America’s Test Kitchen Cast member Elle Simone Scott has a new cookbook out all about showing love through culinary gifts.
There are moments in life when you’re flying high and other times when you’re down and out. But being low didn’t stop Elle Simone Scott (@elle_simone_scott) from looking upwards. “In 2008, I found myself unemployed. I realized I had an opportunity to finally pursue a culinary career. If you’re given the chance to fulfill a dream, why not?” says Scott.
She graduated from The Culinary Academy of New York and landed an internship with the Food Network, which led to a career as a food stylist for clients like The Chew, Bravo and the Cooking Channel. She was usually booked three to six months in advance and then 2016 approached and for the first time in a long time, she had no work lined up. Never one to be discouraged, she applied to everything and anything, even a vague listing that a friend sent along. “It was a blind casting call. They were looking for diverse team members and were very specific about women of color. I fit the profile and threw my hat into the ring,” she says. She was called for an audition with America’s Test Kitchen (americastestkitchen.com) and then was soon offered a job.
In six weeks, she had to pack up her life in New York City to make a new start in Boston. “I will say that my career fared far better here than it would have in New York. Here, I’ve felt valued,” she says. Scott became the first African American woman to appear as a regular host on the PBS television show. She is now a test cook and the resident food stylist for Cook’s Country magazine.
In April, she published her second cookbook with America’s Test Kitchen—Food Gifts: 150+ Irresistible Recipes for Crafting Personalized Presents—just two years after her popular first book Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings.“I come from a family of potluckers. And potluck is really bringing a gift of food to the table. My new cookbook stretches that idea into all the ways you can give food,” she says. In addition to the recipes, the book offers insider tips and creative gift ideas for every food lover in your life. For the moments when someone near and dear needs a little pick-me-up.
Photography by: COURTESY OF AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN
