Someone’s been cooking up a storm in Little Compton… but who?

The question sniffs out its answer among the laminated pages of Community Cookbook, a recipe book recently created by recent graduates from Wilbur McMahon School — Elizabeth Burchard, Phoebe Hadley and Sara Higgins — who collected some of the community’s most beloved recipes as part of their year-end community project.

“The community cookbook originated from the girls’ interest in cooking, local food availability, and how families are unique in the types of foods they eat,” said Aimee Lotz, Wilbur’s International Baccalaureate World School coordinator, and the girls’ project mentor. “The need and goal was to be able to have a local source to commemorate the stories behind the recipes shared in an attempt to highlight oral histories through the food we eat.”

In the coming weeks and months, the Sakonnet Times will reprint the recipes in the book, including short anecdotes about those who submitted them and what the recipes mean to them. This week's first installment:

Spinach stuffed shells, submitted by Karen Corrigan

•Two to three packages of fresh or frozen spinach

•One box of stuffing shells

•24 ounces of cottage cheese

•8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese

•Two egg whites

•Jar of red sauce

•Nutmeg to taste

•Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Thaw and drain spinach, mix in cottage cheese, some of the mozzarella, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and egg whites. Stir and mix. Cool shells and stuff top with sauce and remaining mozzarella. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Says Karen: "These delicious spinach stuffed shells are a recipe I received from a family friend. They are easy to make and my husband and I make them together. We have been making them for over 20 years. They are a family favorite at holidays and family parties. My son, Miles, especially enjoys them. I usually make them for his birthday and make an extra dish for him to take home.

"I usually make the mix the night before and refrigerate to let the flavors come together. Then the next day all you have to do is cook the shells, stuff, and bake.