Paula Deen, with her silver tidal wave of hair and multiple diamond rings that she forgets to remove before every cooking program, has a charm that, for many that is reminiscent of hanging out in grandma's kitchen.
From a book review of The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook:
I love her warm, upbeat manner and I'm impressed with her Cinderella story which has been recounted by countless other reviewers. Her charm is found all through this title and its sequel and reading the stories behind the recipes is just as enlightening as the recipes themselves. Paula writes the way she speaks, and you can even hear her easy Savannah drawl as you read. The recipes are down-to-earth, mostly pretty simple, and decadently satisfying. Those doing Atkins or Weight Watchers need not apply here...we're talkin' SERIOUS cheese, butter, and cream (yep, the real stuff!).
In his enthusiastic introduction, John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, writes: "Authentic Southern food is not about pretension." Sure enough, this book doesn't put on any airs. A great many recipes unabashedly list prepared foods among the ingredients. As an appetizer, Garlic Cheese Spread includes an eight-ounce package of cream cheese and an eight-ounce jar of Cheez-Whiz. Shrimp or Lobster Bisque contains, in addition to seafood, a can each of condensed tomato soup and condensed mushroom soup. The restaurant's most popular dessert is Gooey Butter Cakes, which starts with a box of Duncan Hines yellow cake mix. Still, some of the recipes attain a high level of regional authenticity: Georgia Cracker Salad is made with crushed saltines, tomato, scallions, hard-boiled egg and mayonnaise; Southern Fried Chicken acquires its crispy coating with a batter of eggs and self-rising flour. Readers concerned about high fat content should skip this book.
From the time she was a young girl, Paula has suffered from agoraphobia. That may explain why it's tough to find any interviews with her. I did find her restaurant website which features, what else? A write-up of her brother Bubba's new oyster house, y'all. "Bubba and I are so excited about it. He's even letting me serve some of my home cooking there." Gee, what a swell guy that Bubba.
And don't forget, "And did I mention I have a new cookbook come out soon?" We'll be sure to look fer it, darlin'.
57 comments:
Half hour how to make food that will lead to a Heart Attck
paula deen" cooking is the best. try thinking of family. this world needs more of that. i would to be in her kitchen for one day.
She makes me sick...anywhere from her fake accent to the amount of fat she puts on everything ....... The fact that she is so popular says a lot about the eating habbits of our country .....Paula Dean's show is disgusting .... oh well ignorance is Bilss and I excercise my right to turn it off... it just bothers me that we americans eat the way we do.
I bet you drug companies love her..... Eat all you want ..they will make more cholesterol medicine, insulin, and High blood pressure medicine....
I think Paula Deen is great! I am from the south and believe you me, her accent is not fake. Yall!
Get over yourselfs and get a life, you are just jealous because either you cant cook, or she thought to do this before you did!
Thanks for your comments Anonymous. Glad to know that all I've heard about Southern charm is so well ingrained in you. Or is that inbre... nevermind.
Grommie, you are why we well mannered southern women want all yankees to have a visa to cross the Mason/Dixon line. If they act obnoxious or don't know how to say please and thank you. We send you back!
To the poster above me...just in case you weren't aware, the Civil War is over. We generally don't go by "Yankees" and "Rebs" anymore.
Who is the one that is "slower" you are the only person cussing here. Paula is a woman who made lemonade from sour lemons. Maybe she is not for everyone, but that is the beauty of the USA,,,all of YALL shut-up!!!!! LOL from a southern bell myself.
Paula may have been a burst of fresh air when she first came out. But her case is just like that relative that just won't leave after a few days visit. Apart from the clownish Y'all greeting -- which really amounts to having that Bam! trademark -- her cooking and manners by the kitchen are just appaling. Her most recent stupidity was licking from the chocolate fountain. Just think about that when you go to her restaurants and try to dunk your marshamallow on the fountain... how many of the guests at the restaurant imitated her. Please, someone, call the Georgia's Health Department. People may laugh about the fried butter balls, but what people should do is worry: there is the possibility that many of her fans are following her recipes. And some wonder why Americans are growing by the ton. I have noticed how tourists gape at Americans' girth. Paula is just an annoying mother who stopped being a TV cook and became a showoff Mom bringing in the rest of her family into the small screen. This is a food show and not eHarmony or a dating show, I couldn't care less about how she met her husband -- her personal business is her's and her's alone. Give me recipes that will not clog my arteries and stop telling us how nice her sons are -- of course they are nice, if they were not, would she be so open and inviting?
