Review: Modern Hospitality by MasterChef Whitney Miller
The other day I caught an episode of Two Fat Ladies the quaint BBC cooking show hosted by corpulent culinarians Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson. The particular episode I watched the ladies were waxing about how much they love the food of the American South. I couldn’t help but think Who wouldn’t?
The ladies decided to demonstrate some traditional Southern recipes for their British audience. They then went on to cook a menu that was anything but Southern. The Two Fat Ladies are adorable. . . except when they are butchering your native cuisine. That got me thinking Why is it UK’ers cannot get Southern food right?
I remember another Brit, Danny Boome, on his old show Rescue Chef for the Food Network showing up in Atlanta to help a young bride make a traditional Southern chicken dinner. Instead the menu consisted of chipotle-marinated chicken in a cornmeal batter, mango salsa, lemon-sour cream corn muffins, black beans and a raspberry tea cocktail with Prosecco. Innovative? Yes. Traditional? Hardly.
That’s why I was so happy when my review copy of Modern Hospitality – Simple Recipes with Southern Charm by MasterChef winner Whitney Miller arrived. Miller is from Poplarville, Mississippi which is not too far from my home in South Alabama. I went to college just 25 miles from Poplarville. I knew Whitney would get it right and I was not disappointed.
Modern Hospitality weaves recipes, tips on entertaining and wholesome narrative with effortless grace. There are plenty of color photos of both the food and Whitney’s famous smile. Where the MasterChef cookbook was a chrome-plated amalgamation of recipes from contestants and every judge not named Gordon this book is all Whitney. And, because I know you’re wondering, there is a foreword by Gordon Ramsay.
Whitney’s recipes strike a perfect balance between tradition and innovation. She takes indigenous ingredients and gives them a make over like in her Field Peas with Okra and Andouille Sausage – three great ingredients that are seldom put together. When Miller does her version of a tried and true recipe her twists are whimsical yet logical. Like her Jalapeño Cornbread. It is cornbread kicked up with corn kernals, cheddar cheese and fresh jalapeño.
When I say it is cornbread I mean it is real cornbread – there’s no flour and more importantly no sugar. You can play games with the fat in order to make it healthier or more luxurious but flour and sugar are two of my pet peeves. Well, the flour thing isn’t a peeve as much as it is a philosophical difference. It’s CORNbread not a baguette. The sugar, however, is non-negotiable. Cornbread should never, ever, under any circumstances be sweet. If you add sugar you don’t have cornbread; you have corn cake.
Here, let me show you what a real cornbread recipe looks like courtesy of Miss Whitney Miller.
Jalapeño Cornbread |
- 2 cups fine ground cornmeal
- 1 TBL baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/2 cup fat-free milk
- 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 TBL canola oil
- 1/2 cup corn kernals
- 3 TBL shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 TBL diced fresh jalapeño
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Mix the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg, buttermilk, fat-free milk, and 1/4 cup of the oil and stir until well combined. Mix in the corn, cheese, and jalapeños.
- Add the remaining 1 1/2 TBL oil to 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Rub the oil around to thoroughly coat the bottom and sides of the skillet. Heat in the oven for 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour in the batter.
- Bake until the crust is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve hot.
Review – Restaurant: Impossible
I know what everyone thought when they first heard that Food Network was spinning off Dinner: Impossible with a new show called Restaurant: Impossible. I thought the same thing, “Oh, they’re ripping of Kitchen Nightmares.”
Think about it, an intimidating English chef goes into struggling restaurants in an attempt to turn them around. That’s Kitchen Nightmares – the Fox reality show starring super chef Gordon Ramsay. It’s also the tag-line for Restaurant: Impossible. The only real difference I have seen between the two is that Restaurant: Impossible host Robert Irvine has a support team to help him out and a noticeable lack of bleeps.
I don’t have a problem with Ramsay or any other chef dropping any words they want in the heat of a rush. Goodness knows I do it. I do have a problem with Fox telling Ramsay to do it just for shock value. That’s bush league. That’s why I have always preferred Ramsay’s BBC shows to his American ones.
Well there is no issue with that from Robert Irvine. He brings the same intensity and passion to the task as Ramsay but without all of the pretend anger. The formula for Restaurant: Impossible is simple – Robert takes a look at the operation and fixes it. These fixes include retooling menus, retraining or releasing employees and overhauling the decor. In the end Irvine has given the owners the best possible chance to succeed.
My opinion: I like it. I like it a lot. My only complaint is that I can’t remember when it comes on so I end up stumbling on it half way through each time. That’s not Food Network’s fault; it’s mine. So I think I’ll make myself a reminder. . .
Don’t forget!
Restaurant: Impossible
Wednesdays at 10pm/9c on Food Network.