by Suzanne Richards

The hot lights of the set immediately bring to mind the old adage if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. The opposite is true for local couple Trish and Mark McChargue, the hotter—the better. This couple thrives in a hot kitchen and the fast paced environment of a grassroots cooking show.

Meet the stars of LCN’s newest cooking show “2NCharge”, which will launch this summer. Trish, 24, is the cook of the show, and her love of all things food is evident once you get her started on the subject. On the day I arrived on set, better known as a friend’s kitchen, she was busy prepping for the show while waiting for the filming crew. Between chopping and dicing and opening cans and jars, she shared the day’s recipe. Episode 5 will feature shrimp and corn soup, one of their favorites.

Inspired by her parents’ love of food and cooking, it’s not surprising that many of Trish’s recipes come from her family, but with a twist. She likes to put a healthy spin on tried and true recipes by cutting back on sodium and fat, but not taste. She keeps her recipes simple and uncomplicated, adding that the shrimp and corn soup dish can be made from staples that most people have in their pantries.

The couple zealously watches the Food Network. “We could watch it 24 hours a day,” says Mark, 28, who writes, produces and directs their show. They have learned a lot from their favorite network and decided to take a chance on developing their own show. “Rachael Ray can knock out taping 5 shows in a day,” he continues. “Giada is a pain; it takes them 8 hours to complete a show.” Wasting no time or energy, the couple tapes two shows every Monday, only taking an hour to produce a 30-minute segment.

Mark pitched the idea of a cooking show to Jamie Johnson, the president of LCN. Mark believed that he had something different to offer. “We’re real,” he says. We make food in our kitchen that everyone can cook.” In addition, because of past aspirations of the stand-up comedy variety, Mark believes his humor is part of what makes their show unique along with his wife’s cooking talents, of course.

The learning curve of financing and producing their own show has been steep. They’ve learned to work together by not talking over one another during taping, and he has become ambidextrous for more advantageous camera angles. “The camera guy is on a ladder and shoots on my right, so I’ve become left-handed in order not to block the camera.”

No dream seems beyond the reach of this ambitious couple. Utilizing both their love of Cajun heritage and of their Bachelor of Science degrees in dietetics they are eager to promote a healthy Southern lifestyle. One of their dreams is to have a show on the Travel Channel along the lines of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” but featuring the Gulf Coast. The way they see it, the world is their oyster and it’s not likely that this local couple will forget where they or that oyster come from. PoV

Check out their website 2ncharge.com to learn more about what this couple has cookin’ including an upcoming cookbook and merchandise.