I'm a lesbian, I weigh 225 lbs and I am a proud Paula Deen fan. She is living proof that fat women can get us a man. YEEEEE HAAAAWWWWW pass the budda !!!
My gracious we have our opinions.
I appreciate all the love I've been sent by Paula Deen fans and those who would consider Ms. Deen a bit fattening. I believe however, some folks have misinterpreted the light-hearted jesting in my post and I wouldn't want my comment section to become a bar room brawl, y'all.
In other words, no name calling or I will delete those comments.
Although I find Paula Deen a charming lady, I think her uses of words are a bit..off.
I,myself, live in Savannah and many people I know don't have THAT much of an accent..
I cant help but watch paula deen. but anyways...i dont think she is classy at all....shes more slutty than anything
I would have to disagree. To me, she seems quite dedicated to her husband.
how many syllables are in the word pan? it's not payen, and the word red? it's not rayed. speak the language.
Paula, just admit that the word RED is a one syllable word.
I'm afraid our good sweet Paula was snatched by aliens about 5 years ago and replaced with this racy trollop who's our running amok on Food Network. Either that or the woman is on drugs. I miss her. Heck, maybe it's just the evil effects of menopause!
U know it takes more talent and creativity to make great tasting food that does not rely on just frying it and killing the nuance.sure, she is charming, but can u imagine paula taking her clothes off every night, tryin find her privates under her layers of fat? then she goes out and promotes it to other people. she will dye prematurely and have health problems. she is gross
Excessive use of fats, like butter, oil, bacon, drippings and mayo.
Plus being excessively crass in her use fingers to taste food, licking utensils, etc which goes well beyond what is reasonable to "check for seasoning"
The fake accent just ads to her worn out image.
I HATE HER BECAUSE OF HER LAUGH, ACCENT, AND HER PROMOTING OF VERY UNHEALTHY EATING WITH THE POUNDS AND POUNDS OF BUTTER SHE USES TO COOK.
I hate paula for the reason that she does not deserve to have a show and should not be considered to be a chef
her accent drives me insane!
im in texas and we do not freakin sound like that!
we use those words.. but not with that kinda accent.
UHG I HATE PPL WHO TRY TO TALK LIKE US
live here your whole life and then ull sound like us..
Is it just me........or does anyone remember the one commercial that shows Paula.....STICKING HER TOUNGE INTO A FREAKING CHOCOLATE FONDUE FOUNTAIN?!?!?!!? Do you have any Idea how unsanitary that is ><. And Food Network actually put it on the air.....
id have to agree with whoever said Yankees should have to get a visa.
If you not like the fatty stuff she adds in the food there are always alternatives.
She represents Good Ole Southern Cooking that only a grandma can make
I absolutley hate her accent. She's either faking it or playing it up ALOT. My whole family is from the south, and I've lived here all my life. You can kind of tell when someone's trying to fake an accent, and she's definitely doing it. :[ If it wasn't for her "accent", I'd maybe watch her show, but I just can't stand her enough to watch for a few minutes.
Paula Dean's cooking is representative of the south along with her accent. If you ever tasted her butter loving, mayo filled, cheesy flowing food you'd shut yalls mouth. My great grandmother cooked in the cafeteria for thirty years serving food a whole lot like Paula's this of course was before they started serving this frozen junk ( that most likely people like yall pushed on us) and let me just tell ya, no one has forgotten her food and still talks of how it was delicious. So obviously if you are talking bad about Paula you ain't from the south and I sure as hell hope that if you are YOU LEAVE it.
1. Her accent is very real.
2. She's not FROM Savannah, just lives there. She's from further south Georgia and yes, people there talk exactly like her. It's my hometown.
