
Imperfect Women interviews Whitney Miller, winner of the first season of Master Chef.
With a new cookbook full of great recipes for everything from Breakfast Grit Cakes to Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, you can’t just call Whitney Miller the “Dessert Princess” anymore. But her life these days is certainly something right out of a fairy tale. Eighteen months ago Whitney was living a typical busy student’s life, working hard to complete her degree in Nutrition and Biology at the University of Southern Mississippi, when she noticed on a New Orleans website that the T.V. show Master Chef was holding auditions. Feeling a strong desire to have food and cooking not just as hobby but as a career, she looked at the show as an opportunity to get the culinary training she always wanted. “I have always loved to cook and never thought of it as a career but went into nutrition and played sports my first year of college. But as I was coming to the end of my studies and getting close to graduation, I was drawn more and more to food and having cooking as a career. That really pushed me to audition.”
Recently I had the chance to speak with Whitney from her home in Poplarville, Mississippi. She came across as a sincere and down to earth woman who often started the answers to my questions with a little giggle. It was growing up in that home, with her strong faith and tight knit family, that the love of food and all things cooking began. “My family is just so big on food. In our family, cooking was almost like an activity with all of us in the kitchen; on our vacations we would pick those places we wanted to be sure to stop at. So the love of food just started at a really young age, then I wanted to be in the kitchen and learn from my great grandmother and my mom.”
All that cooking certainly came in handy when she appeared on Master Chef. Whitney says it was an experience she will never forget. “I remember there was a lot of tired nights and days, but I really enjoyed the cooking part, and it was challenging. I always enjoy a good challenge. My competitive nature really came out in a lot of the competitions.”
Cooking tip: When needing finely minced garlic or onion Whitney often whips out her hand grater instead of a cutting board and knife!It was Whitney’s strong will and persistence that pulled her out of what could have been a disastrous final few minutes on the show, when she dropped her main dish of pan-fried buttermilk chicken on the floor and needed to start over. “It’s kind of an interesting experience when all the judges are telling you that you can’t cook it in 7 minutes and I am like ‘Well I can.’ ”
With her quiet determination she did it and went on to win the $250,000 and a cookbook publishing deal. With her win in hand, it was back home to Mississippi for Whitney to start work on her first ever cookbook, and again her warm, tight-knit family came into play. “I had my sous-chef, my mom, cooking with me every day, and sometimes we did not get out of our pajamas, because we were constantly either creating a recipe or finishing a recipe and perfecting it.”
The result of all that work is a bright, lovely cookbook that showcases not only family favorite recipes such as Biscuits and Cane Syrup, but new southern type recipes with Whitney’s own special twist, like the Inside-Out Chicken Pot Pies. The book is not only filled with great recipes but also little stories from Whitney’s life that give you the sense of just how much her family means to her.
One thing Whitney can’t live without in the kitchen? A good extra virgin olive oil. She uses it on everything from roasted veggies to salad to her White Pizza with Fried Sage.When I mentioned to Whitney that I had already tried her recipe for Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Brussels Sprouts, her voice instantly lit up! “That’s a big favorite of mine, because I’ve always wanted people to be able to like brussels sprouts, because I enjoy them, and I was ‘Alright , I’m gonna come up with a way!’ ” And find a new way she did. The lowly brussels sprout is taken to a whole new level with a bacon wrap and a creamed cheese filling. I can also give a personal thumbs up to her recipe for “Dillicious Potato Salad” that I served recently at a barbeque. My neighbor exclaimed, “This potato salad rocks, I must have the recipe!”
Whitney told me that she hopes to inspire home cooks to be creative and I think she achieves that with her book. Not only with her recipes but with “Whitney’s Essentials” at the back of the book. There are recipes for items like Miracle Marinade, Blackened Seasoning Rub, and Buttermilk Herb Dressing. These are mixtures I can not only use with the recipes in Whitney’s book, but I can use them to liven up the flavors in my own recipes.
