A Lexington home chef won a national cooking show. Here’s what she plans to do next.
.jpg "Antoinette Johnson, of Lexington, recently won America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation.")
The newest face on “America’s Test Kitchen” is Antoinette Johnson, a Lexington mom and branding consultant.
Johnson landed the gig after outlasting 10 other contestants from around the country to win “America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation,” a reality show in which contestants “present their dishes throughout a series of challenges that test their culinary abilities and on-camera personality.”
When she learned about the show, Johnson said, “I felt like it was perfect for me.”
The judges thought so, too. Johnson came home the winner, with not only a spot on “America’s Test Kitchen” but also a cookbook deal and a $100,000 prize to help fund a culinary business.
Now, she’s back home and busily working on her book.
Johnson described her cooking style as Southern fusion.
“I like to combine all the different regions,” she said.
In the series finale, Johnson made roasted cabbage steaks and one-hour burnt ends, which showcased her knack for elevating inexpensive ingredients into something special — and without taking all day to do it.
“I want to make a cookbook for people who don’t like to cook,” Johnson explained in the last episode of the series. “Food doesn’t have to be expensive, hoity-toity, high-end. I want to show that cooking can be fun, and that it doesn’t have to take up all your time.
“I want to show people that you can take regular ingredients and make them amazing.”
The judges raved about the burnt ends, which are made in a pressure cooker using chuck roast rather than brisket.
“I would not have thought that you did that in an hour,” said judge and “America’s Test Kitchen” personality Jack Bishop. “It tastes like all-day barbecue.”
Besides wowing the judges with her food, Johnson’s background in broadcast journalism helped her stand out with a confident, polished delivery during on-camera cooking demonstrations.
Her social media experience shone through during the portion of the competition in which the cooks presented their food for a professional photo shoot. Johnson is active on Instagram and frequently posts photos and videos of her home-cooked meals and thrift store fashion finds.
She said in the series finale that she hoped to win because of the opportunities it would open up for her and her daughter.
“I want to win this so that I can give us the opportunity to live our best life,” she said.
While she went in imagining a “cutthroat” competition, Johnson said in a recent interview that the contestants became close during filming.
“It was such a learning experience,” she said. “I really did make friends for life. It really was a family atmosphere.”
She spent four weeks filming the 10-episode series, which is available on Amazon Freevee. The show was hosted by Jeannie Mai Jenkins and judged by Bishop and fellow “America’s Test Kitchen” personalities Dan Souza, Elle Simone Scott and Julia Collin Davison.
“It was very intense,” Johnson said, adding that because she works from home, she was able to continue working while filming in Boston. “It was a very busy four weeks.”
Johnson said she’d sometimes be on set for filming from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., then head back to her hotel to work. Johnson is director of client services for Elevated Assist, which provides virtual assistance to professional athletes and digital entrepreneurs.
She said she grew up in Chapel Hill, N.C., and moved to Louisville when she was 15.
She majored in journalism at the University of Kentucky and had considered a career in broadcasting, but as a new mom, she said she ultimately decided that working in marketing and social media would offer a better schedule.
After graduating in 2015, she said, “I hustled. I worked for a lot of local businesses.”
She ultimately landed a corporate marketing job, but she said she really wanted to focus on social media, so she began freelancing.
That, she said, allowed her more time to spend on cooking at home and sharing her creations on social media, where she said her followers began reaching out with questions about how to make what she presented there.
While she said she’s always been interested in food, she has really focused on learning different techniques over the past three or four years.
“I really enjoy cooking,” Johnson said. “It’s a way for me to express myself, seeing what I can make from what’s around me.”
She’s a big fan of farmer’s markets.
“I cannot wait for farmer’s market season,” she said. “I love shopping at Black Soil KY. I know when I’m shopping there, I’m supporting my community.”
Now that she’s back home, Johnson said she’s keeping busy between working her regular job and writing the cookbook, which will be released during the fourth quarter of this year.
“I’m cooking all the time,” she said. “I’m at the grocery store all the time.”
And she’s loving every moment.
“I found something that I’m good at,” Johnson said, “and that’s food.”
