Jamie Deen's Good Food: Cooking Up a Storm with Delicious, Family-Friendly Recipes
Starred Review. "Fans of Food Network personality Paula Deen are well acquainted with her sons Jamie and Bobby through her program, as well as their own culinary travel show, 'Road Tasted.' This companion piece to the series recounts their visits to mom-and-pop establishments across the country, alongside the Deens' own take on featured establishments' signature dishes. Readers need not be familiar with the program to find the book useful, as the brothers offer a selection of dishes ranging from regional specialties such as Lobster Rolls and Brats to Truffles and Rosemary Lamb Chops. Some recipes, such as a basic cole slaw, require little preparation, and more involved recipes like Crab Corn Cakes with Basil-Jalapeno Sauce are still relatively easy to prepare. The book's focus on specific locales and their dishes elevates it a step above most of its type; instead of offering a basic recipe for grits, for example, the Deens offer a twist: two ounces of goat cheese. Traditional thumbprint cookies benefit from ground pecans incorporated into dough which is then rolled in chopped pecans; and corn bread is greatly enhanced by the chopped bacon and sautéed apples folded into the batter. These memorable touches guarantee that this cookbook quickly becomes dog-eared from regular use." (Publishers Weekly, for DEEN BROS. COOKBOOK)Beware, food lovers. There’s another cooking member of the Deen family on the horizon, and he’s just seven years old. Jack Deen, son of Jamie Deen, has been spending time in the kitchen with his famous family, and is sharing some recipes in his dad’s new cookbook.Jamie Deen, 46, has released Jamie Deen’s Good Food, a family cookbook that includes a handful of Jack’s favorite kid-friendly recipes. “Whenever our family gets together, we spend a lot of time in the kitchen,” says Deen. “I let Jack get in the kitchen and help me. One of the earliest responsibilities of parents is to introduce their kids to food.”The cookbook contains recipes from the highbrow (stuffed pork loin with figs) to the simple (butter and cane syrup on white bread). “These are all recipes that have meant a lot to my family,” says Deen. “I’d never call myself a chef, but I love to cook, and these are recipes that taste good.”Deen says that the book is more than a compilation of recipes. “Readers will get an idea of our family,” he says. “They’ll learn how we live our life and how we spend our time.” (Steve Helling, Great IdeasPeople, 9/19/13)Every recipe in this book has a history, many dating back generations in the Deen orHiers families. Jamie has adapted these dishes to meet the nutritional and emotional needs of the modern family. They are full of freshness and flavor, and include locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. The recipes in this book are sure to become the ones my grandbabies will pass down to their children. And with this book, they will carry on to your family table as well. (Paula Deen, From the Foreword)Food Network star Jamie Deen . . . on his new cookbook, “Jamie Deen’s Good Food": "I’m just like every other parent in the world, and I figure out what am I going to cook for dinner tonight, what can I make that Jack is going to eat and is good for him. As parents, one of our biggest responsibilities is to set our kids off on good eating habits. My wife and I figured out what can we do that is fresh, easy to cook and kind of quick that will satisfy not only him but us. My dietary life has changed as well as my cooking life now." (Andrea Weigl[Raleigh, NC] News & Observer, 9/24/13)Deen’s philosophy that families should share dinnertime is at the core of his first solo cookbook, “Jamie Deen’s Good Food: Cooking Up a Storm with Delicious, Family-Friendly Recipes.” Deen said that he believes quality time in the kitchen with his family is an important part of life. Deen grew up cooking with his mother, the iconic Queen of Cooking Paula Deen, and his brother, Bobby Deen, and now shares that tradition with his own wife and kids. Each of the 125 tried and true recipes in this book includes accompanying four-color photography, prep and cooking times, helpful tips such as how to dress up a meal for adults (or dress it down for the kids), inspiring ideas for leftovers or how to pick the right produce. Deen’s recipes are sure to get the whole family enthusiastic about cooking — and eating well. From a Kale and White Bean Soup to a Homemade Black Bean Burger with Pico de Gallo, Crispy Parmesan Chicken Cutlets with Arugula and Avocado to Grilled Salmon on White Wine Soaked Cedar Planks, from Collard Greens with Drop Corn Dumplings to the Three Pillars of the Bag Lady Salads and ending up with a Salted Caramel Pecan Pie with Pretzel Crust or The Deen Family Eggnog, there are countless fresh and fun ideas for family meals.