COOKING EVENT DRAWS MORE THAN 4,000

Jim Thurman of Cape Girardeau relaxed on stage with a helping of saucy barbecue chicken that was made during the Southern Living Cooking School at the Show Me Center Thursday.

Molly Baldwin loves to talk.

On Thursday she chatted non-stop to more than 4,000 people as she whipped up 15 Southern Living recipes.

With a big smile and genuine drawl, this Alabama native brought the pages of Southern Living magazine to life during two shows. The Southern Living Cooking School transformed the Show Me Center into a working kitchen, dining area and living room.

The school was sponsored by the Southeast Missourian, Schnucks and the Cape Girardeau County Area Medical Alliance.

Baldwin said, "It takes practice to talk and cook." But she believes that by demonstrating how to prepare food, the recipes seem more approachable. An overhead camera and big screen helped the audience better visualize the preparation.

"Some people are afraid to cook," she said. "I try to show that food is strong stuff. It's hard to ruin."

Baldwin and Catherine Hall -- another Alabama native -- were the on-stage personalities at the show. Baldwin did the cooking, and Hall gave entertaining and decorating tips. Together they'll do 30 cooking shows for Southern Living, one of two teams.

Baldwin didn't miss a beat during the morning show when the measuring spoon wouldn't fit into a mustard jar or a spring-foam pan popped.

Besides, it can't compare to the third show of her career when a burner malfunctioned and caught fire. Or the time she dropped a fully-frosted cake on its top.

"That's just part of being in the kitchen," she said.

Along with the recipes, Baldwin tossed in lots of kitchen advice:

-- Dust cake pans with cocoa instead of flour for dark cakes to alleviate white spots.

-- Push in the tabs on the side of the Reynolds Wrap aluminum box to prevent the roll from sliding out.

-- Wrap a cheese grater with plastic wrap to minimize the mess when grating a lemon.

About seven lucky people got to taste the recipes on stage for each show. They sat at a cozy kitchen table before a mock bay window or a comfy living room chair.

Mike Walke of Cape Girardeau was ready for the experience, tucking a big red napkin into his shirt. He said the Spicy Barbecue Shrimp was "delightful."

Walke really enjoyed the show.

"I do all the cooking," he said. "The shrimp was nicely done. That's the difference between Northern and Southern cooking -- you're not afraid to use flavor and color." He and his wife moved to Cape Girardeau about a year ago from Duluth, Minn.

Judy Martin of Perryville was another satisfied taste-tester. She liked the Caramelized Onion-Potato Tart best.

It was the Beef Fillets with Wine Sauce that pleased the taste buds of Fred R. Nebel, who told the crowd he had lived in Cape Girardeau all his 82 years. Nebel cooked when he worked on Army Corps of Engineers boats before his retirement. But he admitted it was more fun to sample the food.

Paul Harper, supermarket manager of Schnucks, ended up among the morning taste-testers by accident -- he entered the stage for introductions just a little early. But it proved fortuitous for Harper, who said the Daiquiri Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce was "Woooooo."

"I could have eaten another piece," he said.

Through "cooking school magic," Baldwin would whip up the recipes and then fully cooked versions would appear. What the audience didn't see was the flawless behind-the-scenes execution by more than a dozen members of the medical alliance.

Long tables of ingredients, pots and utensils lined the backstage.

Karen Retter, president of the medical alliance, explained that meticulously numbered cards directed volunteers. "This is very, very organized," she said. "We had a ball."

On Wednesday, alliance members worked five hours chopping vegetables and measuring ingredients. Each recipe was prepared four times during the course of the two shows.

Proceeds from ticket sales -- more than $10,000 -- will be donated to a number of area charities already selected by the alliance.

Also working hard behind the scene were members of the Southeast Missouri State University Student Dietetics Association, who graciously washed the huge stack of dishes.

As a bonus for their efforts, many of the volunteers were able to sample the cooking creations backstage after each show.

Those attending the school also explored the booths of more than 40 exhibitors.

Pat Zellmer, advertising manager for the Southeast Missourian, thought the school turned out great.

"I had many people tell me they thought it was a very professional show. We had great audience participation," she said.

A number of people asked if the show would return next year.

"We'd like to have it back," said Zellmer. "I'd like to know what our readers think."