[UPDATE: Paula Explains on Today] Paula Deen Is Diabetic -- and Cashing In

• Just because you consider Paula's cooking to not be 'real cooking' compared to haute French cuisine doesn't make the latter any healthier. Joel Robuchon has been called chef of the century, and he might be most famous for his mashed potatoes. But, have you ever seen how much butter is used for that dish? Is the staggering amount of butter used in that dish really better than some of Deen's infamous dishes, including the hambuger donut dish. From a nutrional point of view, I'm curious about how much worse or better Deen's dishes are compared to its haute counterpart. Her oven fried potatoe wedges, made with mayonaisee, clocks in at 328 calories per serving. But, Thomas Keller's “tasting of potatoes with black truffles”  clocks in at 494 calories per serving. Sure, Keller and Robuchon are better chefs than Deen, and their dishes involve more cooking skill. But, there seems to be an underlying classism at play here where Deen has become an easy scapegoat.

• I'm sad for Paula, but not all that surprised. Maybe she should look into a healthier diet to treat her diabetes instead of drugs? There's lots of interesting information available at this noncommercial, science based site: nutritionfacts.org. To quote the good doctor: "It is too bad Paula Deen missed this opportunity" to tell her fans "that type 2 diabetes can be prevented, managed, treated, and even cured". Read more at http://nutritionfacts.org/blog/2012/01/18/paula-deen-diabetes-drug-spokesperson/

• If it's any consolation, she does have a recipe for gluten-free, no sugar peanut butter cookies that's quite good. 

• Paula's food is nothing even close to classical French cooking. Paula served a hamburger on top of a donut! That isn't real cooking. That's just garbage food designed to make people sick so they have to get on diabetes drugs.  

• She's already on the hook with some environmental groups because the pork company she pimps for uses feedlots that destroy the soil. So I suppose she was already considered a capitalist "pig" in some circles... :-P

• I'm only pointing out nuances...Likewise I wish Guy Fieri would advertise for Massengill...Or Summers Eve... 

• Using Lipitor is one thing. Being a paid endorser is another. Bourdain sells out in his own ways, but I don't know that Bourdain is a paid spokesman for big pharma.

• I love Bourdain and his comments on this are great but I can recall on more than one occasion on both No Reservations or the Layover where he refers to his use of Lipitor.  

• Everyone bears responsibility for what they put in their own mouth. However, she's made her career and ensured the financial well-being of her grandchildren by selling out her audience's health. Which leads to my real objection: the money-grubbing. One can be a successful television food personality without the unconscionable selling-out to every possible licensee willing to pay a few bucks to put her mug and name on their product. See also http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2011/10/paula_deen_lip_balm_butter.php

•   Did Paula Deen ever claim her food was healthy? I don't like Paula Deen at all, but why are you singling her food as un-healthy and fatty when that's true for most of the stuff ordered in restaurants? Classical french cooking uses large amounts of butter and cream. But, if a French person got diabetes, we wouldn't be so gleeful in pointing fingers at the French person for getting diabetes as people are with Paula Deen.

• Its pretty genius, really. Cash in on people getting fat and then be on the other side to cash in on their medical needs. She's a diabolical diabetic.

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