READERS CAN SHARE RECIPES IN NEW COLUMN

Need a recipe? Let fellow readers lend a hand.

That's the concept behind the Southeast Missourian's new Recipe Swap column that begins next week.

It will run on the front of the Home section every Wednesday. It replaces Mr. Food, who has quit his syndicated newspaper column.

Cookbook aficionado Susan McClanahan of Cape Girardeau will author the column. She will call on her extensive cookbook collection -- more than 2,000 at last count -- for column fodder. But she's counting on reader participation to make this new column a success.

Recipe Swap can be used in a number of different ways. First off, readers can share their favorite recipes with others in the column.

"It's a great way for cooks to interact," said Joni Adams, managing editor of the Southeast Missourian. "Sometimes a recipe is so good you just want to share it with others."

The column will also provide a forum for finding obscure recipes and cooking tips. For example, a recent caller to Speak Out was looking for a molasses cake recipe that ran in the paper many years ago. Readers?

If you have such a recipe mail it to the newspaper at: Recipe Swap, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701. While you're at it, send it some of your favorite recipes to share during this holiday season.

Recipes can be sent with or without attribution.

"This column is a wonderful forum to give the great cooks of our region some recognition by publishing their recipes each week," said Adams.

The column may also provide a way to uncover some recipe secrets -- such as famous salads or creations of restaurants, churches and other family favorites.

McClanahan works as administrator at the Cape Senior Center, and she's no stranger to the kitchen. She started her cookbook collection in junior high school, but she first tried her hand at cooking in the second grade. The youngest of six children, she has always enjoyed cooking for family members.

McClanahan enjoys learning new things in the kitchen and feels the column can provide a learning experience for everyone.

She especially enjoy recipes for desserts, breads and unique vegetable dishes. "I'm getting ready to try a new pecan glazed brussel sprout recipe I came across the other day," she said.

McClanahan hopes most of the recipes in the column come directly from readers -- men and women who enjoy home-cooked creations in this fast-paced world.

One of her first columns may focus on pies, since McClanahan will serve as a judge in the upcoming "Pie in the Sky" bake-off under way at the Southeast Missourian.

Pie recipes will be accepted through Monday, Dec. 7. The top finalists in five different categories will be asked to bake their pies for official taste-testing of the judges.

The categories include:

-- Meat-vegetable pies such as chicken pie, shepherd's pie or spinach and onion pie.

-- Baked fruit pies such as apple, pumpkin or berry pies.

-- No-bake pies such as Key lime, lemonade or other refrigerated pies.

-- Pudding pies such as banana cream or chocolate cream.

-- All-time favorites such as pecan pie, egg custard, peanut butter pie or brownie pie. These pies wouldn't fit in the other categories.

Recipes can be mailed to Pie in the Sky Bake-off, Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701 or dropped by any of the Missourian's offices.

Winners in each category along with a blue-ribbon champion will be announced Dec. 16, along with publication of all the entries.