Published: October 13, 2009 11:14 pm      

Taste of Home

Food and fun trump weather at Taste of Home Cooking show

By Janet Jacobs

Daily Sun



Despite rain and fog, an estimated 650 people attended the Taste of Home Cooking School at Corsicana High School Tuesday evening for a night of fun and food.

Dozens of prizes were awarded for everything from the prepared dishes to furniture.

Jim Bennett won a gift basket of Ziploc products and some spiced pecans, which he ate while the rest of the evening unfolded.

“I’m always excited when I win something,” he said.

Host cook Jamie Dunn demonstrated making stuffed manicotti, Southwestern flank steak, microwaved Chex mix, a savory salmon cheesecake, and even a decorative edible fruit centerpiece, all of which were given out to audience members.

As she cooked, she matched wits with Corsicana Daily Sun managing editor Bob Belcher, the emcee for the evening, and gave out cooking tips, such as microwaving canned frosting to make a pourable glaze for sweet bread.

Jackie and Michelle Redifer came from Forney for the show with Teresa Newell and Carol Falkerson of Mesquite.

Newell attended Taste of Home shows in Pennsylvania, so she knew what to expect, while her friends were new to the experience. Seeing the vendors whose booths lined the hallway was one of her favorite parts of the show, she said. They sampled soup, cake, brownies, ice cream, pizza, cookies and a variety of other goodies at the various booths.

Pat Bunch of Corsicana used to come to the shows years ago.

“I love the cooking stuff,” she said.

The grand prize recipe winner was GayLyn Hendrik, who made the fried okra salad featured in the Daily Sun recipe contest. The grand prize raffle winners were Ann Coker of Richland, who won a dining set from Hands Furniture; Barb Wooster of Baytown, who won a dining set from Miles Furniture; and Margie Holton of Corsicana who won the custom-made island with granite top by McCoy’s and Signature Surfaces.

“I just thought I was going to get some good recipes,” Wooster said. “I came to visit my sister and she said this might be a fun thing to do.”

Holton was stunned by her fortune in winning the island.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said.



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