3. She's awesome so y'all stop hatin.'
I HATE PAULA DEEN. SOMEONE COMMENTED HOW SHE CARES ABOUT HER HUSBAND. BAH. SHE IS ALL OVER ANY MAN ON HER SHOW. SHE IS A HICK AND QUITE DISGUSTING. HER STUPIDITY GIVES SOUTHERN WOMEN A BAD REP. NOTICE YOU DON'T SEE HER GRANDSON OR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AROUND.PROBABLY EMBARRASSED. SHE IS A LOUD, CRASS, FAKE BROAD. POOR MICHAEL HE HAS TO BE MORTIFIED. SHE IS A FAT PIG AND WANTS TO FILL EVERYONE WITH PURE FAT AND GARBAGE. I CANNOT EVEN SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW ANNOYING SHE IS. I AGREE WHEN SHE FIRST STARTED SHE WAS A HOOT BUT MONEY AND FAME RUINED HER. IT'S THIS SIMPLE, "WHITE TRASH" WHO MADE IT BIG AND I DO MEAN BIG.
From A Guy a Texas--
I haven't ever watched her show, nor care about cooking. But lately I have seen her in random commercials and a few minutes of her show when the wife was watching. I WILL SAY she is disgusting. The way she looks, the way she talks, the way she acts. I've been all over and been to georgia up in the mountains, and they STILL don't drag out YAAAA'LLLLL! She sounds like she exaggerates her words way too much. And is just gawdy with everything.
You guys can believe her accent to be real all you want, but I remember watching her when she first came on TV and she did not have that accent. I've also spent much of my life in GA, and never met someone with an accent like Paula's.
There is no way that accent is real. I am from Georgia and I have family all over the south and that accent sounds like someone's trying emphasize a Texas accent, and not doing a good job of it. Every once in a while you will hear her ease back and then catch herself and begin start talking like a drunk girl in a dance hall.
Of course, she also doesn't act like a lady, be it from the South, North, Midwest.. anywhere in the U.S. or for that matter, in the world.
If she says "ya'll" one more time I'm going to scream!! who in their right mind thinks she can actually cook. she's annoying to watch.
She is an annoying witch and is as my friend says an animal with butter. NO ONE CARES ABOUT HER FREAKING HUSBAND MICHAEL!!!! And on the one episode she related a sexual experience of her!!!!!!!!! That is gross!!!! Plus what in the world was that about her bringing the dog onto the show, that is so unsanitary. Go watch the Neeleys instead, at least they're not as irritating as Paula.
I don't even think she can cook. Just about every time I see her on TV, there's someone else telling her what to do while she says things like "Naow thius is sum kinda fancy salt!" (Hick to English translation: Now this is some kind of fancy salt) She really shouldn't be on TV at all, or even allowed near a "payun".
I'm from the South. I can't even write an e-mail without using Y'all. And what's the big deal about a dog in the kitchen. A dog was in my granmother's kitchen (and she cooked just like Paula does except Nannie used more bacon drippings. She lived to be 98. Of her six children, only one has passed on. At age 57, he was an avid marathon runner. He passed away one evening after a run. He was a big health nut.) My Mom cooked while a dog was in the kitchen corner sleeping. And when I do cook, it's OK for my little Maggie to be in the kitchen.
And just a little Southern history for everyone. Bacon drippings were cheap. Everyone grew their own pork. Butter was cheap everyone had their own cows. Most of our generation's grandmothers lived during the depression and our parents were cildren of the depression. They didn't go to the grocery store and buy oils,
margarine and other fancy spreads. They made do with whatever they had. That's the history of Southern
Cooking. Considering the way the economy looks today, we may all have to get us a couple of pigs and a few head of cattle to see us through. Thank goodness I still own enough acerage in Mississippi to go back and live like that if I have to.
I doubt if Paula husband cares what she look like considering the amount of money she's making.
Now y'all go on about your business and stop talking bad about Miss Paula, ya heah.
