This Mother's Day, gift mom one of these family cookbooks, written by celebrities, chefs, and food bloggers who are also moms. Whether she's devoted to health-conscious eating, fanatic about ethnic cuisine, or considers herself a comfort food queen, she'll love one of these famous titles and hopefully reward you with some home-cooked meals that you'll both appreciate.
There has been quite a bit of controversy in the past year surrounding the health of birthday girl Paula Deen, and while we all have differing opinions on the matter, there's no denying that the Food Network chef likes to cook heavy foods. Whether you love to hate or hate to love her incredibly indulgent eats, there's no denying that she's inventive with her use of butter (deep-fried butter balls, anyone?). We thought we'd take a look at five of her most decadent dishes.
In January, Southern cooking queen Paula Deen — who's known for recipes like deep-fried butter and burgers with doughnuts as buns — revealed that she'd been living with type 2 diabetes for years. Public outrage ensued. Since then, she's stayed busy trying to help confused fans reconcile her famous lowcountry cooking with a healthier way of living. 
She addressed this at a recent New York City Wine & Food Festival event, a TimesTalk hosted by The New York Times and moderated by Kim Severson. During the forthright (and at times bizarre) conversation, I was surprised to learn a number of surprising facts about Paula.
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
Today, the food world's gone into hyper-discussion mode over the fact that Paula Deen reportedly has diabetes. This isn't a first — we've been hearing rumors of her diabetes for a while now — but she's also reportedly signed on to be the spokesperson for a diabetes drug from pharmaceutical company Novartis.
Paula Deen, who's been dubbed the Queen of Southern Cuisine, is known for her decadent Southern dishes and her liberal use of butter without pause to any concerns about health. "I really don't worry about it," she told a reporter in one interview. Yet with increasing concern over America's obesity epidemic, her push for exceedingly rich foods has faced more than a few tough questions.
"You know, we don't eat this [stuff] every day," she said, defending herself to an unconvinced Barbara Walters in 2009. Her mantra of licking the bacon grease spoon — in moderation, of course! — has faltered. Even the Cooking Channel's admitting to that, with the debut of Not My Mama's Meals, with a lighter, healthier bent on Paula Deen dishes.
And so it comes full circle. The expected announcement is bleak, yet clear: nobody, even a personality with rock-star status like Paula Deen, is immune to health consequences. It's time to face the reality that we can't routinely succumb to indulgences, even if they're "in moderation." With almond milk and quinoa flying off shelves, we're finally starting to realize that you can't have red velvet cake every day. Maybe once a week — if you eat a bit of kale on the side, too.
After a long day, I'm always on the lookout for a speedy and tasty dinner. Shrimp baked with butter and lemon is simple — and scrumptious, too. Lemon and butter topped on just about any seafood tends to be heavenly, and these little pink shrimp soak it up just the same. If you want to enhance the flavor even more, try adding a little more heat with a spicy pepper or hot sauce.
Want to avoid turning on the oven? This recipe would work just as well with a large fry pan on the stove. Serve the shrimp with a green salad and fresh French bread to dip in the lemon butter, and you've got dinner in about 20 minutes. To enjoy an easy seafood dinner tonight, keep reading for the recipe.
Having a successful show on the Food Network may not get you industry accolades like the recent James Beard Awards, but it can get you a nod from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. This morning the daytime Emmy Award nominations were announced, and among the nominees are many culinary personalities.
Rachael Ray and Giada De Laurentiis received three nominations each, while Martha Stewart was nominated for two awards. America's Test Kitchen, Avec Eric, Cook's Country, Lidia's Italy, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, and Paula's Best Dishes will duke it out in the outstanding culinary program category. Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee is up for outstanding achievement in hairstyling.
Since I'm a huge fan of Anne Burrell, I'm rooting for her to win outstanding lifestyle/culinary host.
