Bobby Deen signs books in Charlotte Wednesday

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An early one from Wednesday's food section, 3 Questions For Bobby Deen:


Bobby Deen used to be mad at his mother. He was a senior in high schoolwhen his mother divorced and moved Bobby and his brother Jamie from Albany,Ga., to Savannah, where she started a lunch delivery service, The Bag Lady. Deen was 18, and he thought the move was awful.And then, it worked out: The timing, the city, the luck. With thethree of them working together, The Bag Lady grew into a restaurant, The Lady& Sons. Bobby’s mother, Paula Deen, wrote a little cookbook and became aworldwide sensation.“I never could have imagined it,” he admits. “But what it tellsme and what my mother has proven to me is, you really can do anything you wantto do.”Today, Bobby Deen is host of “Not My Mama’s Meals” on the CookingChannel and author of “From Mama’s Table to Mine: Everybody’s Favorite ComfortFoods at 350 Calories or Less.” And his mother Paula has lost more than 40pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes.He’ll sign copies of the new book at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Barnesand Noble in the Arboretum, 3327 Pineville-Matthews Road.And yes, it’s OK to ask about his mother.“We’re very close, our lives and what we’ve done doesn’t needdefending. It’s a true, honest story.” Kathleen PurvisQ: Every kid has a food battle. Whatdid you battle with your mother about eating when you were young?“Liver! I didn’t like it. I still don’t love it. My mama would dobeef liver. It was Paula Deen cooking it, so it was good, but it was stilldisgusting.”Q: Between your home in Savannah andyour show in New York, you’re on the road a lot. How do you handle airportmeals?“It is difficult. In most airports, there’s a Starbucks where youcan get a fruit cup. But I make sure I don’t show up hungry at the airport.It’s a trap.”Q: Are there any sacred Deen familyrecipes you wouldn’t or couldn’t lighten?“There is one – but I did it anyway. My favorite is goulash, aglorified beef-a-roni. I try not to make it because my mama makes it on mybirthday. I did a lighter version and used it in two books. But I’ll be thefirst to admit it’s not nearly as good as my mama’s.”
Yes You Can Mac and Cheese
From “From Mama’s Table to Mine,” by Bobby Deen (Ballantine,$22). By making a changes, Deen lowered this from 30 grams of fat and 584calories per serving to 7 grams of fat and 293 calories.
4 cups whole-grain elbow macaroni2 tablespoons unsalted butter2 tablespoons all-purpose flour2 cups nonfat milk1 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese2 ounces low-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1/2 teaspoon dry mustardFreshly ground black pepper to taste
COOK the pasta in boiling salted waterfor 1 minute less than the package directions suggest. Drain well.RETURN the empty pasta pot to the stoveand melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and simmer until bubbling and slightly thick.Whisk in the cheddar, Parmesan, cream cheese, Worcestershire, dry mustard andpepper. STIR the pasta back into the pot andcook until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with more salt and pepper andserve.YIELD: 8 servings.