© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WECS · WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM · WVOF
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Chef Scotty Scott remixes the classics with new-school soul food

Chef Scotty Scott puts his own spin on chicken and waffles in a new cookbook, <em>Fix Me A Plate.</em>
Rambo Elliot
Chef Scotty Scott puts his own spin on chicken and waffles in a new cookbook, Fix Me A Plate.

Chef Scotty Scott wants you to explore the wide, varied and insanely delicious world of soul food. In his first cookbook, titled Fix Me A Plate, the lawyer-turned-personal chef shares his love for the traditional cuisine by honoring the classics — and putting his own remix on others in what he calls "new school soul food."

Scott's cookbook is out Mar. 15.
/ Rambo Elliot
/
Rambo Elliot
Scott's cookbook is out Mar. 15.

Scott spoke with NPR's Weekend Edition from Fort Worth, Texas, about how he got his first taste of cooking, his inspiration for the recipes, and what makes his sweet potato pie special.

Fix Me A Plate hits stores Mar. 15.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Interview Highlights

On his inspiration

Both my parents were home cooks, and so whenever we had family gatherings, I was always poking around in the kitchen or poking around outside the grill, trying to see where the action was and see how everything was being prepared.

My father kind of worked odd hours and my mother was a high school counselor by day, and then she taught night school. So, I was left to fend for myself for dinner a lot of times and, I tell people, peanut butter and jelly got old real fast. Eventually, I started, you know, asking my mother to kind of show me some of her tips and tricks and started cooking a little bit more right before I left for college.

On an example of how he turns a classic soul food into a "new school soul food" recipe

I go to my red beans and rice recipe a lot because you can transform this. You've got a base here that's probably got some good flavor. ... It starts off as red beans and rice, and then it turns into a red bean hummus. And so you're just taking that big old great pot of red beans — with the sausage, the garlic, the onions — you put it in a food processor. You're going to brighten it up — add a little lemon juice, a little bit of cayenne, and then you're gonna just eat it like you would hummus. And so it begins off with this hearty belly filling bowl of beans. And then on the back side, it turns into this, you know, delicious kind of light appetizer.

On his fresh take on the classics

I call [the sweet potato pie] the converter. It converts pumpkin pie eaters into sweet potato pie eaters. It's got a, you know, one little quirk to it.

I know most pie recipes call for you to roast them. And so in this recipe, I boil them because I like the delicate flavor of it. I heard somebody describe it to me as almost flan-esque because it's very light. It's very easy on the palate, and it just kind of makes you want to go back and get another slice after slice after slice.

Scotty Scott is also a food blogger. Check out his entertaining and mouth-watering videos on his Instagram @cookdrankeat.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR National Correspondent Debbie Elliott can be heard telling stories from her native South. She covers the latest news and politics, and is attuned to the region's rich culture and history.
Tekella Foster

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content