Another great recipe in the book is for Cranberry and Sun-Dried Tomato Ketchup. “I had never made ketchup before,” says Whitney, “until I decided to do it for my cookbook, and it was really easy. When I put it on my meat loaf or hamburger it just made the flavor of the whole dish come to life.”
When I asked Whitney if she could recommend something from her book that I could make for dinner that night, she quickly replied “Yes! Make the Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary-Cranberry Glaze. I have never been too much of a pork fan,” confessed Whitney, “until I tried it prepared right. And oh my goodness, the bacon just adds so much flavor, and you don’t even need a knife. It’s just that tender!” Whitney knows what she is talking about. I took her advice and made it that night. The pork tenderloin was delicious, and my family wondered why were having such a fancy dinner on a regular weeknight. Whitney’s recipe is my favorite kind of recipe: one that makes it seem like you have been slaving away all day but in reality was quick and simple! At our house Whitney is not only the Dessert Princess but the Pork Tenderloin Princess too!
Now that the cookbook is finished (and doing well in sales I should mention), Whitney spends time on the road promoting her book and making public appearances. She recently appeared at a Women’s Health event in Chicago where she gave cooking demos from her book. She was able to interact with women and really focus on the nutritional aspect of cooking, something she really enjoys.
“It’s really neat when people who followed me throughout the whole Master Chef competition, and now see me on my cookbook tour, come up to me and say, “I was rooting for you, and I chose you right from the beginning.” It’s great, and it always makes me feel so good!”
What’s in the future for Whitney? She hopes to continue writing cookbooks and has a great unique idea for a children’s cookbook, which seems very fitting, since her love of cooking started at such an early age. With her faith and family close by her side, it’s easy to see that Whitney’s future will be bright… and tasty!
Imperfect Women is pleased to be able to share the recipe for Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary-Cranberry Glaze from Whitney Miller’s new cookbook, Modern Hospitality.
Kudos Patty Pie!!! Well done! You are the “Jill of all trades and master of ALL”!!!
Nice interview! I think I have to pick up her cook book. Dillicious Potato Salad, Inside-Out Chicken Pot Pies,Cranberry and Sun-Dried Tomato Ketchup. They sound marvelous! Loved her on master chef.
Great job Pie !
Great interview, Whitney and Patty Pie, thank you so much! I love cranberry and I see it mentioned twice here. I already looked trough the pork (and bacon!) recipe and can’t wait to try it!
Great interview Pattypie!! I swore I was not buying another cookbook as my collection is over 70 now, but I’m buying this one. I can’t wait to try the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon. Fall squash as a side dish for fall would be yummy.
Payytpie, I felt like I was cooking right along with you and Whitney.
Great interview! And that Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary-Cranberry Glaze sounds DIVINE!
Wonderful interview, I need this book. I especially like the idea of her essentials list. Some awesome multiuse recipes are great to have on hand!
You can also follow Whitney on twitter
@whitneymillerMC
I had a lot of fun writing this article and she is a good interview! 🙂
Pattypie, you are a good interviewer. I want to try the potato salad and the bacon wrapped brussel sprouts..that sounds fabulous.
Great interview Pattypie! I watched the first season of Master Chef and remember Whitney well. She is a great cook. I love a good potato salad and will have to try that.
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I imagine I can find this book on Amazon? I think I will buy the actual book and not download it on my IPad. It will brighten up my kitchen.
Yes – it’s on Amazon. When I checked at a local book store they were sold out!
We had a great time having Whitney in Jackson recently for a book signing. Can’t wait to have her back again. We went to Parlor Market and wrote about it! What a great interview you guys did!
Wow, I am so impressed that someone so young has accomplished so much. And she’s a beauty too! Talk about the whole package.
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I have some Amazon dollars burning a hole in my “pocket”. I might just pick up this cookbook. I think I need to get in touch with my southern roots. Ok, to be honest, I don’t have any southern roots, but my stomach does!
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Great interview!
Eat Jxn,
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Thanks for stopping by. Loved your interview also. That Mason Jar Cake looked divine. 😉