"pauladeen" news and stories

Vibrant Swiss chard from the Torrance farmers' market. Photo: clayirving, Flickr.

In the "treacherous food landscape" of today's supermarkets, noted New York Times contributor and author Michael Pollan has culled a collection of "Rules to Eat By" to help readers navigate "through the minefields of the modern-food marketplace or restaurant menu."

He requested suggestions from New York Times readers in March as research for an upcoming book and received more than 2,500 in just a few days. With food policies ranging from the innate ("Don't eat egg salad from a vending machine"), to quirky ("Don't yuck someone's yum"), to moral ("Don't eat anything you aren't willing to kill yourself"), Pollan's 20 favorites provide a helpful guide to eating right.

As food takes a longer and longer path -- and transformation -- from its origins, and the food industry gains increasing influence over what is deemed "nutritious" according to federal standards, eating right has become more and more abstruse. With the constant rise of misguided or unsound food principles -- Paula Deen categorizing her strawberry cake as "fruit" on "The View," KFC's Double Down sandwich swapping its bun for two servings of fried chicken, a markedly "Supersized" culture -- Pollan stresses the importance of the elementary practice of trusting culture, and following our leaders -- mothers and fathers and friends -- rather than increasingly convoluted federal nutrition guidelines when making appropriate food choices.

Weary of the "era of dazzling food science, supersize portions and widespread dietary confusion," Pollan published "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals," took the James Beard Award for best food writing and is currently the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley.

Doughnuts. Photo: jwannie, flickr.

A few of the best stories spied elsewhere on the Web this week:

The world's largest candy store is set to open in Dubai, complete with mall-roaming mascot.

With more upscale restaurants open for breakfast, doughnuts are popping on many of their menus.

Celebrity chefs, including Guy Fieri, Paula Deen and Anthony Bourdain, hit the road like rock stars on tour.

A Sydney restaurant has been fined for topless food handlers, just one of many food safety infractions on New South Wales Government's Name and Shame Web site.

Slashfoodie Pervaiz Shallwani interviews Julia Child's editor Judith Jones about her new book "The Pleasures of Cooking for One."

"Top Chef" finalist and ladies' man Fabio Viviani gets his own Bravo reality show.

Mario Batali will not have to give up his precious orange Crocs -- the company has been saved from going out of business.

Cold spring rolls. Photo: YumSugar.

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

Cold spring rolls might seem fancy, but they're actually a quick and easy treat.

Cat Cora's baked beans mixes chickpeas, kidney beans and pinto beans.

Coffee is good for a whole lot more than drinking -- java can perk up many a dish.

A look at Paula Deen's uncomfortable visit to "The View" and Barbara Walters' loaded health question.

Figs in a Blanket is a "killer appetizer."

Do you prefer the grocery store or farmers' market?

Photo: Rachel Been

It's a recall, y'all!

The New York Times reports that Paula Deen's QVC-exclusive line of cast iron cookware is being voluntarily recalled after consumer complaints of pans shattering and cracking during heating. Meyer Trading Corporation, the manufacturer of the pans, alerted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission of the issue in July, prompting QVC's recall letters to purchasers in August.

The CPSC will announce the recall on its Web site this coming Monday. Consumers may remain confident that Deen's "Butt Massage" flavoring rub is still safe for consumption.

[Via: Diner's Journal]

Watch AOL Food's video interview with the Lady and husband Michael Groover.

Paula Deen and her artery-clogging Southern home cooking aren't for everyone, but as we gathered from an actual look into her home cooking routine, without the crispness of network television, she might swing you over to her motherly foodie ways.

Paula has started a new cooking station on YouTube called Get Cookin' with Paula Deen, one that's a bit different than her Food Network show. Instead of the high-production quality of a hit series, this is a hand-held, casual affair more akin to a home movie. The fattening family delicacies, however, are still there. For this round, Deen makes Pimento Cheese with her son Jamie. It's a large slop of caloric extravagance, one that should be made using a whole lot of mayo because,"after it comes out of the refrigerator, it'll be as hard as my arteries," as Paula instructs her son.

If Paula's casual cooking leaves you hungry for more, check out sister site AOL Food's interview with Ms. Deen and hubbie Michael Groover right here.

[Via YouTube]