Food Checkout * From Food Editor Laurin Stamm

Hattiesburg restaurateur and food writer Robert St. John will appear at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center with Clinton artist Wyatt Waters in a program the center is calling The Dual Demo, Art and Cooking Show.

The show will consist of an art and cooking demonstration by the two state natives at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2.

General admission is $25. A $50 ticket allows the holder to taste food prepared by St. John; and a $100 ticket provides a front-row seat, allows the tasting and gets the holder a copy of “Southern Seasons” cookbook. A book-signing will follow.

Robert St. JohnWyatt Waters”This exclusive event showcases the fascinating talents of both Robert and Wyatt,” said Annette Kirklin, director of the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation.

“The audience will be able to observe the cooking styles of St. John as he prepares a five-course meal,” Kirklin said in a press release Tuesday. “While still being overtaken by the aroma of the Southern cuisine, Waters will create and captivate you with an artistic masterpiece on site.”

St. John and Waters have teamed up already to create two books, “A Southern Palate” and the follow-up publication, “Southern Seasons.” Both publications are full of a colorful blend of contemporary seasonal Southern cuisine, wit and vibrant illustrations.

About St. John

Robert St. John is a native of Hattiesburg. For the past 20 years he has served as executive chef, president and CEO of the Purple Parrot Cafe, the Crescent City Grill and the Mahogany Bar in Hattiesburg and Meridian. He is a nationally known restaurateur, chef, food writer and author. He is one of the nation’s only food/humor columnists and began self-syndicating his weekly newspaper column six years ago.

St. John has been featured on The Food Network, The Travel Channel and the Turner South network. He has two television projects in development and is a creative force in the gourmet food business.

A self-taught cook, St. John was named the state’s top chef by Mississippi Magazine in 2006 and 2007. Additionally, the former Mississippi Restaurateur of the Year’s restaurant, The Purple Parrot Cafe, was named the best fine-dining restaurant in Mississippi in 2007.

About Waters

Wyatt Waters is widely known for his vibrant renditions of Southern culture. He is the author of several published collections of his work.

Waters’ works have been featured in Art and Antiques, American Artist, Watercolor and Mississippi Magazine, and his paintings are held in some of the largest private and corporate collections.

A Mississippi native, Waters is a graduate of Clinton High School and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mississippi College.

Tickets will go on sale June 2.. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the SCHF office at 601-631-2997 or email info@southernculture.org.