Miller - Modern hospitality: simple recipes with Southern charm

To my mom, Mary I could not have completed this cookbook without you. Thank you for the many nights you stayed up helping me test, taste, and wash dishes. And thank you for sharing your gift of creative writing with me. I love you! To my great-grandmother, Mary Strahan Since I was a young girl, Ive admired the way you demonstrate hospitality to others. Whether its a glass of sweet tea or a slice of cake, you always have something to offer a guest. To my Lord and Savior I am so thankful for the gift of cooking you have given me. To my Lord and Savior I am so thankful for the gift of cooking you have given me.

Thank you for blessing me with the opportunity to write this cookbook, which has always been my dream. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others...
1 P ETER 4:10 1
Rise and Shine 2
Party Starters 3
Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches 4
Sides and Grains 5
Elegant Entres 6
Sweet Rewards 7
Chic Sips 8
Whitneys Essentials

I MET WHITNEY MILLER ON DAY 2 of the first season of the FOX show, MasterChef. My fellow judges Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich and I had already tasted umpteen dozens upon dozens of amazing home-cooked dishes from very talented and determined amateur cooks with no professional culinary training. By the time Whitney presented her dish to us, she had some pretty tough acts to follow. At just 22 years of age, Whitney practically tiptoed into the MasterChef kitchen. We all thought she was a sweet lamb heading toward inevitable slaughter. That first dish Whitney made for us, Blackened Catfish Tacos with Mango Chutney, was absolutely delicious.

I was impressed, but I expected that her age and lack of life experience would trip her up along the way. In short, I wasnt convinced that she was ready to handle the pressure of the MasterChef challenges that were to follow. I asked her if anyone had come to Los Angeles with her for support and soon found myself bombarded with a barrage of pure Mississippian passion in the form of Mom, Dad, and little sister Brittyn. They begged me to understand that while Whitney might look sweet and innocent, she was also a brilliant cook and a true fighter; ready, willing, and able for any culinary battle that lay ahead. On the back of such forceful family support, Graham, Joe, and I decided she might have more to show us. modern flair... Whitney went on to eliminate each and every contender and win the title of Americas first MasterChef. modern flair... Whitney went on to eliminate each and every contender and win the title of Americas first MasterChef.

Her signature Southern-style appetizers and entres showcased a fresh, modern flair, and her desserts were technically brilliant as well as delicious. She truly nailed her competition at every turn. From her melt-in-your-mouth venison with gravy to perfect profiteroles, Whitneys youthful spirit and take-no-prisoners approach certainly made me sit up and take notice. In the months since Whitney took the MasterChef crown, shes gone on to open a successful caf and catering company in her hometown of Poplarville. Shes given cooking demos alongside Cat Cora and Emeril Lagasse. And now shes published her first cookbook.

Not bad for 23! I love the food of the southern United States. In my own personal trips through Mississippi and Louisiana, Ive enjoyed some of the best dishes and locally grown produce that this incredibly diverse region has to offer. The South has a reputation for deep-fried chicken, grits, and heavy comfort food, but Ive always thought there was room for a more modern, less heavy-handed approach to these familiar classics. I am proud to say that Whitney, a University of Southern Mississippi graduate with a concentration in nutrition and biology, is an exciting new culinary voice who is reinterpreting many wonderful Southern dishes into fresh, simple, and absolutely delicious recipes for todays generation of home cooks. I hope that you and your family enjoy creating recipes and taking inspiration from Whitneys brilliant first book. I personally love the Oven-Fried Catfish with Fresh Dill Tartar Sauce recipe on page .

I think you will, too! GORDON RAMSAY ...technically brilliant

THOUGH I CONSIDER MYSELF to be a relatively modern woman, Im the product of a very traditional Southern background. Growing up in the small (as in one-traffic-light small) town of Poplarville, Mississippi, I spent most of my free time in the kitchen with my mother and grandmothers. In the summertime I foraged in the woods for fresh blackberries that wed use to make cobblers, muffins, and pancakes; I gathered pecans with my friend Rebecca for pies, brownies, and just about everything else; and I picked zucchini in my friend Laras garden that would be used to make bread. I also spent plenty of carefree afternoons walking barefoot in the grass and jumping over a sprinkler (a backyard Southern waterfall) or sitting on the porch with my friends eating thick wedges of fresh watermelon, bowls of homemade ice cream, and shelled peas straight from the garden. These recipes embody the tradition and spirit of home-style Today I still live with my family on our 7 acres of land in Poplarville, and I still pick wild berries in the summer and tend our garden of fruits, vegetables, and herbs with my dad. But these days, after becoming the first US winner of MasterChef, I am just as likely to be found sampling the menu at a trendy restaurant as donning an apron and, covered in flour, whipping up a feast for family and friends.

I am passionate about food and cooking; I love traveling throughout the country and tasting what our best restaurants have to offer, what todays chefs are dreaming up and serving. But even more than that, I love cooking and serving my food to others. It was so exciting to see my recipes, along with those of my fellow contestants, published in the

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