SPRINGDALE — When people talk, Deacon Chuck Marino listens because “I never know if God is speaking to me.”
So when a 14-year-old parishioner, Mitch LaMendola, suggested he open a restaurant, Deacon Chuck, as he’s popularly known at St. Raphael Church in Springdale, pondered the idea. The veteran educator and his wife, Anita, love to cook and their donated meals are hot sellers at area church events.
But the idea didn’t win him over. “I thought, ’That’s a lot of work.’”
Eventually, he came to think a cookbook might be possible. The couple has acquired and created recipes for years, resulting in an extensive and eclectic collection from family and friends from far-flung corners of the world.
“I started picking out my favorite recipes,” Marino said.
He ended up with nearly 300. Marino typed each recipe himself and his wife went over each one. They asked a third party to ensure all the instructions were clear. They got marketing assistance from Tony LaMendola, father of Mitch, and found a local printer, The Roark Group.
 Recipe for Fettuccine Lemon Butter Click here |
After months of work, “Marino’s Sunday Dinner & Memorable Meals” is due out this month, and parishioners at St. Raphael as well as at St. Joseph in Fayetteville have enthusiastically lined up to buy. It’s gratifying for the Marinos, who obviously are happy to share their recipes and through that sharing, they’re also funding a donation to St. Raphael School.
It’s fitting, also, because the Marinos are both educators — they moved to Fayetteville in 1996 when Chuck Marino became principal at St. Joseph School. And Chuck Marino went to Catholic school on a scholarship of sorts — he swept the floors from fourth grade through eighth to pay for his tuition.
Marino said he was confident in the recipes but not certain how many books to order. He didn’t want to end up with a garage full of unsold books. He needn’t have worried.
Sales passed the 1,000-book mark weeks ago, enabling the couple to announce the donation of a $10,000 scholarship fund, he said. As of mid-August, sales had reached 1,400, making Marino confident enough to order 2,000 copies.
It is not a gourmet cookbook, Marino said. “I focused really on good taste and easy preparation.”
Ingredients for most all the recipes can readily be found in most kitchens, Anita Marino said.
The book features some favorite family photos, sharing the Marino heritage, but the cuisine is not limited to Italian. There are Chinese, Polish, Irish, American and Greek recipes, too.
The title refers to the family tradition of sharing conversation and food at Sunday meals, and the cover is taken from a T-shirt design the family shares (to keep red sauce from splashing on Sunday finery).
The Marinos met in Louisiana where Chuck was stationed at Fort Polk and Anita had been sent by the Catholic Church Extension Society to teach. They lived in Camden but moved to Libya in search of adventure and to teach at the American Oil School. Social activities in Libya revolved around food, and the Marinos collected recipes from many wives of oil company workers.
The book will be available for $15.99, including shipping, through Marino’s website (www.marinosundaydinner.com) as well as at several area businesses, including Richard’s Meat Market and Café Rue New Orleans in Fayetteville and at Dime’s Meat Market, Harps Grocery on Sunset Avenue, Susan’s Restaurant and St. Raphael’s gift shop, all in Springdale.
Chuck Marino has promised to autograph each copy that’s sold. “I was principal at a school with 600 kids and I signed every report card,” he said.
With that history, he’s certain he can sign every cookbook he sells.
Fettuccine Lemon Butter
Created by Anita Marino
1/2 pound thin spaghetti or fettuccine
1/2 stick butter or 4 T. olive oil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh lemon is best)
1 tablespoon capers (optional)
In a large bowl, put melted butter or olive oil and set aside. Cook pasta, drain and put in bowl with olive oil (or butter) and lemon and coat well. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and toss. You can add capers if you like. Add parsley and toss. Add parmesan and toss. Serve immediately. (We use olive oil mostly and sometimes a little butter.)
— Courtesy of “Marino’s Sunday Dinner and Memorable Meals”
