Baltimore's taste buds are about to get a treat.

On Sunday, WMAR-TV newsman Terry Owens will be trading in his on-camera coat and tie for a chef's jacket and toque to prepare spicy red beans and rice for a hungry crowd of about 1,000 at Martin's West in Woodlawn. He'll be joined by such culinary stars of the day as Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke; William L. Jews, president and chief executive officer of Carefirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield; Earl S. Richardson, president of Morgan State University; and about 150 other men. They will be presenting their favorite dishes to benefit the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter.

Guests, who will pay $25 for the annual Gourmet Chefs of Distinction (Men Who Cook) event, will be able to dip into an array of fun food -- Schmokin Shrimp Salad, Chicken and Salsa, Black-Eyed Peas Salad, Buffalo Wings, Ribs Diablo, Rum Raisin French Toast, Chocolate Rum Cake and more. "The food is good," says Mary J. Demory, coalition president and veteran sampler at the fund-raiser that supports the group's community and educational projects. "The enthusiasm of the chefs is contagious. There's this atmosphere of excitement."

Owens, who dished out his signature recipe last year, once again will man a cooking station from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the huge ballroom, as throngs try out the guest chefs' various offerings. "It is a little intimidating to have your food out there being judged by all those different palates," Owens says. "You stand there and watch the reaction and you can tell what they're thinking."

Owens, who is host of "2-the-Point" and a general assignment reporter at WMAR which is sponsoring the event, plans to be more creative this year, he says. He's thinking of adding shrimp to the bean dish he adapted from recipes from a cookbook and a restaurateur-friend in Detroit, his hometown.

His cooking skills also took root in the Motor City. While growing up, he carefully kept an eye on his mother, Lizzie McSham, as she whipped up tempting soul foods like collard greens and corn bread. "My mother was someone who loved the kitchen," says Owens, 41, who lives in Columbia with his wife, Deborah, 39, and children, Brandon, 11, and Olivia, 6. "I sort of hung around and watched her. I wish I had learned more."

Owens' mother died seven years ago but her culinary influence is still strong. "One of the things I learned from my mom was presentation," he says. "She set the most beautiful tables. The food was like a picture. You almost didn't want to eat it."

Now, Owens cooks mostly on weekends, making pasta dishes, grilling or fixing breakfast for a family that loves pancakes. "I always enjoy cooking. It's therapeutic in many ways, the preparing, the slicing and dicing," he says.

This weekend, he'll have a lot of cooking company at the male-bonding party. "It's a great afternoon," says Jerry Chiat, 52, who, with his wife, Eileen, runs Acclaimed Promotional Specialties in Owings Mills. "I'm not a gourmet. But I like to tinker in the kitchen."

Chiat, who has participated in six of the event's seven years, will be bringing slabs of ribs he will have nurtured for hours on his home gas grill. "I'm giving up O's tickets," Chiat says, to participate. "It's a wonderful event. I wanted to give back a bit."

Besides helping the 10-year-old coalition raise about $15,000 last year, the men also have turned the afternoon into a friendly contest. "The men have acquired a competitive spirit among themselves," says Thelma T. Daley, event chairwoman who is compiling a cookbook of the men's recipes. "They don the caps and stand behind the chafing dishes. They're so proud."

Demory agrees. "They get into a competition to see how fast the food goes, thinking the best goes first."

Owens learned that lesson last year. He brought a huge vat of beans, which kept him at his station. "My big mistake was preparing so much. I wanted to get around to some of the other tables."

This year, he plans to check out the rest of the entries. "You look at the most creative dish and think, 'How can I top that?' " he says. "It is a lot of fun. You are one of the men of distinction there."

West African Red Beans

Serves 6 to 8

1 cup dried pinto beans, picked over

1 1/4 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil

1 cup canned whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Soak the beans overnight in 2 quarts of water, or quick-soak them: Put the beans in a heavy pot and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the beans soak, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Bring the pot of soaked beans to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add 1/4 cup of the onion and simmer, partly covered, about 1 hour or until the beans are tender but not mushy. Drain the beans in a large sieve and set them aside.

In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil until it is hot but not smoking. Saute the remaining cup of onion until soft and translucent but not brown. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, cayenne pepper, white pepper and salt. Stirring frequently, simmer the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the beans and cook, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. -- From "The African American Kitchen" (Dutton, 1994) by Angela Shelf Medearis

Rum Raisin French Toast

Serves 8

3/4 cups rum raisin ice cream (melted)

3 eggs beaten, to blend

1/3 cup ground walnuts

1 tablespoon amber rum

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

8 slices raisin bread

4 tablespoons butter maple syrup

Combine melted ice cream with next 4 ingredients in a shallow pan. Dip raisin bread in ice-cream mixture and let soak (about 1 minute per side). Melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Place raisin bread in skillet and cook until each side is brown. Continue melting butter and cooking bread. Top with maple syrup and additional ice cream. -- From Alonza Williams, deputy press secretary to Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke

Chocolate Rum Cake

Serves 10

18 1/2-ounce package of chocolate cake mix

5 eggs

small box of vanilla pudding mix

1/2 cup rum (80 proof)

1/4 cup orange juice (concentrated)

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup crushed walnuts, optional

Filling (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Combine all cake ingredients in large bowl. Blend well, then beat with mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Turn into prepared pans. Bake 30 minutes or until cake tests done (do not under bake). Let cake cool in baking pans. Remove and cut layers in half horizontally. Spread 1 cup of filling between each layer and over top of cake. Keep chilled until ready to serve. -- From Gus Chase, Social Security Administration policy analyst

Chocolate Rum Cake Filling

Makes 4 cups

1 pint heavy cream

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup dark rum (80 proof)

Combine cream, cocoa, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Beat until stiff. Fold in rum.

Pepper Steak

Serves 5 to 6

1 to 2 pounds beef cubes (cut in 1-inch squares)

1 to 2 tablespoons oil

2 large onions (finely chopped)

1 large green pepper (sliced in strips)

1 small head of garlic, minced, or to taste

2 stalks of celery (cut in cubes)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup soy sauce

water

18-ounce can stewed tomatoes

8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

Cook beef in oil until brown. Remove meat. In same skillet, saute onions, green pepper, garlic and celery until tender. Add beef, salt and pepper, soy sauce and 1 cup of water. After 3 or 4 minutes of simmering, add stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce, bay leaf, red wine and cayenne pepper, if using. Again, let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, adding water as necessary. Remove bay leaf before serving. -- From Gus Chase

To taste fun fare

The seventh Gourmet Chefs of Distinction will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Martin's West, 6817 Dogwood Road, Woodlawn. Tickets for the event, sponsored by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter, are available for $25 each by calling 410-669-4974.