Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes With Southern Charm Hardcover – July 5, 2011 (2 page)
Read Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes With Southern Charm Hardcover – July 5, 2011 Online
Authors: Whitney Miller
Introduction
THOUGH I CONSIDER MYSELF to be a relatively modern woman, I’m 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 we’d 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 Lara’s 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 today’s 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
MasterChef Cookbook
in 2010. And now I am thrilled to have a cookbook of my own.
The art of hospitality and entertaining is a long-standing Southern tradition—one that’s been passed down through generations of women in my family (along with the recipes for the best biscuits and cornbread you’ll ever taste). Ever since I was a little girl, hospitality, faith, fellowship, and food have been at the heart of our family activities. After church on Sundays, we often visited my 95-year-old great-grandma’s house for lunch along with other family members and friends. Heaping plates of perfect flaky biscuits were passed around the table and topped with cane syrup and butter; a huge pot roast (hospitality meant always having plenty of food to share) was carved and later turned into a week’s worth of leftovers; for dessert, ample servings of sky-high fluffy lemon meringue pie were scooped onto plates and quickly disappeared And, of course, the whole meal was washed down with gallons of sweet tea.
Southern cooking and hospitality.
In this—my very first cookbook—you’ll find updated versions of recipes that have been lovingly prepared and served by four generations of women in my family, as well as my own signature creations. You’ll notice that many of these traditional dishes have a decidedly modern twist, but at their essence, these recipes embody the tradition and spirit of home-style Southern cooking and hospitality.
You’ll also find plenty of tips for entertaining throughout these pages—whether it’s serving Loaded Fingerling Potato Skins (page
29
) and Game-Day Chili (page
46
) for a crowd of rowdy football fans or hosting a ladies’ luncheon with Lemon-Pepper Chicken Salad (page
50
) and Toasted Coconut Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze (page
127
), I share my favorite tips for creating instant ambiance. It’s easy to transform an everyday occasion into something special without a lot of extra fuss. The art of hospitality is all about making your guests feel welcome, comfortable, and at home. I feel so blessed to have been a part of
MasterChef—an
experience that not only allowed my culinary skills to grow and shine but also my faith in Christ. And while I’m incredibly grateful for the exciting opportunities that have come my way since winning the grand prize, no matter where I travel, dine, or cook, hosting and feeding the people I love remains one of my greatest joys in life. As you look through the pages of my cookbook, I hope you are inspired to invite your own loved ones over to share a meal and create new memories and traditions.
My family and I wish you and your family lots of fun in the kitchen!
RISE AND
SHINE
When spending the night at my great-grandmother’s house to go hunting, my dad would try to sneak out to the deer stand at daybreak. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, Grandma Strahan would say, “John, have you eaten breakfast?” Of course he hadn’t, so nothing would do but for him to sit down to a full Southern breakfast of eggs, grits, bacon, and fluffy biscuits. By then the sun was out.
Fresh Fruit and Granola Tarts
You often see fruit, yogurt, and granola parfaits on breakfast menus. In my version of this breakfast staple, I’ve created granola tart shells that can easily be prepared ahead of time for entertaining at brunch or lunch. The presentation makes this easy-to-assemble dish feel like something special.
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
6 tablespoons chopped pecans
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cane syrup or maple syrup
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 1/3 cup blueberries
2 large bananas, sliced
1½ cups whole-milk plain yogurt
2 teaspoons honey (optional)
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Combine the oats, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, salt, syrup, and butter in a medium bowl. Divide the mixture evenly among three 4½-inch tart pans with removable bottoms. Press the mixture into the bottom, but not the sides, of the tart pans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and using the back of a spoon, press some of the granola into the sides of the tart pans. Return to the oven to bake for 3 to 5 minutes to set the crust.
Let the tart shells rest for 3 to 4 minutes, then, using an oven mitt to protect the hand holding the tart pan, carefully remove the tart shells from the pans and place on a rack to cool.
Toss together the strawberries, blueberries, and bananas in a medium bowl.
To serve, place each tart shell on a small plate. Spoon the fruit mixture into the shells. Top each with a ¼ cup yogurt. Drizzle with honey, if desired. Serve garnished with orange zest.
Makes 6 tarts
