Sandra Lee (author)
Encyclopedia
Sandra Lee is an American television cook and author. She is known for her "Semi-Homemade" cooking concept, which involves 70 percent pre-packaged products with 30 percent fresh items.
. When Lee was 11, her mother divorced for a second time. Lee then took on the role of mother for her five younger siblings. Her responsibilities included buying groceries, preparing the meals, and handling the family finances. Lee attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
.
She later attended Le Cordon Bleu
in Ottawa
, Canada for one week.
s and cable shopping networks. Home-shopping network QVC
hired her as on-air talent; in her first 18 months on the network, Lee sold $20 million worth of products.
Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee premiered on the Food Network
in 2003. Each episode contains an arts and crafts
element, in which Lee decorates the table setting in accordance with the theme of the meal that she just prepared. She refers to these as "tablescapes". Lee's second Food Network series, Sandra's Money Saving Meals, began airing on May 10, 2009.
She has released 20 books, some of them New York Times bestsellers. A magazine based on her show, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, was released in 2009.
Her memoir, Made From Scratch, was released in November 2007.
wrote in The New York Times
that Lee "...seems more intent on encouraging people to create excuses for not cooking than on encouraging them to cook wholesome simple foods", concluding that "...she has produced two books in which she encourages a dislike for cooking, and gives people an excuse for feeding themselves and their families mediocre food filled with preservatives".
Food writer Anthony Bourdain
has been harshly critical of Lee and described a video of Lee preparing a Kwanzaa
cake as "eye searing". Lee's Kwanzaa Cake has been called "scary" by the Houston Chronicle, and "the most ghastly-sounding dish in Lee's culinary repertoire" by Tulsa World. Salon.com says the video "takes pride of place in the pantheon of hilarious culinary disaster videos".
The Charlotte Observer summarized the reaction to Lee by saying "It would be a stretch to call Sandra Lee semi-controversial. Judging from the reaction to her Food Network show 'Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee,' she's completely controversial." Noting that Lee has both harsh critics and adoring fans, the Observer asked Lee about the criticism. She replied "I was surprised by the reaction on both sides", adding "that's how you know it's meaningful, when you get a reaction."
When the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
ran a review of Lee's cookbook Semi-Homemade Cooking that criticized both her recipe and her "Semi-Homemade" concept,
the review's author received a response "that was more impassioned than I anticipated", with most readers agreeing with the article. However, a number of readers disagreed with the column. One reader wrote, "Lots of people who don't want to take the time to shred a cup of carrots want to cook a good meal."
Kurt Soller, writing for Newsweek
, compared Lee's impact upon television cooking with that of Julia Child
, noting that although Lee's show "is the furthest from Child's methods", both women "filled a niche that hasn't yet been explored".
CEO and philanthropist Bruce Karatz
. Lee is dating Governor of New York
Andrew Cuomo
and shares a house with him in Chappaqua, New York
.
Early life
Lee and her sister Cindy lived with their paternal grandmother, Lorraine. By 1972, her parents had divorced; her mother remarried, moving them to Sumner, WashingtonSumner, Washington
Sumner is a city in northern Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,451 at the 2010 census. Nearby cities include Puyallup to the west, Auburn to the north, and Enumclaw to the east.-History:...
. When Lee was 11, her mother divorced for a second time. Lee then took on the role of mother for her five younger siblings. Her responsibilities included buying groceries, preparing the meals, and handling the family finances. Lee attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse is a public university located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA...
.
She later attended Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu is the world's largest hospitality education institution, with 35 schools on five continents serving 20,000 students annually. Its primary education focus is on hospitality management and the culinary arts...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada for one week.
Career
In the early 1990s, Lee created a product called "Sandra Lee Kraft Kurtains", a home decorating tool that used a wire rack and sheets or other fabric samples to create decorative drapery. The product was sold via infomercialInfomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
s and cable shopping networks. Home-shopping network QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
hired her as on-air talent; in her first 18 months on the network, Lee sold $20 million worth of products.
Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee premiered on the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
in 2003. Each episode contains an arts and crafts
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...
element, in which Lee decorates the table setting in accordance with the theme of the meal that she just prepared. She refers to these as "tablescapes". Lee's second Food Network series, Sandra's Money Saving Meals, began airing on May 10, 2009.
She has released 20 books, some of them New York Times bestsellers. A magazine based on her show, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, was released in 2009.
Her memoir, Made From Scratch, was released in November 2007.
Critical reaction
Amanda HesserAmanda Hesser
Amanda Hesser is an American food writer, editor and cookbook author. She was the food editor of The New York Times Magazine and the editor of T Living, a quarterly publication of The New York Times.-Life and career:...
wrote in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
that Lee "...seems more intent on encouraging people to create excuses for not cooking than on encouraging them to cook wholesome simple foods", concluding that "...she has produced two books in which she encourages a dislike for cooking, and gives people an excuse for feeding themselves and their families mediocre food filled with preservatives".
Food writer Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Michael "Tony" Bourdain is an American chef, author and television personality. He is well known for his 2000 book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and is the host of Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure program Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.A...
has been harshly critical of Lee and described a video of Lee preparing a Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a week long celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year. It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candles and culminates in a feast and gift giving...
cake as "eye searing". Lee's Kwanzaa Cake has been called "scary" by the Houston Chronicle, and "the most ghastly-sounding dish in Lee's culinary repertoire" by Tulsa World. Salon.com says the video "takes pride of place in the pantheon of hilarious culinary disaster videos".
The Charlotte Observer summarized the reaction to Lee by saying "It would be a stretch to call Sandra Lee semi-controversial. Judging from the reaction to her Food Network show 'Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee,' she's completely controversial." Noting that Lee has both harsh critics and adoring fans, the Observer asked Lee about the criticism. She replied "I was surprised by the reaction on both sides", adding "that's how you know it's meaningful, when you get a reaction."
When the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
ran a review of Lee's cookbook Semi-Homemade Cooking that criticized both her recipe and her "Semi-Homemade" concept,
the review's author received a response "that was more impassioned than I anticipated", with most readers agreeing with the article. However, a number of readers disagreed with the column. One reader wrote, "Lots of people who don't want to take the time to shred a cup of carrots want to cook a good meal."
Kurt Soller, writing for Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, compared Lee's impact upon television cooking with that of Julia Child
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
, noting that although Lee's show "is the furthest from Child's methods", both women "filled a niche that hasn't yet been explored".
Personal life
From 2001 to 2005 she was married to KB HomeKB Home
KB Home is a homebuilding company based in the United States, founded in 1957 as Kaufman & Broad in Detroit, Michigan. It was the first company to be traded on the NYSE as a home builder and is a Fortune 500 company...
CEO and philanthropist Bruce Karatz
Bruce Karatz
Bruce Karatz is an American homebuilder and philanthropist noted for his role as CEO in the development of KB Home from 1972 through 2006, and for his philanthropic efforts to help re-build Los Angeles after the L.A. Riots and New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina...
. Lee is dating Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
and shares a house with him in Chappaqua, New York
Chappaqua, New York
Chappaqua is a hamlet and census-designated place in northern Westchester County, New York. As of the 2010 census, following a major revision to the delineation of its boundaries by the Census Bureau, the population was 1,436...
.