Cooking with Paula Deen January - February 2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MICHAEL AND ME! I’m so excited to celebrate another year of delicious Southern food and fun family time with y’all. As you read through this issue, you’ll probably notice some changes to the magazine. My team freshened up the design and made it more reader friendly, and we’ve brought back a column from years past called “Set Your Table.” This section of the magazine is a great tool for creating pretty place settings for any meal. The food in this issue is all about comfort. This time of year can be dreary with short, cold days and long, even colder nights, and we all want warming dishes that satisfy our cravings. You’ll find this in spades in the main-dish casseroles on page 53, sweet and savory ways with…

MADE IN THE SOUTH CAMELLIA BEANS Named after the founder’s wife’s favorite flower, the New Orleans-based Camellia Brand beans company has been supplying dried beans, peas, and legumes to Louisianans for nearly 100 years, and customers throughout the South can now get their own taste of this fourth-generation family business. From red kidney beans, split green peas, and speckled pinto beans to soup mixes, red beans and rice kits, gift baskets, and more, you can bring authentic Louisiana flavor to your table. For more information or to order, visit camelliabrand.com. CURE FOR THE MONDAY BLUES When you’re craving simple and hearty comfort food, turn to the Creole culinary tradition known as Red Beans and Rice Monday. Decade after decade, the people of Louisiana have been serving up this classic dish of seasoned beans, rice,…

Paula, along with her husband, Michael, and her sons, Jamie and Bobby, recently hosted a cooking experience and dinner in support of Zoo Knoxville. Held at Walden Lodge in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the event was a silent auction item for the zoo’s annual Zoofari fund-raiser. While dinner guests were treated to a tour of the lodge’s property in ATVs, Paula cooked up a Southern feast of Smothered Pork Chops, Macaroni and Cheese, Collard Greens, and Biscuits. The cozy dinner was capped off by Peach Cobbler and Paula’s famous Banana Pudding for dessert. Packaged with lodging and a spa treatment, the experience was donated by Sid and Jo Blalock, The Island in Pigeon Forge, Margaritaville Island Hotel, St. Somewhere Spa, and Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen. Tom and Evelyn Shaw were the happy bidders…

1. This Berkshire Two-Tier Lazy Susan transitions seamlessly from useful cabinet organizer to helpful serving piece. $29.99, wayfair.com 2. These Scented Drawer Liners bring a refreshing herbal fragrance to your kitchen cupboards. $16.99, scentennials.com 3. Preserve your garden’s most delicate ingredients in this sleek, see-through Glass Herb Keeper. $19.95, crateandbarrel.com 4. This 12-Piece Paula Deen Gulf Blue Speckle Cookware Set has everything you need to start a new year of cooking off right. $119.99, potsandpans.com 5. Ditch plastic dish liquid bottles in favor of this stylish, refillable Vintage Style Glass Soap Dispenser. $16.95, farmhousewares.com 6. Give your everyday kitchen linens a cheery dose of color with this Baker Stripe Dish Towel Set. $20, anthropologie.com 7. With mats dedicated to specific types of foods, this Seville Classics Cutting Board with Mats keeps cross contamination at bay. $29.99,…

FRUIT AND NUT OATMEAL Makes 6 to 8 servings 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 2 navel oranges 2 cups 1% low-fat or fat-free milk 1 cup water 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 Bosc or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and diced 11/2 cups steel-cut oats 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots Almond granola Honey 1. Spread 1 tablespoon butter in bottom and onto sides of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Zest and juice 1 orange. Peel and section remaining orange, reserving juice. If necessary, add enough water to juice to measure ½ cup. Cover and refrigerate orange sections. 2. In slow cooker, stir together ½ cup orange juice, zest, milk, 1 cup water, vanilla, brown sugar, pie spice, and salt. Stir in pears, oats, raisins, and apricots.…

VALENTINE’S DAY is all about love, and I couldn’t celebrate this holiday without the littlest loves in my life. My grandbabies hold such a special place in my heart, and I treasure any chance I get to make them feel special. This snack mix is fun to enjoy as soon as we finish making it together, but my sweet boys like to box it up to share with their parents and friends. VALENTINE SNACK MIX Makes about 3 quarts 4 cups corn and rice cereal 4 cups honey graham cereal 2 cups whole salted almonds 1 (10-ounce) package white chocolate candy coating wafers* 1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces 1 cup miniature marshmallows 1 cup yogurt-coated raisins 1. Line baking sheets with wax paper or parchment paper. 2. In a large disposable roasting pan, stir together cereals and almonds. 3. In a medium…