February 2008



SSAR Team Member Publishes

Great Recipes To The Rescue

In the January issue of Arizona Boating & Watersports we featured an article on Superstition Search & Rescue team member Darrell Porath. Mike Wallace wrote that Porath had initiated and commanded SSAR’s dive and recovery team and now serves as its scuba instructor.

Wallace also mentioned that Porath, the second oldest member of the SSAR team, has had many military experiences as a member of the Navy and is now determined to be “good at living” through his many outdoor activities and service to others.

To The Rescue - In The Kitchen

But, AZBW recently found out that Porath is also “good in the kitchen.” He has recently published a comprehensive cookbook Great Recipes to the Rescue.

We have reviewed the collection of taste-tantalizing recipes, including appetizers/snacks, desserts, meats, pasta, poultry, salads, sauces/gravies, seafood, side dishes/veggies, and soups. And, we have found this book one of the best ever to include in our gastronomic library!

Great Recipes to the Rescue also includes a comprehensive Appendix: “The Complete Kitchen,” “Cooking Tips,” “Measuring Devices/Tips,Conversion,” Temperatures for Meat and Poultry,” and an extensive glossary of culinary terms.

And, those of us involved in the “Rock the Boat” project are particularly moved by Porath’s account at the beginning of the book re: Superstition Search & Rescue. It is followed by his dedications to a friend Penny Morse, a breast cancer survivor, to Robert Cooper, the commander of SSAR for over 10 years, and to all of the other invaluable team members “who selfishly devote endless hours training and helping hundreds of injured and lost hikers.”

Porath also dedicates the book to all of our service men and women, past and present.

In His Own Words

In his own words, Porath says, “I thank everyone who supports Superstition Search & Rescue by purchasing this cookbook. The proceeds of this [book] will be donated to Superstition Search & Rescue (SSAR).

“SSAR is an extremely dedicated group of well-trained volunteers. For more than 25 years they have searched for, found, treated, and rescued hundreds of lost and injured adventurers in … vast wilderness areas.

“It’s important to recognize SSAR is a non-profit organization. Consequently, team equipment and team member equipment and training are funded through donations. When donations are insufficient to cover these expenses, team members pay for them out of their own pocket.

“For example, several team members have spent more than $25,000 for equipment and training in the last several years. The proceeds from this cookbook are intended to help the team continue their invaluable work.”