Before I begin this week, I have an announcement: I desperately need your favorite appetizer recipes for a 1 or 2 part Super Bowl series I’m working on. They don’t need to be anything fancy, just good. You can e-mail me at the address listed at the end of this column, or give me a call at (315) 369-2885. I would be ever so grateful, and maybe, just maybe, will give you my last available kidney (those Langworthys got the other one, remember?). Thank you.

Remember last week, when I told you that one of my New Year’s resolutions was to attack the stacks of recipes and reader mail on my desk with a vengeance? Still in full-on attack mode over here on Spruce Drive; there just might be a light at the end of this dust-coated tunnel. Reader recipes have been re-read and sorted, and even assigned a week for which column they will run in. I really like things tidy in my office and in the rest of my home—when things are all a’ cluttery, I just can’t think and I just can’t breathe. Maybe that’s why I always love January, because with it comes the chance to clear out the cobwebs and start all over again, fresh.

A while back, we had dinner with a friend of ours, Adirondack League Club historian/appraiser/antiques dealer-to-the-stars, Mr. Ted Comstock. Ted is such a fascinating person—he knows everything about the Adirondack mountains, and everyone who lives in them. Ted told me to keep my eyes open for a surprise in the mail, and a few days later there was a small package waiting for me in our P.O. Box. Can you guess what it was? Well, you never, ever in a million years could have guessed this one (unless you read the title of this column, that is): The 1977 Old Forge Library’s Cookbook. I felt like I was opening up a time capsule when I opened this small book, which was a one-time fundraising effort for the library. To be truthful, I think I received the cookbook from Ted waaaay back in October, and I’m finally getting around to sharing it with you—see how I am?

The “cookbook committee” consisted of Sarah Cohen, Nora Spateholts, Fran Fulton, Marina A. Simmons and Deborah Denio. Names which are probably familiar to many of you old-timers, but not to relative newcomer me (except for Sarah). I think the real fun in this cookbook is reading the names of the recipe contributors—people like Janet Parent (who I think had something like 13,472 kids, so I’m sure she cooked a lot), Joan Ward, Mirnie Kashiwa, Lorraine Mitchell  and even Lesley Leach. I mean, was Lesley like five years old when she sent her recipe in or what? Well anyways, the recipes in this Library Cookbook are just good, basic recipes that are still used today, so I thought I’d share some oldies but goodies with you in today’s column. Thank you, Ted, for your thoughtful surprise, and thank you ladies who contributed, for your recipes.

Oops—one more thing: I was given permission to re-print some of these recipes by friend Izzy Worthen, director of The Old Forge library, in case any of you lawsuit-happy types out there had any smart ideas.)

JOAN WARD’S BLUEBERRY-CHEESE BARS

1 (18 oz.) package sugar cookie mix (room temperature, and I think she meant refrigerated cookie dough)

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese (room temperature)

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. lemon rind

1 1/2 cup blueberry pie filling

Press cookie dough in pan. Beat together cream cheese, egg, sugar and lemon rind. Spread this over cookie dough; top with blueberry filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

JANET PARENT’S

ONE POT PAELLA

4 oz. hot Italian sausage

Cooking oil

Salt

Pepper

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1/4 tsp. turmeric

3 cups hot water

2 carrots, cut up

8 chicken legs

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup uncooked rice

1 pkg. frozen peas (10 oz)

1 pkg. frozen artichoke hearts (10 oz.)

1/4 cup black olives, pitted

1/2 cup fresh tomatoes

Cut up and cook sausage in oil for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Salt and pepper chicken legs; brown in oil. Remove from pan. Add and brown onion, pepper and garlic. Stir in rice, bouillon cubes, turmeric and water. Bring to a boil. Add sausage, carrots and chicken. Lower heat; cover. Cook 20 minutes. Rinse frozen peas in hot water to separate. Arrange on top. Add artichoke hearts and olives. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until rice and chicken are done. Cut up fresh tomato and arrange on top. Serves 6 to 8.

MIRNIE KASHIWA’S SPINACH SOUFFLE

1 box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed

8 oz. small curd cottage cheese

2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg (or 2 small)

Mix ingredients thoroughly. Place in greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes; serve.

LORRAINE MITCHELL’S SWEET POTATO MUFFINS

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups canned sweet potatoes, mashed

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup raisins, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Blend in sweet potatoes. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add alternately with milk. Do not over mix. Add nuts and raisins. Fill tins 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes. Can be frozen and reheated. Yields 6 dozen.