Paula Deen fattening up Savannah’s tourism

There's no sign of Deen slowing down. Besides filming a fifth season of "Paula's Home Cooking," the Food Network this year opted to expand the Deen family franchise with two new shows.

Jamie and Bobby Deen debuted their own program — "Road Tasted" — to strong ratings in July (a month after People magazine named Bobby Deen, 36, among its 50 hottest bachelors). Deen herself just finished taping 13 episodes of "Paula's Party," her new series that starts Sept. 29.

The new show lets Deen cut loose with her Southern sass in front of a live audience, and her fans eat it up. One of them is Kenna Wiggins of Springfield, Mo., who was among more than 600 fans to write the Food Network hoping to attend a taping of "Paula's Party" in Savannah.

The 54-year-old teacher said she felt an instant kinship when she discovered Deen while channel surfing two years ago.

"Here's the most charming, bubbly lady making this sinful concoction with Krispy Kreme doughnuts and butter," Wiggins recalled. "I said, ‘That's my kind of cook!' Between family and butter, those are my two great values in life."

It's a formula that's found Deen a solid fan base. "Paula's Home Cooking" consistently ranks among the Food Network's top shows.

"I really had no idea that America was so hungry for somebody that made them think of momma or grandmomma," Deen says, heading for the remnants of the crew's lunch after her shoot. "By the time Food Network got me, I was too old to change. I've been around the block and I know what's important and what's not."

A spoon, for example, is unnecessary when Deen starts gulping gazpacho soup straight from its foam container. She sticks her wad of Nicorette gum to the rim. She quit smoking July 1, to buy more time with her first grandchild, the newborn Jack.

Deen has been buying produce from Becky Polk Bashlor since she started The Bag Lady, when Deen had her sons sell her bag lunches door-to-door. Back then, Bashlor says, Deen often had to buy groceries on credit, and return with cash from the day's sales.

Now Deen's paying back the favor. More than 20 tourists are lined up at the register at Polk's Fresh Market with armloads of boiled peanuts, red pepper jellies, poppy-seed salad dressings and peach preserves.

Bashlor makes $400 off the visitors before they return to their bus to resume the Paula Deen tour.

"These people come in, bus after bus, and they're here for my little friend who started out frying chicken and cooking greens," Bashlor said. "But she's just as real as she was back when she was doing bag lunches."