Grill in Houston. It’s what we all want: nutritious, few ingredients and kid-friendly. I wait to make this when blueberries are on special; otherwise it can be expensive.

[This recipe also appears on p. 78-79 in Supper Swapping, along with a tip from Chef Polo Becerra on how to cook fish properly so you don’t lose the juice and protein.]