Published: November 10, 2008 10:20 pm      

Taste of Home Cooking Show draws crowd

Cheryl Cohen, culinary specialist, drew rapt attention from the packed house attending the Taste of Home Cooking Show Monday at Tamarack Conference Center in Beckley.

“I think the timing of the show so close to the holidays, combined with our ‘Homemade for the Holidays’ theme, created lots of enthusiasm,” Cohen said. “This time of year, everyone is looking for a way to make holiday meals special, but we all want to be able to have time to enjoy the entertaining and spend time with our guests.”

All 700 seats for the show had sold within a couple of weeks of the announcement.

“I wait for this every year,” said Tracy Smith of Bolt. “As soon as I see the tickets are going on sale, I call and get a few for me and my friends.”

Lesley Martin, a vendor with Jewels by Park Lane, is also among the first to buy a ticket each year, but this will be her first time to host a booth.

“I consider the Taste of Home Cooking Show the not-to-be-missed event of the year. I always get my ticket early,” she said. “I’ve left the shows before and gone grocery shopping with a recipe in hand.”

As a first-time vendor, she enjoyed meeting people and letting women know about the jewelry for home shopping. “This is a lot of fun, and when people see the jewelry, they love it. I’ve enjoyed having this business, and this was the perfect time to share it with other women who might want to be involved,” Martin said.

She provided a number of entertaining ideas along with helpful hints for getting the best results from the recipes featured on stage.

For two hours prior to the show, vendors visited with the 700 ticket-holders who came for the event.

Participating vendors this year are: New York Life; Flowers by Nancy; Tamarack Conference Center; Beauti Control; Jockey Person to Person; The Pampered Chef; Artrageous Studio; Jewels by Park Lane; Lia Sophia Jewelry/Beijo Bags - Sundance Catering and Confections; Belk; Home and Garden Party; Taste of Home Entertaining; Sears (Heroes at Home Program) and Cooks Who Care (Taste of Home); Sam’s Club and Special Families Autism Workshop.

Diana McGraw, owner of Artrageous Studio, which recently opened in Beckley, said she enjoyed sharing information about the store.

“I’ve wanted to let people know about the store and the products we have to offer for people of all ages and interests,” she said. “This is a great place to do that because there are so many people who come for the cooking shows. It’s really been fun talking with the people who visited our booth.”

Susan Belcher, a representative of Beauti-Control, was a newcomer this year. “I love meeting new people, and I’ve certainly been able to do that today,” she said. “It’s been a good opportunity to introduce myself to the ladies and let them know about the spa-quality products we have and to teach them a little bit about how to turn their bathroom at home into a spa. Women need to pamper themselves a little, and I enjoy being able to offer them some ways to do that.”

Michelle Wyant, a diamond designer with Home and Garden Party, was back for her fourth year. “It’s a wonderful experience. There is a large crowd, and we all share a love of cooking. It’s the holiday season, and everybody seems to be in a good mood. I always enjoy participating,” Wyant said.

Brenda Webb, future director with The Pampered Chef, said the Taste of Home Cooking Show is a perfect venue for her products. “This is the perfect place for me because people are looking for kitchen tools that help them make meals faster and more efficiently. I enjoy meeting new people, and I’m always thrilled when people who’ve come to previous shows come up and visit our booth.”

First-time vendor Sherry Richmond said she was eager to get the word out about Jockey Person to Person, an exclusive line of women’s clothing. “We have a combination of athletic and dress wear, but everything we sell can be mixed or matched. It’s a neat business, and we’ve been able to talk with a lot of people about it today,” Richmond said. “I was also happy to be able to tell women about a business that allows them to spend time with their children. That has been the biggest advantage for me.”

National sponsors for the show are Crisco, Crosse & Blackwell, Dickinsons, Dofino, Mrs. Dash and Taste of Home Entertaining.

Local sponsors are The Register-Herald, Tamarack Conference Center, Sears and Wal-Mart of MacArthur.

Doors open at 1 p.m. today for people to browse among booths. The show starts promptly at 3 p.m.

Ticket holders are asked to bring nonperishable food items or canned food or monetary donations for Fishes and Loaves Food Bank. The food drive is held in conjunction with the Taste of Home Cooks Who Care program. All the food and money collected will be used to meet the needs in the local community.

— E-mail: bdavis@register-herald.com