MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2011

By: Senator(s) Hudson, Ward, Albritton, To: Rules Baria, Burton, Butler (38th), Fillingane, Hewes, Jackson (11th), King, McDaniel

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 511

1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND CONGRATULATING MISS 2 WHITNEY MILLER OF POPLARVILLE, MISSISSIPPI FOR EARNING THE TITLE 3 "MASTER CHEF" IN THE FOX TELEVISION NETWORK'S REALITY COOKING 4 COMPETITION SERIES. 5 WHEREAS, Whitney Miller of Poplarville, Mississippi, can now 6 add Master Chef to her résumé. The 22-year-old Poplarville 7 resident earned the title on the September 15, 2010, Season 1 8 finale of Fox Television's "MasterChef" reality cooking 9 competition series, hosted by celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay; and

10 WHEREAS, in addition to the title, Whitney won $250,000.00 11 and will have a cookbook published. Whitney, a senior at the 12 University of Southern Mississippi majoring in nutrition and 13 biology, said it was her dream to win the title and it will help 14 in her other dream of having her own catering business. "I'm so 15 excited," Miller said after she won. "Tell everybody if you have 16 a dream, go after it. You can do anything you set your mind to"; 17 and

18 WHEREAS, Whitney Miller, who auditioned for the show in New 19 Orleans, was one of the top 50 chefs selected throughout the 20 nation to compete on the latest reality cooking show; and

21 WHEREAS, a student of nutrition and biology, the home cook 22 impressed the judges with her final three-course meal - an 23 appetizer of Sweet Shrimp on a Crispy Corncake with Turnip Green 24 Pesto, a main course of Buttered Chicken with Creamed Collard 25 Greens and a dessert of Bread Pudding with Raspberry Coulis with

26 White Chocolate Sauce. It was enough to win the money and a 27 cookbook-publishing deal. "Whitney is a brilliant Ambassador for

S. C. R. No. 511 *SS26/R325* N1/2 11/SS26/R325 PAGE 1 28 the 'MasterChef' brand around the world," celebrity Chef Gordon 29 Ramsay, an Executive Producer of the show, said in a news release. 30 "She is one of the most instinctive, naturally gifted home cooks 31 I've ever come across. Her innate ability to create stunning 32 desserts and cakes, in particular, is mind-blowing. Judges Graham 33 (Elliot), Joe (Bastianich) and I are all thrilled for her, and we

34 are really excited to see what happens next for the Pastry 35 Princess"; and 36 WHEREAS, Miller lives at home in Poplarville with her 37 parents, Coach John and Mary Miller, and commutes to USM for 38 classes. She owns Glaze, a Poplarville restaurant and catering 39 company. Her new cookbook will feature the Southern food she was 40 raised on, but elevated and with some twists. She's calling it 41 "Southern Hospitality with Whitney," she said, as a homage to her

42 great-grandmother, Mary Strahan. Strahan, 95 and still cooking, 43 taught Miller the importance of being hospitable, she said; and 44 WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we commend this talented 45 young Mississippian who has brought honor to her university, her 46 community and to her state: 47 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 48 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 49 we do hereby recognize and congratulate Miss Whitney Miller of

50 Poplarville, Mississippi, the Master Chef Grand Winner 2010 and 51 the very first ever FOX Television Network series of "MasterChef," 52 and extend our best wishes to Whitney and her family on this 53 auspicious occasion and in her future culinary endeavors. 54 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 55 Whitney and her family, forwarded to the President of the 56 University of Southern Mississippi, and made available to the 57 Capitol Press Corps.

S. C. R. No. 511 *SS26/R325* 11/SS26/R325 ST: Congratulate "MasterChef" grand winner PAGE 2 Whitney Miller of Poplarville, Mississippi.