Natalie Dupree may have been a nice person but she just didn’t come off as warm and fuzzy. I think many people like Paula Deen because she has the ability to make the viewer “feel” like they are sitting in her kitchen with her and they have known her for some time. IMHO, a lot of anti-Deen folks focus on the health of her recipes BUT the real hatred is for Southern cooking. Hence, the real dislike is for the South in general. You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned “nouvelle cuisine”... a type of cooking that many people simply don’t want or appreciate. It simply isn’t practical for most families. Bourdaine can talk all he wants about slurping marrow from bones and how exquisite it tastes... my kids and I would prefer a casserole, thank you very much.
Deen has always said that her recipes are for special occasions. They aren’t for every day eating. Her Pound Cake recipe is divine and I make it a few times a year. I must have re-printed that recipe a dozen times for family and friends. I don’t know anyone who would ask for a good “bone marrow” recipe.
Hah! Beautiful post.
You’ll notice the health Nazis are not going after Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. I wonder why? Could it be that she’s a Northeastern, East Hampton hostess-with-the- mostess whose husband has a fancy job at Yale? And I’m sure poor Jeffrey must be pre-diabetic with all the high caloric food she’s been dishing out at him! (And I speak as a fan who has all her books.) And Bourdaine is an absolute jealous creep who has been trying to bring Deen down for years now.
Paula Deen is a working-class woman who came up from nothing. As a relentless baker, I admire her talent with cake making. She’s a genuis at making beautiful cakes. I envy her talent. And her talent for making money. I hope her diabetes does not effect her business.
Today, I’m making Nigella Lawson’s “lemon polenta cake” with 14 (count ‘em) tablespoons of butter.
See you on the Saturday food thread, mom!