I believe she is a very good cook and at times she is Funny, but for her being a married woman who pawns over all the good looking men on her show definately sends a Bad message and while her Second? husband is in the audience sugest he either doesn’t care because he’s married to a gold mine or we will be hearing about a divorce in the future. She’s got out of control hormones or something…
The absolute worst is Paula's Party. It's basically a talk show where Paula Dean gets to flirt with men, be drunk, and shove her fingers down guy's throats in an attempt to hand feed them.That in it's self Seems very Sexual.She comes out as someone of a personality who is openly Dirty minded (Even though she's Married) and also somewhat of not good hygene letting everybody lick from her chocolate fountain, a definite turnoff.I certainly don't watch anymore from her shows where she was the only one in the kitchen.
I am also a Southern woman but you would never find Paula's food on my table. My household loves crunchy green veggies that don't require a bacon blanket to taste good. The woman is obviously not trained in the culinary arts and her hygeine habits are deplorable. I've watched her spoon whipped cream into a cup, LICK HER FINGER, then repeat the procedure for a guest's cup without washing her hands. Not all Southerners are inbred buffoons, although you will find quite a few here.
I am sick to my stomach every time I pass through her show on the way somewhere else. With obesity reaching an epidemic and so many healthier options availabe, it is painful to watch. Our health system is overloaded with people who've managed to eat themselves into diabetes, heart attacks, etc. the 'paula' way. If McDonalds is gettind sued so should this woman and the Food Pimp Network that shows her. I'd like to get her cholesterol count posted and the fat/content listed as a fast food. Oh, for a portion, there are 2-3 on each plate. It's grotesque. I'll consider nationalized healthcare if her show and that fat bleached hair guy's shows are off the air. She must have a great insurance plan!
I hate her too. Actually, I seached "I hate Paula Deen" wondering if I was alone. That and I have nothing to do at the moment. Anyway, it's her accent that I most hate. It grates on my ears. I went to the University of the South, where people from all across the Southeast went to school, and I have to say, no one sounded like her. It was the general consensus that her accent was NOT FAKE, but incredibly puffed up, much like the people who enjoy her recipes and snack on sticks of butter.
Most Southern people do not soud like they've had a stroke (many, do, I'll admit), but this is not a North vs. South thing. Northerners never, ever think about the South, except for the few days in ninth grade during which the Civil War is taught.
...And when Paula Deen and her revolting show is on. Please, Paula. Stop being an embarrasment.
The South is the fattest region by far in the United States, and the United States is the fattest country in the world.
It's a shame she's actually promoting sweaty jowls, and arms that wave like a flag. I fear for her devotees. I'm just glad I don't live in Savannah. Disgusting. Where's the surgeon general when you need him? Hell, he'll need his whole army for this one.
That was a pun. Cool.
To answer Anonymous's question, yes, others DO hate Paula Deen (I just make a few jabs at her here but refuse to even attempt to watch her on TV any longer). Other than the comments you see here, I get MANY visitors a month to my site simply because they have searched "I hate Paula Deen" as you did. Not all of those visitors leave comments but I can see their paths.
I used to like her, but she changed for the worse. Here's what I don't like about her-
1) She's unsantitary. She stuck her tongue in a chocolate fountain! She licks her fingers and puts them on other people's food! She puts her fingers in people's mouths! ICK!
2) Her speech. In those Smithfield ham commercials, she calls it "Smithville". They pay her money to shill their ham, the least she can do is get the name right! She also says "pee-nies" instead of "pennies" and "spatchler" instead of spatula! And quit saying "y'all" in every sentence, like Britney Spears.
3) The flirting. She's a grandmother and wife in her 60's. She shouldn't be grinding and feeling up every adult male on her show. Have some dignity Paula!
4)Her food. Yes, southern cooking uses grease/oil/ butter. But not eveything needs 2 sticks of butter, a dozen egg yolks, a cup of mayo and a pint of sour cream. When she adds some mint as a garnish to one of her "strokes on a plate" and calls it a vegetable, I want to slap her.
