Paula Deen: Michelle Obama likes fried food too
By: Nikki Schwab and Katy Adams | 10/10/11 1:39 PM
Examiner Staff Writer | Follow on Twitter @NikkiSchwab
Paula Deen (Getty Images)
When Paula Deen met Michelle Obama, it wasn't exactly the queen of butter versus the first lady of garden greens. Deen, known for her delicious not-so-good-for-you recipes like Gooey Butter Cake, said the two women had more in common than you might expect.
"Well, I did a show with Michelle and I just loved being with her," Deen told Yeas & Nays. "She probably ate more than any other guest I've ever had on the show she kept eating even during commercials." Deen taught Obama how to fry shrimp during a TV segment in September before the 2008 presidential election. "You know what their favorite foods are it's hot wings, you know, those kinds of foods that are not necessarily top-of-the-list healthy foods, so she's no different than the rest of us," Deen said. "We love those kinds of foods, we just know that we can't eat them everyday."
The culinary superstar also said she supported the first lady's initiative to get more Americans gardening. "So I love that," she said. "I was really happy to see her encouraging children, you know, to plant their little gardens."
This week, Deen is embarking on a book tour by bus, which will bring her to Washington next month as one of the headliners for the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show at the Washington Convention Center. (Chefs Jacques Pepin, Giada De Laurentiis and Guy Fiere are also coming). There, she'll be doing some cooking, but also talking about her new book "Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible," her biggest cookbook yet. "I do more talking than I do cooking," she explained. "I'm just reconnecting with my friends out there and just sharing some laughs with them."
The Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show will be held Nov. 5 to 6, with tickets costing $24.50 in advance online and $27 at the door.