MOSES LAKE - People surrounded tables filled with cooking implements, groceries and other items at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

The attendees were visiting a collection of vendors before the Taste of Home Cooking School show Tuesday evening. The event, sponsored by the Columbia Basin Herald, attracted about 750 people to watch former Othello resident Kristi Larson prepare a series of dishes.

Monica Garcia and LaVonne Howton were sampling cupcakes prepared by the Columbia Basin Job Corps before heading into the main event.

Garcia, a Moses Lake resident, was excited to learn new recipes at the event, she said. She was interested in discovering new treats, dinners and tips on techniques.

"(There is) delicious food every time," she said. "I learned last year that lemon juice can do multiple things, just like softening the brown sugar. You can use a brown bag or lemon juice. It was just too much. It was overwhelming. I have the book at home actually. It was worth it."

The two women returned after attending the event in previous years, they said. Garcia came last year, and Howton attended for the last two years.

"We look forward to it every year," Howton said.

Howton arrived at the event at 4:15 p.m., and was enjoying looking around at the vendors before the show.

"I was the first one in the door, except for the VIP (ticket holders,)" she said. "(I saw) all the new stuff. The candles, the Job Corps and how good the people at the Job Corps do with the little cupcakes. Then make-up and the facial. A lot of good things."

Howton also learns new techniques from the event, and finds new gadgets to use in her cooking, she said.

"I bring my granddaughters, I have two of them, my grandson's girlfriend, there are seven of us today," she said.

Along with displays from Lep-re-kon, the Columbia Basin Job Corps and Tupperware, Lisa Winningham and Casey Corey from Ace Hardware in Moses Lake stood with a display of cookware. Winningham, an associate, said the show was busy.

"(We've had) a lot of interest, a lot of ladies excited about winning a raffle," she said, pointing out they were raffling a Le Creuset casserole dish.

Winningham explained the business was trying to get information out about its housewares, and the show was a way to accomplish the goal.

"A lot of people do not know that we have a kitchen shop," she said. "What we're doing is creating a niche that is maybe what you can't find at Walmart, but maybe a little more affordable than Michael's Bistro or something like that ... A lot of ladies (have been saying,) 'Oh, I didn't know that.'"

As the show drew closer, people moved from the 4-H building to the commercial building, nearly filling the seats available in the building. Pat Thoren was one of the people waiting for the show to begin.

She hoped to learn some techniques about incorporating spices into recipes, she said.

As Larson took the stage, everyone flipped through the magazines provided to them to follow the recipes she was preparing. They ranged from peanut butter cheesecake to marinated chicken.

Al Holman, of the Columbia Basin Herald, said the Columbia Basin Job Corps started food preparation at 8:30 a.m. for the event.

"We also, yesterday, had a work crew from Job Corps that helped us set up, and those kids are actually handing out the prizes, and they'll help us after the show, putting tables and chairs away," he said.

The event provides a good learning opportunity for the culinary students, Holman said.

"We have a pretty good return crowd from year-to-year," he said. "People tend to really like the show. We get new people. It runs almost half sometimes in the returning crowd. It just varies year-to-year."

Larson said the show was going well during an intermission. The Taste of Home culinary specialist's family lives in Othello, and had family attending the event.

"It's nice to come home. It's a home show for me. My mom's here in the audience, and two of my aunts, so it's nice," she said. "People always ask me if I get nervous, but I don't. I love cooking. I love teaching, and it's a great way to combine the two and hopefully inspire people to try some new recipes."

People do tell her about being inspired at the show by going onto the blog or her Facebook page, Larson said.

"(They) say, 'Hey I tried that recipe the other day and it was great,' or they're so excited to try one, so it's great to get that feedback," she said.