Paula Deen....holy lard-a-mole!

does the title not say it all?

i was watching a paula deen episode tonite while doing hw lol and noticed just HOW much of the stuff she makes is deep fried!! i dont watch the food chanel a lot and honestly it grossed me out. :/

first she made collard green wontons in which she first cooked the collards in olive oil and a whole stick of butter. then she puts them in the wontons, deep fries them, and serves them on a bed of you guessed it...more deep fried collard greens!

then she goes on to make deep fried halibut sandwiches on huge rolls with globs of mayo mustard sauce.

as if that wasnt bad enough, the last thing she made was deep fried cheesecake. covered in powdered sugar, chocolate, and whipped cream. wow.

now i do think that indulging on unhealthy desserts and such once in a while is perfectly healthy and fine, and that its not like the food is gonna bite you back...but honestly maybe she could trim it down a little?

haha just felt like sharing that :)

oh wow I just saw an episode of hers where she made a sandwich by putting a burger, eggs, and bacon in between 2 krispy kream donuts. She called this brunch lol. Even when i was eating what ever I wanted whenever I wanted I never put random things together. I mean I love choclate chip muffins and tomato salsa but I would not put them together.

I still love to watch her show but I know that if she keeps that up she will be a load of health problems waiting to happen 

Oh, come on. She's just entertaining to watch and makes food that she likes. I don't understand why you're slamming her recipes. You didn't make them, you weren't even going to make them, so why do you care?

Original Post by jpegg0:

Oh, come on. She's just entertaining to watch and makes food that she likes. I don't understand why you're slamming her recipes. You didn't make them, you weren't even going to make them, so why do you care?

 

 well first of all its my opinion and im allowed to state it. Second of all i was not slamming her "recipies" in general...only that one crazy high cal, high fat, high sugar, high cholesterol, and high everything else one. If you read my whole post you would have seen that I said i love her show and still watch it because she is so entertaining. However that specific recipie was beyond unhealthy and just unappealing to me.  

Original Post by carolinamoon7:

Original Post by jpegg0:

Oh, come on. She's just entertaining to watch and makes food that she likes. I don't understand why you're slamming her recipes. You didn't make them, you weren't even going to make them, so why do you care?

 

 well first of all its my opinion and im allowed to state it. Second of all i was not slamming her "recipies" in general...only that one crazy high cal, high fat, high sugar, high cholesterol, and high everything else one. If you read my whole post you would have seen that I said i love her show and still watch it because she is so entertaining. However that specific recipie was beyond unhealthy and just unappealing to me.  

 Take a breather, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to the thread in general. If I had been talking to you, I would've mentioned your name in my post or quoted you.

Hamburger on a donut doesn't sound appealing to me either, btw.

I still say she's trying to kill us all with her deep fried butter balls (I'm not kidding!)  I keep waiting for the headline that says she's had a heart attack like Graham Kerr did years ago. 

Original Post by jpegg0:

Original Post by carolinamoon7:

Original Post by jpegg0:

Oh, come on. She's just entertaining to watch and makes food that she likes. I don't understand why you're slamming her recipes. You didn't make them, you weren't even going to make them, so why do you care?

 

 well first of all its my opinion and im allowed to state it. Second of all i was not slamming her "recipies" in general...only that one crazy high cal, high fat, high sugar, high cholesterol, and high everything else one. If you read my whole post you would have seen that I said i love her show and still watch it because she is so entertaining. However that specific recipie was beyond unhealthy and just unappealing to me.  

 Take a breather, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to the thread in general. If I had been talking to you, I would've mentioned your name in my post or quoted you.

Hamburger on a donut doesn't sound appealing to me either, btw.

 sry about that, I get real irritated when i have seen some ppl on this site bash others for stating their own opinion. I really love her personality on the show but she is truly a recovering food addicts worst nightmare.

Original Post by carolinamoon7:

Original Post by jpegg0:

Original Post by carolinamoon7:

Original Post by jpegg0:

Oh, come on. She's just entertaining to watch and makes food that she likes. I don't understand why you're slamming her recipes. You didn't make them, you weren't even going to make them, so why do you care?

