Gourmet's 50 Women Game Changers in Food: #24, Paula Deen

It's hard to believe someone as successful as Paula Deen suffered from panic attacks and agoraphobia when she was younger. She's certainly one of the most gregarious personalities on TV.

Paula's story is a true American success story. She started out with nothing. After moving to Savannah, her divorce from her first husband in 1989 left her with only $200 and her two teenage sons. But Paula was known as an excellent southern cook and soon began a catering business (called The Bag Lady), with her two sons doing the delivering as she was still afraid of public places.

Her business quickly outgrew her house so Paula took a job at a Best Western Hotel in Savannah to cook. Working there helped her overcome her agoraphobia and within 5 years, she opened a restaurant, Lady and Sons, with her two sons, which is still going strong. (She's also since opened a restaurant at a casino in Mississippi.)

Paula self-published her first cookbook in 1997 which was noticed by a literary agent and she has now published many more, all highly successful. Amazon has pages of them to choose from.

Deen's reputation grew and she was signed on the Food Network for a show in 1999, which parlayed into three shows, now taped in her home in Savannah. Her sons appear frequently on her shows and have had a show of their own. Paula appeared on Oprah and told her story which was an inspiration for many. She has also appeared in several movies and won an Emmy for Paula's Home Cooking. 

Cookbooks, magazines, restaurants, TV shows....you can't get more successful than that! She did good.

Now this recipe is definitely NOT a celebration of the coming holidays, but if I'm going to represent this game changer typically, here's what I say: Southern + Fried = Paula Deen. Save the recipe for next summer!

Fried Green Tomatoes
Recipe from Paula Deen

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, for frying 

1 tablespoon bacon renderings, for frying 

1 large green tomato, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices 

Salt 

1 cup buttermilk 

1/4 cup self-rising cornmeal 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons Paula Deen House Seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder)

Method: 
Slice the tomatoes 1/4-inch thick. Lay them out on some paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Allow time for salt to pull the water out of the tomatoes, approximately 30 minutes. 

In a medium nonstick skillet, pour the oil to a depth of 1/4-inch, add the bacon renderings and melt over medium heat. 

In a small bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour and House Seasoning. Dip both sides of each tomato slice in the flour mixture. Add the tomatoes to the hot oil and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. 

Join Mary from One Perfect Bite and all the other participants in this fun series.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets 
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Kathleen Van Bruinisse - Bake Away with Me 
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Martha - Lines from Linderhof
Amy - Beloved Green
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Nancy - Picadillo
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen
Annie - Lovely Things

Last chance to check out my Christmas apron giveaway HERE. I'll be drawing the 4 winners on the 20th.