Confetti fell and tears flowed as host Alejandra Ramos revealed Coby Bailey was The Nice American Recipe Season 4 winner. The Louisiana hearth captain’s Cajun-infused one-two punch of taste over the last rounds of competitors received over judges Tiffany Derry, Timothy Hollingsworth, and Francis Lam.
Others making the Prime 3 have been bodily therapist and American Ninja Warrior alum Rex Alba and foster care coordinator Waigal Safi, who leaned on their respective Filipino and Afghan culinary household roots. Throughout the first problem of the August 16 finale on PBS, the house cooks have been tasked with making a hometown recipe despatched in by their kin. Bailey not solely impressed the common panel however visitor choose Jake Cohen together with his cypress knee po’ boy and do-it-yourself French fries.
The second and deciding closing cook dinner noticed the finalists serve up their nice American recipe full with entrée, aspect dish and dessert. Bailey had his spouse Toni as sous-chef whereas prepping his cornbread stuffed hen over grits with andouille cream sauce, do-it-yourself coleslaw and grandma Millie’s potatoes. He completed his self-described “Coby on a plate” presentation with a firehouse cobbler. His love of creating meals might be traced again to cooking for mess obligation in the USA Navy. He has taken that zeal into making meals for his fellow Lafayette firefighters for greater than 27 years.
Right here Bailey opens up about taking house the present title means to him and what’s subsequent.
THE GREAT AMERICAN RECIPE Season 4 contestants, L-R: Waigal Safi, Brie Jamieson, Coby Bailey, Anika Chowdhury, Rex Alba, Suwanee Lennon, Carlos Tiburcio, and Fran Wescott.
How does it really feel to win this competitors?
I’ll be sincere with you. Personally, I feel Cajun meals is the very best meals on the planet. I watch lots of TV cooking reveals, and for some motive the Cajuns or individuals from Louisiana by no means win. So for me to go in there and win meant the world to me. I represented my tradition. I represented the place I come from. I represented the fireplace division, the navy. I attempted to signify as many individuals as I may in as many issues as I may, and I hope I did. I feel I did. I’m proud.
You stayed true to your self and also you performed to your strengths. Lots of people might have tried to make issues fancy or go in a special path, however you saved it easy.
I form of stepped the sport up somewhat bit for the finale. I did preserve it fairly easy. Cajun meals isn’t that arduous. I’m not likely massive on utilizing a bunch of various herbs collectively, however I’m massive on the Cajun seasoning. It simply brings a lot depth of taste to no matter you cook dinner with. So whereas most contestants had so many alternative herbs and spices, I simply had my spices that we put in there, and it form of brings all these flavors collectively. The best way we cook dinner Cajun meals and the best way we put together it’s pretty easy. However for the final episode, for the finale itself, once I noticed the po’boy recipe, I used to be like, “Man, I really feel prefer it’s easy. I really feel prefer it’s too easy.” I wanted to step the sport up as a result of I truthfully felt like I used to be form of behind the eight ball since Waigal had fairly a number of extra wins than I did going into the finale.
I do know he was sturdy, and I simply couldn’t include some shrimp on bread and somewhat little bit of lettuce and tomato, you already know what I imply? So I included a recipe that I eat fairly a bit at one among my favourite eating places. I by no means made that earlier than, so I’m like, “I feel I may try this.” I stated, “We’re going to go massive or we’re going to go house.” So we form of left all of it out proper there with the po’boy, and it was actually good. I knew if I got here shut to creating it just like the restaurant made it that I might do very properly, and I feel I nailed it truly and introduced that house.
PBS
There was lots of suspense, whether or not the po’boy was going to remain standing up or not. That was the massive query.
I used to be the identical means. I hoped that it wouldn’t fall out. So I browned some butter, and I put the butter within the oven inside there to form of give it a crust the place it could form of assist maintain that stuff in there. However there’s a little little bit of time in between the place you make the po’boy and after they eat and I’m like, “Please don’t soak via this bread and undergo there. It labored out completely truly.”
How was it having your spouse there? I imply, that’s lots of strain in itself.
We aren’t essentially the most appropriate within the kitchen collectively. When Toni cooks, she’s within the kitchen and once I’m cooking, I’m within the kitchen. We do issues in another way, however she’s an awesome cook dinner, and by her doing a lot of the potatoes took a lot extra strain off of me that I may focus somewhat bit extra on the sauce so I may get that excellent. I may make it possible for the grits have been excellent. The hen itself is pretty easy, however simply by having that one much less factor to do or these three much less issues to do, I simply felt very assured when she received there. I used to be tremendous assured that issues have been going to go our means.
And that was your grandmother’s recipe, the potatoes.
That was my grandmother’s recipe.
So it was vital she helped get that proper.
