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Paula Deen Celebrates! - Best Dishes and Best Wishes for the Best Times of Your Life
by Paula Deen with Martha Nesbit
Simon & Schuster
ISBN 0-7432-7811-9
Published October 2006 - Hardcover - 224 pages - $26.00

At this time of the year, October, many people start thinking about the upcoming holidays.  What to make for dinner is usually the main priority.  Festive and feisty Paula Deen helps eliminate the guesswork, and she gives many dishes you've probably never served before.  Quite honestly, having spent a few Thanksgivings and Christmases in this country, and always seeing the same things on dinner tables year in and year out (green bean casserole - BORING!, marshmallow yams - gross!), it's a wonderful thing to be able to create new dishes and traditions for a change.  Monotony is tiresome.  Ms. Deen's book is full of delectable dishes which you can try.  And what's more, she doesn't only cater for the traditional holidays we celebrate, she's also included recipes for New Year's Eve Brunch (I kid you not); Elvis' Birthday; Big Easy Mardi Gras; St. Patrick's Day; Cinco de Mayo Fiesta; Mother's Day Tea, and Movie-Watching Pizza Party in Bed among others.  She also includes menus which are a great help for anyone stuck about what to serve.  Recipes I thought worth trying, include Crab and Spinach Casserole; Penny Smith's Sausage Casserole; Crème de Menthe Brownies; Succotash, and Brussels Sprouts with Onion and Bacon.  Personally, I don't like a meal (or a dish for that matter) with too many overlapping flavors, so I would mix and match accordingly to my taste.  The worst-sounding recipe?  Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich.
Partially illustrated.  No nutritional guides.
Conclusion - A good idea for a cookbook.