Deen Paula H. - My Delicious Life with Paula Deen

MICHAEL GROOVER

with Sherry Suib Cohen

Copyright 2009 by Captain Michael Enterprises, LLC

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Simon & Schuster Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition November 2009

SIMON & SCHUSTER and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The photographs of Michael Groover and Paula Deen on their wedding day are courtesy of Photography by Lori. All other photographs are from the collection of the author.

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Designed by Jessica Shatan Heslin/Studio Shatan, Inc.

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Groover, Michael.

My delicious life with Paula Deen / by Michael Groover with Sherry Suib Cohen.

p. cm.

1. CookeryMiscellanea. 2. Groover, Michael, 19553. Deen, Paula H., 1947 4. SpousesBiography. I. Cohen, Sherry Suib. II. Title.

TX652.G7493 2009

641.5092dc

[B] 2009031554

ISBN 978-1-4391-5999-6

ISBN 978-1-4391-6908-7 (ebook)

This book is for my darling Paula,
my soul mate, my friend, my lover.
When you opened up your arms to me,
you opened up the world to me.
You are my everything.

I give thanks for Paula Deen, always and ever, my Paula.

My warm appreciation to Sherry Suib Cohen, my friend and collaborator, who has come to love the language, the loyalties, and the unique ways of the South, as well as to her husband, Larry Cohen, who shares my abiding love of the sea.

My brothers, Henry B. Groover III, known as Father Hank, and Joseph Nicholas Groover, known as Nick, have always been there for me, and I will love and be grateful to them for all my life. Hank is a talented Southern and former tugboat cook, and I thank him for all his assistance with my recipes and our childhood memories. Im also indebted to Nicks wife, Jodi Groover, for a great recipe and for her constant warmth. Their children, Jordan and Lauren, are just terrific.

To my own much-admired son, Anthony Groover, my beautiful daughter, Michelle Reed, and her husband, Daniel ReedI cherish you three more than I can ever say. A special thank-you to Anthonys darling girlfriend, Jennifer Moesch.

More love and grateful recognition goes to Paulas kids, who I think of as my ownBobby Deen, Jamie Deen and his wife, Brooke Deen, and their jackpot of a sonour grandson, little Jack Deen.

How lucky was I to find not only Paula but her fabulous extended family: my incredible brother-in-law, Earl Hiers Jr., otherwise known as the famous Bubba, and his great kids, Jay and Corrie, and Corries new fianc, Brian Rooks. Paulas aunt Peggy Ort doesnt miss a trick and is an integral part of everything we do. Paulas cousin Don Hiers and his wife, Darlene, will always be part of my heart.

Never-ending thanks go to our great professional team, which consists of Paulas personal assistant and right-hand man, the incomparable Brandon Branch; her beloved agent, Barry Weiner, who is never wrong; her ever-attentive accountant, Karl Schumacher, CFO; and her treasured, indispensable staff, Theresa Feuger, Michelle White, and my friend and Paulas guardian angel, Hollis Johnson. The rest of wonderful Team Paula includes Jamie Cribbs, Courtney Fix, Sarah Meighan, and Cassie Aimar: we love them all.

We both owe the world to Nancy Assuncao, Paulas intuitive and powerful public relations expert.

So much gratitude goes to the wild and brilliantly talented producer Gordon Elliott, who first saw the true star qualities of Paula Deen.

My literary family is responsible for this book, a dream come true, especially Janis Donnaud, my loyal and wise literary agent. Our Simon & Schuster family is the heart of the best publishing: Sydny Miner is the VP and senior editor who understands language so well (even our Southern dialect) and gave My Delicious Life with Paula Deen the utmost diligence and care. I know there are some bawdy-ish words and jokes shed have banished but for her determination to allow my own real self to speak in my own real stories. Michelle Rorke, assistant editor, could not have been more professional and helpful. Other brilliant S&S people who worked on this book are Nancy Singer and Jessica Shatan Heslin, who were responsible for the impressive interior design; Sybil Pincus, senior production editor, and Libby Kessman, copy editor extraordinaire; and Brian Ulicky, the publicity director, who uses his wit and impressive contacts to bring notice of My Delicious Life to the world.

To David Rosenthal, Simon & Schusters publisher, who leads our whole book team, so much gratitude.

Deep thanks to the Food Network, which has adopted me as its grizzled, seafarin sonbecause Paula would have it no other way.

Thank you to Shara Arnofsky for a really great idea, and to the creative Shn Willis of Wordsmithery for transcribing my spoken stories and thoughts into written words for this book. Sherrys literary agent, Mel Berger of the William Morris Agency, is a nonpareil.

Finally, for the memories of my saintly momma, Carmel Register Groover, and my marvelous daddy, Henry B. Groover Jr.may God rest their soulsI give my lifelong gratitude.

Without my family and extended family, this book would not have happened.

Last, but not least, my eternal thankfulness to Sam and Otis. They know why.

by Paula Deen

Hi yall,

Listen: I felt like it was my place to introduce the world to my Captain Michael Groover. And, of course, I also felt that maybe I need to do a little groundwork to help prepare yall for that meetin.

Michaels not oldhes only fifty-three, but hes a true ol Southern river boy. Now, ol Southern river boys may be a little rough around the edges, and so, I want you to be prepared. His language and his jokes may be a little like the water we live onsaltyand he can also be rough and gruff and bawdy at times.

But when times are hard, Michael Groover will make the best friend that yall could ever hope to have in this world.

I fell in love with this salty sea captain. And I guess you could say the first thing I fell in love with was his sense of humor: very dry and very witty.

Michael Groover made me laugh and he makes me laugh every day of my life. He brought laughter and joy into a personal life that was very sad at the time I met him. I will always love him for that.

So get ready to meet this rough-gruff-on-the-outside man whos a teddy bear on the inside. I think by the time you finish this book, youll know why I fell in love with Captain Michael and why I will love the man until the day I die.