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Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible: The New Classic Guide to Delicious Dishes with More Than 300 Recipes
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Food & Cooking (2011)A definitive guide to Southern cooking and hospitality with 300 recipes, a two-color interior with nearly 100 instructional illustrations, an extensive appendix, 16 pages of gorgeous color photography, and plenty of tips, stories, and Southern history throughout.
Hi, y’all!
This book is my proudest achievement so far, and I just have to tell y’all why I am so excited about it. It’s a book of classic dishes, dedicated to a whole new generation of cooks—for every bride, graduate, and anyone who has a love of a great Southern meal. My family is growing and expanding all the time. We’re blessed with marriages and grandbabies, and so sharing these recipes for honest, down-home dishes feels like passing a generation’s worth of stovetop secrets on to my family, and yours.
I’ve been cooking and eating Southern food my whole life, and I can tell you that every meal you make from this book will be a mouthful of our one-of-akind spirit and traditions. These recipes showcase the diversity and ingenuity of Southern cuisine, from Cajun to Low-Country and beyond, highlighting the deep cultural richness of our gumbos and collards, our barbecues and pies. You may remember a few beloved classics from The Lady & Sons, but nearly all of these recipes are brand-new—and I think you’ll find that they are all mouthwateringly delicious. It is, without a doubt, a true Southern cooking bible.
I sincerely hope that this book will take its place in your kitchen for many years to come, as I know it will in mine. Here’s to happy cooking—and the best part, happy eating, y’all!
Best dishes,
Paula Deen
Hi, y’all!
This book is my proudest achievement so far, and I just have to tell y’all why I am so excited about it. It’s a book of classic dishes, dedicated to a whole new generation of cooks—for every bride, graduate, and anyone who has a love of a great Southern meal. My family is growing and expanding all the time. We’re blessed with marriages and grandbabies, and so sharing these recipes for honest, down-home dishes feels like passing a generation’s worth of stovetop secrets on to my family, and yours.
I’ve been cooking and eating Southern food my whole life, and I can tell you that every meal you make from this book will be a mouthful of our one-of-akind spirit and traditions. These recipes showcase the diversity and ingenuity of Southern cuisine, from Cajun to Low-Country and beyond, highlighting the deep cultural richness of our gumbos and collards, our barbecues and pies. You may remember a few beloved classics from The Lady & Sons, but nearly all of these recipes are brand-new—and I think you’ll find that they are all mouthwateringly delicious. It is, without a doubt, a true Southern cooking bible.
I sincerely hope that this book will take its place in your kitchen for many years to come, as I know it will in mine. Here’s to happy cooking—and the best part, happy eating, y’all!
Best dishes,
Paula Deen
480 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2011
About the author
Paula H. Deen
29 books116 followersPaula Deen (born Paula Ann Hiers) is an American cook, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality.
Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates The Lady & Sons restaurant with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen. She has also published five cookbooks. Though married in 2004 to Michael Anthony Groover, she continues to use the surname Deen from her first marriage professionally.
Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates The Lady & Sons restaurant with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen. She has also published five cookbooks. Though married in 2004 to Michael Anthony Groover, she continues to use the surname Deen from her first marriage professionally.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 28, 2015
I got this cookbook as a gift a few months before I retired. Until that time I had not been much of a cook, because I travelled for a living. Most of my meals were consumed in restaurants, Southern restaurants, so I developed a love of Southern cooking. I have made nearly every recipe in this book and they are all great. But, beware of the high fat and sugar content of most recipes. I do not suggest that you make every meal, every day from these recipes. As others have commented, it lacks pictures, but that does not bother me and as for Paula's "y'alls" that are liberally sprinkled through the book, I don't mind 'cause this Mid-Westerner just hones in on the meat and potatoes of the recipes.
January 3, 2016
For this being Paila Deen's "bible" I expected a lot more. There were A LOT of recipes, but that's it. I didn't learn anything new. I didn't find any recipes that really stood out. The only thing I remember wanting to try was putting my Cajun seasoning blend on popcorn. That's it. I knew a lot of recipes in here and was happy with the way I make the dishes, or I wasn't interested in the recipes at all. Boring.
June 13, 2020
This cookbook is hardly Biblical. The word "kosher" does not appear in the index. Also not appearing are chitterlings/chittlins, hog maws, or fish fry suggestions, so some basic traditional dishes of poor folks, of whom the South has its share, did not make the cut. What does make the cut? "Perfect Char-Grilled Filet Mignon," fancy and not distinctively Southern. A cookbook "Bible" usually implies a degree of comprehensiveness that this cookbook surely lacks. There is some overlap between the recipes here and traditional soul food, but not enough to mistake it for a soul food cookbook by any means. This is a cookbook for affluent folks who are planning to entertain and are seeking a menu with Southern accents. For those seeking such a cookbook, Deen's book is appropriate.
