By James DeWeese
The club, which over the past several years has donated thousands of dollars to food pantries and invested hundreds of hours in activities for youth and seniors, has asked local celebrities and politicians to pitch in by contributing their favorite recipes for a cookbook the group plans to sell.So far organizers have received instructions for mouth-watering concoctions from City Council Speaker Gifford Miller (D-Manhattan), Gov. George Pataki and Gail Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College, said Luke Adams, Lion club secretary, chair of cookbook fund-raiser and self-appointed taste-tester extraordinaire.”We wanted to do something a little different,” Adams said. “I happen to be a good cook (and) I already have about 50 recipes, but to be very honest, would anybody buy a book with just Luke Adams' recipes in it? I doubt it.”So he and the club's organizers decided to broaden the book's appeal by soliciting contributions from big-wig bakers.Miller offered up a tempting recipe for lamb, Adams said. Pataki pitched in two recipes, one for beef stew and another for Empire apples.”He, of course, is pushing New York apples,” Adams said of Pataki's contribution. “So I have to give him that.”Mellow offered up a recipe for chocolate mouse custard. “It's a dynamite recipe for a very fattening dessert,” said Adams, adding that he was looking forward to sampling it as he had with many other recipes.The book will retail for $15. About 500 will be printed and proceeds will be used to finance the Lions club's charitable activities. It is slated to be released this summer.Recent projects of the Sunnyside/Woodside Lions Club include a $4,133 donation to food pantries at St. Teresa's and St. Raphael's churches, a $200 line-dancing class for children at Sunnyside's Queens of Angels Church and financing for a number of children's basketball games.The club plans to host an Easter party for neighborhood youth Saturday, March 26 at 2 p.m. at the All Saint's Church on 46th Street and a children's movie party in April, Adams said.”I can tell you that we will be having a lot of great recipes,” said Adams, who pointed out that there would be recipes from a wide range of international backgrounds.Reach reporter James DeWeese by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at news@timesledger.com.