 

 well first of all its my opinion and im allowed to state it. Second of all i was not slamming her "recipies" in general...only that one crazy high cal, high fat, high sugar, high cholesterol, and high everything else one. If you read my whole post you would have seen that I said i love her show and still watch it because she is so entertaining. However that specific recipie was beyond unhealthy and just unappealing to me.  

 Take a breather, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to the thread in general. If I had been talking to you, I would've mentioned your name in my post or quoted you.

Hamburger on a donut doesn't sound appealing to me either, btw.

 sry about that, I get real irritated when i have seen some ppl on this site bash others for stating their own opinion. I really love her personality on the show but she is truly a recovering food addicts worst nightmare.

 Oh my goodness, I completely agree! On both accounts! :)

I honestly wasn't trying to bash anyone's opinions, honestly. Actually kind of the opposite. I was trying to defend Paula, lol.

I honestly can't watch the food network anymore! Especially Paula Deen. Even if she was cooking something odd such as donut burgers, it would get me craving donuts or a greasy hamburger.

You watch chefs like Gordon Ramsay or the folks from Top Chef, and you realize that you don't have to cook like a lard-o to make delicious foods.  Yeah, Paula Deen and all of her acolytes sort of make me sick, too.

I know this doesn't really add any value to your original post, but it was nice to see that someone else feels the same way.  Yuck.

you know... sometimes I like to watch shows like that when eating nonfattening foods, then the placebo effect kicks in.

People used to eat like that, and worse, for many years - not that many years ago.  They were all thin.  It's only now, as society becomes more dependent on fast foods and ready to eat foods, that obesity has become a concern.  In the South, and even in the North some, people deep fried everything!  So, it's good to see a chef who cooks food and doesn't worry about cooking it in a politically correct or fashionable way.  My Grandma lived to be 84 and she had a gallon of milk a day and a pound of bacon.  People are just too inactive today and its so much easier to blame someones deep fried cooking than their own weaknesses. 

I swear when I started getting into the food network was when I started gaining weight!

Maybe it's a Southern thing?

I love all these "who would cook/eat like that?!" questions. Answer: MEEEEE!

I love Paula Deen and own all of her cookbooks. I would eat anything she makes in a second. I'm not sure I've ever watched her cook anything that I did not immediately want to consume. Sometimes I wish that she would adopt me :D

And this is why I exercise. So I can eat deep fried lasagna and pies made almost entirely out of butter and still wear my bikini to the beach, lol. It's a labor of love.

Oh my goodness and to those of you who say that her recipes gross you out, go to her restaurant in Savannah and order ANYTHING. It will change your mind. :D

I've never felt so alone in my opinions before....

Bring on the butter!!

Paula has her own restaurant in Savannah that attracts tourists from all over. It's by far one of the most popular restaurants there, and has a line that wraps outside and around two city blocks of people just waiting to get a table. I've never been patient enough to go, nor would I ever make one of her recipes since I don't even keep butter at home, but one thing is for sure. The people waiting in that line were often not watching their waist and often it showed. Maybe not everyone, but most.

I think at the end of the day she is successful because she has found a niche of followers that love her. Although a lot of nice southern food is much more healthy now, she represents that true old southern cooking! 

Original Post by me__:

People used to eat like that, and worse, for many years - not that many years ago.  They were all thin.  It's only now, as society becomes more dependent on fast foods and ready to eat foods, that obesity has become a concern.  In the South, and even in the North some, people deep fried everything!  So, it's good to see a chef who cooks food and doesn't worry about cooking it in a politically correct or fashionable way.  My Grandma lived to be 84 and she had a gallon of milk a day and a pound of bacon.  People are just too inactive today and its so much easier to blame someones deep fried cooking than their own weaknesses. 

That is a wonderful point...

This is a great topic, really.  Afterall, food is "near and dear" to my heart : )

I love the Food Network, and I also completed a culinary degree within the last few years. 

And whether it is due to that diploma, or just midlife bulge and inactivty, I dont know.  But I did gain about 10 pounds in the last 5 years, which tells me I neither did everything wrong, nor everything right. I do know I love to cook, and I like to cook from scratch, and I love good food with great flavors! 

