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In January 2011, Food Network host Paula Deen appeared on The View to promote her new children's cookbook. Those who caught it know that it wasn't pretty to watch. Put the sassy Paula Deen and the straight-laced Barbara Walters together, and you get an uncomfortable dynamic.

As the ladies of The View sit behind a stupendous spread of fried chicken and other Southern comforts, Paula licks strawberry cake off her fingers and pictures of macaroni and cheese grace the background. Walters then forces the queen of Southern cuisine to answer a rather serious question:

This is a cookbook for kids. Obesity is the number one problem for kids today. Everything you have here is enormously fattening. You tell kids to have cheesecake for breakfast . . . Does it bother you that you are adding to it? No? Not at all?

Stunned, Deen bumbles something about moderation — "you know, we don't eat this every day" — to an unconvinced Walters.

UPDATE: With the news that Paula Deen has type 2 diabetes, the women of The View furthered the debate on "hot topics" this week. Watch the video, and weigh in on your thoughts after the jump

A close relative of the carrot, who gets way less love, is the parsnip. Since ancient times, these vegetables have been cooked up and enjoyed, but for some reason in the US, most of us choose to pass the parsnip by without a second glance. Once cooked, the flavor of a parsnip is surprisingly sweet and buttery. It's starchy nature makes it a lighter stand-in for the potato, or a welcome ingredient to a standard root vegetable medley. Interested in learning more about cooking with this underutilized yet delicious vegetable? Just keep reading.

• Paula Deen confirms she has diabetes, drug endorsement; says it won't change the way she cooks — Bites on Today
• Meanwhile, Guy Fieri has a new kitchenware line — Grub Street NY
• Should Twinkies disappear? — The Daily Beast
• This burger costs $5,000 — Newser
• What to do when everyone's partying without you — The Daily Meal
• How to make the perfect fondue — The FN Dish

Every party needs a cheese plate, and warm, baked brie makes a comforting cold-weather addition. While some recipes serve up the gooey goodness in puff pastry, this version takes an even simpler approach, with just four ingredients to spread atop accompanying crackers or crostini.

I worried that without a pastry shell, the bake-ahead brie would cool off too quickly, but the maple-pecan-topped wedge stayed warm well after serving. It doesn't hurt that my guests scooped it up faster than anything else on the app table. Learn to make baked brie now.

If the description of this cake doesn't get your mouth watering, then I'm afraid I don't know what will. Gabriela Une Vie Saine gives us a truly decadent dessert.

Warning: For serious chocoholics ONLY!
This rich, bittersweet chocolate cake is made with only five ingredients and yields a seriously impressive result. More chocolatey than sweet, it's the perfect dense dessert for a sophisticated dinner party.

If you're ready for this recipe, visit her blog. And don't forget to share your recipes in our YumSugar community.