Paula Deen reminds me of my Aunt Flo. Aunt Flo was responsible for me starting my cookbook collection. When I was around twelve, she hired me to baby sit her daughter one summer. Aunt Flo and I joined a cookbook club together and I purchased some cookbooks with some of my baby sitting money. The first two I got were, Farm Journal Cookies and a Good Housekeeping. My collection now numbers better than 1,400.
Paula cooks southern style like most of my family did when I was growning up. I love to watch Paula's Home Cooking and I've tried a few of her recipes. I do try to lighten some of them up a bit. I also enjoy watching Paula's Party on Friday nights, when I can stay awake that long. Paula seems to have so much fun cooking and chatting with her audience on that one. I like it when she cooks with her sons, Jamie and Bobby and also her husband, Michael on either show. The specials she has done including her fans in her wedding preprations and vacations make you feel like you're almost a part of her family.
I have a couple of her cookbooks in my every growing collection, Paula Deen Celebrates and The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook. They're fun to read even if I haven't cooked from them that much. I got them both from Paperbackswap.com If you aren't familiar with this book trading site it's a great one. I'd be happy to tell you more if you want to email me.
I saw Paula in the movie Elizabethtown and thought she did a wonderful job portraying a southern matriarch of the family. She seems to be a lady of many talents who overcame several obsticles to become a beautiful success story. In addition to her numerous cookbooks, TV shows, and owning her own restaurant, she also has her own magazine. She even has a special Holiday Baking Issue that's supposed to be out this month according to her newsletter. She also does some cooking demos in the basement at her restaurant and recently did some cooking shows called Paula Deen Live at several locations. She actually did four shows in a city near me and I though about attending but the tickets were so expensive. Despite the high ticket price they still sold out very quickly.
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Comments: 10
Angela, yea I know that sounds like a lot of cookbooks but I belong to an online cookbook collectors group and beleive me there are others who have way more than I do.
Elizabeth, lucky you to have gotten to eat at the Lady and Sons as well.
Don thanks for the smile.
Mo, no I missed her on Larry King. She does have a wonderful success story.
Paula was not there unfortunately. I remember seeing Jamie there but I couldn't get his attention at the time. He was busy. I didn't realize he was her son at the time but I know it was him, I remember how cute he was in person.
I also have almost all of her books (except for the new autobiography). I have cooked from them quite a bit, especially the first one. I really like Celebrates and Paula Deen & Friends. I like them better because they have photos of the food.
Thanks, Joan, for the article on Paula. I love her food but I cut the fat quite a bit too.