Each year, hundreds of cookbooks are published across the country by the Junior League, church groups, symphony guilds, PTAs and other organizations. Sold mostly as fundraisers, they contain favorite recipes made by regular folks in home kitchens.

One of the most unusual ones was published in Dallas 40 years ago by the southwest chapter of the now-defunct National Home Fashions League. It has the spiral-bound format and many of the recipes – beef stroganoff and chocolate mousse, for example – that would be found in most late-'60s community cookbooks.

What makes His Favorite Recipes stand out is that – as the name promises – almost all of the recipes were submitted by men. The only ones credited to women are in a small section at the back of the book.

There are recipes from several states, but most came from Texas, with Dallas residents in the majority. Some contributors were well-known.

George Bush of Houston, for example, was a U.S. congressman. The man who would become the 41st president waxed enthusiastically about his Sunday Night Taco Supper. "Loved by all who love Mexican food and never dared make it before!" he wrote in the introduction. "EASY!"

U.S. Sen. John Tower gave no introduction to his Beef Burgundy.

But Mr. Tower was known to cook, and his recipe is straightforward and sophisticated.

Given his position as a top Tom Thumb executive, the recipes from Jack Evans (who would be mayor of Dallas from 1981 to 1983) were surprising in their simplicity.

Quick Soup was a can of tomatoes simmered with butter, salt and pepper, and served with a dollop of sour cream. Vienna sausage heated in mustard and red currant jelly created his Quick Party Snack.

Among the most creative recipes were those for barbecue and shrimp sauces, salad dressings and appetizers such as a refried bean dip that incorporated sautéed onions, cumin, paprika, hot sauce and sour cream.

J. Erik Jonsson, the Dallas mayor (1964-71) for whom the downtown public library is named, gave one of the easiest recipes. Here are his tongue-in-cheek instructions for My Favorite Steak:

"This is one of my very favorite recipes and a dish I do enjoy eating," he began. "The first step in preparation is to have my wife buy two or more New York-cut steaks about 11/4 inches in thickness.

"When I come home, I have her put a frying pan on the stove with a small amount of butter and heat it until sufficiently hot.

"Then I have her place the steaks in the hot frying pan, but not until I have asked her if she remembered to season them with salt, pepper and a small amount of sherry wine. If her attention is drawn elsewhere during the browning of the steaks, I remind her to watch them and have occasionally gotten up and inspected them myself. When they are nice and brown on both sides, I have her turn them down to cook slowly until sufficiently done in the center. She almost never gets them just right, but I have to consider her inexperience.

"After the steaks are ready, I have her remove them from the pan and prepare the gravy. Once again, I have to trust her judgment as to how much flour and water to add, and it very often comes out good.

"With mashed potatoes and a tossed salad, which I also supervise in preparation, I feel this is an excellent meal, one of my favorites."

Waltrina Stovall is a Dallas freelance writer.

Follow instructions on taco seasoning mix for browning meat. Set table with plates, Doritos and 7 small bowls for the next 7 ingredients. Start with a pile of Doritos, cover with hot meat, and then just make a mountain by adding one on top of the next: cheese, guacamole, onion, tomato, etc. Makes 6 servings.

Note: This is a great dish, for it is easy to keep all the ingredients in the house. Our children or guests all help with chopping, grating, etc., and it is fun!!!

PER SERVING: Calories 978 (65% fat) Fat 69 g (26 g sat) Cholesterol 150 mg Sodium 968 mg Fiber 4 g Carbohydrates 51 g Protein 35 g

SOURCE: George H.W. Bush in His Favorite Recipes

Brown beef in the butter. Add sherry. Remove meat from pan. Place onions in pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook 2 more minutes. Add tomato paste. Mix consommé with flour and add. Stir in 1 cup stock and mix carefully with fork until it boils.

Return beef to the pan, and add carrot, celery, bouquet garni, 1/4 cup of the wine, salt and pepper to taste. Cook slowly until meat is tender, gradually adding the remaining 1 cup red wine during the last hour. Remove the carrot, celery and bouquet garni before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 546 (49% fat) Fat 30 g (13 g sat) Cholesterol 103 mg Sodium 595 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 17 g Protein 41 g

SOURCE: John Tower in His Favorite Recipes

Sauté onion in oil and butter. Add cumin and paprika. Add beans and cook 5 minutes. Let cool and add hot sauce, dry bouillon and sour cream.

Serve cold as a dip, on hamburgers or hotdogs, or to stuff a tomato.

For the best treat of all, serve on Uneeda biscuits. Makes 3 cups.

PER TABLESPOON: Calories 39 (74% fat) Fat 3 g (1 g sat) Cholesterol 5 mg Sodium 58 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 2 g Protein 1 g

SOURCE: Bert Flashnik of Dallas, in His Favorite Recipes