“Jamie Deen’s Good Food” would not be complete without a heaping helping of Deen family stories, wisdom, and anecdotes. The book includes photographs of his mother, brother, father, wife Brooke, and sons Jack and Matthew. R (Gary ParkesCherokee Tribune, 10/3/13)"Jamie Deen’s Good Food" is his first solo effort, and is, by his account, very personal. He’s co-authored a number of books with various family members and this new offering doesn’t stray far from his devotion to one of the most important things in his life – family. Deen said the book . . . is a very accurate reflection of his views on family, food and the need for “building relationships through food that will stand the test of time.”The book is chock full of 125 recipes with a definite, honest Southern flavor, everything from roast Sunday chicken with seasonal vegetables to chicken and dumplings to Frogmore Stew and a clever take on jelly salad. The recipes are accompanied by four-color photographs, helpful tips on how to dress up a meal, preparation and cooking times and something near and dear to me – inspired ideas for how to best use the leftovers.The chapter titles reflect Deen’s whimsical side. With names like Hand Holdin’, Are You Thirsty?, Wanna Snack and Can’t Put Your Finger on it?, the chapters make for a delightful read. My personal favorite is the chapter titled Date With Old Sparky, the nickname that many folks in the South give to the electric chair. “I asked myself the age-old question: If I was facing certain death, what would I want my last meal to be?” he writes in the introduction to the chapter. The menu includes collard greens with cornmeal dumplings and black-eyed peas with ham hocks, but the dessert for his last meal is maybe my favorite recipe in the book, an offering he dubs an Ode to Dad’s Dessert. “I saw daddy eat this every night for 20 years,” Deen writes.That’s my kind of recipe; he had me at cane syrup. (David HollowayMobile Register, 9/26/13)Growing up in Georgia, Paula Deen cooked dinner for her family every night. Now her son, Jamie, is carrying on the tradition in his own home. [In Jamie Deen's Good Food], the cookbook author serves up a few of his family's favorites: three kinds of pasta, a lemon tart, pecan pie, and jelly salad. (Jamie Deen's family-friendly pastas and dessertsThe Today Show, 9/24/13)One look at his new (and first ) solo cookbook, Jamie Deen’s Good Food, and it’s clear he’s found his place in the world as a husband, father, and cook. With a spread sure to make anyone jealous, Jamie shares his favorite family recipes from his cookbook that have become tradition at the Deen Thanksgiving table: (Shannon McCookParade, 11/19/13)In the end, we’re both very proud of this gorgeous book that is decidedly “Jamie.” It captures his candid voice and the thoughtful way he prepares his family’s food and lives his life. (Andrea GotoSavannah Magazine)Deen pours heart and soul into his first solo cookbook. Readers also will enjoy the photography by John Kernick, whose striking images capture Deen and his family and many of the dishes discussed. Intriguingly, Deen also puts Jack, his young son and aspiring cook, in the spotlight. Flip the cookbook over and you’ll find “Rooster’s Café” by Jack Deen. The 16-page mini book is aptly subtitled “Favorite recipes any kid can cook.” (Tom WitomLake County My Suburban Life, 12/12/13)“My brother’s book is beautiful,” Bobby adds. “I think it’s the best-looking book of any of the Deen family books. He’s got a handsome family and he knows how to cook.”Jamie’s book showcases Savannah in full-color photographs and spotlights his personal life and the kind of cook he considers himself to be. The book is filled with 125 recipes and some were added to simply pay homage to his loved ones. (Kim WadeDo Savnnah, 2/5/2014)