July 6, 2018
Based on Paula Deen's restaurant chain and her former Food Network shows, this work is a collection of recipes that reflect the Southern style of cooking with updates on traditional recipes. The recipes are easy to read and follow.
April 12, 2021
If you want one truly authentic and reliable southern cookbook with easy to follow recipes that taste fantastic, this is the one. My favorite chapters were the starters & salads, seafood, and vegetable chapters...and of course, the desserts. Get this book and get all fat & happy.
March 20, 2017
I love anything Paula Deen, and this is my favorite PD cookbook. Just a good, basic cookbook with simple Southern recipes as well as some very useful cooking tips and tricks.
December 10, 2017
While I know it is not politically correct to like Paula, we have forgiven many people for worst acts and let's face it ... she can cook!
February 25, 2021
I checked this out of the library on a whim, and so glad I did. These recipes look really delicious, and though I may not love Paula Deen, I’m really excited to dive into some of these recipes.
December 14, 2011
This book has gotten some harsh reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Too few pictures, too many recycled recipes, too much Southern cornball dialogue. Paula Deen said in a recent interview she wants this book to be a staple of every kitchen, like The Joy of Cooking. Well, the book isn't as bad as some say but it isn't ever going to be a staple of every kitchen either. The recipes are interesting and clearly written so you don't need pictures. It does repeat some of her recipes but that's okay. Her previous books had some wonderful recipes in them and they won't suffer from being repeated. However, I do agree that the Southern cutesy dialogue needs to go. Constant "y'alls" and folksy tales get tiresome. Julia Child never used cutesy dialogue and neither did James Beard or Irma Rombauer.
I checked this book out from the library. I like the book okay, but honestly, I wouldn't spend my hard earned cash on it. And Melissa Clark is also listed as an author of this book so perhaps PD didn't really write much of it anyway.
I checked this book out from the library. I like the book okay, but honestly, I wouldn't spend my hard earned cash on it. And Melissa Clark is also listed as an author of this book so perhaps PD didn't really write much of it anyway.
November 23, 2011
I understand the fact that the title's inclusion of the word "Bible" would imply that this is a collection of Paula's recipes, and you're bound to see some stuff you've seen before. I flipped through this book and only saw a handful of recipes that seemed new to me. And most of those didn't seem very impressive. This makes me quite sad, because when Paula was first rising to fame, I adored her. Everything she made sounded delicious. And I liked what her sons were putting out, too. Recently, though, their stuff (books, endorsements, magazines, etc)doesn't seem quite as good. The book is worth perusing, but if you're already familiar with Paula's work, I'd recommend getting it from your local library to see if it's worth the purchase.
March 26, 2012
I love Southern food. I feel no shame about that, and I think this book hits all the basics. But I can't help but feel that this book uses recipes that ask for more butter than necessary just because butter is awesome, which it is. However I think cutting most recipes that call for butter in half will produce results that are just fine, if not better. I can't speak for how this affects any of the baking recipes though, because I rarely bake I have no idea how that works. However, I did make her pie crust recipe which called for less butter than that of Emeril Lagasse, so the butter usage may vary from recipe to recipe.
November 22, 2011
I really enjoyed sitting down and reading this cookbook. Yes, I am one of those people who actually reads cookbooks, even though I rarely consult a recipe when cooking. I love the easy language of this cookbook and the variety of recipes. It was nice to see many of the recipes revisited from The Lady & Sons cookbooks. The only real complaint I have is I would like more pictures & more of the personal stories that Paula so often has to go with her recipes.
November 14, 2014
I originally picked up this book thinking I'd find a perfect fried chicken recipe for my fiance however we both thought the recipe featured for that dish was underwhelming. Overall I found many of the dishes did not seem particularly special or interesting. It is probably a good basic southern cookbook but was not what i was hoping for. The recipes that i was most impressed with where the desserts but otherwise I did not really find anything of interest.
March 15, 2015
Paula delivers a lovely treasure trove!
Paula once again delivers a wonderful treasure trove of recipes, anecdotes and little tidbits of our Southern history. Reading this has taken me back to the years of watching my mother and Granny cook and bake for our large family. Always something fresh from the garden, the Gulf, or the farm, with a precious sweet treat at the end to savor. Thank you Mrs. Paula!
