Last summer, I wrote a feature on the kids at Bright School’s cooking camp and came away quite impressed with the fun they had, the lessons they learned and their strong interest in cooking. Some knew their way around a kitchen quite well, while others gained new skills in tools, techniques and kitchen safety.

This year, they’ll be at it again, and it’s not too late to get your young chef in the action. Log onto www.brightschool.com and click on “Funstitute” to get the ball rolling. You can download the registration form there.

This is not the only cooking camp for kids in town. The Creative Discovery Museum has one scheduled July 6-10 for kid in grades 3-5 and July 13-17 for kids in kindergarten through second grade. Log onto www.cdmfun.org for more information or call 756-2738.

I received an e-mail from Shirley Pope that continues the discussion about Chattanooga restaurants. When she was a student at the University of Chattanooga (now UTC) from 1957 to 1961, she would go to Loveman’s Garden Room and has fond memories of lunches with friends. She then posed a question to readers:

“The Chattanooga Regional History Museum a couple of years ago had an exhibit about Loveman’s. I asked the curator if they had any menus from the Garden Room, and he said no. Do you have any idea how I could locate a copy of the Garden Room menu?”

If any of you have one tucked away in a scrapbook, perhaps you’d be willing to make a copy and send it my way to forward to Ms. Pope. You can send it to me at Chattanooga Times Free Press, 400 E. 11th St., Chattanooga, TN 37403.

What’s better than a community cookbook? People love them, in part due to tried-and-true recipes from area cooks but also because of historical bits of information found in many of them. Such is the case for “Recipes From Hamilton County Government,” compiled by Hamilton County government employees with all proceeds supporting United Way of Greater Chattanooga.

This is a durable, hardcover book with plastic binding — 261 pages filled with more than 500 recipes, some familiar, such as several versions of spaghetti, chicken casserole and pasta salad; and some that you just don’t see too often, like Jambalaya Grits from Annie Fricker of Probate Court or Pecan Pie Muffins from Vicki Suttle in Emergency Services.

For copies, send check or money order for $12, which includes shipping and handling, to Hamilton County Government, c/o Pam Hurst, Register of Deeds, P.O. Box 1639, 625 Georgia Ave., Room 400, Chattanooga, TN 37401. For information, call 209-6570.

Here’s a tasty way to use fresh strawberries while they’re still in season. The recipe comes from Chris Hixson of the Highway Department.

Strawberry Cake

1 box strawberry cake mix

1 large container fresh strawberries

1 small box vanilla instant pudding

2 cups milk (for pudding)

8 ounces whipped topping

Pecans

Bake cake according to directions for a 9- by 13-inch pan. Before cake cools, make holes in cake with end of wooden spoon. Puree strawberries and pour over cake. Refrigerate cake for at least one hour. Mix pudding with milk until thickened, then combine whipped topping. Spread onto cooled cake and sprinkle with pecans.