Your neighbor's recipe: Good things coming your way

Jackson County cooks have been sharing their know-how with us for quite a while now, and in writing about them, I’ve noticed some common traits.

For one thing, just as every person is unique, every dish is unique. Each cook seems to put his or her own special twist on everything they make. Each person’s pinch of this or dash of that makes everything from appetizers to apple pie just a bit different.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that cooks like to experiment, adding or subtracting ingredients or changing the portions of them. A new recipe is territory to explore, a new challenge to take it a bit further.

It’s been a treat to get to know the women and men who have contributed their recipes each week in the “Your neighbor’s recipe” section of The Tribune, not to mention having an opportunity to taste a variety of dishes that had one thing in common — they were almost too good to describe.

Now, people who love to cook — and the people who sit down to a meal with them — are in for a couple of treats themselves.

The Tribune has put together a cookbook, “Your Neighbor’s Recipes,” featuring new recipes as well as recipes compiled from the newspaper’s weekly feature.

The cookbook contains more than 500 recipes from your friends and neighbors across Jackson County. They include offerings from Inez Baughman, Sharon Yost, Jan Willey, Paula Kemp, Morales Socorro, Sally Acton, Alma Dixon, Alicia Froedge, Blake Hackman, Nikki Booker and Judy Alcorn, and that’s just scratching the surface of the list of those who contributed recipes.

The cookbooks will be on sale soon at The Tribune’s offices at 100 St. Louis Ave. in Seymour, and also will be on sale March 18 at another upcoming treat for those who love to cook — the Taste of Home Cooking School, sponsored by The Tribune.

The Taste of Home Cooking School is the world’s largest cooking school, with more than 50 years’ experience in giving cooking presentations, and is produced by the magazine “Taste of Home,” the largest-circulation food magazine in the world.

Schools are directed by professionally trained culinary specialists who demonstrate cooking basics along with kitchen tips and decorating ideas.

“They have a huge following, and after three years on the waiting list, we finally got a date,” said Lynn Oakes, an account executive for The Tribune. “Our phones have been ringing ever since we announced the event.”

Oakes said a sellout crowd is expected for the event to be held at the Seymour High School Auditorium, which seats more than a thousand people.

There will be 33 vendors, and The Pines will be catering food for purchase. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and the show will start at 6:30 p.m. and last about two hours. There will be gift bags for all those attending. The $12 tickets for seating have been sold out, but there are still $10 and $8 tickets available at The Tribune.

Talk about the best of both worlds — a book filled with recipes from local residents, and a show that offers fresh ideas for people who love to cook. Together, they should provide the ingredients for a recipe swap unlike any other.

Without a doubt, the already good cooks of this county will find ways to put their own personal stamp on everything they learn.

I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

At a glance

Cookbook

What: “Your Neighbor’s Recipe” cookbook

When: Going on sale at The Tribune in early to mid-March and at the Taste of Home Cooking School on March 18

Cost: $15.95 (for those who contributed recipes, $12.95)

Information: Call 522-4871

Cooking school

What: Taste of Home Cooking School

When: 6:30 p.m. March 18 (doors open at 4:30 p.m.)

Where: Seymour High School auditorium

Tickets: $8 and $10 ($12 seating is sold out)

Menu: (catered by The Pines) $4 for choice of pulled pork barbecue sandwich with cole slaw or the salad platter, which includes homemade chicken salad with pasta salad and cole slaw served with a croissant; sweet iced tea or lemonade is $1, with free refills

Major vendors: Furniture Liquidators, Goecker Building Supply, Luecke’s, HomeFederal Bank, The Pines, Taste of Home Entertaining, The Fitted Foot, Bowmans, Schroer Drapery, A Hearing Service

Giveaways: Free gift bags for those attending include Taste of Home Cooking School Cookbook, registration card/prize ticket entry, product samples and coupons from national and local sponsors