"Sending Y'all Love & Best Dishes..."

Ohhh...Paula Deen.

How we all love your six pounds of butter, grease, and kitchen counter deep-fryer.

While Deen's food won't be found in any healthy eating cookbooks; this Southern diva's down home cooking is sure to please. After my college roommates and I made Giada De Laurentiis' "Ravioli Caprese" earlier this week, we decided to give Paula Deen's Southern Fried Chicken recipe a whirl.

Or, shall we say, we gave the recipe a try and it nearly gave us a heart attack. Deen's recipe calls for an undisclosed amount of oil for frying.

A word of advice, just dump an entire bottle into the griddle. Your arteries won't thank you later in life but your tummy will.

Deen's fried chicken is Southern to the core. It reminds me of my Grandma's fried chicken. Made on the stovetop in a kitchen not equipped for a grease fire or splattering molten lard all over the place.

I said this week's posts would be about trying out how celebrity chef's recipes and talk about the trial run of their preparations.

Deen's fried chicken couldn't be easier.

• Dredge the chicken in flour and egg
• Add a dash of Texas Pete hot sauce
• Plop the floured diddlies into a hot skillet
  
• Watch closely as they turn quickly into frittered goodness.

In true Paula Deen fashion, whip up some extra creamy mashed potatoes, make green beans and sprinkle them with bacon. Finish off with Devil's Food Cake.

After all, The Lady herself throughly enjoys chocolate.