First Lady is *not* "furious" with her for comments about eating unhealthy foods, says Southern chef...Southern cooking maven Paul Deen is dining out again on a 2008, pre-presidency appearance First Lady Michelle Obama made on her TV show. Deen tells the New York Post today that Mrs. Obama is not furious with her for gabbing in recent interviews about what Mrs. Obama ate during the visit to the TV show. Mrs. Obama has not phoned her to tell her to cease and desist discussing it, Deen says. That's an item the National Enquirer and other *credible* outlets reported on Monday.
Fried foods were front and center when Mrs. Obama joined Deen in 2008 on the TV show, and Deen, touting a new cookbook, recently told the world that Mrs. Obama adored her food and "probably ate more than any other guest I ever had on the show!"
"She kept eating even during commercials. Know what (the Obamas’) favorite foods are? Hot wings. Y’know – those kinds of foods that aren’t necessarily top-of-the-list healthy foods," Deen said.
President Obama stopped on Monday in Los Angeles to pick up some wings at Roscoe's House of Chicken n' Waffles. He got hot sauce on his tie while enjoying them in the presidential limo on the way to a fundraiser, he told his supporters. The President repeated the story to Jay Leno last night on Tonight Show.
Deen in the Post today:
"Paula Deen says there’s no beef between her and Michelle Obama. After reports that Deen was in trouble for crowing that the healthy-eating first lady enjoys fried foods, Deen told us, “There’s no truth ... that Mrs. Obama called me to stop talking about her [2008] appearance on my program. We had the best time. I taught her how to make fried shrimp and fries. It was easy to see by her buff arms she follows a healthy lifestyle, but it didn’t stop her from enjoying the food. Everything in moderation!”
Deen's fried food story, like all stories about the First Lady and food--except those having to do with her healthy eating initiatives, which get far less ink--made global headlines.
The National Enquirer dining out on the Obama/Deen story on Monday:
First lady MICHELLE OBAMA fuming as PAULA DEEN dishes on her unhealthy eating habits despite new book “American Grown” PR blitz!
MICHELLE OBAMA is now furious with Southern cooking queen PAULA DEEN for crowing that the first lady, a healthy--eating advocate who’s waging a war against childhood obesity, pigs out on fattening foods.
*Photo compilation at top is from National Enquirer. Thanks to Eater.com for the tip.