My Favorite Recipes: Trevor Miller

COLFAX - Born and raised local, Trevor Miller, 32, came back to Colfax after traveling and exploring the art of cuisine to share his love of food with the Palouse.

Miller graduated Colfax High School in 2010, after working at the former Colfax Arby's he realized his passion for food.

"I realized fast food is not what I wanted to do," Miller said, so he started looking into culinary schools and figured he could make a career out of it.

"I left here and went to Portland, Oregon, to culinary school," Miller said, "I got down there, and fell in love with it," he said, mentioning that he went to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts to study in a classic French cuisine program for 9 months.

Miller said that after Portland he went to Colorado, where he worked for Vail Resorts, and then to Austrailia where he would cook for 6 months.

For Miller, leaving Whitman County was the chance to get out into the world and learn something new, "I just like traveling," he said, "I like going to see different things, different places, meeting new people and then finding out their passions."

Miller met his partner Amanda Packer, and they moved back home in early 2024 with their two boys, Cian, 4, and Lachlan, 15 months. "Cities were great, but I can't imagine anywhere else to raise your kids," he said.

"It's home, everyone is inexplicably drawn back to home," Miller said of Whitman County, adding that it's comfortable since he was raised with and knows everybody. "It's more family driven, and that's what I like about it."

The initial plan was to start a food truck, Miller said, adding that now he and his family are excited to work towards starting a restaurant, "Bring some of what I learned, and what I love to do back to Whitman County."

Miller currently works at the Cellar Wine Bar, as a chef, catering on the side.

Miller ran three restaurants in downtown Portland, and spent time in wine country learning his craft. "In wine country, almost everybody down there is passionate about what they're doing," he said.

For Miller, cooking is a passion, "I don't think it's hard, but I've been doing it for many many years," he said, "the only way it can be rewarding is you have to really want to do it," he said.

"As long as I can cook food, I hope people want to it, but if people don't eat it then I will still cook," he said.

"Make it your own. That's how I've cooked, that's how I've always cooked," Miller said, "That's how I live life, take it as it comes. Use what you have."

Meatloaf Recipe

• 2Lbs Good Ground Beef or Ground Venison

• 2 Tbl Dijon Mustard

• 1 Tbl Fresh thyme Chopped

• 1 Tbl Fresh parsley Chopped

• 1 tsp Fresh Rosemary Chopped

• 1 medium carrot small dice

• ½ large onion small dice

• 2 stalks celery small dice

• 2 large eggs

• 1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce

• ½ c Breadcrumbs to tighten.

• Salt to taste

• Good sherry vinegar to taste

Glaze

• 1 cup ketchup

• ¼ cup dark brown sugar

• 3 Tbl Apple Cider Vinegar

• 2 oz good bourbon

• ½ yellow onion small dice

• 1 Tbl molasses

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, while oven is heating dice carrots, celery, and onion, sweat carrot, celery, and onion in pan with light oil (about 4 min). in kitchen aid bowl add ingredients, mix on medium for about 2 min or until incorporated, add some salt, sear off a small about to taste, adjust as needed.

For the Glaze

Dice yellow onion, sauté in small saucepan, once soft add ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vin, cook on low-medium heat until desired thickness and color, blend with hand blender, adjust seasoning to taste.

Pommes Aligot

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

• 2 sprigs thyme

• 2 medium cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

• 1 cup heavy cream, warmed, plus more if needed

• 10 ounces mixed Alpine cheeses, such as Swiss, Gruyère, Comté, and/or Fontina, grated

Procedure

In large sauce pot, place potatoes, cover with cold water, add a good pinch of salt, bring to a simmer don't let it boil, simmer until potatoes are soft, while simmering potatoes, warm the heavy cream and butter in a pan with thyme and garlic. once potatoes are soft. Pass potatoes through a potato ricer, once potatoes are riced add to a clean sauce pot, fold cream mixture in to potatoes, once smooth start adding cheese mixture in small amounts until desired consistency, taste for flavor add salt if needed.

Grilled Asparagus

• 1 handful of good asparagus

• 1 Tbl Grapeseed oil

• Salt to taste

• Lemon juice to taste

Procedure

Clean asparagus, season with oil and salt, place on grill or in a saute pan on medium high heat, grill or saute until desired color and texture is achived, pull off grill and finish by squeezing a ¼ lemon on asparagus.