There’s a story to be told about Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village. Less than a decade ago, the graduation rate at the school was 46 percent. With the arrival of a new principal, Sam Sochet, the situation began to improve. Last year, the rate was nearly 80 percent, and the curriculum has been bolstered with programs in law, engineering, robotics, science and humanities. Now, the alumni are raising money to support students’ families — in partnership with CommonPoint of Queens, a social service organization — through a digital cookbook: “Comfort Food From Around the World: Recipes by Students, Staff, Alumni and Friends of MVB.” The global collection of 168 recipes includes one from the chef Yotam Ottolenghi, and can be downloaded for free, though there is an appeal for donations. It has raised nearly $40,000 from individuals and corporate sponsors since it was released on June 11. Steve Wilson, an alumnus who is spearheading the campaign and edited the book, said that they would soon release the current edition in Spanish, and that they were planning for a second volume. Some of the recipes in the current book include Filipino lumpia, Egyptian mulukhiyah soup, Finnish meat pies, and kugel.
“Comfort Food From Around the World,” mvbhsaa.com.
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