GOOD TASTES.

COOKING WITH THE STARS

NBC's "Celebrity Cooking Showdown," produced by Reveille in association with Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment, premieres Monday through April 21 (9 p.m. Monday, and 8 p.m. April 18-21). The series, hosted by Alan Thicke, will have nine celebrities facing off in the kitchen with help from three super chefs - Wolfgang Puck (Spago, Beverly Hills, etc.), Govind Armstrong (Table 8, Los Angeles) and Cat Cora (Food Network's "Iron Chef America").

Three celebrities will compete each night for the first three shows, and the winners from each night will don aprons for the final cook-off on the fourth episode.

The winner will be announced on the final show, and the professional chefs will cook an exhibition round with help from the three finalists.

Viewers will have a chance to vote - via phone and online - for one of the three finalists, solely on food presentation.

Colin Cowie, lifestyle expert and event planner, and Gael Greene, author and longtime restaurant critic for New York magazine, are the in-studio judges who will be sampling and evaluating the dishes.

Celebrities cooks include comedian Tom Arnold, Chelsea Cooley (Miss USA), Alison Sweeney ("Days of Our Lives"), Tony Gonzalez (Kansas City Chiefs), Cindy Margolis (Internet model), singer Patti LaBelle, Gabrielle Reece (model and volleyball player), Ashley Parker Angel (MTV) and Big Kenny (country music star).

NEW FUNSHAPES PANS

Reynolds has introduced FunShapes Baking Cups and Cake Pans, a line of disposable, festive-shaped foil bakeware. The baking cups, 24 per package for $1.99, are available in stars and hearts year-round and in egg shapes for Easter and ghosts for Halloween. The cake pans, two per package for $1.99, are available in a bunny shape for Easter, a heart for Valentine's Day and pumpkin for Halloween. Look for them in the baking aisle at selected Ralphs and Vons. Pick up some to make decorated egg shapes and a big bunny (a fun table decoration) for Easter. For recipe ideas, go to reynoldsfunshapes.com.

SEE'S FOR EASTER

And while we're talking about chocolates, See's Candies is offering the usual irresistible decorated eggs in a variety of flavors, including chocolate butter pecan, rocky road, chocolate butter with and without walnuts, mayfair, coconut, peanut butter, bordeaux and more. New this year are 8-ounce bags of dark chocolate foil-wrapped eggs ($9.50); a paper mache-style bunny-design egg (6.2 ounces for $8.40) filled with assorted chocolate eggs and jelly beans and the popular hollow milk chocolate egg with a white chocolate chick hidden inside - a favorite with children, young and old.If you're short on time, pick up a medium or large Easter basket ($24.85 for a 1-pound, 5-ounce basket; $42 for a 3-pound, 6-ounce basket) or an oval fancy Easter box with assorted chocolates (8.7 ounces for $10.25). Available at See's Candies shops, at [phone] or online at www.sees.com.

PEEPS READY TO HATCH OUT OF CHOCOLATE

Candy chicks of all sorts are hot items for Easter. Just Born has hatched a new addition to the Peeps family - a pink Marshmallow Peeps chick nestled inside a crispy milk chocolate egg. It's packaged in blue, yellow or pink foil in a 3-ounce box with a suggested retail price of $2.99. Look for the eggs at Target, Joann's Fabrics or Big Lots stores.

MORE EASTER TREATS

Boule, the pastry shop owned by Michelle Myers of Sona restaurant, offers truffle-filled chocolate eggs and milk or dark chocolate bunnies, marshmallows in rose, lemon and passion fruit flavors, macaroons, egg-shaped cakes and more. Prices start at $1.25. Ideal for Easter baskets or as a brunch or Easter dinner finale. Pick up the creations at 420 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. For more info, visit boulela.com, or call [phone].

Chocolate condor egg

Just in time for Easter, the Los Angeles Zoo is offering a festive gold foil-wrapped milk chocolate egg filled with a chocolate baby condor chick. The eggs, created by Norm Thompson, are available for $16.50 each at the zoo gift shop (5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, [phone]), online at http://www.normthompson.com">normthompson.com, or by calling [phone]. A $5 donation from each purchase will go to the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association. Each chocolate egg weighs 9.5 ounces.

FREE HAM LEAFLET

The National Pork Board is offering a colorful free brochure, "Celebrate Ham! Special Occasion Recipes." It also has info on selecting and carving a ham, along with ideas for leftovers. For a copy, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Celebrate Ham! Special Occasion Recipes, National Pork Board, P.O. Box 9114, Des Moines, IA 50306. To order on the Web, visit http://www.theotherwhitemeat.com and click on "Freebies" on the

home page.

EASTER TRIVIA

Here are some facts about Easter candies from the National Confectioners Association:

--Some 90 million chocolate bunnies are made annually for Easter.

--The first chocolate eggs date back to the early 19th century in Europe and remain among the most popular Easter treats.

--More than 85 percent of adults carry on the tradition or creating Easter baskets for their children.

--In the U.S., more than 16 billion jelly beans are produced just for Easter. Red jelly beans are kids' favorites.

--More than 75 percent of people eat the ears on chocolate bunnies first.

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(1) no caption (Peeps candy)

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(4) no caption (Los Angeles Zoo candy)