cover image Paula Deen's the Deen Family Cookbook

Paula Deen's the Deen Family Cookbook

Paula H. Deen. Simon & Schuster, $26 (288pp) ISBN 978-0-7432-7813-3

Spunky Food Network matriarch Deen returns with yet another down-home Southern recipe compilation, including the input of family members this time around. Classic comfort food is what Deen and family do best, and in that respect this collection doesn't disappoint: dishes like Beefy French Onion Soup, Caesar salad, Michael's Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup, Carrie's Bacon Creamed Spinach and a simple baked fish topped with a buttery mixture of lemon and green onion are surefire hits for cooks of all skill levels. Of course, it wouldn't be a Deen production if there weren't some serious bacon-, dairy- and mayonnaise-based dishes involved; artery cloggers include Candied Bourbon Bacon Bites, Croque Madame Casserole and indulgent Deluxe Twice-Baked Potatoes with Shrimp. Shockingly, Deen devotes a whole chapter to healthy food, including Red Pepper-Balsamic Dip, Easy Poached Salmon and a Spicy Chicken and Green Chile Chili that'll give hearts and waistlines a well-deserved break before Deen carts out the Coconut Cream Bread Pudding with Chocolate Velvet Sauce.