Fort Jackson - What's cooking?

FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- The Fort Jackson Thrift Shop is publishing a Fort Jackson Cookbook titled, "Fort Jackson -- What's Cooking?"

This is not the first time the Thrift Shop has embraced a project such as this. The Thrift Shop published and sold a cookbook in the early 2000's. But the new cookbook will have major upgrades. It will contain menus from current and past members of the Fort Jackson community and will display photographs from all around Fort Jackson. The cookbook will also contain suggestions for healthy cooking, cooking for kids, and etiquette.

The cookbook project committee, chaired by Amber Cerchione, is requesting recipes from the entire Fort Jackson community.

"We are looking for South Carolina classic recipes, modern recipes, easy recipes, gourmet recipes, ethnic recipes and unique recipes," Cerchione said. "We are also looking for recipes that people have used or discovered during their travels around the globe."

Kim Milano, who has championed healthy eating lifestyles while here at Fort Jackson, is coordinating a "healthy cooking" set of recipes.

"We have made wonderful changes in the nutrition programs at Fort Jackson over the last two years," Milano said. "While everyone likes comfort food, there is always room in the modern cookbook for healthy recipes and healthy meals."

Maria Currey is a strong advocate of family meal time as a way to bring families together.

"In the hectic and sometimes frantic world we live in today, it is important for families to sit together, enjoy a good meal, and talk together," Currey said.

She will be coordinating family meal recipes and family meal time recommendations.

Anyone from the Fort Jackson community -- Soldier, civilian, family member, friend, volunteer -- may nominate a recipe by going to www.typensave.com, and log in.

The login is "ftjthriftshop" and the password is "hdqdu."

Follow the instructions to type in your contact information and recipe information. The cookbook committee will review all recipes and will choose the most appropriate and compelling 450 recipes.

If contributors would like to write down their recipes instead of using the computer to input their recipes, the handwritten recipes can be dropped off at the cashier at the Thrift Shop during normal business hours.

Please submit all recipes to the cookbook committee by Feb. 2.

The cookbook will be published and initially presented to the Fort Jackson community during a "What's Cooking Fort Jackson" reception at the Thrift Shop, featuring delicious selections from the final product in mid-April.

Pre-sale order sheets will be available around March 1.

All proceeds from the sale of the cookbook will be returned to the Fort Jackson Thrift Shop and used to support the Thrift Shop's philanthropic mission.

The mission of the Fort Jackson Thrift Shop is to enhance the quality of life of Soldiers, retirees and family members by:

 Providing a place to shop for low cost household and personal items.

 Providing a place to consign used personal and household items with a valid, current military Identification Card.

 Distribute any profits earned to post charities and activities and to charity organizations serving the military community.

In the past three years, the Thrift Shop has donated more than $50,000 to Fort Jackson Soldiers, families, and to organizations that support Soldiers and their families.

The Thrift Shop has provided philanthropic support through the use of Christmas vouchers or shopping cards for the Commissary and PX, emergency donations from the Thrift Shop itself, and donations to chaplain-sponsored charitable programs. The Thrift Shop has also provided support to Victory Ranch, Pinckney Elementary School, EFMP, Red Cross and unit FRGs.

Donations or charitable support can be requested through the Thrift Shop welfare coordinator Dawn Physioc, or by coordinating with manager Kim Smith. The Thrift Shop board of directors has final approval of all philanthropic endeavors.

The Thrift Shop is supported by a team of volunteers who provide invaluable time and expertise to the shop and to the community.

"Some of the volunteers have been volunteering at the Thrift Shop for 25 years and more. They are a very special group of people," said Cheryl Stall, who volunteered at the Thrift Shop while at Fort Jackson.

"Fort Jackson -- What's Cooking?" will be a community effort, and the results of the project will support the Fort Jackson community.

The Fort Jackson Thrift Shop is located in the Fort Jackson Mini-Mall at 4713 Lee Road. Store hours are Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.. The Thrift Shop phone number is 787-2153. You can also visit the Fort Jackson Thrift Shop on Facebook.