JOHNSTON CITY - Former Johnston City resident Johanna Rosson wasn't too surprised when the Food Network called and asked her to be on an upcoming show featuring holiday talent.

Rosson is a gingerbread artist who was featured in Paula Deen's show on the Food Network in 2005 and was commissioned by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library to replicate Springfield's Union Station in gingerbread.

She was surprised, though, when Bobby Flay walked in to her "demonstration" in Springfield.

Flay is host of Food Network shows "FoodNation," "Boy Meets Grill" and "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." He also appears on "Iron Chef America" and is author of several cookbooks.

In "Throwdown," Flay travels across the country to challenge the masters of one kind of cooking. The experts think their profiles are being filmed for a show. Then Flay shows up to challenge them. That is what happened to Rosson.

The Food Network called Rosson in late August and asked for an audition tape. "They asked if I could do some local buildings and a Springfield building. I picked the McDonough County Courthouse in Macomb; Flack Barn, a German-style cross gable barn near Macomb; and the Abraham Lincoln home," she said. "I had visited the Lincoln home as a child and really love it."

The producers kept track of her progress as she worked on the gingerbread. "They first filmed me at the Maple City Candy Co. in Monmouth for about three hours, including the interview portion. Later they filmed a how-to session in my home on making doors, sugar windows and putting walls together," Rosson said. "Day three was supposed to be a demonstration session filmed at the Pasfield House in Springfield.

"When I was demonstrating, the crowd was so excited! I even said, 'You are so excited about gingerbread.' But they knew something I didn't know. They even asked me great questions. All the sudden there was a crazy roar. I thought, 'I didn't do anything.' I turned around and there was Bobby. Luckily, I recognized him. When I saw him, I said, 'Don't tell me this is a throwdown!'"

Rosson's first thought was of her mother, who was babysitting. "I thought, 'My mom will have to stay longer,'" she said.

Then they carried in a 13-story gingerbread Empire State Building created by Flay, with the help of a three-person staff and an architectural firm who drew gingerbread blueprints from the originals. "He had a lot of professional help, but I had the support of the crowd," Rosson said.

Rosson and Flay added the final touches to their creations. "When we were done, they brought out the judges. I hadn't thought about judges," she said.

Judges were Tony Leone, proprietor of Pasfield House, and Rob Flescher, co-owner of Pease Candies.

As part of the competition, Rosson and Flay each made gingerbread cookies to serve to the crowd. "I don't make gingerbread cookies," Rosson said. "Mine were pretty good, but his were fabulous."

Rosson could not believe Bobby Flay showed up. "He picks the expert, he says, in the field," she said. "The fact that he thinks I'm an expert is flattering."

The Abe Lincoln House asked Rosson to donate her creation and she said no. She had promised the house to her mom. She did agree to finish the four walls she put together for the show and donate it to the Lincoln House to be displayed at the visitor center.

Although Rosson cannot reveal who won the challenge, The State Journal Register reported that she received top honors. The episode of "Throwdown" featuring gingerbread airs at 9 p.m. Dec. 9 on the Food Network.

marilyn.halstead@thesouthern.com / 529-5454, ext. 5078

Advice for first-time gingerbread designers

Have fun and be prepared for the first couple of houses not to work out. "Especially if you are doing them with kids, you are making memories," Rosson said. "Make it more fun and not so serious. Serious stuff can come later."

Making houses is a process of trial and error. If Rosson saw a gingerbread cookbook, she would grab it. She made fall or haunted houses and Easter houses.

If a gingerbread house falls, she recommends eating it.

Rosson has a crew of help at home - her sons Scott, 9, Joshua, 7, and William, 4. They even helped with the Abraham Lincoln home. William "sells" her supplies from his store.

Her husband, Lt. Col. Steve Rosson, is professor of military science at Western Illinois University in Macomb. Her passion for gingerbread began when they were stationed in Germany. She began simply with small cottages and worked her way up to replicating historic buildings, beginning in 2004.

Gingerbread Dough Recipe

• 6 ¾ cups flour

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1 ½ teaspoons ginger

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ cups light corn syrup

• 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar

• 1 cup margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine light corn syrup, light brown sugar, and margarine in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until margarine is melted. Stir the liquid into the flour mixture. Mix well using hands to mix as dough becomes stiff. Chill the dough until it is easy to handle. Roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness on parchment paper. Using the patterns provided, cut into the required shapes. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Check for air bubbles during baking and poke them with a sharp knife or a toothpick. When baking is done, slide the parchment with the hot cookies onto a large cooling rack. Make sure all pieces lie flat.

Note: Dark corn syrup or dark brown sugar may be substituted and will result in darker dough.

Royal Icing Recipe

• 1-pound box powdered sugar

• 3 egg whites at room temperature

• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Sift the entire pound of sugar to remove all lumps. Place egg whites in mixer bowl. Add sugar and cream of tartar to whites while stirring. When all the sugar is incorporated, turn mixer on high and beat mixture until thick and very white. Mixture will hold a peak. This process should take 5 to 7 minutes. When finished, cover icing tightly with a damp cloth or plastic wrap as it dries very quickly and will form a crust. To tint icing, use a small amount of color at a time. Paste food colors will not change the consistency of the icing as liquid coloring will. You only need to add a small amount to make a pastel color. For a quarter cup of icing, dip the tip of a toothpick into the color and then into the icing. Stir well. If you desire more color, dip again, gradually. For strong colors such as red, royal blue and dark purple, you will need 1/8 teaspoon to ¼ cup icing. Add more or less as you desire.

Note: If you plan to make several colors as you will for ornaments, a muffin tin makes a handy palette.

- "Gingerbread for All Seasons" by Teresa Layman, Abradale Press, New York, 1997