When Merle Turitz, the recently appointed Community Services Supervisor for the Monroe County Area Agency on Aging, realized there were limited funds to spend on crafts, movies or a dinner out for the seniors that gather at the four senior centers in Monroe County, she sprang into action.

“When I took over I realized there are no funds for the four county senior centers for activities, including the West End’s Chestnuthill Center at Zion Lutheran Church,” she said.

Putting on her thinking cap, she came up with an idea for a cookbook, something completely different from the usual church or fundraiser spiral bound cookbook.

“It is going to be The Secret Ingredient Uncovered Cookbook,” Turitz said.

She said family recipes are passed down through generations but the secret ingredient is never passed on.

“We want to publish a cookbook with recipes that include the guarded secret ingredient, and it must be in the ingredients list of the recipe,” Turitz said.

Ted Sweger a veteran who comes to Loder Senior Center everyday and can often be found with his sketch pads and pencils, has volunteered to create the art for the front of the cookbook.

He never had formal art training but takes art lessons on line.

“My mother was an artist and she would sometimes stop and help me to sketch,” he said.

Sweger’s medium is pencils and he is partial to the brighter colors.

“They make me happy,” he said.

The book will be sold in a limited print of 500 books for $15 and will be spiral bound in gold metal with Sweger’s cover gracing the front.

“I want to thank two business benefactors, Abeloff and Bio Spectra for stepping up and covering the entire cost of printing the cookbooks. That means for every book we sell all the profit will go straight to the activities funds,” Turitz said. “Adding the secret ingredients and passing the recipe down will keep these wonderful dishes from dying with the original cooks.”

Turitz is asking anyone interested to submit their recipes. Email Mturitz@monroecountypa.gov for more information. Recipes will be accepted through the end of September.