Paula Deen will continue to headline Houston food show
Paula Deen will continue to participate in Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Shows, including the show slated for Sept. 14-15 in Houston at Reliant Center, a spokesperson for the food show announced Monday.
Deen, who has been in the midst of a firestorm since she admitted to using racial slurs, also will continue to headline MetroCooking shows in Dallas and Washington, DC, this year.
In a statement from MetroCooking:
“Paula Deen has been a friend of The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show for many years. She has apologized and we are taking her apology at her word and moving forward accordingly. The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show does not condone or believe in the use of derogatory slurs by anyone. We abhor the words of hostility and hatred. This is a nation of forgiveness and second chances. In that spirit we intend to go forward with the MetroCooking Shows in Houston, Dallas and Washington, DC as planned with Paula as a presenter. At this time we have no plans to do otherwise.”
Deen headlined Houston’s MetroCooking show last year along with Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis and celebrity chef/cookbook author Jacques Pepin. She also headlined Houston’s first MetroCooking show in 2011.
The MetroCooking statement came about an hour after wire reports that Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, announced that it dropped Deen as a spokeswoman. The company said in a statement it “condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind.”
More at http://blog.chron.com/29-95/2013/06/paula-deen-will-continue-to-headline-houston-food-show/ .
[font color=green]This may all be for the best. I have a feeling she might be uncomfortable visiting a social services office to file an unemployment claim.[/font] 
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