Career Highlights
- Deen is an American cook, restaurateur, author and Emmy Award-winning television personality
- Author of successful cookbooks including Paula Deen and Friends: Living It Up, Southern Style, The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, The Lady and Sons Too and The Lady and Sons Just Desserts
- USA Today recognized The Lady and Sons restaurant as having the Most Memorable Meal of the Year for 1999
- Deen has appeared three times on the Oprah Winfrey Show
- Deen made her film debut in Elizabethtown, starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst as the aunt of Bloom's character
Career Overview
Paula Deen is a successful entrepreneur who learned the secrets of Southern cooking from her Grandmother 30 years ago. The Food Network star started her food career as The Bag Lady in Savannah, GA where she delivered bag lunches to downtown businesses. The business venture grew into a catering service and eventually The Lady & Sons restaurant was born.
Deen is best-known for bringing a southern touch to Food Network with her TV shows “Paula’s Home Cooking, ” “Paula’s Best Dishes” and “Paula’s Party.” In 2007, she won two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lifestyle Host and Outstanding Lifestyle Program. She has written multiple best-selling cookbooks of Southern home-style food, the latest being The Deen Family Cookbook. In 2005, Deen launched a lifestyle magazine called Looking with Paula Deen. Lady & Sons is still a popular restaurant and is run by her sons when they are in town.
Our Interview
Paula Deen joins ThinkTalk host Erika Thomas at the 2009 National Book Festival to talk about how she overcame her disability to become a famous TV personality, and about what is takes to write a cookbook.