There’s a story behind that recipe. My grandmother referred to as everyone at one time. She was shedding her eyesight, and she or he referred to as everybody in to show them the recipes, and no one confirmed up however my spouse. So she was somewhat heartbroken about that. So she says, “I’m going to offer you this recipe, however you can’t give it to no one else. You retain it for your self.” So, my spouse has been holding on to that recipe for fairly a while. I’ve a YouTube channel, and I informed my spouse, “We have to put that video [of her] on YouTube. If she was alive, she would’ve put that video on YouTube.” She would like to have her potatoes form of be well-known somewhat bit. Now that they’re from this present, we positively received to place it on there for everyone to have so the household will get their recipe lastly.
What did it imply to compete in opposition to Rex and Waigal there?
Pay attention, I don’t know who solid us, however they did a unbelievable job. We grew to become excellent mates quick the very first day. There was by no means ailing will between any of the contestants. Once more, I really feel Cajun meals is form of easy to do what we do, and we don’t use lots of substances. Waigal’s dishes have been simply so attractive each single time. The judges liked him. I knew he was sturdy. He was a robust cook dinner. Similar factor with Rex. Rex was cooking 12 various things at one time. I’m like, “How is that this dude doing that?” So, I knew that I actually form of needed to convey my “A” recreation. I actually did go away my greatest recipe for final. When it went right down to the finale, I used to be going to offer you my greatest recipe for the finale. And I did. And I feel that’s form of what pulled me via.
It seems to be such as you had lots of help from the neighborhood.
So we received a spot referred to as the Yard Goat. I might love to offer them some props. They did a unbelievable job, Ms. Sarah. We tried to lease it for the opening present simply to get individuals within the present. After which when she discovered that it was a season the place you had multiple episode, she goes, “Oh no, we’re doing this. We do that for The Bachelorette, and we’re going to try this for you, a neighborhood boy.” She was even excited. So at first I used to be like, “How a lot is that this going to price me?” I dunno if I can afford it each Friday. And she or he stated, “We received it. We’re going to deal with it.” And so they did a unbelievable job. We’ve been having a couple of hundred, 120 individuals each Friday, and we have been anticipating about 250, possibly someplace near 300 [for the finale]. We don’t have the ultimate numbers but, however we predict we blew that out of the water, truthfully.
Coby Bailey and Fran Westcott (PBS)
That’s wonderful. That’s a testomony to you.
Effectively, I cooked for my very own celebration and I feel everyone was form of not anticipating that, however Fran [Westcott] got here down and truly helped me cook dinner. She needed to be a part of that. And whereas I used to be cooking, all my Navy buddies confirmed up, and man, that was superior. It was considerably emotional for me once more, for them guys to point out up. I imply, they drove down from Michigan, West Virginia, Tennessee, took their day trip to come back spend it with me only for that one evening. I used to be completely amazed. So simply from the very starting of it, I used to be touched by it.
A ton of firefighters got here. We’re an enormous household with that. And in highschool I used to be very lucky to have only a nice group of mates and courses even three years above us. After I was a freshman in highschool, the seniors form of frolicked with us too, and all these individuals confirmed up. I imply, we had individuals from 4 years behind us and 4 years forward of us on the market having a very good time. Everyone simply had a blast. I received so many calls and texts saying, “We don’t know what we’re going to do on Friday evening. We had a lot enjoyable watching you cook dinner on TV each Friday evening.” The finale was a blast and we liked it, however they have been disillusioned that it was over.
What are you going to take with this platform that you simply now have?
It’s been loopy. Since Saturday. I in all probability had 27 orders [on my website]. I imply, I used to be getting about, I don’t know, 4 or 5 orders of seasoning via the web site every week, and it simply exploded. I had 27 orders. I feel I’ve 5 extra left within the factor in the present day to form of fulfill. I’ve been in contact with the native PBS station right here. They’re concerned about performing some issues, and I cook dinner for the fallen firefighters memorial that comes up subsequent month. I’ve so many individuals contacting me to guage cook-offs, and I really feel like I’m a star though I’m only a dude. You already know what I imply? I inform everyone, I’m only a man. I’m actually not the movie star that individuals assume that I’m, however I see what they’re speaking about. However in my thoughts, I’m actually only a man.
What’s the web site the place individuals can discover your spices?
Coby: It’s https://captaincobys.com/ And I discover that my web site’s somewhat distinctive. You should purchase your seasoning and a few merchandise from there, however you can even click on on my movies that I put out. So form of a one-stop store. If you wish to catch a pair recipes, you may get it off there. Or if you’d like a t-shirt or some seasoning, you may get all proper there too.
What have you ever taken from this expertise?
Coby: It was an superior expertise. Whilst you’re there cooking, you wish to win over the judges, however at the back of my thoughts, that complete time is I wish to make sure that I represented Louisiana. I needed to ensure I represented the Cajuns…I might like to do extra cooking reveals. I had a blast. I had a good time with that. Though typically the hours are somewhat lengthy. I had a enjoyable time doing that. And we’ll see. I’ve a number of concepts. I wish to begin one other TikTok channel. I’ve one, however I’m not likely into it that a lot. I’m going to only attempt to go the fireman route with that. So I’ve that on my plate. I’m able to launch that, after which we’ll see what Captain Coby brings simply via the seasoning and the movies. I received a number of extra movies about to come back out, so I’m hoping that takes off too.