Paula once again delivers a wonderful treasure trove of recipes, anecdotes and little tidbits of our Southern history. Reading this has taken me back to the years of watching my mother and Granny cook and bake for our large family. Always something fresh from the garden, the Gulf, or the farm, with a precious sweet treat at the end to savor. Thank you Mrs. Paula!
November 9, 2011
I usually do not like cookbooks that do not have a picture to match every recipe, but this book is the exception!
Deen describes her recipes in such detail that a picture is not needed. If an illustration is needed for how to do something (like pit an avocado), it is shown in a drawing. There are pictures of some recipes towards the middle of the book.
Excellent!
Deen describes her recipes in such detail that a picture is not needed. If an illustration is needed for how to do something (like pit an avocado), it is shown in a drawing. There are pictures of some recipes towards the middle of the book.
Excellent!
December 25, 2011
An absolute must have cookbook for when you want some good old southern comfort food. I originally had grabbed this from my library to take a peek (I actually prefer her sons' cookbooks-they are a tad healthier) but couldn't resist this for some of the recipes in there. Plus, all the ones I have done and there have been many have been yummy! I ended up purchasing this cookbook.
April 18, 2014
I love Paula and I am Southern so I was excited to find a book that I thought would have all the old Southern recipes like my momma makes. I thought a lot of it was a bit fancy to be real Southern and why it is a nice book it is not a Southern cooking bible at all. I think Miss Kays is much more one.
March 17, 2015
The book is well organized and the recipes are easy to make. I wish there were photos. I don't know why but a lot of the meals I've made from this cookbook have come out rather bland. These seem like basic foods though that I have just been modifying the second time to give them a kick. I have had better luck with the ones in her magazine.
June 22, 2016
One of my favorite Christmas gifts. Each section has an introduction by Paula. The recipes are true down south cooking and easy to follow. My only complaint would be that I wish there had been more color photographs of the various dishes. I love Paula Deen and anything I read by her is like sitting on the porch with a good friend.
September 17, 2012
If you love Southern food, you should get plenty of use from this book. Of course, Paula Deen is not known for her "healthy" recipes, but it's good to indulge now and then. I made the Pumpkin Struesel bread last Thanksgiving and my family LOVED it!
October 31, 2011
Lame.
Many repeat recipes from her Lady & Son's cookbooks.
No pictures - a few inserted here and there that you have to search to find which recipe they go with
AND.....lots of credit goes to the co-author....so how much of this did Paula really write?
I sent it back to Amazon.
Many repeat recipes from her Lady & Son's cookbooks.
No pictures - a few inserted here and there that you have to search to find which recipe they go with
AND.....lots of credit goes to the co-author....so how much of this did Paula really write?
I sent it back to Amazon.
December 17, 2011
Yum.
Each intro sounds like Paula Deen is in the room talking with you, like friendly neighbors. The cookbook is a mixture of recipes throughout the years; and thank goodness there are some delicious pictures to whet the whistle even more. :)
Each intro sounds like Paula Deen is in the room talking with you, like friendly neighbors. The cookbook is a mixture of recipes throughout the years; and thank goodness there are some delicious pictures to whet the whistle even more. :)
February 24, 2012
Big thick cook book wrapped in Paula Deen's wonderful southern charm. Hundreds of recipes, delivered clear & concise. Only complaint: way too few pictures. Love her and live this 'bible' collection of recipes.
January 14, 2013
I love the fact that this was written just like she talks: lots of y'all's. I can just hear her reading the recipes to me. Being from the south, there were the same recipes, but I did write down some new ones; Louisiana Fried Corn and Georgia Pound Cake. Thanks, Paula!
February 7, 2013
If you're looking for low fat it's not here.
Butterscotch Pretzel Pie? I'm in. Few pictures but a great mix of recipes that could keep you busy for all seasons. I want to try Japanese Fruitcake. Must read. Great gift.
Butterscotch Pretzel Pie? I'm in. Few pictures but a great mix of recipes that could keep you busy for all seasons. I want to try Japanese Fruitcake. Must read. Great gift.
November 4, 2011
I loved this! Will definitely this one on my Christmas list!
Want to read
December 2, 2011As heard on the NPR Books podcast.
But who has 30 minutes to roll out dumplings?
But who has 30 minutes to roll out dumplings?
December 13, 2011
Great first cook book for those starting out.
December 30, 2011
Simpler than you thought. Lots of recipes.
April 5, 2012
I'm from the south and found this cookbook charming and full of southern recipes I've enjoyed with a few twists.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews