A way to help improve women's lives while having a lot of fun and feasting on an Italian dinner can be had by attending "The Singing Chef" performance at the Yuma Civic Center on March 1.

Soroptimist International of Yuma, a volunteer service organization focused on helping women and girls achieve economic and political equality through cash awards and recognition, is presenting an evening of Italian food, fun and song, says Yuma club president, Michele Cohen.

She said, that after viewing a demonstration CD of "The Singing Chef," Andy LoRusso, all club members agreed it would be "a totally fun event."

"He describes his show as a cooking cabaret; I describe it as the Food Network with music," Cohen said.

LoRusso, the best selling author of "Sing and Cook Italian," has made numerous appearances on cable TV's Food Network and on "Donnie & Marie" and other programs, Cohen noted.

At the civic center, Karla's Kreations will be catering a five-course dinner using LoRusso's recipes, she said. LoRusso will demonstrate how he prepares three of those courses: sweet fennel and orange salad with toasted walnuts, braciola (beef roll) ala marinara with polenta, and Nona Grace's Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake.

The latter was named for LoRusso's grandmother, who provided him the basis of his cooking savvy at their New Jersey home before he settled in Santa Barbara, Calif.

When he was 22, LoRusso recorded several albums of jazz standards with Epic Records, Cohen said.

Since 1991, LoRusso has been combining both his culinary and vocal talents in his cooking cabaret. In between

cooking displays, LoRusso dons his singer's hat to regale guests with traditional songs such as: "O Sole Mio," "Santa Lucia" and "Torna a Sorrento."

The evening will kick off at 6 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres, champagne, and nonalcoholic punch along with a silent auction at which guests may bid on gift certificates, artwork, jewelry, and a dinner catered by Cohen.

A live auction follows dinner with KYMA TV's Brad Wills serving as auctioneer. Among the items offered will be a week at a Cabo San Lucas condominium and $5,000 worth of advertising on KSWT TV.

The program's beneficiaries are Soroptimist and Safe House, Yuma's domestic violence shelter, with a majority of the proceeds going to Safe House, Cohen said.

Soroptimist takes its name from the Latin word meaning "best for women." The nonprofit organization, founded in 1921, has clubs in 120 countries and a membership of 95,000. The Yuma club is part of the Desert Coast Region that includes Southern California.

The organization focuses on making women self-sufficient for themselves by supporting local, national and international programs. Annual cash grants are dispensed for women who distinguish themselves, Cohen said.

The Women's Opportunity Award is given to women who are the primary financial support of their families and are enrolled in vocational training or undergraduate degree programs. The Helen Thomas Bennett scholarship is awarded to women pursuing a career in the medical field, Cohen explained.

Soroptimist International Yuma just celebrated its 50th anniversary in December. For anyone interested in participating, the club is a great way to help the community, she noted.

The Yuma club meets the first and third Wednesdays of each month until mid-June and then breaks until September. Meetings are held at the Ramada Inn, 300 E. 32nd St.

"It's important for women to support women," Cohen said. " The majority of people in poverty are women and children, nationally and internationally. "

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William Roller can be reached at

wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.

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IF YOU GO

• Tickets are $75

• For more information, contact Roe Doten, 246-4068

• Deadline to purchase tickets is Feb. 22

• Payment by check, credit card or cash

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The contact phone number was corrected on Feb. 20, 2008.