Listen, I will give you all the scoop. I KNOW this "lady". She lives on Wilmington Island near me and is a fat bitch. Yes, I know her personally. What you see on TV is MANUFACTURED, like a movie star's image. FAKE, FAKE, FAKE. I could write a whole book on this lying sack. Before she got enough money to have her plastic surgery done she would put clothespins behind her ears under her hair to pull her face tight. She has a temper from hell and hates the "little people" and has contempt for them but loves their money. I am surprised her gay son and other relatives haven't turn out as bad. Bubba is OK, just a fat fool under her thumb.
PAULA DEEN IS A FAT PIG.
SHE'S UGLY AND I HATE HER F-ING GUTS.
I WISH SHE WOULD DROP DEAD RIGHT ON
TV.
SHE'S A WHORE.
1.Texas is not the South, shes not doing a Texan accent, shes from Georgia
2.I like her! Shes hot for her age. Im from Richmond, Virginia, and we have plenty of drawls like that here. She sounds normal to me.
Meade is correct. Texas is a whole other country and its border extends north to Minnesota.
I really could care less about her rags to riches story. Her food is still a giant heart attack ready to happen and people love her. We aren't living in the dark ages. You can make "comfort food" with healthy ingredients. This is what makes a good cook a good cook, the ability to tweak a recipe or create a new one.
And what's the deal with all the retouching on her magazine cover photos? She looks like she's made of plastic. How embaressed she should be about putting out such a misrepresentation of herself. Shame on you Paula! ...I'd fire the editor AND the art department.
OMG I can not stand her. I watch 2 minutes of her show and I have to turn it off cause just watching her cook, i can't feel my left arm. AND she wears a Chinchilla coat! That disgustes me to no end. It take about 100 chinchillas juwst to make one coat!!! and I happen to have a chinchilla. I think people like her are a waste of skin. And chinchilla skin to :(
I am so happy to hear that I am not alone in hating Paula Deen! I actually tried to petition her to get off of Food Network. From the "fakeness" that everyone describes here to the unrealistic eating habits, her show is the most annoying of all shows. Yes, I hate her accent and I'm not saying it's fake, but it is definitely over-exaggerated. The fakeness that I can't stand is that LAUGH! Not only is it piercing and sickening to the ears, it's fake. How do you know it's fake? Watch her face when she stops laughing. It's serious immediately. A genuine laugh lingers. She really should be off of Network Television.
No, no...whoever wrote that peeps in the northern states don't appreciate the south are way wrong! Hating PD has nothing to do with the south! Savannah, GA is one of the most gorgeous, facinating places I've ever been, bar none! Just beyond fantastic. It's Paula who sucks- she's just such a phoney....and NO- people don't like it that a phoney like her makes so damn much money with our grandmother's jello recipes. No, we don't! She can take all her diamonds (that she can't seem to get enough OF, and stick them with all her f-ing butter). She's more disgusting than the Donald- at least he has a little class!
Why does she ALWAYS call her husband 'MICHAEL GROOVER' instead
of Michael..hubby, Mike? (etc.) Does he need more attention like 'BUBBA'?
She really nauseates me..and I live in Georgia..Bad reflection on the South IMHO~!
I used to love her..what a phony witch~! :(
AND folks..we do NOT say "y'all"
all the time~! MOST of us also EAT much healthier now~! :)
I'm from the south and I just cannot tolerate Paula Deen. What really made me sick about her was the way she makes over her youngest son - it's so obvious that Bobby's her favorite. And that laugh...good grief, she gets on my nerves! I don't think the woman's the smartest brick on the block, either. But there's a lot on the food network that I'm tired of: never did like Sandra Lee - she's such a schmoozing fake; tired of Rachael Ray, although she sometimes is okay; Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri re just too over-booked on tv, period; but Paula's the worst of the bunch. Take her off!!!
I actually used to love Paula. However, someone told her she needed to change, her hair, teeth, over the the top obnoxious constant laugh. I honestly miss the down home cook. This new version; I cant tolerate. The other day she had Chris Rock's mom on and I watched for that. I'll never forget her name is Rose because Paula said it no less than 50 times in a 30 min. show!! Paula, forget the cameras, the money etc and just go back to being yourself!!!
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