She brings enthusiasm to the table

The underlying theme of Carol McManus's cookbook, ''Table Talk,'' is the importance of families sitting down together. (Julia cumes for the boston globe)

EDGARTOWN - Carol McManus raised five children, had an early career teaching and running a childcare center, and later opened a popular cafe. Still, she made dinner every night. She says that if she could do it, anyone can.

In her kitchen here, she's demonstrating just how easy dinner can be. She stirs spinach into tortellini soup simmering on the stovetop. Then she turns to pizza dough, which she made the night before, and rolls it into a large rectangle. In the center, she lays slices of ham, Genoa salami, and mozzarella, folds the dough in thirds to make a log shape, and sets it on a baking sheet. A thick slice of her warm calzone accompanied by the hearty soup is the kind of casual supper she used to make for her family. It all took about 45 minutes.

McManus, 65, recently compiled her favorite recipes in "Table Talk: Food, Family, Love - A Cookbook," whose underlying theme is the importance of sitting down together every night. She also blogs at www.food familylove.com.

Because she was a working mom, she knows all the obstacles that other working parents face. "You come home and everyone is hungry," she says. "But if you think it's important enough, then you plan for [dinner] and you just make it work."

It's at the table that children develop an appreciation and respect for food and can gain a sense of security and attachment to their families, explains Dan Kindlon, who teaches child psychology at Harvard and is the author of "Too Much of a Good Thing: Raising Children of Character in an Indulgent Age." During mealtimes, he says, "values are transferred and information and education are passed along." Parents can also model good eating habits, a willingness to eat healthful foods, and moderate portions, he says.

Both Kindlon's studies and other research indicate that "family dinners are one of the strongest protective factors against drug use, depression, eating disorders, and academic underachievement," he says. "If children are with caring adults, they tend not to be as influenced by their peers." Most parents probably know this instinctively, but jobs and children's activities and homework converge to make sticking to a regular meal schedule difficult. "Time together is key," says Kindlon, a father of two teenage daughters.

McManus is the first to admit that the family meal can be cobbled together from what's in the house. The essential element is bringing the family to the table. "Even if dinner was scrambled eggs, French toast, soup, or take-out pizza, the TV was off and we ate together."

Her cookbook is not about speed, however. Neither does she subscribe to catering to fussy children. The book is a collection of time-tested recipes that are simple and approachable. She wants parents using her volume to succeed. She offers a simple meatloaf mixed with frozen spinach and a recipe for chickpea burgers.

"If you're going to get people to cook, it can't be difficult or take a long time," says McManus, who has taught cooking classes for both children and adults. She found that middle-schoolers are eager to cook and bake but many told her they don't dine regularly with their families. The author also taught women who didn't grow up watching their mothers in the kitchen and are now afraid of cooking.

While cooking came easily to McManus, the rest of her life took a bumpier path. She moved to Martha's Vineyard 22 years ago after separating from her husband. At the time, her two oldest children, Maureen and Debby, were in college, son Michael was finishing high school in Winthrop, and the two youngest, daughter Paula and son TJ, moved with her to the island. After she sold her struggling art gallery business in the late 1980's, McManus jumped on the specialty coffee bandwagon and opened Espresso Love in 1992 in an office-size space in an Edgartown hotel. "I remember thanking God for every customer that walked in the door," she says. McManus did all the baking and Paula and TJ worked at the shop after school. In 2001, she moved into a much larger space, a garden cafe behind the courthouse on Main Street, and the restaurant is now an island fixture.

The grandmother of four offers a few valuable tips for home cooks. One is: "Know what recipes you want to make before you go shopping." She knows that parents can stop at the supermarket on the way home, spend over $100, and have nothing to make for dinner.

Also, she suggests planning an easy meal to start off the work week. In her home, Monday was "pasta night." She says to stick to regular weekly or biweekly menu plans, which may seem boring, but eliminates last-minute trips to the grocery store. Weekends can be the time to experiment.

As far as making foods taste their best, McManus suggests a liberal hand with spices and herbs. "Keep tasting to get the flavors right," she says.

As a teacher and confidante, she's always telling people that once they fall into the dinner-making routine, they're going to enjoy it and their families are going to love it. "When you come to the table," she says, "you're getting a lot more than just food."