Paula Deen’s VIP Supper

Last Sunday, I went to the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show again and attended the Paula Deen VIP supper and book signing. This event was sold out.

I have to say, I was excited to see Paula and I had high expectations after the Bobby Flay cooking demo the day before. Unfortunately, the “supper” was disappointing.

The Menu was as follows:

Georgia Cracker Salad
Chicken Boudine
Vidalia Onion Cornbread
Wilmington Island Marsh Mud Cake

Sounds good right? Well, it was not. I know that all of the recipes were Paula’s, but I am sure, if she had made them, they would have turned out quite differently.

Let me begin by saying the “supper” was $110.00 per person, so it was not cheap. (I put “supper” in quotes because it was at 4:15 p.m., not exactly supper.) All we had to drink was tap water. Not even ice tea, soda, etc. The room itself was terrible and not appropriate for a VIP lunch.

The meal itself was just awful. The salad was already on our plates and it tastes like a glob of warm mayonnaise with saltine crackers mixed in it. The chicken was cut into little pieces and mixed with dried out pasta. The whole thing was overcooked and drowned in bad cheese. Then, on to dessert It sounded promising. Who doesn’t like mud pie? However, this one was just a bad brownie with some chocolate sauce. Needless to say, the whole experience was disappointing. It was like being at a really, really bad wedding.

I know Paula did not cook the meal, but her name was on it. People drover for hours to attend and paid alot of money. Her people should make sure that whoever is catering a lunch for her should meet much higher standards.

Eventually, Paula came in with Michael and sat a table in the front and starting signing books. We were rushed up table by table and allowed to have 2 books signed while her bodyguard took a picture.

I actually had her sign a copy of my favorite Paula Deen recipe, Is it really better than sex cake? If you have never tried this cake, go immediately to the Food Network website and download it. You have to make this cake. It is a simple boxed vanilla cake batter and then pineapple, pudding, whipped cream and toasted coconut is added. It is delicious!

So, basically, my husband and I paid $220.00 for a signed Paula Deen book and a picture. Oh well, at least I got to meet Paula and Michael! Lesson learned: Attend cooking demos and not a lunch or dinner catered by the Metropolitian Cooking and Entertaining Show.

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Metropolitian Cooking & Entertaining Show – Bobby Flay

Last weekend I attended the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in West Palm Beach. On Saturday, I went to Bobby Flay’s cooking demo. He started with a Grilled Lobster Cocktail with coconut milk dressing. He gave a lot of great tips on how to grill lobster without overcooking it. The dish looked delicious. Then, he made a Spanish spiced ribeye with sherry vinaigrette and ended with a homemade butterscotch pudding.

Not only is Bobby Flay a terrific chef, but he is really funny. His presentation was not only informative, but very entertaining. After seeing him in person, it is easy to see why he is so popular. The chefs on the Food Network not only have to cook well, they have to be able to entertain an audience.

He also shared some juicy tidbits about Iron Chef. Someone in the audience asked him when he really finds out the secret ingredient and he said right when you see it on TV, as the lid is lifted. He did say, however, that they have about 5 minutes until everything is ready and they start cooking so they have time to make a game plan. That is something that I was always curious about because on TV, once the secret ingredient is revealed, it appears that both teams start cooking immediately. I always wondered how all the sous chefs knew what to do.

I sat in the sixth row for Bobby’s cooking demo so I had a great seat. I could really watch him cook and I could even smell the food. Unfortunately, I was not one of the lucky ones that got to taste it.

Then after the demo, I had tickets to his book signing. Let me tell you, he is really cute in person. I have never attended a book signing before and they really have it down to a science. You wait in line forever only to have about 5 seconds to get a book signed and take a picture. I know, some people would probably stand there all day so they have to keep the line moving. But, it was great because I did get to meet Bobby.

I highly recommend his latest book, Grill It. The receipes for the dishes above are in the book. His new book, Burgers, Shakes and Fries comes out in a few weeks. I will be looking forward to it.

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