Danny Manning’s World Famous Cheese Dip.

Jim Ryun’s Buttermilk Pie.

Nick Collison’s Beef and Noodles.

These are but a few of the nearly 150 entries in “Rock Chalk Recipes — Favorite Meals from Past and Present KU Athletes,” a new cookbook compiled by the Kansas University Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

The $15 cookbook, put together as a fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society and Lawrence charities, features recipes contributed by 95 of Kansas University’s past and present athletes, coaches and inductees into the KU Athletics Hall of Fame.

“We wanted to do something that would be noticed,” says Maggie Mason, who serves on the leadership group of the KU committee.

“Each year we do something for the American Cancer Society, and now we’ve extended it to local charities. Two years ago, we sold royal blue T-shirts that said ‘Field of Pride.’ It was huge — we sold 5,000. Last year, we sold Jayhawk license plates for the front of your car. We sold 2,000 for $2 each.”

Mason, a KU senior and four-year soccer standout, recalls how the idea of compiling a cookbook came up.

“We actually just sat around and brainstormed during one of our committee meetings and someone said, ‘We eat a lot, athletes like food, why don’t we do a cookbook?’ Everyone laughed and then a couple of us were like, ‘Well, why not?'” she says.

Mason, 22, also is vice president of the Big 12 Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

“I think ‘Rock Chalk Recipes’ is a great opportunity to get to know another side of our student-athletes,” Mason says.

“There are biographies of the KU Hall of Famers and action shots of the athletes. It’s a way to get to know the programs, it’s a good piece of memorabilia and I think there’s pretty good food in there, too.”

Simple, hearty dishes

From the looks of it, Mason’s right.

There’s much to like in the cookbook, which is divided into six categories: breakfast foods, soup/salads, appetizers, pregame meals, entrees and desserts.

The recipes in the cookbook could be described as simple, straightforward and hearty — perfect for the college student or student-athlete on the go who needs a quick infusion of energy.

Recipes from KU athletes and coaches

There’s nothing frou-frou in these pages.

Just good, solid dishes like Shrimp Creole, contributed by former basketball star Lynette Woodard; Crock Pot Roast, shared by legendary football coach Don Fambrough; and Tortilla Soup, sent in by head softball coach Tracy Bunge.

But there’s a variety of dishes, including a few recipes that may be new to some readers.

“That’s a great thing about the book,” says Maegen Himes, a senior and KU swimmer and diver for four years.

“A lot of the athletes (who shared recipes) are from other countries. I’m from Guam, and I threw in a Chamorro recipe (from native islanders) called Chicken Kelaguen, basically a marinated chicken. There are athletes from Jamaica, and they put in a fruity dessert.”

Maybe she’s referring to the Caribbean Fruit Cake, contributed by Benaud Shirley, a track-and-field athlete from 1999-2003.

The recipe calls for two cups of red wine and half a cup of rum (optional). Note to student-athletes: Don’t eat this before competing.

Gary Kempf, associate athletics director and former KU swimming and diving head coach, was happy to lend his recipe for Guacamole Dip to the cookbook.

“I just think it’s a wonderful effort, and I really respect the amount of work that they put into developing this book,” he says.

“I think it’s going to be a neat memento for the future. It’s putting the new and the old together, and it’s kind of fun to see that. We have had an unbelievable number of fantastic athletes come through our programs here.”

Simple recipes

Judging from the recipes submitted to the cookbook, it’s clear that KU’s female student-athletes and coaches are more proficient in the kitchen than the male Jayhawks.

The recipes that the men turned in often rely upon staple ingredients such as Campbell’s Creamy Mushroom Soup, Velveeta cheese and canned tomatoes.

Nick Collison’s Beef and Noodles, for instance, calls for just three ingredients: ground beef, cans of mushroom soup and a package of wide noodles.

Kempf freely admits he’s no culinary whiz.

“I can cook in self defense when I have to. I can grill outside, and that’s probably what I do best. If I have to live off my own cooking, I’d probably starve,” he says.

Then there’s Danny Lewis, a hulking senior who played right offensive tackle on KU’s football team from 2001 to 2004.

His contribution to the cookbook is Simple Grilled Cheese, with the footnote: “For those unable to use the stove because bad things happen.”

Lewis explains the recipe’s origin.

“When I was a kid, I wasn’t allowed to play with the stove, so when I got hungry, that’s what I made,” says Lewis, who is 6 foot 5 and 295 pounds.

“A monkey could get it right. But it does the trick — it’s a lot faster than trying to get the oven on.”

Cookbook available online

A new cookbook, “Rock Chalk Recipes — Favorite Meals from Past and Present KU Athletes,” has been compiled by the Kansas University Student Athlete Advisory Committee as a fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society and Lawrence-area charities.

The cookbook features nearly 150 recipes from generations of Jayhawk athletes, including Danny Manning, Al Oerter, Jim Ryun, Lynette Woodard and Tracy Bunge.

The recipes are divided into six categories: breakfast foods, soups/salads, appetizers, pregame meals, entrees and desserts.

The cookbook, which costs $15, is available online at www.kustore.com.