I dont think anyone on this site would say that we want to adopt Paula's style of cooking, but can admire the personality!

But hanging out with "foodie" types, and working part time at the cooking school, I have to say that most of us look askance at skinny cooks, too!  Like Giada de Laurentis, or Sandra Lee (we dont have to get into more personality discussions here!)

At the cooking school, I have heard a couple of comments from the "skinny chef instructors" that have helped me come full circle - away from butter and cream, and back to GREAT cooking techniques that HELP an everday chef cook intelligently - grilling, roasting, using fresh herbs, use top quality ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, basamic vinegar, etc. 

One skinny chef at my cooking schol said, "Oh yes, and exercising is my 'other' vocation!"  It sure registered in my brain, but at the time - I didnt like hearing it. Now I understand.

Another chef who has kept an attractive waistline once said, "Oh yes, I cook with butter and cream in my classes - but I dont cook that way at home!" 

These were all AHA moments for me.  So now I am using what I have learned through the Food Network and my Cooking School, to use the techniques and flavors to produce GREAT meals at home, without the calories!

Bottom line - we have to be selective, and discerning, dont we?  My favorite FoodNetwork Chef is Barefoot Contessa - but I am selective.  Many of my favorite recipes are from her, and I am now choosing the healthiest choices from whereever I get my inspiration for truly great food!

And yes, exercising has become a great way for me to be able to "eat more" and get away with it.  If I burn 300 calories a day with exercise, or whatever for that day - I can eat more : )

I have to agree with jenny8484....I had it on one day and the "y'all" just about drove me to eat!!!  I had to change it.  As far as the food goes, I love to indulge myself once in a while, but to make a living on butter and grease?  No thanks.  She most definately looks the part.

timid_gothica
thanks...lol

I use foodnetwork for almost every recipe.  I have used a lot of Emerils recipes just lately and Ina Garten.  Ina loves her butter.  LOVES her butter.  I have lost over 100 pounds and kept it off for over 5 years.  I use full fat cream, sometimes, as well as butter and oil.  I use it moderately but I DO use it.  You can be healthy using oils and fats as long as you balance it out with veg, grains, fruits and everything else needed for a healthy diet.  I use olive oil instead of canola and margarine instead of fat.  One can be very skinny but still have high cholesterol.  So, my rambling point is this..use common sense but, for the love of food, don't eat only low fat/low cal things and expect someone like me to convert!  I just won't do it! 

lol!

If ya'll don't like Paula, don't watch. And if ya'll don't like her food, don't eat it.  It's as simple as that. I too am amazed at the amount of butter she uses per show, but all of her food isn't that over-the-top, especially the food in her cookbooks. I agree with the above poster 100%! You can lose weight and be healthy by eating high-fat food in moderation. Paula's just sort of a Southern institution, so you have to cut her some slack!

I figure it this way, If Paula Deen ate like she cooked she would be dead of hardened arteries. I have enjoyed watching her for years and still do. I find her entertaining. I think people need to realize that a little goes a long way. She doesn't ecpect you to fix everything she shows. I have tried her recipes before. now that is why I have stopped eating like that and dropped 25 pounds...Some of her recipes are good. NOT healthy but Lip smackin' GOOD!!!

Original Post by timid_gothica:

Original Post by me__:

People used to eat like that, and worse, for many years - not that many years ago.  They were all thin.  It's only now, as society becomes more dependent on fast foods and ready to eat foods, that obesity has become a concern.  In the South, and even in the North some, people deep fried everything!  So, it's good to see a chef who cooks food and doesn't worry about cooking it in a politically correct or fashionable way.  My Grandma lived to be 84 and she had a gallon of milk a day and a pound of bacon.  People are just too inactive today and its so much easier to blame someones deep fried cooking than their own weaknesses. 

That is a wonderful point...

 When they did eat like that they were also working MUCH harder than anyone in this generation does--my father grew up on a farm and ate whole milk, butter, eggs and beef most of his life but also worked 15-16 hour days gardening, hoeing potatoes, milking the cows, baling hay. . . it all comes down to calories in vs calories out, and we dont burn off the calories anymore like they used to.  Of course, most of my aunts and uncles now have heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer too. . .