BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE SOUTHERN LIVING COOKING SCHOOL

When the Southern Living Cooking Show takes the stage Thursday, organizers hope the day will proceed without a hitch. But the secret to a flawless show is all the behind-the-scenes work -- both in Cape Girardeau and at the Southern Living test kitchens.

Members of the Cape Girardeau Area Medical Alliance will be busy this week shopping and chopping.

They will prepare all the ingredients that will be used on stage during the cooking shows, scheduled at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday.

The show is co-sponsored by the Southeast Missourian, Schnucks and the medical alliance. Tickets are available from all sponsors and the Show Me Center box office.

Laura Meece with the medical alliance helped two years ago when Southern Living last appeared in Cape Girardeau. She's looking forward to helping again this week.

The ingredients for each recipe must be prepared at least four times twice for each show. Some of them are then baked, and some are left ready to assemble on stage. That's what provides the seamless demonstration of each recipe from start to finish on-stage is a mere matters of minutes.

"The instructions are very organized," said Meece. "We're handed a recipe that doesn't really look like a recipe. You prepare all the ingredients and put them in different containers."

She said the show will prepare dozens of recipes in the two hours. The medical alliance will assemble 10 or 15 two-person teams to chop and measure each recipe to specification the day before.

Only the labels of paid sponsors can be shown on stage. So the products from everyone else must be scooped out and placed in unmarked containers.

"I have a whole new appreciation anytime I watch a cooking program," she said. "I know there's a whole lot of people behind the scenes for that face on TV."

The medical alliance volunteers will also work behind the scenes, shuttling food items, utensils and trays back and forth. They'll watch the show backwards on the giant big screen TV at the back of the stage.

The group expects a very meticulous shopping list early this week, in which every detail is planned out, said Meece.

The food prep work will be done Wednesday morning at the Show Me Center while the cooking school stage is being set up.

But the best part is that the lucky medical alliance volunteers get to sample the food after the show.

"It was wonderful," she said of the creations two years ago. "I was also surprised at how many things looked so elegant, but were very easy to cook."

Rebecca Kracke and Catherine Hall will demonstrate Southern Living tips and recipes on stage.

But Kracke said much behind-the-scenes work goes into creating each season's show. When Kracke is not on the road, she develops, tests and edits recipes for the Cooking School cookbook and Southern Living Magazine.

"We're in the process now of developing recipes for our sponsors for the fall season," she said. "We come up with the recipes ourselves."

Typically, they develop 10 recipes for each national sponsor, who then choose which one best represents their product for demonstration on stage.

Where do they come up with the ideas?

"We eat out at nice restaurants," she said. "We talk about what we throw together at home with the ingredients on hand. Our recipes really come from a variety of different places."

This spring marks Kracke's second season with the Cooking School. Previously, she spent several years as a pastry chef for restaurants throughout the South.

What about foods she doesn't like? Do they still end up in a recipe?

"I don't care for a lot of fruit desserts, but things sound good to me even though they may not taste good to me," she said. Her favorite creations are desserts that involve chocolate.

By the time the recipes go into the cookbook, editors of the Cooking School and magazine have taste-tested them many times. "When we get ready to go on the road, we test the recipes over and over," she said.

While many of the Southern Living recipes are distinctive, most use seven ingredients or less, said Kracke. "These recipes are very family-friendly."

Despite all the planning, sometimes mistakes do happen during the live presentations.

"I remember doing a recipe last season and I totally forgot to put in the main ingredient -- the chicken," said Kracke. "When I got to the end, I had a finished enchilada and a bowl full of chicken. We let the audience know about all our mistakes. It makes them feel more at ease. We laugh about it."

Kracke said all the backstage help is essential to make the show appear so smooth.

"There are so many people that come together to make this happen," she said. "It's really a team effort."

Christopher Braun, who works in the circulation department at the Southeast Missourian, will never again look at a goodie bag in quite the same way.

He and his crew are responsible for stuffing more than 40 items in 6,000 goodie bags that will be distributed at the Southern Living Cooking School Thursday.

He estimated it will take more than 120 man-hours to stuff the bags.

Last week, he spent an entire day just spot-checking the bags, to make sure everything that was supposed to go in was there. The crew stuffed another round of gifts, certificates and recipes late this week.

"There are coupons and trinkets," said Braun. "There are recipes and brochures." There is a "Mighty Grip," which promises 101 uses including opening jars. There are pens and cookbooks, including the Southern Living spring cookbook with 138 recipes.

After the bags are stuffed, they must be carefully transported to the Show Me Center for distribution.

Braun, a sophomore at Southeast Missouri State University, is majoring in marketing. This is the first large-scale promotion he's worked on.

"I've gotten a goodie bag before, but I never thought about all the work that went into it," he said. "I'll never look at a goodie bag the same again."

SOUTHERN LIVING COOKING SHOW AT A GALNCE

Who: The show is co-sponsored by the Southeast Missourian, Schnucks and the Cape Girardeau Area Medical Alliance.

What: This is one of 16 cooking schools that Southern Living will present this spring. It is the only show scheduled in Missouri. The cooking school last came two years ago.

Where: Show Me Center. Doors open two hours before each show to visit the many booths.

When: Thursday, April 27 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

How much: Tickets are $3 in advance or $4 at the door. They can be purchased from any Southeast Missourian offices, Schnucks, Medical Alliance members or the Show Me Center Box Office. Seating is first-come, first-served.

Why come: Everyone who attends will watch a 2-hour show filled with recipes and decorating tips. They will also get a goodie bag with more than 30 items per bag, including the Southern Living cook book.