Mazie Miller's cornmeal pudding and coffee rum sauce.
GRACE KITCHEN'S Mazie Miller had always known that she would be involved in cooking and agriculture in some way.
It was all around her.
From sitting wide-eyed as a child, savouring mouth-watering meals at her grandmother's table in Tydixon, St. Catherine, or tending her own food garden, to proudly copping prizes as part of her school's team at parish culinary competitions, the seed had been sown.
""I always knew I wanted to do agriculture and do something in home economics but I wasn't quite sure what," she said
An elusive two points in one examination sitting of a high school subject, however, quickly settled that, and she chose her destiny cooking.
"When I went to high school, I got 58 per cent in chemistry (the pass mark was 60 per cent) and the choice was then to either do cookery or clothing and textiles," she said.
FIRST COOKING LESSONS
Miller remembers with amusement learning to bake on a kerosene stove in cooking
classes which were taught on Thursdays at her local primary school.
"The influence continued through 4-H clubs at school where we had our own kitchen gardens and had to use up what we planted. The best dishes that were made were then entered in parish (4-H Achievement Day) competitions and if we did well we would go on to Denbigh (yearly agricultural show in Denbigh, Clarendon). As youngsters we really looked forward to that. We participated as a team, entering 4-H club competitions, and JCDC Culinary Arts Competitions and when we won our little gold medals we felt really proud, it was a big achievement."
She later pursued diploma and certificate courses in home economics and baking technology at Jamaica School of Agriculture, Twickenham Park, St. Catherine (now College of Agricultural Science and Education CASE) as well as short courses overseas in food styling and professional catering.
Recently, she completed a degree course in agricultural and food systems management from CASE, and Nova Scotia University in Canada.
PHILOSOPHY
Today, Miller is a familiar face, as the main host on Grace Kennedy's in-house cooking show, 'Grace Kitchens' an
outreach of its promotion and marketing department.
Food must appeal to the eye and palate. Persons family members, your customers or your guests must look forward to mealtimes. Mealtimes should be pleasurable.
FAVOURITE FOOD
I'm by no means a city girl! I like traditional Jamaican dishes. I love a good rundown, a good seasoned rice with gully beans. I love red peas soup, and rich chocolate 'tea'.
(In addition she admits to preferring chicken and fish dishes because, 'they are usually readily available and lend themselves to such creativity').
She is married with five children, and is into her second stint (and an 18-year association) with the company.
CORNMEAL PUDDING
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 1 hour
Serves: 16 slices
Ingredients
2 cups Grace Coconut Milk
4 cups water
1/2 cup Grace Hello Soft
Margarine
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups anchor milk
For Soft Top
1 cup Grace Coconut Milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
METHOD
1. Put Grace Coconut Milk, water, Grace Hello Margarine, raisins and sugar to boil.
2. Combine the next six ingredients and add 2 cups milk to soften. Add to the boiling liquid and stir briskly.
3. Lower flame and continue stirring for 10 minutes.
4. Turn out into a greased baking tin and pour on mixture of coconut milk, sugar and cinnamon.
5. Put to bake at 180ºC/350ºF for about 55-60 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, cool and serve.
COFFEE RUM SAUCE
Ingredients
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp Grace Instant coffee
4 tbsp. of whiskey
METHOD
1. Pour sweetened condensed milk in a bowl then add Grace Instant Coffee, whiskey and mix thoroughly.
White rum or sherry can be used.
