Cookin’ stuff owner Stacey Kaats-Baksh and an obnoxious “posse” consisting of managers Carol Dever, Carol O’Brien and marketing dude, Hugh K. Malay attended the Gourmet Cooking Show in Las Vegas. The foursome trolled the aisles for hours at the Convention Center looking for the latest cookware/bakeware and gadgetry to stock the shelves for 2005 and 2006.

Stacey was a little frustrated with all the distractions. “Yo….I thought we were there to work, but every time I looked up one of the Carols was at a slot machine. After a while I just said…fugget-a-boutit.”

On a more serious note, Stacey added that cookware, bakeware and all the peripheral gadgets are far more colorful than they have every been. “From simple things like spatulas to the high end blenders, it’s all about color.”

Photo: Stacey with Food Network chef/author Alton Brown at Gourmet Cooking Show.