jack of all trades, master of none (also, a giveaway)

There are a lot of activities for which my skills are passable, and sometimes even impressive, but I've never been called a master. The same cannot be said of Whitney Miller, winner of last year's season of MasterChef.

She handled both the snarling and temperamental Gordon Ramsay and dour, cantankerous Joe Bastianich with good ol' Southern class and aplomb. I was really impressed by that and pulled for her from the get-go. To add to my respect for her, she's now come out with a terrific cookbook called Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm, in which dear Whitney treats readers to a fresh take on classic dishes that have been passed down throughout generations of Southern women in her family. The book features everything from comforting beef chili to clever upside-down quiches to surprising sun-dried tomato and cranberry ketchup, complete with lovely pictures and short descriptions of each dish.

One of the recipes I opted to use as a gauge for her greatness was for Toasted Coconut Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze, and it yielded some magnificent little treats. Although I went ahead and frosted some with a bit of coconut swiss meringue buttercream (yeah, I did it), the lemon glaze was a wonderful accompaniment to the soft, fluffy, nutty cakes.

Toasted Coconut Cupcakes
from Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm by Whitney Miller

Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon canned coconut water
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Lemon Glaze
3/8 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the cups of one 12-cup muffin tin and 4 cups of a second 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
To make the cupcakes: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Place the butter in a large bowl and stir until it reaches a creamy consistency. Slowly stir the sugar into the butter. Slowly stir in the egg mixture. Add one-third of the flour mixture. Add one-half of the milk. Continue adding them alternately, ending with the flour mixture. Stir the batter after each addition. Stir in the coconut water and vanilla.
Fill the paper liners half full of batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 14 minutes. Leave the oven on. Transfer cupcakes to a rack to cool, about 20 minutes.
To make the topping: Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned and fragrant, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl and let cool.
To make the lemon glaze: Mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 T water, and confectioners' sugar in a small shallow bowl.
To assemble, dip the top of a cooled cupcake in the glaze. Immediately dip the glazed top in the coconut. Allow the glaze to set before serving or storing the cupcakes.

I also tried a recipe that required me to step out of my comfort zone. Although I enjoy basil pesto, I had my doubts that anything involving turnip greens could be edible, much less delicious. To my surprise, Whitney's Turnip Greens Pesto was flavorful and perfect to use as dressing for a batch of Mediterranean pasta salad.

Turnip Greens Pesto
from Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm by Whitney Miller

11 turnip green leaves, ribs removed
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 garlic clove, peeled
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Place the turnip greens two at a time in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove the leaves and drain on paper towels and pat dry. Stack the leaves on top of one another. Roll into a cigar and cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
Place the turnip green strips in a food processor. Add the toasted walnuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Process until it begins to form a paste, about 2 minutes. With the processor running, drizzle in oil and butter. Add the Parmesan andpulse 2 or 3 times. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl.

Well done, Whitney. Keep up the good work--you're doing us Southern gals proud!

Good news! I have an extra copy of Whitney's cookbook, so if you'd like a shot to have it on your bookshelf, leave a comment below and you'll be entered to win. Tell me who intimidates you more, Gordon or Joe? Tell me if you agree that Graham is almost completely useless as a judge. Tell me who you're pulling for this season. Tell me you've never seen the show before in your life and have better things to do with your time. Regardless, I'll close the comments on August 14th, do a random drawing, and contact the winner shortly thereafter (assuming he or she leaves a way to be reached). Good luck!