THE SHELVES AT the Chattanooga Area Food Bank are bare. Canned food is needed. If you can help in any way, drop off a trunkful of groceries.

That’s exactly what 5-year-old Avery Santin did. She asked friends to bring canned foods rather than gifts when they came to her birthday party a few months ago. According to her dad, Brian Santin, she received more than 70 pounds of food, which the family delivered to the food bank.

Her friend and Montessori School classmate Grace Rollins, who celebrated her 6th birthday at Partyville recently, also asked for everyone to bring food rather than presents.

I doubt I would have ever done that at that age. I’m very impressed. What a good lesson for children to learn and a nice way for the food bank to add to its store of provisions.

If you’re interested in following the example and want information on what food items are acceptable — most foods with a stable shelf life are — call the food bank at 622-1800.

WE STILL NEED holiday recipes for our cooking tabloid to be published Nov. 19. Many more. Please send only one per category (appetizer, bread, side dish, entree and dessert) to me at abraly@timesfreepress.com or to Anne Braly, 400 E. 11th St., Chattanooga Times Free Press, Chattanooga, TN 37403.

The winner in each category will receive a $100 supermarket gift certificate.

SPEAKING OF CONTESTS, Aug. 31 is the deadline for the National Chicken Cooking Contest. Your original chicken recipe could win $50,000.

“It’s easy to enter, fun to compete and great to win,” said contest director Nancy Tringali Piho. The contest leads up to the national cook-off on May 2 in San Antonio.

Entries can be submitted through the Web site at www.eatchicken.com, by fax at (202) 293-4005 or by mail to National Chicken Cooking Contest, P.O. Box 27997, Washington D.C. 20038-7997.

MY RECENT REQUEST for favorite German restaurants brought a surprise in the mail. Peggy Johnson of Tullahoma, Tenn., sent me an old cookbook filled with recipes from Luchow’s, a popular German eatery on 14th Street in New York City. Though it closed in 1982, the restaurant’s fame continues through this old book, published in 1952. A Google search turns up hundreds of entries, testament to the restaurant’s fame.

I bypassed the recipes for veal kidneys, calf brains and pig knuckles. But I did find a number of delicious German specialties, such as several variations of wiener schnitzel, yummy potato dumplings and, naturally, apple strudel. Here’s how they made it at Luchow’s.

Luchow’s Apple Strudel

2 eggs

6 tablespoons butter, softened, divided

1 cup sifted flour

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

4 medium apples

1⁄2 cup chopped blanched almonds

2 tablespoons finely chopped citron

1⁄4 cup dried currants

1⁄2 cup sugar

11⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon

Beat eggs with 3 tablespoons softened butter; gradually beat in flour and salt. Knead dough 20 minutes. Stretch out dough to a transparent thinness. Wash, peel and core apples. Dice fruit fine and arrange along one side of dough. Scatter almonds and citron over apples. Wash and drain currants and add. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter.

Fold pastry over filling; shape into long roll. Place in long, lightly greased pan. Spread remaining butter over top.

Bake at 400 F until pastry is golden, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and continue baking until well browned. Serve warm, with or without whipped cream. Makes 4-6 servings.